Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles
introBooks can take you miles, years, even worlds away from your living room. Here, the world’s most incredible niche bookstores, where you can find your next great read.
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Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
boekhandelBoekhandel Dominicanen, Maastricht – What do you do with an empty 800-year-old Dominican church? In the Dutch town of Maastricht, their answer was to turn it into a magnificent bookstore. Native architects Merkx + Girod were able to preserve the historical beauty of the building’s tall, hand-painted ceilings and stone carvings while adding in simple modern touches and a cleverly placed, sleek café where the apse once was. Boekhandel Dominicanen is a marriage between the past and the present – brought together by books. facebook.com [Photo: Jorge Franganillo/Flickr]
1/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
barter booksBarter Books, Alnwick (England) – Books have always made great travel companions, and some writers swear by the magic of train travel – J.K. Rowling famously wrote down her first ideas for her Harry Potter books during a train ride to London. Seems fitting then, that an 1887 Victorian train station in the historic town of Alnwick was turned into a charming bookshop, complete with model trains that chug along atop the shelves. Barter Books was made famous when the owners found and decided to display an unpublished WWII poster that is now instantly recognisable: Keep Calm and Carry On. barterbooks.co.uk [Photo: drgillybean/Flickr]
2/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
livrariaLivraria Lello, Porto – Speaking of J.K. Rowling, Livraria Lello is such a beautiful bookstore that the Harry Potter writer often spent time wandering among its shelves searching for inspiration while teaching English in Porto. First opened in 1881, the historic shop boasts intricate stained-glass windows, artfully carved wood panelling and a little coffee shop hidden on the second floor. The smell of history and printed pages at Livraria Lello is bookworm heaven. livrarialello.pt [Photo: Guillén Pérez/Flickr]
3/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
el ateneoEl Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires – The culture and history of a country are preserved in its books, but Buenos Aires takes that notion up a notch. El Ateneo Grand Splendid was once the city’s crown jewel theatre, famous for the tango performances witnessed there since 1919. After its second life as a cinema, it has now taken on the role of bookstore, its 1,050 seats replaced by rows and rows of bookshelves. With the dazzling lights and red-curtained stage still intact, El Ateneo Grand Splendid is considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
4/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
libreriaLibreria Acqua Alta, Venice – There are several reasons to visit this shop: books, boats and cats. Need we say more? Libreria Acqua Alta is a wonderfully chaotic shop in Venice selling new and used books that are crammed into bathtubs, rowboats, gondolas – basically anything that floats. The reason is more practical than creative, since the shop often floods, but it makes for a very interesting experience. Venetians and tourists alike can be found shuffling through mounds of interesting reads with the occasional cat napping amongst the pages. facebook.com [Photo: Silvia Sala/Flickr]
5/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
bookmillThe Montague Bookmill, Montague (Massachusetts) – “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find” is the tagline for this 1842 gristmill-turned-bookmill hidden somewhere in MA, an idyllic destination for avid readers/adventure seekers. If you can find the bridge that brings you here, you won’t want to leave. Browse the shelves, find something to read, grab a table outside the shop’s café, and enjoy the rushing water with coffee and book in hand. montaguebookmill.com [Photo: Paul Geffen/Flickr]
6/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
singing windSinging Wind Bookshop, Benson (Arizona) – Like the Bookmill, the Singing Wind Bookshop can be quite hard to find – which is mainly because it’s situated on a cattle ranch in the middle of beautiful nowhere. Once you’ve found the shop, if you’re lucky it will be open and its owner, Win Bundy, will give you a tour. She’ll point out the focus of her collection, which is American Southwest history and culture, and guide you to the section she thinks you’ll like. She’s had book-seeking travellers from all over the world stop by to browse her hand-carved wooden shelves. facebook.com
7/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
headquartersThe Secret Headquarters, Silver Lake (California) – It only takes up 500 square feet, but this boutique comic book store is known as one of the best in the business. The owners of the (not so) Secret Headquarters want their store to be warm and welcoming for comic enthusiasts and curious passers-by alike, which is reflected in the warm tones and clean layout of the space. You can find everything, from classic DC and Marvel comics to obscure graphic novels and local indie artist’s work on display. No matter your reading interests, you’re bound to find something worth browsing through here. thesecretheadquarters.com
8/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
books for cooksBooks for Cooks, Melbourne – If you love to cook (or just love to eat good food), then Books for Cooks is the place for you. We suggest you go on a full stomach, though, because this boutique bookshop in Melbourne will have your mouth watering with its extensive collection of all things edible. The knowledgeable staff (all enthusiastic cooks themselves) can point you to the right shelf no matter what you’re looking for, whether it’s a rare, classic cooking guide from the 1780s or a newly published cookbook on vegan recipes – believe us, they have you covered. booksforcooks.com.au [Photo: Wei-Hang Chua/Flickr]
9/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
city lightsCity Lights Books, San Francisco – City Lights is an independent bookstore made famous (or infamous) by its commitment to anti-authoritarian politics and rebel charm. Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin as the first all-paperback bookstore, it was a favourite meeting place of the legendary Beat poets and was often mentioned in their work. Today as then, City Lights also publishes several indie books every year and stays connected to their roots as fighters against conservatism and censorship. No trip to San Fran is complete without a visit here. citylights.com [Photo: Curtis Cronn/Flickr]
10/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
