Strong Sense of Place

Strong Sense of Place

Melissa & Dave

One remarkable destination. Five books we love.

22 minutes 30 seconds

LoLT: Tips for Reading Long Novels and Two Great Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new books: The Power and the Glory: The Country House Before the Great War by Adrian Tinniswood and Playworld: A Novel by Adam Ross. Then Mel shares her reading and loving doorstopper novels of 500+ pages.

Links
Mel’s Favorite Doorstopper Novels
- Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
- REAMDE by Neal Stephenson
- The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili (translated by Ruth Martin & Charlotte Collins)
- Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth - reviewed on our Hollywood podcast
- Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel - reviewed on our London podcast
- The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - reviewed on our Library podcast
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - reviewed on our Cemetery podcast
- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
- The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón - reviewed on our Library podcast
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Transcript of this episode.

The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Join our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to make friends with other (lovely) listeners? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

As always, you can find us at:
- Our site
- Instagram
- Substack
- Patreon
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

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24 January 2025, 10:20 am
20 minutes 29 seconds

Join Us for an IRL Manor House Weekend in Wales!

Spend a bookish weekend with us in a country manor house!

For centuries, nobles and ne'er-do-wells have gathered on country estates for a bit of leisure, a lot of sumptuous food, sparkling conversation, and general good cheer. You’re invited to join us at Trevor Hall for a modern take on the traditional manor house weekend.

Together, we’ll make ourselves at home in this historic Georgian mansion surrounded by the picturesque North Wales countryside. We’ll talk about books, share gourmet meals in the Great Hall, play parlor games, ramble in the Welsh hills, listen to stories by candlelight, and be dazzled by an illusionist from London.

Our weekend begins in Manchester, England — a UNESCO City of Literature. We’ll take over a boutique hotel in the city center where we’ll enjoy an evening pub meetup, spend the night, and start our morning with a breakfast fry-up. Then we’re off to the Elizabeth Gaskell House for a private tour of the Victorian villa where the author wrote her classic novel ‘North and South’ (and entertained literary friends like Charlotte Brontë and Charles Dickens).

After a restorative tea-and-cake break, we’ll ride together via private motor coach — just over an hour — through the rugged countryside to Llangollen, a charming historic town on the River Dee in North Wales. Our destination: Trevor Hall.

The Hall is a Georgian mansion on a wooded hilltop overlooking green slopes dotted with sheep and horses. After a tour of the house and gardens, we’ll ease into country living in the Hall’s luxurious (and tastefully eclectic) rooms. With literary activities, entertainment, and surprises planned throughout the weekend, you’re sure to be delighted — and have plenty of time to connect with old and new bookish friends.

For complete details about the weekend and lots of photos, visit strongsenseofplace.com/weekend.

For early access to tickets for a Readers' Weekend at Trevor Hall, join our Patreon.

To be notified the minute tickets go on sale, join our free Substack newsletter.

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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17 January 2025, 10:20 am
19 minutes 52 seconds

LoLT: Graphic Novels for Newbies and Two Great Books
In this episode, we get excited about three books: Gifts from the Kitchen by Kristine Kidd and A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions by Mark Forsyth. Then Dave recommends entertaining, accessible graphic novels for newbies.
Links
Transcript of this episode.
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Join our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to make friends with other (lovely) listeners? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can find us at:
- Our site
- Instagram
- Substack
- Patreon
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
13 December 2024, 10:15 am
14 minutes 11 seconds

LoLT: Dave’s Board Game Recs and Two New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new books: A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson and The Way by Cary Groner. Then Dave recommends fun boardgames to play with your friends and family this holiday season.
Links
Transcript of this episode.
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Join our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to make friends with other (lovely) listeners? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can find us at:
- Our site
- Instagram
- Substack
- Patreon
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
6 December 2024, 10:15 am
25 minutes 6 seconds

Home for the Holidays [ repost ]
It’s our November tradition! This week, we’re replaying a special Thanksgiving episode of our show.
====
We know you don’t all celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving, but it’s never a bad idea to express gratitude and devote a day to being cozy. In that spirit, we’ve made a little gift for you to show our appreciation.
Watching the movie ‘Home for the Holidays’ is an annual Thanksgiving tradition in our house. The film is based on a brilliant short story by Chris Radant that is, sadly, out of print.
Both the story and the film tell the tale of a family Thanksgiving in all of its gluttonous, annoying, loving glory. It’s a celebration of affection, patience, and forgiveness.
Since you can’t get the story as an audiobook, Mel went into our blanket fort recording booth to read the story out loud, and then Dave worked some editing magic. Boom! We made our first homegrown ‘audiobook.’
We’re grateful you’ve all joined us on our Strong Sense of Place reading-traveling adventures. We hope you enjoy the story!
- Read the short story by Chris Radant
- Transcript of this episode
- Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 November 2024, 10:15 am
16 minutes 32 seconds

LoLT: Adorable Cozy Games and Three New Books
In this episode, we get excited about three books: Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris, The Starlets by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne, and Darkly by Marisha Pessl. Then Dave makes the case for playing cozy games.
Links
- Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris
- The Starlets by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne
- Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
- Darkly by Marisha Pessl
- Mel’s review of Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
- Night Film by Marisha Pessl
- Steam gift cards
- Tiny Glade on Steam
- Video: Tiny Glade Demo #1 and Demo #2
- A Little to the Left on Steam — also available on macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.
- Video: A Little to the Left Demo
- Oddada on Steam
- Video: Oddada Demo
Transcript of this episode.
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Join our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to make friends with other (lovely) listeners? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can find us at:
- Our site
- Instagram
- Substack
- Patreon
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
22 November 2024, 10:15 am
19 minutes 34 seconds

