Latest news with #GeorgeWhitman
Euronews
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
These are the 10 most Instagrammable bookstores in the world, according to a new study
ADVERTISEMENT There's something quite magical about a beautiful bookstore - the quiet rustling of pages, the smell of old paper, and, increasingly, the perfect photo op! Sustainable retailer Awesome Books has put together a list of the most Instagrammable bookstores around the world, ranking based on the number of posts tagged with the store's name. Among the top 10, four are tucked away in Europe, with bookstores in Porto, Paris, London, and Venice making the cut. At the top of the heap is The Last Bookstore, a unique gem in Los Angeles, famous for its 'book portal' - a tunnel constructed entirely from old books. The quirky shop also features local art on its walls and a selection of vinyl records. With 113,000 hashtag mentions on Instagram, and an impressive 156k followers on its own page, it takes the crown as the number one most Instagrammed bookstore in the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by One Thousand Libraries 📖 (@1000libraries) At number two is Porto's Livraria Lello, a neo-gothic and art nouveau architectural wonder, and one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal. With its stunning neo-gothic interiors and show-stopping central staircase, the store is credited to have influenced J.K. Rowling 's vision of Hogwarts during her time living in Porto as an English teacher. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Livraria Lello (@ In third place is another European entry, the legendary English-language bookstore Shakespeare and Company, located in the literary heart of Paris on the Left Bank. Since being opened by bohemian American George Whitman in 1951, it's been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers. Inside, visitors can find creaking floors, old typewriters, sleepy cats and a piano for anyone to play. Outside, the green and yellow facade next to two stunning cherry blossom trees looks like a movie set - and it has been, notably featured in Richard Linklater's Before Sunset and Woody Allen 's Midnight in Paris . View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ophélie Schaffar / Travel Blogger (@limitlesssecrets) Ranked in sixth place is Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice - a charmingly eccentric literary treasure. The whimsical shop is crammed from floor to ceiling with books, magazines, maps, and curious ephemera. Due to the city's risk of flooding and the store's close proximity to water, volumes are stacked in bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even inside a full-size gondola that sits in one of the rooms. Fittingly, its name translates to 'Bookstore of High Water.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by April Chu (@aprilchutravels) Here is the full list of the 10 most photogenic bookstores in the world: The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles Livraria Lello, Porto Shakespeare and Company, Paris BookPeople, Texas Powell's Books, Oregon Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice National Book Store, Metro Manila Strand Book Store, New York Daunt Books, London Books Actually, Singapore
Forbes
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
5 Excellent Bookshops In Paris With English-Language Literature
Paris, France: Shakespeare and Company Bookstore located in the Saint Michel district. Paris has been known for its affinity for arts and literature for centuries at this point—so it only makes sense that the city has some of the most beautiful bookstores in Europe. Many of the city's bookstores could be classified as equal parts gallery/museum and shop—which is great for browsing but not the best if you prefer to read English literature and non-fiction. Despite being, well, France, you'll still find a handful of excellent English-language bookstores in and around Paris. The following bookshops boast a large selection of English books, ranging from secondhand paperbacks to high-end art books and everything in between. Here are five excellent bookshops in Paris with English-language literature: Shakespeare and Company was founded in 1951 by American George Whitman and is still largely considered one of the most beautiful English bookstores in the city. It's conveniently located opposite the Notre-Dame Cathedral on the banks of the Seine which has made it an easy stopping point for tourists. Keep in mind that this bookstore has, as such, become very popular and usually draws large crowds and oftentimes has a line out the door. Smith & Son is another independent English-language bookstore with a huge selection. The shop was first opened in 1870 and continues to be the best bookshop in the city if you're looking for a large selection of everything from best-selling beach reads to contemporary non-fiction, graphic novels, cookbooks, and more. While Librairie Galignani isn't exclusively an English-language bookstore, it still offers a very large selection of English books. The beautiful bookshop boasts fiction and contemporary non-fiction but its speciality is really in higher-end fine art books (that would make for great Parisian souvenirs). If browsing for used books is more your speed, then you'll want to add the Abbey Bookshop to your literary itinerary. Perhaps one of the best used bookstores in the city (although they also have a great selection of new titles as well), the Abbey Bookshop boasts more than 40,000 English titles and the hunt of finding your next great read is all part of the charm. San Francisco Book Company is another excellent option for those who prefer shopping for used books over new titles. The shop first opened on the Left Bank back in 1997 and has since expanded online as well (the shop ships worldwide). San Francisco Book Company boasts everything from paperbacks and science fiction to art and philosophy. It's also worth noting that this shop takes requests for hard-to-find books on their clients' wishlists.
