Who also loves scoping out a city’s bookshop scene while traveling?
Every bookshop has its own history, personality, and mission. We’ve pulled together 12 cool bookshops around the world that we dream of checking out. Bookmark them for your next trip!
Beacon Hill Books & Cafe
Beacon Hill Books & Cafe in Boston is a bookshop where you can enjoy afternoon tea with friends in an outdoor garden, or embrace your me-time with books and delicious bites. They also host private dinners, where you eat surrounded by bookshelves.
Sweet Pickle Books
To honor the history of Jewish immigrants and pickle vendors in its Lower East Side neighborhood, Sweet Pickle Books is a cute and quirky used bookshop in New York City. Trade your old books in for a jar of pickles!
Word on the Water
If you’ve never been to a floating bookshop, you should check out Word on the Water. It is a used bookshop situated on a 100-year-old Dutch barge in London!
Bronx Bound Books
Buckle up! Bronx Bound Books is a bookstore on wheels fueled by a passion for expanding access to book ownership and literacy in the borough. Their book bus is wildly loved by the community, and you can even reserve their bus for your school and community events!
Munro’s Books
Co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro and her ex-husband Jim Munro in 1963, Munro’s Books is a bookshop in Victoria, British Columbia. It’s an iconic scene in the heart of Old Town with its beautiful historic building, passionate booksellers, and wide selection of books.
Julia de Burgos Bookstore
Named after Julia de Burgos, a Puerto Rican poet, Julia de Burgos Bookstore is the only Spanish/English bilingual bookshop in Philadelphia, highlighting books by Latine and Latin American authors.
Gertrude & Alice Bookstore
Gertrude & Alice Bookstore is not only a cozy cafe for great brunch food and coffee in Bondi Beach, Sydney, but also a literary oasis for hosting local bookish events.
The Bookish Type
Starting as a pop-up in 2019, The Bookish Type opened their brick-and-mortar store in Leeds during the pandemic to further amplify queer voices.
Unity Books
Unity Books is a local favorite in Auckland with a spotlight on New Zealand and international literature across all genres. Don’t forget to check out Little Unity for children’s reads located right next to the main shop!
Book Club Bar
Have an instant craving for books late at night? Book Club Bar in New York City has you covered. Grab a glass of wine until one in the morning on weekends while browsing through aisles of bookshelves.
Livraria Lello, Porto
You definitely don’t want to miss out on the most beautiful bookshop of all time. Opened in Porto in 1906, Livraria Lello’s neo-gothic interior instantly takes your breath away.
Minoa Books & Coffee
Minoa Books & Coffee is a go-to bookshop for English and Turkish books in Istanbul. Integrated with a cafe-brasserie section, they offer an extensive drink menu from coffee to alcoholic beverages. Isn’t this a dreamy place to take a coffee break in between chapters?
Independent bookshops offer curated collections of books and help support local communities. While shopping at indies may hinge on accessibility and privilege, you can always support them with audiobook purchases on Libro.fm.
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