Endnotes 31 January: Lisbon, Mike Mignola, French Wallpaper, DNFing Books, Lewis Chessman & More

Plus a new episode of The Library of Lost Time you don't want to miss!

[photo: André Lergier/Unsplash]

Hello, friends!

Just a quick note to say that Dave and I are in France this week, but we’ve got a new episode of The Library of Lost Time waiting for you in your favorite podcast player (and on our blog). As always, we’re recommending two great new books and, in honor of the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Dave shares his enthusiasm for the 2025 nominees for best audiobook recordings.

The bright yellow tram above — and that glimpse of water in the background — tell you that this photo can only be of one (spectacular) city: Lisbon, Portugal. The most popular tram in town is No. 28; its 40-minute route takes passengers through historic neighborhoods and past key landmarks, including São Jorge Castle and Lisbon Cathedral. There’s even a board game about this iconic ride! In 2024, Lisbon was named the best culinary city destination in Europe— and Saveur magazine has tips for the top 13 dishes to try in Lisbon. First on the list has to be the cute little egg custard pastel de nata; CN Traveler has recommendations for the best. Maybe you just want to gaze at some pretty things! Here are 9 Lisbon hot spots with amazing views, and a video about the 12 most beautiful places in the city.

This headline was irresistible to me — and the book looks like a delight: How Great Is This Children’s Book About Feelings?

Ooooh, take a peek inside historian Robert Caro’s home library. ‘His study is a bibliophile’s dream: The floor-to-ceiling shelves behind his desk swing open — on special-ordered, extra-long hinges — to reveal a second set of shelves hidden behind them.’

This online archive of French wallpaper patterns is a lovely way to lose a little time. (Much better than doom scrolling!)

I enjoy graphic novels, but I love horror comics — so I was into this interview with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola about his new graphic novel Bowling with Corpses. It’s a collection of retellings of folk and fairytales with a creepy twist.

This essay about Edith Wharton’s ‘menopause’ novel The Custom of the Country is a fantastic read. ‘Somehow, more than a century after Wharton published the novel, her heroine is still a radical threat: a woman who lays waste to men’s lives and yet flourishes? We can’t have that.’

Book nerds being charmingly nerdy is always fun:

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I fell in love with the story of the Lewis Chessman when we visited Scotland — and now a missing chessman piece has been found!

In news of the cute: National Zoo’s Giant Pandas Are Finally Making Their Public Debut.

The Crooked Reads Substack offers advice for when you lose interest in the middle of a book. ‘It’s a quandary every reader has run into: you’re enjoying—or at least tolerating—a book for a while, then start to lose interest in the middle of it. It’s easy to call it quits when it doesn’t entice you from the start, but what about once you’ve invested some serious time into it? What happens when you’re more than halfway through a book and still haven’t caught feelings for it?’

This beautiful resort in Rwanda looks like something out of a fantasy story. ‘The wow fact lies right on the lodge’s doorstep. While the architecture is spectacular, it’s impossible to compete with the view: all six of the Virunga mountain range’s mist-shrouded volcanoes are visible on the horizon. Undulating farm fields ripple from the base of Bisate’s hilltop perch and meet the eucalyptus forests and thick jungle of the Volcanoes National Park less than a mile away.’