Journey Woman - Female Travel Writers Share Their Best Tips

Journey Woman

Bookshops Worldwide Women Love to Browse

Evelyn Hannon

In a recent newsletter we posted the question about bookshops displayed below. This topic seemed to hit a very special chord for many of you. The response was immediate and very generous. You told us about forty shops in over twenty different countries which we've listed in alphabetical order. We'll continue to post listings of your special places as they come in and we know they'll be many more. Thank you very much, everybody. This is the kind of wonderful female-friendly travel information we love to share. You, our readers make this Journeywoman website a treat for travelling women around the globe.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE ENGLISH BOOKSTORE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD -- It could be an absolutely tiny used book shop down a little lane or a mega store that lists thousands of titles. It could be in your hometown or in a village in the UK or The Netherlands, etc. Our aim is to list these shops so that Journeywoman bookwormettes everywhere can find their 'happy place' when travelling. Please send your tips to: editor@journeywoman.com and put the word, 'bookstore tips' in the subject line. As soon as we have ten tips we'll begin posting them at the website.

Australia...

	I'd like to recommend Fullers Bookshop in Hobart, Tasmania. It's located in the centre of town, has a coffee store called Afterword Cafe on the Mezzine level which does the BEST spiced hot chocolate in the winter months. Expect to find some chairs, knowledgeable staff, and they don't have a problem with you just wandering around looking and reading extracts. They also have a really good selection of Tasmanian centric books. Website: http://www.fullersbookshop.com.au/ Zelda, Hobart, Australia
	My favourite bookstore is just around the corner from where I live in Bondi Beach, Sydney (40 Hall St Bondi Beach NSW 2026 ). It's called Gertrude and Alice's, after early 20th century lesbians Gertrude Stein and Alice Tolkas. It features new, old and rare books, a relaxed, bohemian vegetarian cafe, and the strong smell of coffee. It's the place to go if you are in Bondi but more into art and culture than bikinis and surfboards. Tel: +61 (2) 9130 5155. Jamie, Bondi Beach, Australia
	One of the most wonderful bookstores I know about is Readings Bookstore in the suburb of Carlton in Melbourne (309 Lygon Street). While Melbourne is romantic and cultured, Carlton is the cool and funky University suburb. Readings is pure delight with a huge range of literature, biographies, travel, architecture, film and art books. Ready for a coffee? Just go to Tiamo's cafe next door -- I think it's the most authentic Italian bistro outside of Italy; their aromatic coffee is divine. Come to Melbourne, drop into Readings and enjoy! Website: http://www.readings.com.au Sibylle, Melbourne, Australia
	I just wanted to let you know about the Annerley Community Bookshop and neighbourhood centre on Ipswich Rd (at the Annerley Junction) in Brisbane Australia. It’s the only community owned bookshop in this country and it sells the most wonderful collection of secondhand books at the cheapest prices in the city. There's even a foreign language book section. We're a not for profit organisation and any profits that are made are re-invested into local community development initiatives to help local refugee and migrant communities, homeless people and folks who are laid up in hospitals. You can visit our website at www.annerleybookshop.com.au and if you are in Brisbane you can call on 3892 5050. Please pop in when you're in this part of the world. Kathy, Brisbane, Australia WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FEMALE-CENTERED TRAVEL IN AUSTRALIA? Check this link.

Bali...

If you're looking for specialty books on Bali and Indonesia I'd like to recommend Ganesha Bookshop. Located on Jalan Raya, near the Ubud Post Office, Ganesha Bookshop has an amazing selection of new and used books (bought and sold) - the majority in English. Topics include everything from your Balinese horoscope to yoga and children's books. They also have some books in Indonesian, French, German, and Dutch. In addition, they sell magazines, maps, postcards, locally made bookmarks and notecards, and even musical instruments. The staff are helpful and friendly. Secondhand books bought at Ganesha can be returned for 50% credit or cash. Website: www.ganeshabooksbali.com
Tandy, Ubud, Bali

Bulgaria...

My favorite bookstore isn't a store at all. In Sofia, Bulgaria, while on a three-month volunteer assignment, I spent many hours browsing tables of books by vendors outdoors in front of the main McDonald's hamburger shop. Most of the books are in Bulgarian, but several vendors have used English books. They are mostly books that were airplane reading for consultants who worked in Bulgaria several years ago.
June, Alexandria, USA

Canada...

