mrpenumbra

[mrpenumbra]

[mrpenumbra]

And, of course, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.

1. City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco

Book appeal: City Lights was founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, so it makes sense that its entire second floor is a dedicated poetry space. But throughout the store there are chairs strategically placed so customers can not only enjoy the natural light, but take their time in choosing a title to bring home.

2. Word on the Water in London

Book appeal: This bookstore is on a barge, for starters. You can hop aboard to browse through its selection (and mingle with the owner’s cats), or stay on the mainland to see their poetry readings and live music, which happen on the roof of the barge.

3. Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands

Book appeal: Browsing books in a 700-year-old church is an experience you’ll only have at Boekhandel Dominicanen. There’s a mix of Gothic architecture and modern furniture to enjoy, along with all of the titles, of course.

4. The Livraria Cultura in São Paulo, Brazil

Book appeal: Not only is this the largest bookstore in Brazil, but it’s also a borderline playground for kids. There are massive dragon statues to play on, areas to lounge, and four stories of pure book-filled aisles to wander through.

5. Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice, Italy

Book appeal: This bookstore is easily one of the most memorable and quirky places in Venice. The shop itself is small, and filled with books that fall out of gondolas, bathtubs, and small boats. You can dip your feet in the canal as you read, or climb a set of steps entirely made of old books.

6. Librería El Ateneo in Buenos Aires

Book appeal: This former theater turned bookstore is filled with all sorts of stunning architectural details, like Italian ceiling frescoes, rich red curtains, and ornate sculptures. Plus, there’s live piano music playing in the background while you browse each section.

7. Cook & Book in Brussels

Book appeal: Cook & Book is part bookstore, part café, and totally worth the visit. The shop is divided into nine rooms, and each room contains a different section (think music, fiction, children’s, travel, graphic novels, etc.). But best of all is that each section has its own special design and looks totally unique from the other rooms. There’s even an English room that looks a bit like a pub.

8. Brattle Book Shop in Boston

Book appeal: Founded in 1825, the Brattle Book Shop is one of the largest antiquarian book shops in the country. There are unique outdoor bookstalls, as well as three levels of titles to browse through.

9. Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal

Book appeal: If you blink you’d miss the unassuming exterior of Livraria Lello. But inside, it’s filled with rich dark wood and a sweeping staircase that leads to a second floor of stained glass and floor to ceiling bookshelves. This is one of Portugal’s oldest bookstores and completely worth the visit.

10. Librairie Ptyx in Brussels

Book appeal: Even before you walk through the doors, it’s not hard to see that the Librairie Ptyx is a monument to all things art. Inside, titles are carefully curated, and the homages to famous writers covers the walls.

11. The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles

Book appeal: Aside from the vaulted ceilings and enormous pillars that fill this large space, stepping inside The Last Bookstore will make you feel like you’ve entered another world. There’s a mix of old and used books, and even an upstairs section where everything is just $1.

12. Cafebrería El Péndulo in Mexico City

Book appeal: Anywhere where they allow you to eat, drink mojitos, and read is pretty fantastic, in my opinion. Plus Cafebrería El Péndulo also offers outdoor seating, and enough natural light and vegetation to make you feel like you’re not in a bookstore at all.

13. Atlantis Books in Santorini, Greece

Book appeal: Stepping into Atlantis Books is a bit like going into a cave, but one filled with tons of character! There are notes and messages written all over the walls, and they host food festivals, film festivals, and book signings regularly.

14. Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon

Book appeal: Powell’s is ENORMOUS. That’s because it was formerly a car dealership that has become a Portland landmark. If you ever feel like indie bookstores are flailing, walk through the rows of books while sipping coffee from their cafe and just remember that being a book lover is alive and well in Portland.

15. Librairie Avant-Garde in Nanjing, China

Book appeal: Can you spot the yellow stripe down the center of the book rows? That’s because Librairie Avant-Garde is a former garage converted into a bookstore. Pretty neat, but you’ll have to find parking elsewhere!

16. Dickson Street Bookshop in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Book appeal: Specializing in out of print and rare books, you’ll step off the main Fayetteville drag into this cozy shop filled with rows and rows of books old and new. The rare and more leather-bound options are right up front and absolutely stunning, while if you head into the back you can find anything from Southern cookbooks to music biographies.

17. Books Actually in Tiong Bahru, Singapore

Book appeal: This shop is a mix of quirky and modern, like the ultimate Etsy store filled with indie titles, local authors, and plenty of knickknacks to bring home. It’s small, but intimate, and readings are often hosted here.

[mrpenumbra]

And bookstores too we hope.

-Mr. Penumbra

[mrpenumbra]

The Library of Note for Thursday is from Kenya, where Book Aid sends books by camel to remote rural areas to share the joy of books. 

Where there's a will, there's a way, and books have the power to change lives.

[mrpenumbra]

If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.

J.K. Rowling (via feellng)

So head down to my 24-Hour Bookstore and the Clerks and I will find the book for you.

-Mr. Penumbra

[mrpenumbra]

Walking the stacks in a library, running your finger down the spines — it’s hard not to feel the presence of sleeping spirits.

Robin Sloan (Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore)

Words of wisdom from yours truly.

[mrpenumbra]

Today's Library of Note is the Admont Abbey Library, Austria. Secret doors, ladders and so many books. The Clerks are very enthusiastic, what about you my friends?

-Mr. Penumbra

[mrpenumbra]

[mrpenumbra]

Today's Library of Note is actually a bookstore just like my own. The Last Bookstore in LA. A place to delight the imagination...

-Mr. Penumbra

[mrpenumbra]

And this is why the 24-Hour Bookstore matters. What do books mean to you?

-Mr. Penumbra

[mrpenumbra]

Well will you look at this library, today's Library of Note from Buenos Aires. I have to say, it's almost (I did say almost) as impressive as my own 24-Hour Bookstore.

[mrpenumbra]

The Clerks have managed to track down this blogger with a penchant for books and baking and just look at the charming shortbreads she's made just for me

-Mr. Penumbra

[mrpenumbra]

A question for you good folks of Tumblr. I asked you before to tell me about a book that you love.

 Now, ever the curious mind, I want to know something else, so tell me:

  What character, from any book, has inspired you most?

[mrpenumbra]

Although this was a furniture marketing exercise, it’s interesting that a bookcase, when filled with books, automatically becomes a library, wherever it's located ...

Today's Library of Note is on Bondi Beach. A surprise library, an unplanned library, a library where you least expect it.

[mrpenumbra]

The White Library- were all the books are blank.

  The perfect canvas for the imagination to run riot upon.

[mrpenumbra]

Something to show that the 21st Century doesn't have exclusive rights to ingenious design. This magnificent 16th Century book is six books in one.

An alternative to the Kindle.

Image: Gif by Erik Kwakkel, from images in the National Library of Sweden.

[mrpenumbra]

Not all Libraries are static. An admirable man - Antonio, signore, we salute your noble efforts!

-Mr Penumbra and Clerks

Antonio the Cava is a retired teacher. After 42 years of teaching he decided that he could do more by spreading the love of reading to children who were unable to get to a library. Thus, in 2003, he bought a second-hand motorbike and modified it to create a portable library that contains 700 books and has been traveling since then. Each week he drives to the villages in the region of Basilicata in southern Italy. The sound of an organ announces his arrival. When they hear the song, excited children run to the mobile library for their next book. Antonio travels over 300 miles a month without any compensation, just to make children smile and invest in their futures. What an incredible inspiration he is. Thank you Antonio for all that you do! via The Farmacy