LoLT: Sandwich Designer of the Year and Two New Books
We'd love to hear from you! -- Take our survey at strongsenseofplace.com/survey.
In this episode, we get excited about two books: the audiobook version of Rivals, written by Jilly Coooper (read by Georgia Tennant) and Big Book of Bread: 125+ Recipes for Every Baker from King Arthur Flour. Then Mel shares her extreme enthusiasm for sandwiches and The Sammies Awards.
Links
Transcript of this episode.
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Join our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to make friends with other (lovely) listeners? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can find us at:
- Our site
- Instagram
- Substack
- Patreon
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 November 2024, 10:15 am
1 hour 7 minutes

Seattle: City of Superlatives
Hello! Please take our end-of-the-season survey at http://strongsenseofplace.com/survey! We'd love to hear from you.
Seattle is a mashup of water and mountains — it just might be the ultimate outdoor playground. If you want to go hiking, camping, boating, biking, or meander in a beautiful garden, Seattle is a fantastic place to do all of that.
It can also claim a vast realm of ‘firsts’ in music, architecture, politics, and literature. (Not to mention Bigfoot sightings, if that’s your thing.) There’s grunge music, Elvis appearances, the Seattle Seahawks’ 12th Man, an inordinate number of sunglasses, and more library cards than anywhere else in the United States.
The city also hosted two World’s Fairs: the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition in 1909 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush (you do not want to miss the Two Truths and a Lie story about that one!) — and the Century 21 Exposition in 1962. That one tried to predict what life in America would be like in the year 2000 and beyond — which gave us the Space Needle, the Alweg Monorail, and a car shaped like a rocket.
In this episode, we learn the stories of a few remarkable Seattle women, celebrate Seattle’s superlatives, and share a bookish itinerary for the ‘Most Literate City in the Country.’ Then we recommend seven great books that took us there on the page, including an unusual ghost story, a memoir about living in 1950s Seattle, a thriller set in the world of journalism, three graphic novels that will make you want to take a walk, and a modern fable set in the San Juan islands.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.
Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.
Transcript of Seattle: City of Superlatives
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
8 November 2024, 10:15 am
16 minutes 8 seconds

LoLT: An Absinthe Caper and Two New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Absinthe Forger by Evan Rail and The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen. Then our guest Evan Rail shares his enthusiasm for fountain pens and special inks.
Links
The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit by Evan Rail
The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
Evan Rail’s website and Instagram
Evan’s interview with Radio Prague International
Pelikan fountain pens
Rohrer & Klingner inks
Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrun (gold-green ink) - see it here
Rohrer & Klingner Solferino (purple) - see it here.
Kaweco pens — and the Kaweco Sport
Parker Quink ink cartridges
Herbin inks
Herbin Lie de Thé (brown) - see it here.
Diamine inks
Diamine Writer’s Blood (maroon)
Diamine Bloody Absinthe (green and red)
Diamine Aurora Borealis (teal green)
Transcript of this episode.

The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Join our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to make friends with other (lovely) listeners? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can find us at:
- Our site
- Instagram
- Substack
- Patreon
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 November 2024, 10:15 am
1 hour 12 minutes

Cemetery: Celebrate Life, Honor the Dead.
Graveyards, cemeteries, ossuaries, and crypts — all places of reverence where the living can pay their respects to those who’ve crossed over before us.
But that wasn’t always the case.
In the Middle Ages, graveyards were far more raucous, home to fairs, markets, and even grazing cattle. In the 19th century, some cemeteries were the place to see and be seen, possibly with a well-stocked picnic basket in tow.
In 1860, The Green-Wood Cemetery in New York rivaled Niagara Falls (!) as the most popular tourist attraction in the US.
In this episode, we take leisurely strolls through Pére Lachaise and Greyfriars Kirkyard, learn about the one-way train for the dearly departed, and visit a cheery Romanian cemetery. Then we share five books we love that explore these often peaceful, sometimes eerie ‘museums of people,’ including a 19th-century classic mystery tale, a how-to for death, two beloved fantasy novels, and a Gothic thriller set in 1980s Barcelona.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.
Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.
Transcript of Cemetery: Celebrate Life, Honor the Dead
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 October 2024, 9:15 am
14 minutes 50 seconds

LoLT: Accidentally Wes Anderson and Two New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two books: Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures by Wally & Amanda Koval and Polostan by Neal Stephenson. Then Wally and Amanda from Accidentally Wes Anderson recommend a silly-fun music hotline.
Links
- Accidentally Wes Anderson website and Instagram
- Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures by Wally and Amanda Koval
- Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally and Amanda Koval
- Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures audiobook narrated by Jeff Goldblum
- Radio Prague on the Red Arrow train
- Polostan by Neal Stephenson
- Video: Neal Stephenson at the Long Now Foundation
- NPR on Callin’ Oates
- Video: She’s Gone
- Video: Sarah Smile
Transcript of this episode.
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Join our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to make friends with other (lovely) listeners? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can find us at:
- Our site
- Instagram
- Substack
- Patreon
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 October 2024, 9:15 am
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Strong Sense of Place

Melissa & Dave

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Mel’s Favorite Doorstopper Novels

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Hello! Please take our end-of-the-season survey at http://strongsenseofplace.com/survey! We'd love to hear from you.

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