New Podcast—Saudi Arabia: Old Ways and New Directions (?) + Endnotes
Our new show and Mel's favorite book- and travel-related links of the week
Our new episode Saudi Arabia: Old Ways and New Directions (?) is in your podcast player right now!
In the interests of being transparent: This was a tough episode to produce.
Saudi Arabia is a shockingly beautiful country with rippling sand dunes, sparkling beaches, and ancient ruins that might make you daydream about archaeological adventures fit for Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, and Allan Quatermaine.
Unfortunately, the Kingdom is also notorious for human rights abuses targeted at… well, anyone that’s not a Saudi man. Women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and journalists are, at minimum, in danger of discrimination and, at worst, decidedly in danger.
As always, we’ve done our best to extend our empathy and withhold judgment. The result was more exposure to the ins and outs of Saudi culture and some very good books. We hope you have that experience, too.
Visit our show notes to listen to the new episode and explore videos, music, photos, and other tidbits that will take you on a virtual trip to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, a sea of sand (95% of the country is desert) that holds 17% of the world's petroleum reserves.
Its cities encapsulate the country's contradictions: ancient souks and ultra-modern skyscrapers, women veiled in abayas but also entering the workforce, petroleum refineries, and sparkling beach resorts.
Cards on the table: Saudi Arabia has an abysmal track record on human rights, with women, LGBTQ+ communities, and journalists the target of discrimination and violence. Women are still legally classified as minors, with male relatives making significant decisions on their behalf. But in the last few years, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — known as MBS — passed laws that lessened some restrictions with Saudi Arabia. And he's invited the world in: His Vision 2030 plan opened Saudi Arabia to tourism. Road signs and menus now appear in English, Western credit cards are widely accepted, and you can even catch an Uber.
In this episode, we dive into the changing norms in Saudi Arabia, talk about some of the amazing sights that are now open to the Western world, and discuss the ambitious Neom project: a 'city of the future' in the desert.
Then we recommend five books that took us to Saudi Arabia on the page, including:
a murder mystery on the beach of Jeddah
a gripping nonfiction account of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman
a cookbook of Arabian Gulf cuisine
a coming-of-age story set in Riyadh
a Gothic novel based on real-life experiences in Jeddah (from Hilary Mantel!)
Listen on your favorite podcast app or on our website. We hope you enjoy the show!
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Endnotes: 27 September
This imposing pile is Kilkenny Castle in Ireland. Kilkenny Castle in Ireland. The limestone castle was built in 1260 and over the next 800 years or so, it was rebuilt, extended, and adapted according to the whims of the day. The version you can visit now is a Victorian re-do with a formal terraced rose garden, woodlands, a lake, stained-glass chapel, velvet-curtained library, and a tearoom housed in the original Victorian kitchen (!)
WaPo recommends five mystery novels for the fall. I’m very into the flap copy for The Murders in Great Diddling: ‘Bivald’s entertaining first mystery novel is the epitome of English village cozy, complete with eccentric characters, a dash of humor, and plenty of red herrings.’
This essay about working in a jail library is quite poignant. ‘I felt animated by delivering library access to incarcerated people, who are among the most marginalized. My intuition and empathy were assets here. My research training transferred, and I felt magical when I could quickly locate just what someone needed. A good book provided distraction; information, a lifeline.’
I’m 100% enthralled by the mini-series The Perfect Couple, based on the book by Elin Hilderbrand. If you are, too, here are opinions about the best order for reading her books.
Intriguing: The Surprising History of Paperweights. ‘[I]n 1845, a glassmaker named Pietro Bigaglia showed off his Venetian balls at the Austrian Industrial Fair, in Vienna… The time was right. With affordable paper and dependable mail services, letter writing had become a newly popular pastime, and something had to keep those sheets in order.’
I can confirm that Slovenia is a fantastic place to visit and eat. ‘A meal in Slovenia is like a walk in a fairy-tale forest.’
The Apennine Colossus is a majestic stone statue that looks like it’s emerging out of a hill in Tuscany, Italy — take a peek.
38 of the Best Quotes About Autumn. ‘It was a beautiful, bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it. — Diana Gabaldon’
These 14 haunted forests are as eerie as it gets. ‘From a Romanian forest dubbed the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania to an alligator-infested Louisiana swamp, these 14 (allegedly) haunted forests that you can visit if you dare all seem to have something sinister lurking in the brush.’
We had a thrilling conversation about Spooky Season reads in this week’s Tuesday Tea. Not a bad way to build a TBR!
TBH, I would also come running if someone cooked sausages for me.
Hooray! After 85 years, the Brontë sisters’ names have finally acquired their missing dots (diaereses) at Westminster Abbey.
Hey, Wes Anderson fans! London’s Design Museum has a retrospective of his films coming in November 2025. ‘Through a curated collection of original props, costumes, and behind-the-scenes insights, including from his personal collection, this exhibition offers an unprecedented look into the world of Wes Anderson, celebrating his enduring influence on contemporary cinema.’ Until then, here’s a Guide to Wes Anderson’s Paris.
Just gonna let this headline do the heavy lifting: How Cats Took Over the World of Fiction — and the 10 Best Cat-Themed Books to Read Now.
I got pretty caught up in the discourse around Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie being cast as the leads in the upcoming screen adaptation of Wuthering Heights. These are some of the most reasonable takes I read: Newsweek’s reporting includes an excellent quote from a Brontë scholar that captures my feelings about it; Den of Geek explains why the novel is so challenging to adapt. For me, LitHub might have the best reaction. How are you feeling about this whole situation? Share in comments!
Just listened to the Saudi Arabia episode and was excited by the mention of dried limes as I just cooked with them for the first time. A friend recommended a recipe for a Persian herb stew but I had no idea where to find dried limes in my part of regional Australia. My friend ever yo posting some to me that he hadn’t used when making the dish himself. They were like a revelation adding an extra layer of flavour to the dish. I have enough left to make it once more.
I really enjoyed the article about paperweights! Reminds me of all the ones my grandma had. I used to stare at them in amazement when I was little. I also loved the article about haunted forests. Definitely creepy!! Now I'm ready for fall!!! Thanks for always putting together such neat stuff for us, Mel. Off to listen to the Saudi Arabia episode...