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This is a wonderful little bookshop just off of Brick Lane in London. They have their books sorted by theme (e.g. "leaving home", rather than genre, author, etc) and the staff are lovely. I love popping in for a quick browse every so often β but even if I'm going to window shop I tend to leave with one or two things :)
The back of the shop is a gigantic mirror, which makes it look a lot bigger. Every time I'm there I get tricked by it for at least a couple seconds, which is very humbling.
Jan 5, 2025
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I stopped buying books from Amazon (unless Iβm trying to pad out an order to get free shipping) and now pretty much exclusively shop at Waterstones because I got a Waterstones card. BUT! I love love love independent book stores and shop there wherever possible. My favourites to visit are Backstory in Balham and Upper Street Books in Islington. You can feel the individual love and care put into the displays and selections.
Sep 10, 2024
A must visit for romcom enthusiasts and bookworms alike! Looks JUST like it did in the movie
Aug 18, 2024
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Itβs important to note that my Amazon dilemma is particularly potent because I used to have a firm belief that the next book I bought had to be in-store. This was, in part, inspired by Fran Lebowitz (someone I both love and fear), who says you have to touch a book in person to truly decide on it.
But as I continued to shop in-store for my books in East London, I found that a type of hyper-curation takes place. Many bookstores, whether chains or independent, carry the same selection. This makes sense, as stores need to invest in books that are more likely to sell, but it also means shoppers are led into a quasi-algorithmic experience of book shopping. To find more niche titles, you almost always have to turn to online sources (see above). To find a happy medium, Iβve started using the resale site World of Books. You can find pretty much anything and everything there. and always at a discount
Sep 18, 2024
Top Recs from @greebo
I'm not obsessed with it but it's always sweet when the barista does something cool. This one yesterday made me smile because after seeing a few others I realised the guy was doing PokΓ©mon! Fairly certain mine is mew or Mewtwo, I saw him do a horsea, pikachu, and squirtle too...
Mar 4, 2025
Koudelka was a photographer who documented Europe from the 60s onwards, recording the lives of travelling people, Soviet invasions, struggles with poverty, and more. He later became a member of the Magnum society and continued his work into old age. If you have the time, it's really worth digging into his work as he had a real eye for striking images that provide a lot of context for the situation he was in. He used to travel with very little besides a sleeping bag and camera so he often experienced the harsher side of life while on the job. At times his photos were smuggled out of the soviet borders, and published anonymously, to keep him safe. Check the link for a good starting point on Magnum's website!
Feb 10, 2025
