19th May 2008
One of London's Finest Bookstores
This is such a beautiful, one-of-a-kind bookshop. Every time I step inside, I feel myself relax immediately - it's a world away from the hustle and bustle of Marylebone High Street and W1 in general.
The building is quirky yet pleasingly old-fashioned, an Edwardian building with 'long oak galleries and graceful skylights'. The upper floor is filled with natural light from said skylights, the basement cosy and comfortable enough to spend hours browsing and reading in.
The layout of the books is another great feature - mostly travel books and guides, laid out by country/ continent, with fiction and non-fiction relevant to the place all mixed in. It makes for an interesting way to pick your travel/ holiday reading: why buy just a guidebook when you can read some indigenous literature, poetry, or criticism?
The store holds regular readings and literary events and is a great place to spend a rainy (or sunny!) weekend afternoon. Try it once, and you won't go back to WHSmith, I can tell you.
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