just reminded me of a story. As a young college lad i remember sitting in a chain bookshop with a couple of friends. one friend found some book or other and she started reading us a passage. My mate Pepa and I sat down on the floor under some shelves and listened. suddenly, a big book tumbled off the shelf and thumped Pepa in the head. It was called "the compete book of pills" and was very heavy. we had a laugh, Pepa replaced the book and we continued listening. of course pepa was sitting in the same place so the book fell a second time and conked him again. we got a good laugh out of that. in fact we bought Pepa a copy of "the complete book of pills" for his birth-day as a momento.
i dont have a favourite bookshop in Prague, but when I was in Rome I loved "the almost corner bookshop". It was in the trestevere neighborhood where i lived and run by old English ex-pats. it was pricey but had a fantastic selection of english books, especially history. I try to stop by whenever im in Rome
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Most memorable bookstore
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Madeleine
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 5835
- Joined: August 2008
- Currently reading: "Murder before Evensong" by Rev Richard Coles
- Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
- Location: Essex/London
Lovely story about Pepa and the book, keny!
If anyone's ever in Rochester, Kent then Baggins Bookshop is worth a visit. Someone on another book forum recommended it, and I happened to visit Rochester last year - the town is well worth a stop too, with the Dickens connection, castle and lovely cathedral. Anyway from the outside Baggins looks like an ordinary bookshop, but go inside and it's like the Tardis - it keeps going back and back and back! Don't think it had a discount book section, but to be honest in shops like this I don't mind paying full price (although as it happens I didn't buy anything) as I think they deserve it more.
If anyone's ever in Rochester, Kent then Baggins Bookshop is worth a visit. Someone on another book forum recommended it, and I happened to visit Rochester last year - the town is well worth a stop too, with the Dickens connection, castle and lovely cathedral. Anyway from the outside Baggins looks like an ordinary bookshop, but go inside and it's like the Tardis - it keeps going back and back and back! Don't think it had a discount book section, but to be honest in shops like this I don't mind paying full price (although as it happens I didn't buy anything) as I think they deserve it more.
Currently reading "Murder before Evensong" by Rev Richard Coles
Poor Pepa, I bet he had a terrible headache afterwards! I can imagine the complete book of pills being a very good doorstopper Keny 
My favourite bookstore is the Brierlow Bar bookshop near Buxton in Derbyshire, it's one of the biggest bargain bookshops in the country and it's surrounded by the beautiful peak district. I try and pace myself to a visit every 2-3 months as I always come back laden with plunder. My favourite bookshop memory is picking up a box full of Jean Plaidy hardbacks in their original wrappers for about a fiver when I was sixteen...ahhh 
My favourite bookstore is the Brierlow Bar bookshop near Buxton in Derbyshire, it's one of the biggest bargain bookshops in the country and it's surrounded by the beautiful peak district. I try and pace myself to a visit every 2-3 months as I always come back laden with plunder. My favourite bookshop memory is picking up a box full of Jean Plaidy hardbacks in their original wrappers for about a fiver when I was sixteen...ahhh -
Madeleine
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 5835
- Joined: August 2008
- Currently reading: "Murder before Evensong" by Rev Richard Coles
- Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
- Location: Essex/London
Oh I've been to that Book Barn and it's lovely, I bought an EC book there (The Love Knot) which I hadn't been able to get anywhere else. Luckily I don't live in that area though, I was on my way home from a short holiday in Buxton - lovely place!
Currently reading "Murder before Evensong" by Rev Richard Coles
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Vanessa
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 4351
- Joined: August 2008
- Currently reading: The Farm at the Edge of the World by Sarah Vaughan
- Interest in HF: The first historical novel I read was Katherine by Anya Seton and this sparked off my interest in this genre.
- Favourite HF book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell!
- Preferred HF: Any
- Location: North Yorkshire, UK
Yes, I've been to the Book Barn several times. I usually come away with several books, too! 
I was impressed with Barter Books, when I visited it last year in Alnick, Northumberland. I was like a little girl in a sweet shop! It used to be a railway station and has been converted into a huge second-hand book shop. I could spend hours there.
I was impressed with Barter Books, when I visited it last year in Alnick, Northumberland. I was like a little girl in a sweet shop! It used to be a railway station and has been converted into a huge second-hand book shop. I could spend hours there.
currently reading: My Books on Goodreads
Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind
Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind
[quote=""Susan""]Waterstones, Trafalgar Square in London...It was so exciting to see Elizabeth Chadwick books in a store! I bought about five!
