Bookshop review

Bookwise – Southwell

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Recently, a couple of friends and I took a much needed day off. We didn’t want to travel too far from home, but wanted to get away from the same old cafés in the centre of Nottingham. We were hoping to spend the day drinking tea, eating cakes and having a good old girlie natter and catch up. At the suggestion of one of our parents, we drove over to the nearby town of Southwell, which seems to be the land of lovely tearooms.

We did indeed spend a couple of hours eating, drinking and chatting, but left enough time to have a little explore. Southwell is a picturesque town with a beautiful minster and some interesting shops. Of course, my eyes were kept peeled for a good bookshop, and as luck would have it, I did not need to look very far!

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The Slightly Foxed Bookshop – London

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*** Please note: Sadly The Slightly Foxed Bookshop on Gloucester Road is now closed. Please visit this website for more information. ***

During the two weeks of my work experience at Slightly Foxed, there was one thing on my list of things to do that I really had to do – even if it took me all the way to the other side of London following a complicated route chosen for me by the Transport of London website – and that was to visit The Slightly Foxed Bookshop. Located a stone’s throw from Gloucester Road tube station, the shop is very easy to find, even if you are new to London and useless with a map! As an added bonus, there is also a conveniently placed Caffè Nero next door so that you can enjoy a well deserved hot drink whilst reading through your purchases.

The shop was originally Gloucester Road Bookshop, owned and run by Graham Greene’s nephew, until Slightly Foxed – the ‘real readers’ literary quarterly magazine took it over in 2009. In the few years that it has been open, it has become a much loved part of Gloucester Road, holding events and launches, not just for Slightly Foxed’s own editions and magazines, but also for other like-minded publishers such as Candlestick Press.

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Camden Lock Books – London

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A while ago I heard rumour of a wonderful little gem of a bookshop in one of the tube stations in London. Because I was nowhere near London at the time, I promptly forgot all about it. When I was offered a work experience position at Slightly Foxed, ten minutes from Old Street Station, I heard it mentioned yet again and was told that I simply had to visit. It sounded brilliant, and so off I went one lunchtime to check it out.

Strangely, the bookshop is named Camden Lock Books, as that was where the owner, Jason Burley, opened his first bookshop in 1984. The name is a bit odd as it is located nowhere near Camden, but little quirks like this are always appreciated by a bookworm like me. Continue reading →

The Globe – Prague

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This  year I was lucky enough to celebrate Christmas in one of my favourite cities: Prague. It is a beautiful city in any season, but at Christmas it is simply wonderful! Whether you enjoy the hustle and bustle of the festive market in Old Town Square, an evening stroll along the river, where the lit up castle twinkles on the skyline or if you like to escape the cold and have a hot drink in one of the many cafés and tea rooms; Prague has something for everyone.

I lived in Prague for eight months in 2008 and one thing that I loved to do, was to grab a book and find a comfortable place to sit while disappearing in its pages. In the summer, I would usually make my way to a park or a café with a garden, and in more chilly weather, I could sit for hours in many of Prague’s lovely tea rooms. There is one place in particular which combines my hobbies very well, and I always make sure to visit when I am in town. Continue reading →

Bookscene – Nottingham

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I absolutely love discovering cheap bookshops. So imagine how delighted I was when walking around my new neighbourhood this weekend I found one just around the corner!

Bookscene has something for everyone. There is a particularly large science-fiction and horror/crime section, but there is plenty more on offer here. Not being the hugest fan of science-fiction, I headed straight over to the general fiction shelf and was happy to find that there was a lot of choice. I was even happier when I saw the prices! A book for 75p? Could I have read that right? It was then a struggle not to grab books by the handful and buy them all! Continue reading →

Algoritam Multimedia – Dubrovnik

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Algoritam is another bookshop along the main street in Old Town Dubrovnik. It is different to Algebra because it does not have the same cluttered atmosphere and originality. It is a lot more like any other ordinary bookshop you might find. In fact it is actually part of a larger chain in Croatia, and it definitely has that feel.

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Algebra – Dubrovnik

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Along the main street of Old Town in Dubrovnik, you can find this little treasure of a bookshop. It is a long, thin room filled from floor to ceiling with English, French, German and of course Croatian books. There is also a whole section dedicated to Croatian history books and travel guides.   The books are not only on the shelves, but also piled on the floor – the shop is simply bursting with books!

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American Bookstore – Milan

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This English language bookshop is bang in the centre of Milan. Situated only minutes away from the Duomo and opposite Parco Sempione, it is in the perfect location. If you feel like escaping the bustle of the city, why not pop in and choose a book, stroll across the road and enjoy a relaxing read on the grass in the park?

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