Top Ten Tuesday: My Bookstore Bucket List -10 Bookstores I’ve Always Wanted to Visit
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Bookstores/Libraries I’ve Always Wanted to Visit. I could only think of one library, the New York Public Library, so I decided to go with bookstores. I’ve pretty much never met a bookstore that I didn’t want to wander through, but the bookshops below are what I would call my Bookstore Bucket List. I’d really love to visit all of these some day.
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10 Bookstores I’ve Always Wanted to Visit
1. SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY, PARIS
Isn’t this the cutest shop? I really blew this one too because I was in Paris
just a couple of years ago and forgot all about this gem. Oh well, it’s an excuse to go back some day, right?
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2. THE STRAND, NEW YORK CITY
I actually have visited The Strand before but it was a rushed shopping excursion, so I’d love to go back.
Why? 18 MILES OF BOOKS! Oh and lots of fabulous author events.
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3. THE LAST BOOKSTORE, LOS ANGELES
Another fail on my part because I’ve been to L.A. twice and didn’t know this bookstore existed until after my trips.
They sell new and used books and they also sell vinyl records. And how amazing is that book arch?!
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4. POLITICS AND PROSE, WASHINGTON D.C.
This one is actually pretty doable since I live in Virginia, but what appeals to me about this bookstore is that it has a great mix of literary and political events. Alan Greenspan, for example, is speaking there on October 16th and Tahereh Mafi has an event there the next evening. Plus, you just never know who you might run into while you’re browsing. You might turn the corner one day and find one of the Obamas shopping for a new read.
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5. LIBRERIA ACQUA ALTA – VENICE
So much failing on my part because, again, I have traveled to Venice, Italy but because we were only there for a day, bookstore visiting was just not in the cards. If I ever make it back to this incredible city, I will make time to visit this shop. The store’s name means “Book Store of High Water” and, accordingly, they store many of their books in bathtubs, boats, and other waterproof basins.
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6. LIVRARIA LELLO E IRMAO, PORTUGAL
How beautiful is that? This is a bookstore where I could actually see myself wandering around
and gawking at the beautiful building rather than browsing the book offerings.
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7. BART’S BOOKS, OJAI, CALIFORNIA
I don’t even know exactly where in California this bookstore is, but it advertises itself as the largest outdoor bookstore in the world.
The idea of an outdoor bookstore intrigues me so I’d definitely be interested in visiting if my California travels happened to take me anywhere near it.
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8. BARTER BOOKS, UK
This is another shop where I just think the architecture is so cool. Barter Books is also supposed to be one of the
largest secondhand bookshops in Britain so I bet a bookworm could score some pretty great deals here.
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9. THREE LIVES & CO., NEW YORK CITY
Three Lives & Co. is a neighborhood bookstore located in Greenwich Village.
It has been around since 1968 and I just love how wonderfully old fashioned it looks.
If I ever visited, I could see myself not wanting to leave.
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10. THE BOOK ESCAPE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
This is one I’ve been meaning to visit since Baltimore is only a couple of hours away from me, but I just haven’t quite made it yet.
It just looks like such a cute shop and I hear they have a great selection of used and rare books.
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Question: What are some shops on your Bookstore Bucket List?
A great article, Suzanne – I love your choices, particularly as I wasn’t aware of most of them! My treat happened earlier this year when we visited Oxford and I got a chance to spend the afternoon in Blackwells with Himself reading a book in the cafe while eating a delicious slice of carrot cake… Bliss!
That sounds delightful!
Wouldn’t it be great to just travel to these different places just to check out all those fabulous bookstores? I’m from Baltimore, so I need to pass this info to a friend to get all the details. Another great post! Hugs…RO
It really would be great!
Yes these all look so amazing!!! It’s ridiculous I haven’t been to Strand before because I’m so close to NY. One day!
It’s such a great bookstore!
Shakespeare and Company is just lovely, isn’t it? It and No 5 are on my list too! And Livraria in Portugal looks GORGEOUS! I agree, the building is as attractive as the books!
It really is. I can’t believe I missed it when I was in Paris, but am glad that I now have even more of an excuse to go back some day, lol.
AMAZING list!! <3
Thanks!
I’d put these on my list, too!
Aren’t they amazing?