	My favorite bookstore is Timeslip Secondhand Books in the village of Palgrave, Canada. It is just south of Highway 9 between Newmarket and Orangeville (north of Toronto). They have an excellent selection, great prices, and it is run by really friendly people. They also sell Pottery made by one of the owners, Arlene Peters. It is a gem! http://www.timeslip.ca/main.html Linda, Palgrave, Canada
	In Toronto, mystery fans should head for The Sleuth of Baker Street at 1600 Bayview Avenue. It's an absolute wonder world for those of us devoted to any part of the genre, from cosies to the gritties. State your preferences and the staff will be happy to point you to books you may not have heard of before. (Should Paddington, the resident feline, be in sight he'll appreciate a friendly pat.) The Sleuth website http://www.sleuthofbakerstreet.com is a good way to check their stock and/or order online. P.S. Best wishes to Journeywoman...a great read! Gloria, Toronto, Canada
	My favourite English-language bookstore is so out-of-the-way that I'm afraid most tourists and travellers will never get there. It is on Highway 11 in the north of Ontario near the village of Cobalt, and that's probably why it's called the Highway Bookshop. Google it. The site is covered by a white, clapboard building trimmed in dark green with so many nooks and crannies that have been added to an original barn over the years that it is easy to get lost in. There are huge stacks of old books on every subject under the sun and new editions that overflow every shelf and table set to hold them. The staff is knowledgeable. They can dig out a rare gem with only the barest clues. The owners also publish authors from northern Ontario, and they take orders and ship all over. I enjoyed a yearly road trip to Cobalt before I retired and moved too far away, but if you are heading anywhere within a few hours, try to visit. The Highway Bookshop is fabulous. Ruth, Ottawa, Canada
	Queen Bee Books is located at Port Alberni (right downtown and just up the street from the Waterfront and Quay)on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. When you enter the store, which feels like an inviting living room, you are drawn to the full shelves filled with an eclectic mix of books of a wide range of variety. Colorful local art, paintings and ceramics add to the warm and inviting feel. The vivacious and knowledgable owner organises Children's Story Time every Tuesday at 11am and 3:30 pm. This store is the fulfillment of many years of dreaming and planning and my daughter, the owner, is about to start her second year in this successfull business. Anke, Salt Spring Island, Canada
	I'd like to recommend Good Words Bookshop (http://www.GoodWordsBookshop.com) in downtown Amherst (9 LaPlanche Street), Nova Scotia. It has great new and secondhand books on most subjects, but specialises in travel writings, literature, children's books, and books in languages other than English. It carries beautiful journals and stationery, including a whole display of book-&-reading-related cards. Fiercely independent, it is definitely not a cookie cutter bookstore! If you live anywhere near Amherst, call & ask to be put on their e-mailing list; they host author readings on a fairly regular basis. Amherst is right on the Nova Scotia border, so it's easy to reach if you're travelling to and from both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in Canada. Sydney, Amherst, Nova Scotia
	My favorite English book store opened last winter in Ottawa, Ontario. Baico Books is unique in that every book is displayed face out, designed to make it easier for shoppers to find what they're looking for or to discover a new title they didn't know existed. The store is dedicated to Canadian authors, and has books by many local authors on its shelves, authors whose books might be lost in a large chain store. Located a bit west of the downtown core, at 102 McEwen, just off Richmond Road, the store also hosts book launches and readings. Barbara , Ottawa, Canada WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FEMALE-CENTERED TRAVEL IN TORONTO? Check this link.

China...

Here are my three suggestions for bookstores in Beijing: (1) Foreign Languages Bookstore (235 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District, 6512-6927) This old standby has it all! On the first floor, you will find practically everything you want to have related to China and its culture. The third floor is the better choice if you are hankering after a modern novel. (2) Le Petit Gourmand (3/F, Tongli Studio, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Tel. 6417-6095) This cozy place boasts French food and a growing lending library. Some books are available for sale.(3) The Bookworm (http://www.beijingbookworm.com) I must confess that I haven't been here since it has changed locations, but I am sure (and have heard) that this combination lending library, bookstore, and restaurant is just as good as the original!
Linda, Beijing, China

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FEMALE-CENTERED TRAVEL IN CHINA? Check this link.

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