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Bookshops & Libraries

The bookshops and libraries I would cross a city for, with notes on the creaky floors, secondhand finds and quiet corners that make each one worth the detour.

Isis with braids smiling under a black umbrella among Bath stone buildings in England
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My First Day in Bath Was a Cruise Stop, and I Spent It in Every Bookshop

My first day in Bath was a cruise stop with one goal: every bookshop in the city. Here's how to do bookish Bath in a day, plus the Jane Austen Centre.

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Reading Life · Bookshops & Libraries
2thoughts
Green Bankers Lamp (photo by Isis Bradford)
Reading Life · Bookshops & Libraries

Why Little Independent Bookshops Are Always Worth the Detour

Why little independent bookshops are worth the detour at home and abroad, plus my bookshop etiquette and easy ways to support your local bookstore.

By Isis Bradford · 1thought

Bookstore Window (photo by Isis Bradford)
Reading Life · Bookshops & Libraries

The Hidden Joy of Used Books: Margin Notes, Old Receipts and Pressed Flowers

The hidden joy of buying used books: margin notes, forgotten receipts and pressed flowers, plus where to find secondhand books worth keeping.

By Isis Bradford · 2thoughts

Inside the Ler Devagar bookshop at LX Factory in Lisbon, with floor-to-ceiling shelves, a staircase, the old printing press and the flying bicycle sculpture
Reading Life · Bookshops & Libraries

The Best Bookshops in Lisbon, Including the Oldest Bookshop in the World

A bookish Lisbon guide: Livraria Bertrand (the world’s oldest bookshop), Ler Devagar at LX Factory, Alfama’s little shops and the best views to read by.

By Isis Bradford · 1thought