I know we all love to order stuff online. It’s convenient, fast, and often shipping isn’t that expensive either. But there is just something so special about going to a book store and wander between the stacks for hours. Maybe picking up a book here and there, and if you’re lucky, settling down in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee or tea. I think we all have our favorite stores to go to, so here is a list of my personal favs!
Lattes and Literature – Breda, the Netherlands
I have to start with my original local favorite from when I still lived in the Netherlands. This book store was the only one that had a large selection of English books within miles. They always had a bunch in stock and the prices were very fair. They got all their books from the UK, so I have a lot of UK editions of books that I bought there. Another fun thing about this shop is that they sell a LOT of boardgames. They always carried special editions that regular shops simply didn’t have.
The name already gives it away, but they also had a little cafe! They served anything coffee and tea related, and also carried small snacks likes pastries. It’s the perfect place to sit down with a new book and have a cup of tea!
Waterstones – Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Waterstones is a well-known store of course, but I love going there whenever I’m in Amsterdam. Which honestly isn’t that often, even when I still lived in the Netherlands. The building it’s located in is simply beautiful; a large, white stone corner building with a cute little tower. Again, a lot of regular book stores in the Netherlands only have a tiny selection of English books, and even then they usually don’t cary what I want at all. Stores like Waterstones make my life as an English-reader a lot easier.
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe – Washington DC, USA
If you’re ever in the DC area, visiting this book store is simply a must. Located close to Dupont Circle, which is already an exciting neighborhood, this book store has everything you’d want. There are always people bustling around, and they have a very large selection of books. This store also comes with a cafe, where I’ve had many a lunch with friends. It’s also open until super late (3am on the weekends!!), and they even have a little bar area where they serve beer and play music the whole evening through.
Barnes & Noble – Seven Corners Falls Church, USA
Okay, okay; I know Barnes & Noble is a huge corporation in the United States, but this particular store still holds a special place in my heart. My first memories of Barnes & Noble are from when I lived in Arizona, in 2001…. I only first got the chance to visit again in 2013, and an entire world opened before me. So. Many. BOOKS. And when we moved to the US again in 2015, I was delighted that there was a Barnes & Noble only 10 minutes away.
Now the reason this store is special to me, is because by now 75% of my books have come from that store. The personal there has always been so helpful, and they’ve never recommended me anything I ended up not liking. Going there was always fun, and I still try to go every now and then, even though I moved a little further away by now.
Do you have a favorite book store? Let me know!
I hope to one day explore the really old cities like Edinburgh or Prague for example and explore cute little book stores there. There’s something magical about old book stores that makes me want to disappear into them for hours!
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I love going into a bookstore and just wandering around, although I can lose track of time and wind up spending hours there (and way more money than I intended). I also much prefer book shops that aren’t the big chain types, but any port in a storm, right? PS I think it’s awesome that you’ve lived abroad as well!
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Sometimes I genuinely just went to chat to people who also like books haha. But yes, time seems to not exist until you walk and the sun has suddenly gone down, so weird