These unusual bookstores are worth a visit even if you don’t read. But you should read, okay?
- Saraiva Bookstore in Rio De Janeiro features a rainbow made out of books that wraps around the top, which is both visually stimulating and totally gay-friendly.
Reading and romance are one in the same– sure, you can find your love on the internet and spend hours glancing at him or her, but aren’t love stories so much better when you can see, touch, smell, and fully experience them? The same goes for books, obviously. They’re meant to be a full sensory experience, and half that joy just comes from the excitement of turning a crisp page that you know has never been touched before, or a worn, yellowed page that you know has taken other readers on many adventures.
Unfortunately in this day and age, bookstores in general are kind of unusual. I am an avid reader, but even though I don’t always love the experience of reading on my iPhone, I can’t deny that the practicality of being able to download whatever you want to read from wherever you are in the world absolutely trumps the process of finding, driving to, and visiting a bookstore. It’s actually kind of sad to me, because bookstores used to be one of my favorite places to go. Am I alone in all the joyous 90s and earlier memories hanging out at Barnes & Noble, Borders, and other bookstores?
Anyway, these five unusual bookstores will almost certainly rekindle (no pun intended, sorta) your literary romance.
READ MORE: 3 Must-See Bookstores in Paris
2. Wanders De Broeren in Amsterdam is built in a renovated 15th-century cathedral that preserved the church’s original features, including the organ.
3. Book Barge in England is a boat filled with donated books that are a far cry from the best-sellers list. The selection is carefully curated by owner Sarah Henshaw, who borrowed money from her parents to start the venture.
4. Livraria Da Vila, in Sao Paulo is a unique building that feature revolving bookshelves that will totally make you dizzy. It’s an architectural masterpiece that sells books on architectural masterpieces, making this the most meta of unusual bookstores.
5. Bart’s Books is the largest independently owned and operated outdoor bookstore in the country, located in Ojai, California. Books are as cheap as 35 cents, but it makes me wonder what happens when it rains. Does it even rain out there? I bet there’s a book on that.
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