Book shopping in Europe
-
A
Shakespeare & Company
Paris’ most famous English-language bookshop sells new and used books and is a charm to browse (grab a read and sink into one of the two cinema chairs near the stairs out back); the staff’s picks are worth noting and there’s a dusty old library on the 1st floor. This isn’t the original Shakespeare & Company owned by Sylvia Beach, who published James Joyce’s Ulysses ; that was closed down by the Nazis.
reviewed
-
B
Bookàbar
In Firouz Galdo–designed, cool, gleaming white rooms, Bookàbar – the bookshop attached to Palazzo delle Esposizioni – is just made for browsing. There are books on art, architecture and photography, DVDs, CDs, vinyl, children’s books, and gifts for the design-lover in your life.
reviewed
-
C
Books for Cooks
All the recipe books from celeb and non-celeb chefs you can imagine are sold here. Perfect for some of the more adventurous cooks among you, or those looking for ‘exotic’ cookbooks. The cafe has a test kitchen where you can sample recipes at lunch and teatime.
reviewed
-
Delovye Melochi Bookshop
Maps are very hard to find but are sometimes stocked in Delovye Melochi Bookshop in the basement next to Kafe Dom Pechati. It also sells decent Russian language guides to Tuva (R200).
reviewed
-
D
Stauffacher
A labyrinth of a bookshop, with a brilliant range of English-language fiction, nonfiction, travel literature and books about Switzerland on the 3rd floor.
reviewed
-
E
Prospero’s Books
This English-language bookshop and café has a terrific if expensive selection including lots of titles on Georgia and the Caucasus region.
reviewed
-
F
Andrew Morton Books
Andrew Morton Books offers a staggering selection of fiction, nonfiction and local interest books. There's another branch at 10-11 Lion Yard.
reviewed
-
G
Bookworm
Carries new and used English books, including Lonely Planet guides, and is a good source of information on Strasbourg.
reviewed
-
H
International Magazine Store
The place for foreign and local newspapers and top-selling magazines.
reviewed
-
I
Advertisement
-
J
-
K
-
L
-
M
-
N
Espace IGN
The most ubiquitous (and user-friendly) pocket-sized street atlas available is L’Indispensable’s Paris Practique par Arrondissement (€4.90) – newer versions also include Vélib’ stations – though the similar Paris Utile (€4.50) from Blay Foldex has its supporters. More detailed is Michelin’s Paris Poche Plan (No 50; €2.20). All of these are usually available from the Institut Géographique National bookstore Espace IGN, which also sells walking maps, city plans, compasses, satellite images, historic maps and guidebooks.
reviewed
-
O
Art Book Milano
The multilevel gallery Massimo de Carlo is entered via a bridge that gives a full view of the stockroom innards. This Via Ventura pioneer is a must-see, for the stellar line-up of artists - Diego Perrone, Simone Berti, Pei-Ming Yan - as well as the architecturally thoughtful space. In the same complex is the ever-challenging Zero and Art Book Milano. Via Massimiano is home to Francesca Minini and Klerkx, both showing intriguing new-generation work.
reviewed
-
P
Geoland
Georgia’s best map supplier, Geoland sells Soviet military 1:50,000 sheets (the best available topographic and hiking maps) at 5 GEL per A3 sheet, plus its own excellent 1:250,000 maps covering Georgia in six sheets (30 GEL each), and a 1:650,000 country road map (30 GEL). You can buy these maps at the office or order by email. Geoland also plans to bring out its own updated 1:50,000 trekking maps and a Tbilisi city map, and it’s opening a travellers’ café on site.
reviewed
-
Grober Unfug
Fans of comics and graphic novels can easily lose a few hours in this very cool repository of books, DVDs, soundtracks and knick-knacks. At street level you’ll find mostly German stuff (including Kai Jacob’s Street Art in Berlin), while upstairs belongs to a mega-selection of indie and mainstream imports from the US, Japan and elsewhere. Also upstairs is a gallery with original drawings. There’s a smaller branch in Mitte (Weinmeisterstrasse 9).
reviewed
-
Q
Foyle's
Venerable independent store with an excellent collection of poetry and women's literature.
reviewed
-
R
Shakespeare & Sons
Though its shelves groan with a formidable range of literature in English, both new and second-hand, Shakes is more than a bookshop – it’s a congenial literary hangout, with a cosy café that regularly hosts poetry readings, author events and live jazz. Here you can buy magazines, such as the New York Review of Books, Harper’s and Atlantic Monthly, and settle down for a read over coffee and cakes.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
S
Libreria Internazionale Marco Polo
Hunt for anything from preloved novels in various languages to new books on variegated subjects. If you're interested in the way guidebooks used to be, this is the place to rummage for antique volumes on various locations in Italy and beyond. If it's contemporary guidebooks you want, head to the sister store, Libreria San Marco (041 522 63 43; Salizada San Lio, Castello 5469; 09:30-20:00 Mon-Sat, 11:00-19:00 Sun).
reviewed
-
T
La Buena Vida
If your idea of browsing in bookshops involves perusing a range of choices over a coffee, you don’t have many options in Madrid – most Spanish bookshops are a commercial transaction of buying, then leaving. Thankfully, this new bookshop allows you to do both; we could spend hours in here. It has plans to stock a small selection of books in English and French alongside the mostly Spanish titles.
reviewed
-
U
Shakespeare & Co
This beautifully cluttered bookshop in a charming area just off Judengasse stocks Vienna’s best collection of literary and hard-to-find titles in English – history, culture, classic and modern fiction – with a wide range of titles about Austria and by Austrian writers displayed separately. The personalised and friendly service makes this the best place in town to come for your train and plane reading needs.
reviewed
-
V
Imagaenaria
Charming and erudite, this little bookshop is also a local publishing house that prints a fetching series of mini-books dedicated to Ischian folklore, culture, history and nature in Italian. The shop also sells rare prints and lithographs of Ischia and Naples at a range of prices. The most expensive date back to the 1600s. Open until 21:00 in winter and 01:00 in summer for some serious late-night shopping.
reviewed
-
W
Mare di Carta
Sailors, pirates and armchair seafarers should navigate their way to this canalside storefront, where you’ll find every maritime map and DIY boating aid needed for lagoon exploration, boat upkeep and spotting local sea life. If you’re considering rowing lessons or a sailboat excursion – and who doesn’t after a few days on the lagoon? – stop here first to check out the schedule of boating classes and trips.
reviewed