I’ve been to NYC a few times and never been to The Strand, so that’s on my list too. I’d also love to check out Shakespeare & Co. 🙂
-Lauren
The Strand is a great shop. I definitely recommend it for your trip to NYC if you have time.
Great post! It’s funny you mention The Last Bookstore, because I live in LA but I’ve never been😐 But John Scalzi is signing books there in a couple of days so I really should go!
Definitely! 🙂
Ooo you highlighted some books that are new to me.
I’ve walked pass politics and prose but it was closed. Because everything in DC closes early. 😭
Right? That is so frustrating.
So many of your bucket list bookstores are also on my list. Libreria Acqua Alta just looks so whimsical.
Doesn’t it? I think that’s the one I want to visit the most.
The Strand Bookstore in NYC is on my list because my last name is Strand. OBVIOUSLY I want a picture of me under the sign to display in my little home library. 🙂
Haha! I would totally do the same if that was my last name 🙂
These places look amazing, and several are very unique! I’m going to have to start planning vacations based on bookstores! Here is my Top Ten Tuesday
Right Same here!
I’ve visited Bart’s Books in Ojai numerous times and have also visited The Last Bookstore in downtown LA. Both bookstores are worth the visit!!
Here’s a link to my TTT post for this week:
https://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2018/10/top-ten-tuesday-bookstores-ive-visited.html
I’m really glad to hear that!
Any excuse to go to Paris is a good one! Shakespeare & Co. is definitely on my bucket list as well. I live in Southern California so I’ve been to The Last Bookstore twice and it truly is amazing! The sheer amount of detail and effort that went into constructing that store is crazy. I’ve also driven by Ojai a lot on drives up north and I can’t believe I’ve never thought to stop. :O All of these bookstores look incredible, I hope you get to visit some!
I’m glad to hear that The Last Bookstore is worth a visit! 🙂
I have been to the first two (The Stand multiple times), but that one in Venice is one I would love to see in person. The whole on the water thing is cool.
Right? I wish I had known about it when I was there a couple of years ago. I totally would have made a point to go see it.
I live so close to NYC and I’ve never been to The Strand! I need to change that!
It’s definitely worth a visit!
Love The Last Bookstore!! It looks like a rabbit hole! Ah, Libreria Acqua Alta looks so beautiful. My partner is from Italy, so I know I’ll definitely be visiting that place someday.
The Last Bookstore does look like a rabbit hole, lol.
I’ve been to both bookstores in NY, although it been at least 10 years I always try to stop and obscure or quaint bookstores when we travel.
I love visiting bookstores when I travel too. 🙂
Quite a few of these were on my list this week too!
Hopefully we’ll both get to see them someday!
Shakespeare & Company is such a gorgeous little corner. I had the chance to visit it last June (I only had a few hours in Paris before catching my flight and decided to visit it with a few bookworm friends) and it’s beautiful. It has such a great selection of books. I couldn’t resist getting myself something from Shakespeare – and Shakespeare related – and something from The Lost Generation.
Although I don’t live in Porto, I do study there (while I was doing my BA, I lived there for two years) and I visited Livraria Lello a few times. It’s a beautiful library. However, I don’t go as often because you must pay to enter (however, you can use the entrance ticket as a discount on any book you get). I hope you’ve the change to visit it someday.
Happy readings! 😉
Tânia @MyLovelySecret
That’s so cool that you got to visit Shakespeare and Company. I’m glad to hear that it’s as lovely as it looks in pictures.
Ohh this is gorgeous!! We are headed to London next year so I need to check what bookstores I probably should be going to now you mentioned that one with the GORGEOUS bookarch! I wouldn’t want to miss something special! Hubby will be cringing! Ha ha.
Lovely post!
LOL! My hubby cringes every time we walk past a bookstore when we’re traveling.
I’d love to visit all of these! Great picks!
Lauren @ Always Me
Thanks!
I would love to go to any and all of these. I really need to visit more bookstores as part of my vacations. I usually travel with my family, and they’re not nearly as interested in books as I am.
I have that same problem when I travel. I feel like my husband is standing there staring at his watch the whole time I’m trying to soak in all of the bookish goodness, lol.
I’m hoping to visit my sister in NY before the end of the year so I’ll make sure to visit the Strand and Three Lives 🙂
The Strand is amazing! Hope you have a great trip!