Chester County Books & Music Co. in West Chester, Pennsylvania...drove about 70 miles to meet Sharon Kay Penman at a book talk. She even recognized me from my Facebook photo![/quote]
I was there! I was only able to stay for a short while though, and I was a little bummed that they wouldn't allow me to have her sign some of my already-owned Penman books. But i had fun nonetheless.
Chester County Books & Music Co. in West Chester, Pennsylvania...drove about 70 miles to meet Sharon Kay Penman at a book talk. She even recognized me from my Facebook photo![/quote]
I was there! I was only able to stay for a short while though, and I was a little bummed that they wouldn't allow me to have her sign some of my already-owned Penman books. But i had fun nonetheless.
Some of my favorite bookstores:
Hatchards in Piccadilly, London. It feels like a library... and they've got a section downstairs devoted to historical fiction.
The South Bank Book stalls in London. OK, not a bookstore technically, but I had a lot of fun browsing here one day when I was in London.
The Strand in New York City. You never know what kinds of stuff you're going to find there.
Shakespeare and Co. in New York City. Also feels a little like a library.
McNally Jackson, also in NYC. They arrange their books by author nationality.
This weekend I'm about to make my first foray to the Book Trader in Old City Philadelphia, which is known for having Virago Modern Classics sometimes in stock...
Hatchards in Piccadilly, London. It feels like a library... and they've got a section downstairs devoted to historical fiction.
The South Bank Book stalls in London. OK, not a bookstore technically, but I had a lot of fun browsing here one day when I was in London.
The Strand in New York City. You never know what kinds of stuff you're going to find there.
Shakespeare and Co. in New York City. Also feels a little like a library.
McNally Jackson, also in NYC. They arrange their books by author nationality.
This weekend I'm about to make my first foray to the Book Trader in Old City Philadelphia, which is known for having Virago Modern Classics sometimes in stock...
Oooh, and i also liked Foyles in London (Charing Cross road) as well. It has both the independent and big bookstore feel to it. Also on Charing Cross Road, I had some fun exploring the very few antiquarian bookshops that are left... found a great deal on a 1930s collection of MR James's stories, for example.
[quote=""Kasthu""]
This weekend I'm about to make my first foray to the Book Trader in Old City Philadelphia, which is known for having Virago Modern Classics sometimes in stock...[/quote]
Are Virago Modern Classics hard to find? They seem to have quite a lot of them on Amazon.
This weekend I'm about to make my first foray to the Book Trader in Old City Philadelphia, which is known for having Virago Modern Classics sometimes in stock...[/quote]
Are Virago Modern Classics hard to find? They seem to have quite a lot of them on Amazon.
Last edited by Michy on Thu August 12th, 2010, 12:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
When we were in Paris, my husband teased me unmercifully every time we passed a bookstore, because they were all in French. We happened to stumble upon Shakespeare and Co, and I was in second heaven. And just to bug my dearly beloved, I bought several books 
Hay on Wye was an incredible experience, esp the place outside that had a coin slot for honest patrons to pay for the books they took
The bookstore made from a slurry tank was a highlight of our trip to Wisconsin a few years back. It was hard to find, but well worth it. Two buildings filled with books, many of them antiques. The wife knew a great deal about children's illustrated and I walked out the door with several at half price.
(ignore this link, the guy is making fun of this good couple. I'll find another, stay tuned)
Oh well, guess this will have to do. The store is very cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDAtNgjTRgM
Powells bookstore in Portland. nuff said
City Lights in San Fransisco, along with the bar next door where many of the writers from the time had a drink or two or three
Seeing Sharon read at Poison Pen bookstore, a few years after we asked her for advice on our trip to Wales. When I introduced myself, she actually still remembered me and asked about our trip! (great bookstore btw, along with Changing Hands, in the Phoenix area)
Hay on Wye was an incredible experience, esp the place outside that had a coin slot for honest patrons to pay for the books they took
The bookstore made from a slurry tank was a highlight of our trip to Wisconsin a few years back. It was hard to find, but well worth it. Two buildings filled with books, many of them antiques. The wife knew a great deal about children's illustrated and I walked out the door with several at half price.
(ignore this link, the guy is making fun of this good couple. I'll find another, stay tuned)
Oh well, guess this will have to do. The store is very cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDAtNgjTRgM
Powells bookstore in Portland. nuff said
City Lights in San Fransisco, along with the bar next door where many of the writers from the time had a drink or two or three
Seeing Sharon read at Poison Pen bookstore, a few years after we asked her for advice on our trip to Wales. When I introduced myself, she actually still remembered me and asked about our trip! (great bookstore btw, along with Changing Hands, in the Phoenix area)
Last edited by Ash on Thu August 12th, 2010, 1:02 am, edited 3 times in total.