Next time you're in London be sure to check out Word on the Water, a very cool little book barge. My daughter and I book shopped our way through Iceland, London, Rye, Brighton, and Paris. Dream come true. 💜
Hi Carolyn! Just to let you know, Hatchards are unfortunately not an independent bookshop, as they are owned by Waterstones. Below it’s quaint, beautiful exterior Waterstones unfortunately has the habit of quite discreetly buying out independent book shops and smaller book chains without the consumer knowing and living off the fact that people think that they are supporting a smaller book shop when they are actually supporting Waterstones.
I'm Australian and I also definitely tend to prefer the UK book covers over the US covers. UK cover design tends to use more art/illustration and interesting graphics, and US often uses more photographs, usually of people. I especially love a lot of the Vintage and Virago book covers from the 90's.
I love these stores! I went to all of those as well:) In case you didn’t know, Hatchard’s is actually the oldest book store in the UK and holds three royal warrants (I think that means they are the official supplier to the royal family). If you ever find yourself in London again, I’d totally recommend Judd bookstore, Skoob books, and word on the water(literally a bookstore on a boat!). Judd especially is great though because you get essentially new books for very cheap:) I wish I’ve spend more time in waterstones Piccadilly though!! That’s such a sweet story:)
Penguin are re-releasing "The Machine Stops" next year as part of the Penguin English Library series. I'm also a big "editions" nerd & are on-and-off fan of the PEL series. Ito buying books as souvenirs, I'm 100% in that boat! I'm trying to convince my parents to buy me a book (or two) from Shakespeare and Company when they're going to the Rugby World Cup in France later this year 😂
That cover of London stories is beautiful! Love how it's easy to get lost for hours in the Waterstones Piccadilly. The Virago modern classics are gorgeous as well. So glad you got to make this trip! 💫
Foyles is another huge bookshop in central london, but it was relocated in 2014 and now is a pretty similar experience to Waterstones. The old Foyles was a real experience - a family run store that had expanded into adjoining buildings over the years. It was strawling with mismatched bookshelves and uneven floors and most importantly, lots of stock that had been there for years. I think there's a real difference between a shops like Waterstones where all the stock is 'current' and ones where they have interesting books from maybe 10 years ago. Anyway, not really a recommendation because the store I'm talking about doesn't exist any more, but a story about bookshops I guess.
I was in Lisbon, Portugal many many years ago, and am kicking myself now that I didn't visit the oldest bookshop in the world, which is in Lisbon. So that's something to check out if you're ever there!
I also went on a bit of a bookstore crawl in London, and visited Shakespeare and Company in Paris. In Waterstones Piccadilly, I got Small Island. In Shakespeare..., I got Madame de Pompadour. (Fit with my trip to Versailles.)
I am so glad you had fun in London, I went a long time ago but I'm still full of wonderful memories. i also went to Salsbury, Stonehenge, Stratford on Avon and Bath. Did you get to go outside of London? Did you go to all the sites in London? My favorites was the National Gallery and Albert Hall. Did you see any plays. I was only there 10 days so I just wondered, 2 and half weeks give you a lot more time to explore. Did you check out the Harrods book section? They have a very big one.
Totally agree with you on the US vs UK covers. I wonder why it's so different, bc you would think it's a question of different tastes, but then we hear US booktubers praising the UK covers all the time. I also loved Rebeca and My cousin Rachel and also have Jamaica Inn on my tbr, there are a few amazing covers of this one and I can't wait to read it!
So glad you had such a great trip, the bookworms dream! I've also noticed that UK editions are better designed often times but until I saw your video, didn't really pay attention to just how much!! thank you for sharing !
So happy for you!! Book shopping in London with all these beautiful editions!😍 One doesn't have enough of 2 eyes to take it all in! Thank you for taking us with you, specially when there is no one in the store. Magical I'm sure. 💫
Fun fact you might not know Hatchards is owned by Waterstones, it isn't independent at all.. so you just went to another branch of it. Do Love Daunt though.If you come again I highly recommend Foyles on Charing Cross Road a family owned chain.
