We love books and travel, too. When we get curious about something, we go all the way down the rabbit hole — and we want to take you with us. Here are ways to join in the adventures:
We’re David and Melissa, the creative team behind Strong Sense of Place. We’re Americans who live in Prague.
We’ve been a couple since 1992, and one of our favorite things to do together is explore new places — and then to sit quietly and read. We’re two introverts who crave adventures, as long as we get to choose the time and place. We’ve visited 25 countries and 33 U.S. states… so far. It’s our mission to share the things we see, learn, eat, and read with you. (Obligatory business-y bios and our favorite books.)
In each episode of our show, we get curious about one destination and discuss five great books that took us there on the page. We start with an overview of what makes that place special, then tackle a round of ‘Two Truths and a Lie’ to explore quirky stories. The heart of the show is our book recommendations that explore why we love each title with zero spoilers. (Book spoilers are just rude.)
Our podcasts are released every other Monday. Each season, we’ll take you to 12 different destinations around the world. Our show notes are where you’ll find photos, videos, and links to more information about everything we discuss in the podcast.
Got ten minutes?
The Library of Lost Time is a short-and-sweet podcast. Every week, we share two new book releases at the top of our TBR, then celebrate a fun book- or travel-related distraction.
Enjoy the episodes here — or listen in your favorite podcast app via the Strong Sense of Place feed.
Think of our website as an archive where we hoard all the cool stuff that we can’t squeeze into our podcasts. There are book recommendations, photo collections, recipes, essays about libraries and bookshops, and so much more. Plus every Friday, we share Endnotes, a collection of the best book- and travel-related stuff we read that week.
Join us on our free Substack! Our newsletters are filled with exciting photos and book recommendations, behind-the-scenes stories, secret recipes, inspiring ideas, and (sometimes) silly stuff.
On Tuesdays, our friendly, bookish community spills the Tuesday Tea by answering a book- or travel-related question. It’s a fantastic place to get new ideas for your TBR or travel adventures.
On Fridays, Mel shares Friday Endnotes, a newsletter with subscriber-only info about travel and books, plus a collection of our favorite reading- and travel-related links of the week.
Bonus! When you sign up for our newsletter, you also get our free Reading Atlas: a 30-page magazine that includes book and travel inspiration. (Around the world in 14 books! Book series with a strong sense of place!)
Check out a sample Tuesday Tea and Friday Endnotes here. Or sign up for our Substack here.
We’ve covered 63 destinations so far, and we’re just getting started. On each of our Destination Pages, you’ll find our podcast, recommended books, delicious recipes, photo galleries, and more to inform and delight you.
If you want more book- and travel-related stuff and want to connect with other friendly people, you might like to join our Patreon. We have a welcoming Patreon community of readers who love to talk about reading and far-flung destinations. Our Patreon is where we share bonus content, host online events, and invite our Patrons to help us choose destinations for the podcast. Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast, so your support is everything. (By backing us on Patreon, you become a Patron of the Arts. So fancy! We have various contribution levels starting at just $3/month.)
We love to hear from you! Consider this your invitation to tell us about your favorite book, your must-see travel destination, or whatever else is on your mind. Send us an email!
Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!
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Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.
Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.
Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info join in fun chats about books and travel.
We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.
This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.
Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.