Bookshop Porn
(No, it's not what you think.)
(The coffee shop of the Selexyz Bookstore in Maastricht. Picture taken from here.)
Really, I like libraries. But personally, between libraries and bookshops, I'd go for bookshops.
When I was younger, I remember my mom bringing us to the Union Church Library in Legaspi Village in Makati. I remember that was the first time I read The Lord of the Rings in one complete edition, hardbound and leatherback so it felt like I was reading this giant tome from aoens past. (Good thing I didn't find a similar edition of the Necronomicon!)
But between libraries and bookshops, I still go for bookshops because I'm an acquisitive cat and I like having my own copy. That, and the Philippines doesn't have too many libraries to begin with to really satisfy a bibliophile. Hell, this country barely has enough bookshops-- both mainstream and secondhand.
(On the rare times that I do go abroad, the only thing on my travel itinerary are bookshops. Go me.)
(The El Ateneo Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Picture taken from here.)
So it's a wonder to see the bookshops of the world, whose shops may be unique as the books that they have on their shelves. For example, the Selexzy bookshop in Maastricht, Holland is housed in a Dominican church (with the cafe settled quite primly on the altar). The El Ateneo Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina is located inside a theatre. The Lello bookstore in Porto, Portugal meanwhile looks quite lovely with its fascinating stairway. On the other hand, the bookstore in India reminds me of the small bookstalls in the University Belt in Recto, Manila. It's good to see that no matter the economic class, people will always look for books.
At the very least, it reminds me of the anime/manga Read or Die about secret agent/bibliophile Yomiko Readman who had become a legend in Jinbo-Cho, the booksellers' district. Now if there's ever a bookstore city, this seems like it.
For pictures of the most interesting bookstores in the world, check them out here.
(The steps of the Lello Bookstore in Porto, Portugal. Picture by Rui Lebreiro from here.)
(The coffee shop of the Selexyz Bookstore in Maastricht. Picture taken from here.)
Really, I like libraries. But personally, between libraries and bookshops, I'd go for bookshops.
When I was younger, I remember my mom bringing us to the Union Church Library in Legaspi Village in Makati. I remember that was the first time I read The Lord of the Rings in one complete edition, hardbound and leatherback so it felt like I was reading this giant tome from aoens past. (Good thing I didn't find a similar edition of the Necronomicon!)
But between libraries and bookshops, I still go for bookshops because I'm an acquisitive cat and I like having my own copy. That, and the Philippines doesn't have too many libraries to begin with to really satisfy a bibliophile. Hell, this country barely has enough bookshops-- both mainstream and secondhand.
(On the rare times that I do go abroad, the only thing on my travel itinerary are bookshops. Go me.)
(The El Ateneo Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Picture taken from here.)
So it's a wonder to see the bookshops of the world, whose shops may be unique as the books that they have on their shelves. For example, the Selexzy bookshop in Maastricht, Holland is housed in a Dominican church (with the cafe settled quite primly on the altar). The El Ateneo Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina is located inside a theatre. The Lello bookstore in Porto, Portugal meanwhile looks quite lovely with its fascinating stairway. On the other hand, the bookstore in India reminds me of the small bookstalls in the University Belt in Recto, Manila. It's good to see that no matter the economic class, people will always look for books.
At the very least, it reminds me of the anime/manga Read or Die about secret agent/bibliophile Yomiko Readman who had become a legend in Jinbo-Cho, the booksellers' district. Now if there's ever a bookstore city, this seems like it.
For pictures of the most interesting bookstores in the world, check them out here.
(The steps of the Lello Bookstore in Porto, Portugal. Picture by Rui Lebreiro from here.)
2 comments:
you can also do a historic/cultural interest feature.
i think "city light" ? bookstore in San Francisco was a focal point of the beat generation (allen ginsberg/ jack kerouac)
another suggestion: i think the bookstore in portland, OR is one of the largest in the world, taking up a whole street block.
i guess most of the bookstores featured in the article are, to me, obviously just converted "purpose buildings", like churches or theaters.
in that vein, you can convert any old building, like a textile plant, or even an abattoir into a bookstore. i was thinking of something else, maybe ala "beauty ^ the beast" (disney) here where i am at, i took a picture of a library. i'll post it up in the j blog for you to see. (it isnt really impressive, but you can check it out)
re: historical/cultural yeah though this is the first time I've come across the idea of doing a post. still, it feels strange doing a number of posts of places I'll probably never visit. but then again, that's what blogs are for, right?
as for the bookstores, I think only a couple are really the converted bookstores though I think it defeats the purpose of a place to store books in such book-unfriendly places you've mentioned. for example, the theater isn't such a bad idea of storing books as it's well-lit, it's safe from outside conditions, etc. the added factor is the grandeur of storing such books in a place like that.
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