Saturday, April 26, 2008

Librairie de France

This French bookstore, Librairie de France at the Rockefeller Center sells only French books and magazines. Even the logo for the store has that French street sign look. I hear Paris has a famous English language only bookstore called the Shakespeare & Co.

So do you have a favorite bookstore in your city?

14 comments:

• Eliane • said...

They actually do have a large Spanish literature department too - from what I have noticed, the owner/manager speaks much better Spanish than French. I do enjoy a little stroll downstairs when I really crave something. Upstairs (street level) is very touristy and poorly presented. They also have very few French magazines - you can actually find more at Hudson News in Grand Central!
One of my favorite bookstores was on 42nd just in front of Bryant Park. I am so sad it disappeared.

isa said...

Cool sign - I thought I was in France!

Shakespeare & Co. is the most famous (because of its history) but there are quite a few English language bookstores in Paris:
Abbey Bookshop
The Book Cellar
Brentano's
The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore
San Francisco Book Co.
Tea and Tattered Pages
Village Voice Bookshop
W.H. Smith
and could be more by now (I left Paris in 2004)

Ming, tomorrow is my last post so I dropped by to say goodbye and good luck! I will miss your take on the city...

Sara said...

We have one small bookstore here in town - it is called Violet's! I haven't always used it - but, I plan to use it more often.

Other than that - in the next town over we have a Borders...I'm not impressed with it...

NormanTheDoxie said...

I like Barnes and Noble at Union Square because I can also get a cup of coffee while reading the magazines for free.

Chuck Pefley said...

As a non French speaker visiting Paris it was a godsend finding Brentano's when looking for a Paris map.

Dorothy said...

I do Ming...nothing quite as fancy as Shakespere & Co.....Barnes & Noble...I'm likely to be seen in the childrens book section or magazine area..Wonderful smells of good coffee as you enter the large old wooden doors...

b13 said...

Funny thing is I work for a publisher... but I don't often read. Blogs take up all my free time ;)

Jilly said...

Shakespeare & Co is a must-see in Paris, if you can fight your way through the tourists, that is.

Amazon is my bookstore! No English bookshops in Menton although there is one in Monte Carlo - called Scruples.

GMG said...

Hi Ming! Thanks for having been so kind to comment on Blogtrotter while I was absent! I’m back and trying to catch up with your posts!
Shakespeare & Co. is a great place, but Isabella said it all about English language bookstores in Paris. As for Lisbon, I used to go to Buchholz and now I go to FNAC, though I still visit many other smaller bookstores...
There is a guy with a camera reflected; he must be you... ;)
Falafel sandwich? OK! But I would better have some prawn and aspargus risotto... ;)
The yellow picture looks great but coin fountains don't do my day... Anyhow, keep your hopes: Rome will be around the corner one day...
Finally, enjoy Spring while favourite Summer doen't come!
Hope you have a great Sunday and a better week!

www.DeltaMovies.com said...

We have two bookstores... BAM (Books a million) and WINDOWS (locally owned).

The later specializes in regional or southern titles in addition to carrying most major new national releases. They used to operate a small independent theater in the back of the store too.

Laterz,
B.

thwany said...

i like the korean bookstore in koreatown at 32nd street. it's fun looking at the magazines, which i can no longer afford to buy. my korean movie renting place is also in the back of the store so it gives me a good reason to go.

Unknown said...

my fav is kinokuniya :-)

Grand Life said...

Sam Wellers New and Used is great. A million and a half books on 4 floors. 2nd largest bookstore west of the Mississippi. I used to work in Rare books and managed a branch store for a couple of years. Worked there 10 years and I don't think I made $20.
clear. But I've got some great books.
Judy

Unknown said...

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