wild rumpusWild Rumpus, Minneapolis – Only the friendliest and most unique bookshops seem to be surviving in the age of the internet, and Wild Rumpus children’s bookstore is definitely one of them. The reason this little spot thrives is due to its dedication to its little customers. Wild Rumpus sells almost exclusively children’s and young adult books in a space that resembles its namesake, Where the Wild Things Are. Over 20 animals living in the shop, many of which wander around freely. It isn’t out of the ordinary to see a toddler hobbling after a fluffy chicken or a twelve-year-old leafing through a book with one hand and stroking a cat with the other. wildrumpusbooks.com [Photo: Kent Kanouse/Flickr]
11/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
old town bookshopOld Town Bookshop, Edinburgh – Bibliophiles can all agree there’s nothing like the smell of old, dusty leather-bound tomes to awaken the imagination. For those fascinated with rare, specialised, out-of-print or obscure titles, Old Town Bookshop is a treasure trove of books you probably won’t find anywhere else. While carefully exploring this little shop, you can find books and cartography maps dating back as far as the mid 17th century. Old Town is snuggled in among the little shops that curve along Victoria Street in the handsome city of Edinburgh, constantly enchanting those that happen upon it. oldtownbookshop-edinburgh.co.uk [Photo: Boon Low/Flickr]
12/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
housingHousing Works Bookstore And Cafe, New York City – This is so much more than a bookstore. Housing Works started out in 1993 as a non-profit striving to help the thousands of homeless New Yorkers who live with HIV/AIDS. By 1996, they had opened up a bookstore, selling donated books with a friendly staff made up almost completely of volunteers. The bookstore and café has become a warm, welcoming community space with a colourful collection of regulars, hosting all sorts of events from live readings to weddings. Customers can leave with heaps of new books clutched under their arms, knowing that 100% of all proceeds go to the non-profit’s admirable work. housingworks.org [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
13/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
conspiracyConspiracy Culture, Toronto – Do you believe in Bigfoot? UFOs? Ghosts? Do you have theories about the assassination of JFK? Believe it or not, there’s a bookstore out there just for you. Conspiracy Culture specialises in the conspiracy genre, selling books you probably won’t find in “corporate-controlled mainstream bookstores”, as their website claims. For paranoids and curious readers with open minds, this little shop in Toronto offers a world in which everything is questioned and anything is possible. conspiracyculture.com [Photo: Heather McCall/Flickr]
14/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
kidsKid’s Republic Picture Book Store, Beijing – The designers at SAKO Architects created this children’s bookstore knowing it was more than just a store – it’s a little world within itself. You won’t find typical bookshelves here. Instead, kids are greeted by a brightly coloured playground that happens to be stocked with picture books. It even features comfy cubbyholes in which to curl up and read. Kid’s Republic Picture Book Store encourages kids to explore and read by giving them the best of both worlds. poplar.com.cn [Photo: sako.co.jp]
15/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
powellsPowell’s City of Books, Portland – No list of amazing bookstores would be complete without Powell’s. The legendary Portland institution selling new, used and rare books is called a “city” for a reason: The huge warehouse covers an entire city block with 1.6 acres of retail space and claims to be the largest independent bookstore in the world. Visitors could literally spend days here if they aren’t careful. The best plan of action is to spend a while browsing before plopping down in the store’s coffee shop with a pile of books to pore over. powells.com [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
16/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
artazartArtazart Design Bookstore, Paris – This hip little bookshop along the Canal St Martin is all about the aesthetics. Step in, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by an impressive collection of titles that cover all things art and design – photography, architecture, web design, graffiti. Think of it as an art gallery housed within the pages of books. If you’re looking for the ultimate coffee table book or just a little visual inspiration, you’ll spend hours in here. artazart.com [Photo: Alexander Baxevanis/Wikimedia Commons]
17/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
singularitySingularity & Co., New York City – The owners of Singularity & Co. opened up their niche bookstore in Brooklyn by accident. It started out as a campaign called “Save the SciFi!” to electronically preserve and publish their favourite vintage science fiction titles. The project left them with piles and piles of rare paperbacks, pulp fiction and out-of-print fantasy novels, which they turned into a bookshop. These days Singularity & Co. sees all kinds of different customers, from aging sci-fi fans to little kids looking for comics about dragons. Their mission is put best by an article in The New York Times: “Preserving the Future from the Past”. singularityshop.com [Photo: Garrett Ziegler/Flickr]
18/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
persephonePersephone Books, London – It doesn’t get much more niche than this, which is why you’re bound to find something here that you’ve never read before. Persephone Books was started in the late ‘90s by author and enthusiastic reader Nicola Beauman. The purpose of her project was to reprint unknown, rare or out-of-print classic titles by women in the 20th century that she thought deserved to be preserved and read. The bookshop and publisher got its break when it reprinted Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson, which became a rediscovered bestseller. Though small, the boutique shop is well-known for its beautifully made books with elegant grey covers, each one promising to be a good read. persephonebooks.co.uk
19/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
kubrickKubrick, Hong Kong – As the name suggests, Kubrick has an expansive collection of great literature on film, art and music. Not on accident, it is also neighbours with Hong Kong’s most popular art-house cinema. You can browse the shelves of English and Chinese titles (that are, interestingly, not separated by language) and find a spot in the chilled-out cafe for a break from the hectic city outside. kubrick.com.hk [Photo: Matthew Klein/Flickr]
20/21
Culture
Awesome Bookstores Around the World for Travelling Bibliophiles.
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