Endnotes 26 July: Venice, Joys of Re-Reading, Overrated Classics, Oldest Planetarium & More

Mel's favorite book- and travel-related links of the week

As you read this, we’re on the train to Slovenia, the first stop on our summer holiday, which also includes Trieste and Venice, Italy. This is our second trip to Venice, so our plans are mainly to wander in back alleys, try this ‘secret walk’ of the Cannareggio neighborhood, eat at this bookshop-bistro, and be good guests in a beautiful city that has a love-hate relationship with tourists.

Based on the recommendations in this (fantastic) cookbook — I talked about in our podcast episode Italy: A Bottle of Red, the Tuscan Sun, and Il Dolce Far Niente — we’ll also be indulging in the Venice-only magic of cicchetti.

Are you thinking about a trip to Venice? AFAR magazine has an inspiring, helpful guide to planning — and Atlas Obscura has got you covered in the offbeat department.

• This should inspire lots of interesting conversations: The Washington Post asked its readers for their thoughts on which classics are overrated and which novels should be added to the canon.

• For me, re-reading is like visiting a favorite place or hanging out with old friends. This essay from

  Leah McLaren
  makes more great points about the joys of re-reading. ‘Contrary to popular belief, re-reading isn’t stale. On the contrary, it’s exciting, one of life’s great unsung extended pleasures. It’s like revisiting old friends and finding you still adore each other — the years apart evaporate, leaving you wondering why you left it so long to reunite. It’s ecological and free and luxurious, too. As book lovers, we should all be doing more of it.’ 

• I’ve been getting fantastic podcast recommendations from the Hurt Your Brain newsletter for months. The author

  Erik Jones
  recommends podcasts for ‘people fascinated by the world,’ so I was thrilled to see our recent Strong Sense of Place episode Outer Space: We Are All Made of Stars recommended in this week’s roundup of recommended podcasts.

• You know what’s even more exciting than spy stories? Stories about spies in Renaissance Venice.

• This noir choose-your-own-adventure game from LitHub is hard-boiled fun.

• The Mongolian Olympic team’s uniforms are causing a well-deserved sensation. Meet the designers behind the most fashion kit at the 2024 Games.

  olympics

  

  A post shared by @olympics

• These literary maps are so awesome. I’m especially excited about Dracula and Jane Eyre. (Free shipping!)

• 8 Thrillers and Horror Novels Set at Terrible Summer Camps.

• Peek inside the world’s oldest, prettiest planetarium. ‘Ducking beneath the door, visitors enter the jewelery box room. The space, ablaze with flecked gold, forms the miniature planets and their circumferencing solar system…. Hidden behind gingham curtains, a small cupboard bed, the resting place of Eise and his family, is just as striking as the iridescent golden planets.’

• This photo by Igor Siwanowicz is weird and wonderful. A water-damaged, fungi-growing copy of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland:

  

• Ooooh! I’m 100% here for this modern cabinet of curiosities. And there’s a Kickstarter to take it on the road.

• Here’s a new must-follow Instagram account for you: On the beautiful Historic Embroidery, textile historian Dr. Isabella Rosner shares amazing photos and stories of of embroidery from the past.

• Irresistible headline from Smithsonian: This German Town Is Embedded with Millions of Tiny Diamonds.

New Episode of The Library of Lost Time

In each mini-podcast episode, we discuss two books at the top of our TBR, then share a fun book- or travel-related distraction. Get all the episodes and books galore here.

[Photo: JonasKIM/Pixabay]

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran and Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi. Then Dave delves into the mystery of the lost tomb of Mongol warrior Genghis Khan.
listen | transcript