Book 'em

In my own city, I can easily spend a couple of hours in a bookstore. So it's no surprise that given the leisurely pace of a vacation, I can double that browsing time, easily. Especially if there are magazines and cushioned seating.

As I've mentioned before, we're planning on doing a little roaming around Vermont in April, so I was thrilled to read this article in the Boston Globe (via World Hum) that there are four independent bookstores in downtown Montpelier, VT. That's four between a population of just 7,495.

The article made me think about some of my favourite bookstores I've encountered while travelling. Great places to spend some time and pick up some souvenirs that actually get used and mean something to you...

- Elizabeth's Bookshop (Fremantle, Australia): This is in my home town and I spent way too much of my teenage time at Elizabeth's. On a recent trip back I did duck in there once again, and it's still a great place to pick up a secondhand bargain.

- Kramerbooks (Washington, DC): When I'm in Washington, DC I usually find myself popping in here for a browse. It would be a great place to pick up a political biography. Kramerbooks also has a full cafe and bar called Afterwords. I've never been there early in the morning, but I think next time I'm there, I'm going to take them up on their offer of "breakfast and the morning papers".

- City Lights Bookstore (San Francisco, CA): City Lights is an attraction in its own right - it was founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and was a hub for beat writers. Many beatnik-worshipping tourists make a pilgrimage to City Lights. The great thing is that it doesn't disappoint - it's a fantastic bookstore, even without all of the history.

- Libreria Rosario Castellanos (Mexico City, DF): You know it's a good bookstore when all the books are in a different language and you're still transfixed for an hour. This bookstore is in the funky Condesa neighbourhood and situated in a beautiful Belle Epoch landmark building. (in photo)

- Tale of the Raven Bookstore (Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba): I know, this last choice is a little quirky, but we spent a good hour in this small bookstore in a little lakeside town. Many of the books are secondhand, and they seemingly accept anything to re-sell. Lots of old cookbook series from the 1970s, books on Polish immigration (in Polish), and instructional wood craft manuals. But the best bit was all the old junk lying around the place - garage sale meets decrepit public library.