You probably read 84 Charing Cross Rd and it should give those who love books and haven't yet: please do ! I love listening and reading about avid readers because I am one of them !
With the silver penguin modern- is the quality better than the aqua colored penguin modern editions? I recently leafed through Pessoa's House of Disquiet and the paper was so thin that the print bled through and almost appeared blurry. I really want that particular take on the novel but the horrendous quality really turned me off. 😢
Amazing video! 🥰 It would be nice if you film a video with your boyfriend, he seems a book lover too and he can talk about his suggestions or others ❤️
There's a store in my hometown that was primarily a bookstore which now occupies the ground floor and basement section.Once I brought some Italian friends visiting inside and one of them was blown away when we took the escalator to the first floor as he wasn't expecting to see it entirely dedicated to stationery,gift cards and art products and accessories.Not to mention Tower is on the second(top)floor so your music and TV/Movie needs are catered for!
Thank you so much for the video. I recently bought this novel ‘Jamilia’ written by Chingiz Aïtmatov. It is the most beautiful love story I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it to everyone.
I really love classics in UK edition too. They are so beautiful. I am Japanese so have some difficulties reading in English, but cannot stop buying them😂 I liked Shakespeare and Company in Paris as a classic reader. It wasn’t a big bookshop but they had everything we need!!
I’m a new subscriber of yours and I read completely different genres than you but you and Emma are my comfort channels. You guys both give off wonderful cozy vibes and I love watching you both!
Those books are so pretty!! I visited the UK for three weeks last year but was backpacking through with my husband. We stayed in air b n b but often were carrying packs on our back and so I didn’t buy books. I cannot wait to go back though! Both of us miss London, brighton, and Scotland! Hyde park is now one of my favorite places!
A couple of book shop recommendations: my favourite local bookshop - Toppings & Co, in Bath and also Mr B's Emporium in Bath. Pretty much anything in Hay-on-Wye (where there is a literary festival every year). In Venice - Aqua Alta bookshop In Melbourne - Readings / Readings Kids, (Lygon st), Hill of Content ( Bourke St in the CBD) and the big Dymocks on Collins St. I was in Melbourne in December and bought books in all 3 of these 🤩
You ought to visit Hay on Wye, in Wales. One book dedicated to Bookshops in the UK is Bibliomaniac by Robin Ince. Great video; London is a fantastic place, glad you enjoyed it😊.
Every book was gorgeous. If I ever go to London I’ll search for an awesome edition of the Count Of Montecristo by Alejandro Dumas. One day! I just finished reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, I’m not a big fantasy reader but I enjoyed this one. Lovely video as always.
The eight-fifty a.m. Waterstone's anecdote sounds like the beginning of a novel, where you and your boyfriend are transported to a magical world of unicorns and leprechauns and rainbows. And when it was time to leave you knew it wasn't a dream when you exited onto Picadilly. BTW: I saw a short story on TV based on The Lottery, which begins with a gambler purchasing several dozen tickets - much to the amazement of the locals.
We love Waterstones Piccadilly as well. I was in London with my 2 daughters last May (we are from the Netherlands). Even my youngest could not help herself and bought a book… And we had the tote bag of course and a Agathie Christie mug. Hatchards is for the next time. In Maastricht there is a bookshop in an old church, it ‘s lovely…
The machine stops apparently is what EVERYONE should read now, possibly in the context of A.I , and apparently this book is very unlike all of Forester’s other books… I found out about this book from mr Kingsnorth (the confessions of a recovering environmentalist)
I'm either going to London in September or October and going to Waterstones is a top priority, but I don't know if I'll be able to spend as much time there as you did. I want to get tote bag from there as well.
I live in Berlin and I love Dussmann KulturKaufHaus. Not only do they have 5 floors of books and music and stationary they have a giant English Bookstore and other languages like French, Italian etc. Also love St. George Bookstore which is an all English Gently used bookstore which never disappoints! Also hit up Shakespeare and Co for English books and bagels!
