Lovers of bookstores--big, small, commercial, independent, quaint, modern--know how magical and ethereal that moment is when you step into a beloved bookstore, and the smell of ink and paper and words seemingly transforms you. The crispness of the air and the suppressed hum of mouths and minds conversing with the written word hits you, and all at once, you want to buy the bookstore and live there.
There are wonderful bookstores around the globe that I have not personally visited, or those that I don't even know about yet; these are only a few of the numerous literary wonderlands across the globe. Not arranged in any specific order, here are some of the best bookstores I have visited and just took my breath away.
1. Shakespeare and Company, Paris, France
Known worldwide for its bohemian and artistic beauty, Shakespeare and Co., comprising two independent English language bookstores under one name, was founded in 1978. Located on Paris' Left Bank (which is known for its tiny bookstalls) just across the Seine, this Parisian institution is warm, bustling and packed with wonders of art and literature. With random glass paneling on the floor, books taking up every inch of the shop, art splashed across the walls and little alcoves of shelves, the store exudes culture and dynamism. There are small carts of used books outside on the pavement.I entered with humungous expectations, and left with more books I could afford, unwilling feet, and an amazing experience.
The children's books section also has a very convenient bed/seating area for impromptu story-telling sessions.
Woody Allen lovers would have seen it in 'Midnight in Paris', and the bookstore even served as a refuge for readers and employees alike during the Paris attacks of November 2015.
2. Atlantis Books, Oia, Santorini, Greece
I came across this treasure in the most serendipitous way; I was walking around the town of Oia, situated on the Greek island Santorini, a treasure in itself with its iconic blue doors and windows and roofs, white houses and cobbled steps and alleys. I saw a sign that said "Rent a Cat for 5€" with two kittens cuddling in the summer sun, and I was hooked.
Going down a small flight of stairs - the basement being the only entrance to the store - I entered a cool and calm heaven of books and wood. Moving from the bright white of Oia into this dusky and peaceful bookstore, I was taken aback by the calm and tranquility of the place. There was a lazy cat purring in a corner, and a very attractive blonde male at the counter.
What blew my mind away was that there was a bed right above my head, tucked away above one of the bookcases; the perfect reading alcove. Had my mother not stopped me at that moment, I would have begged him to hire me.
The store was founded on the basic need for more books; the owners, Craig Walzer and Oliver Wise were holidaying in Oia. Having run out of English books and disappointed with the variety at the local bookstores, they made Atlantis Books.
Who can resist this?
3. Blackwell Books, Oxfordshire, UK
Located in the heart of Oxford, amidst cycling students and the ghosts of literary greats, Blackwell Books is, hands down, one of the best and biggest bookstores I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. When I say it's huge, I mean humungous. I spent a day browsing, buying and bleeding through my heart that I would never be able to completely, utterly absorb so much beauty. I went back - twice - and I still cannot get over the vastness of the bookstore.
There was the cutest little section with individually wrapped books with only the basic plot written across the cover in a couple lines; the point is to gift somebody a book for Christmas (I was there just around Christmas time) without knowing its title.
I'm sure there isn't a single book on this planet that they can't get their hands on: the section titles are extremely specific and varied. I simply sank to the carpet and stared in shock: it's that amazing a view.
Blackwell UK is considered the leading academic bookseller in the UK, and is a British institution.
4. Strand Bookstore, New York, U.S.A
Perhaps one of the most well-known and beloved bookstores in the world, Strand Bookstore was founded in 1927 and still is a haven for book-lovers. With a crazy rainbow wall behind the counter, miles of bookshelves--as the Strand logo says, "18 miles of books"--and Strand franchise products, the bookstore (though an independent bookstore) is a brand in itself. The sublime happiness of walking into Strand, finding wonderful books that are light for the pocket--used, old, new, antiques--is incomparable.
As always, I found myself browsing through shelf after shelf, my fingers lingering on the spines as I passed section after section. Though I have been expressly forbidden by both family and friends from buying more books-- I'm a self-admitted book hoarder-- I found myself in front of the cashier, after hours of browsing and regretfully moving away, with more books than I could smuggle back home.
I found beautiful engraved editions for very low prices, amongst book lovers around me, who like me were completely absorbed in the magic unfolding between the pages in their hands.
5. Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy
The precarious nature of this bookstore is simultaneously worrying and wonderful: built on water, the bookstore is a series of rambling rooms, some with gondolas and boats and baths filled with books, another a courtyard with a staircase made of old books that became wet and ruined because of repeated flooding.
The name literally means 'Library of high water', and filled with maps, books, magazines, art, and other ephemera, it resembles a cross between a bookstore and a flea market. However, even if the waterways of Venice do rise and flood the bookstore, the various buoyant paraphernalia float, thus saving the antique bookstore's collection from further damage. I walked in unsure of the chaos around me, and the veritable cave of books engulfed me and spat me out hours later, books weighing my arms but my heart and pockets considerably lighter.
