World's Best Bookstores!
Everybody who reads probably remembers the main bookstore they went to as a kid. Mine was some secondhand shop. It was run some a very nice old woman who had a cat or two hanging about the shelves. I must have been six or seven when I started going. All the kid's books were down in the basement, many in moldy boxes. It was awesome! I think that's where I read my first Choose Your Own Adventure. I've been to some pretty spiffy bookstores since those days, but nothing compares to those on this list. Check em out, and let me know if you have any that should make next week's list!
 #1: Selexyz Bookstore in Maastricht, Holland
So what do you do with an empty Dominican church—one that dates back to 1294? The Dutch tried it out as a warehouse, an archive, and most recently, a bicycle storage. Perhaps realizing these weren't the brightest of ideas, they hired famous architects Merkx + Girod to transform it into a heavenly bookstore. Of note, it was named the best bookstore in the world by the Guardian in 2008.Wonder if they stock The Da Vinci Code?
#2: Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal
This one is not nearly as old—built in 1891—as Selexyz, but it's just as stunning. Some of the details include intricate wood panels and columns, stained glass, and of course the curving red staircase in the middle. What was the name of that famous Led Zepplin song? Robert Plant could have been crooning about this place.
#3: El Ateneo in Buenos Aires, Argentina
There's a converted church on this list, why not a converted theater? This bookstore was once one named The Grand Splendid (seems a bit redundant to me), and it was the first location in the world to show movies with sound. It still retains its splendor with high painted ceilings, original balconies, and ornate carvings. Comfortable chairs are scattered throughout, the stage is a café, and the theater boxes are reading rooms.
#4: Cafebreria El Péndulo in Mexico City, Mexico
This is the most organic bookstore on the list. But to be honest it's apparently just as famous for being a cafe as it is for being a bookstore. If you're going to visit, it would help if you know some Spanish, as the English section is limited.
#5) Some place in India
You can go check this one out, but you might not come back alive. And you have to crawl when you're inside. Seriously.
