Heaven On Earth For Readers

Bookstore. How does that word make you feel? Relaxed? Warm and fuzzy? Like you want to tear over to the nearest bookstore and lose yourself in the stacks? Amazon may be king of the bookselling world, but brick and mortar shops win hands-down when competing on a sensory field. The smell of new novels. The sight of row upon row of book covers lined up like little soldiers. The hushed conversations contemplating which books to buy.

But not all bookstores are equal. I found some interesting shops that are destination points . . .

ESLITE
Ever had the urge to browse through a bookstore at two in the morning? You can, if you happen to live in Taiwan. The Eslite is a twenty-four hour bookstore that caters to bibliophiles, claiming to "have more night owl visitors than most Western bookstores could dream of during their daytime hours."

LIVRARIA DA VILA
This bookstore in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is pretty much made out of books. The walls are floor to ceiling with books. The front doors are functioning bookshelves. In fact, everywhere you look, there are books, even in holes in the ceiling.

POPLAR KID'S REPUBLIC BOOKSTORE
Imagine a bookstore created by Dr. Seuss and you'll have a mind picture of what this place looks like. There are rainbow rivers, book mountains, and hidey holes to read in. What kid (or adult) wouldn't love to visit a bookstore like this? It's kind of a long drive, though. It's in Beijing.

LIBRERIA ALTA ACQUA
Not only can you sit with your feet dangling into a Venice canal in this bookstore, but you can also climb a stairway made of old encyclopedias.

BART'S BOOKS OF OJAI
Want to sip lemonade in an outdoor courtyard surrounded by books? At Bart's Books, you can, because it's an outdoor bookstore.

The most unique bookstore in Minneapolis that I used to bring my kids to is Wild Rumpus. There are chickens and cats roaming the aisles, and one spot, the floorboards are replaced with plexiglass where a pet rat's cage lies beneath. Super cool, even though I hate rats. Yes, I am a hater. Don't judge me.

So . . . what's the most interesting bookstore you've ever visited?