We've put together an itinerary of 12 fantastic destinations with stops in every region of the globe. So pack your bags for the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and two dramatically different spots in the eastern US — plus three super-fun themes. Get ready to explore customs, history, scenery, food, art, and more — all you need is your favorite reading chair and your curiosity. To see stunning photos of our Season 5 destinations, visit our blog at http://strongsenseofplace.com/2023/01/30/ssop-podcast-season5-announcing-12-exciting-destinations/. 
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SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — Season 5: Announcing 12 Exciting Destinations

One lifetime is too short to visit everywhere and meet everyone. That‘s why we love books with a strong sense of place — they let us travel the world in our imagination. In each episode of our Strong Sense of Place podcast, we explore one destination and talk about what makes that place different from everywhere else. Then we recommend five books that took us to that place on the page. Every other week, we share The Library of Lost Time, a mini-pod that features two new books and our Distraction of the Week. We‘re on a trip around the globe, one great read at a time. Please join us!

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Books

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart and Hip-Hop is History by Quest Love. Then Mel delves into the immersive storytelling, cosplay, and fantastic settings of LARPing.
Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart
Rob Hart’s Substack
Hip-Hop is History by Quest Love
Video: Quest Love on CBS Mornings

Chaos League website
Photos from a previous Sahara Expedition

First-hand report from a previous experience of Miskatonic University

 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? Want access to fun bonus content? 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

LoLT: Immersive Storytelling with the Chaos League and Two New Books

Is New York City the world capital of… everything? It’s sure putting up a good effort. We could talk about how the New York Stock Exchange started under a tree (!) on Wall Street and how NYC is now the financial capital of the world. Billionaires, millionaires, blah blah blah.  Let’s talk about what really matters. Like… the best pizza and bagels in the world, the Met and the New York Public Library, art deco skyscrapers and bodega cats, Carnegie Hall, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, and that one place on the corner in Brooklyn with the best Polish pastries.  There’s the immediately identifiable New York accent and the 800 or so languages spoken by New Yorkers from all around the world. The City That Never Sleeps is the ultimate melting pot; we’re all better for it. New Yorkers are a unique breed who’ve changed the personality of the city over and over again. Dutch and British settlers named the place, immigrants made it cosmopolitan, the elite of the Gilded Age filled it with skyscrapers, and barriers were busted by the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. And let’s not forget the unnamed good samaritan on the subway who will warn you that the next station is closed so you need to transfer. In this episode, we grab an imaginary coffee to go in a ‘We Are Happy to Serve You’ cup and explore the ultimate bookish day in New York City. In Two Truths and a Lie, we meet the musicians of the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and visit a Brooklyn store where you can buy a can of chutzpah. Then we recommend six great books that took us to New York City on the page, including two graphic novels, a love letter to ’90s Manhattan, a frothy family saga, historical fiction with a challenging heroine, and a collection of short stories from a master of fiction. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González Hello, NY by Julia Rothman Roaming by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles 
 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 smart, friendly people who love travel and books. Transcript of New York City: NO! SLEEP! TILL BROOKLYN! 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

New York City: NO! SLEEP! TILL BROOKLYN!

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis and The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Then Dave shares a very cool phone trick for tracking your books. Links The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis Video: Jaclyn Goldis on the Chris Voss Podcast The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley Video: Kaliane Bradley’s first TV interview on Good Morning America Video: How to Convert Image to Text in iPhone & Android 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? Want access to fun bonus content? 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

LoLT: A Neat Trick For Managing Your Library and Two New Books

According to people in the know, there are two Frances: Paris and the rest of the (alluring, picturesque) country. In this episode, we’re celebrating the châteaux, coastlines, cathedrals, cuisine, mountains, and museums that give France its unique je ne sais quoi. It’s hard to argue with the notion that France offers the best of everything. From scenery and snacks to iconic art, world-changing history, and culture-shaping fashion, it’s practically ground zero for the good things in life. The light is golden. The wine is luscious. The cheese is heavenly, and the scenery is so beautiful, it makes the heart yearn.  You can take a road trip or a bike ride among the purple rivers of lavender fields in Provence or the gilt-and-green vineyards in Burgundy. Loll in the sun and splash in the sea along the Riviera — or tour a château where nobles ruled and romanced 500 years ago. Wander the streets and cafés that inspired Vincent Van Gogh, then relax under a shade tree with a perfect baguette and the world’s best butter. In this episode, we take a virtual road trip around France, explore the Bayeux Tapestry, and get curious about an obscure (and deeply romantic) French law. Then we recommend five great books that took us to France on the page. Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier, translated by Polly Mackintosh Joan by Katherine J. Chen Murder on the Île Sordou by M.L. Longworth A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin, translated by Hildegarde Serle 
 For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other smart, friendly people who love travel and books. Transcript of France: Mostly Here for the Butter 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

France: Mostly Here for the Butter

Since we launched Strong Sense of Place in 2020, we’ve produced five seasons — 56 episodes — of the show. We’ve also shared our affection for books through 101 episodes of The Library of Lost Time podcast — and we’ve introduced you to 500 books we love. Thanks to you, we’ve had over one million downloads (!) and, the best part of all, we feel like we’re part of a massive book club filled with the best people. Thank you for that! In this mini-episode, we each looked back through our book recommendations to find our top 10 titles from the first five seasons of the show. Maybe you’ll find your new favorites, too! Find all the book titles and the corresponding podcast episodes on our blog. Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? 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
Our FREE Substack
Instagram
Patreon
  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — Season 5: Announcing 12 Exciting Destinations

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