I believe I saw your boyfriend standing in front of the philosophy section. If he is into philosophy, he has superior taste all the way round. A keeper!!! Keep writing.
I’m going to London to visit my cousin next month and I’m so excited to go to some bookshops there. Also if you’re ever in LA I really recommend the last bookstore, they have new, used, and vintage books as well as a small art gallery and is overall just a really cool place to visit!
All I can say is that I am totally jealous of you as you live in NEW YORK and went to LONDON two of the places I would love to go and visit and I know that won’t happen so I hope that you enjoy your trip please stay safe and healthy love your Aussie family friend John 💚💛💚💛
I've been to London many times (going for 5 days again this Sunday!). I always stop by the Waterstones on Picadilly, then Hatchard's (in the same spot since 1797 I think!). I can also recommend Foyle's on Charing Cross Road. This time around I will also go to an independent bookstore in Notting Hill, Lutyens& Rubinstein. Heard good things about that one😊
I'm from Bangalore, India and my friends and I went looking for second hand bookstores mainly to buy classics. And one of the stores had a huge classics collection. And I was so shocked looking at a shelf filled with those small penguin clothbound classics. But unfortunately the collection didnt have any book of my interest. But they were so so soo pretty!!!😭😭
You should go to Donner in Rotterdam (the Netherlands); it's a great bookshop! Also, I read The Word for World is Forest by Ursula Le Guin and I think you might actually like that one.
Carolyn, I was thinking of you when I was in Dolomites, Italy. I recommend this place highly for your next Europe tour. And honestly, I cannot wait until I go back there just like you. :D Awesome video. I think I need one full day for each of those bookstores. I can feel how happy you had been there.
Love the mini modern classic series and that particular E M Forster one is where the idea began. If I recall correctly there were 40 in the series and they were the predecessor to the little black classics and the newer green mini modern classics. There was a short 4 or 5 part documentary on RU-vid about the process that birthed the concept of them at Penguin which I would recommend as they do little interviews with so many people involved. Glad to see you enjoyed London, I deliberately stayed away from bookstores for the most part on my visit a few years back so I didn't go crazy (and I live in NZ which gets the same editions). If you ever end up in NZ I would recommend Unity Books, which can be found in either Auckland or Wellington
I've loved watching your videos! I'm so glad you found some gems 😆😊. Question: How do you feel of a Memoirs of a Geisha? I haven't read it, and I've been thinking of doing so. I fell in love with the story after watching the film and would love to know how close the film is to the memoir itself.
Kavalier and Clay looks great, I brought a copy a while back, and it's cool to hear it's a favourite of Brian Selznick! glad you enjoyed your time in the UK, next time I'd recommend visiting my personal favourite city here, Liverpool! my favourite book shop here is a converted old multi storey house called Scriveners Books and Bookbinding in the Peak District, if anyone is ever in that area you gotta check it out!
uk covers just have a certain charm that us covers don't have! off topic but I love your boyfriends backpack!! does he remember where he got it cause I would love one
I really enjoyed The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster! I found it online by chance. I haven’t heard anyone else mention it until now. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it ❤
I loved this video ❤; I am from London, and it was so refreshing to listen to someone talking about the city from a new perspective, especially about all these tiny details that with time became ordinary to me❤❤❤ Waterstones Picadilly is my fav bookshop, especially because of the many literary events they organise📚 Hopefully you will have many happy book shopping returns😂😂😂
i might visit london this fall so i will have to check out those bookstores hehe! glad you had such a good time and brought home many book shaped memories!
Even though, i live in england, i have only been to london a few times. Fun fact is, if you look at the chimneys there is one or two of them that are fake.
I was in London back in May and went a little crazy on book shopping as well! Any suggestions on where to buy UK cover editions online now that Book Depository had closed? I can’t really afford to fly to the UK every time I want to shop for books. 😅
