Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Bookstores I Want to Visit

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Ten Bookstores I’d Like to Visit.” This topic was both easy and hard. On one hand, it was easy to find ten bookstores for this list and on the other, it was difficult to only name ten. I haven’t been to any of these and probably won’t get a chance to visit most, but a girl can dream.

1. Libreria Acqua Alta (Venice, Italy) – This bookstore has accepted the losing battle with nature and as a result has learned to adapt. Books can be found in tubs and boats and stacked high in order to preserve them from the rising water in Venice, Italy.

2. Livraria Lello (Porto, Portugal) – It’s rumored that JKR found inspiration for HP from this bookstore and and it’s not surprising. I’m inexplicably drawn to this red staircase. How can you look at it and not think there’s something magical about it?

3. Underground Books (Coober Pedy, Australia) – This bookstore is literally underground. How…groundbreaking. In all seriousness, I think I might end up feeling a little claustrophobic being here, but I’d like to at least visit it once anyway.

4. The Last Bookstore (Los Angeles, California) – I really need to carve out some time and take a trip here. It’s within driving distance from where I live, but ugh, traffic. Also, weddings can happen here? Ransom Riggs and Tahereh Mafi got married here. Can you imagine?

5. El Ateneo Grand Splendid (Buenos Aires, Argentina) – Do you even need to ask why I’d want to go here? Just look at the place. It’s a former theatre and then cinema and now houses a bookstore. I just want to stare at this picture for a while.

6. Polare Maastricht (Maastricht, Netherlands) – This one is apparently closed now, but if it wasn’t I’d want to visit it. Books are housed in a former church that was built way back in 1294. It looks so grand and so appropriate for those of us who revere books.

8. Strand Bookstore (New York, New York) – I’ve actually been to New York, but somehow missed visiting this famous bookstore. If I ever go back, it’s at the top of my list.

6. El Péndulo (Mexico City, Mexico) – I’ve always been fond of the combination of books and nature and this one looks like a place where I’d instantly feel at home.

8. The Gladstone Library (Flintshire, North Wales) – This is not a bookstore, but a library at a B&B. If dreams come true not only would I get to visit this place but my own personally library would be modeled after it.

9. Zhongshuge Book Store (Chengdu, China) – I don’t even know where to start with this one. If you haven’t googled this bookstore, do it now. I picked this children’s section because I’m so enamored with the structure and art pieces, but there are several rooms/floors that are equally as gorgeous.

10. Shakespeare and Company (Paris, France) – I get teary eyed just thinking about this place. I don’t know if you can still do it, but they’ve allowed people to sleep here and work on their writing/other art as long as they work at the bookstore a couple of hours a day. I think I could die happy here.

Have you had the pleasure of visiting any of these places? Any of these bookstores also on your bucket list? Let’s talk in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit!