La Librairie de Mousterlin, Quimper

Where? Quimper, France






Recommended by: Cristina Cona

Cristina: "Located on a quiet pedestrianised street close to the Cathedral, the Librairie de Mousterlin (no name on the front, but an unmissable yellow façade) specializes in second-hand books. The choice of foreign works, mainly in English, is good (in fact, it’s probably the best for miles and miles around), although one has to admit that the search would be more rewarding if the books themselves were stacked in any kind of order, alphabetical or otherwise (to be fair, this comment applies to the whole bookshop, and not just to the foreign section). Another problem is that the man minding the shop likes listening to music CDs – not that one would mind in the normal run of things, but on the day I was there the tunes selected were both loud and, to my taste, horribly cacophonic, so that after a while I decided to cut my visit short. A pity, as those two overflowing shelves of English-language books looked quite promising."

Brittany or La Bretagne became a part of France in 1532 but this northern region of the country maintains a very distinct atmosphere and culture even five centuries later. Although it is politically and administratively one of the French departments, it remains very much autonomous in the minds of its inhabitants, who pride themselves in their Celtic heritage. This position is most strongly manifested in the unique culture and customs of the region, and especially in the conservation of the Breton language. Quimper is the widely viewed as the cultural center of Brittany with several museums and an annual festival of Breton culture. La Librairie de Mousterlin is located near Quimper's most famous sight, the Gothic cathedral bearing the name of Saint‑Corentin and dating back to the 12th century.

The owners of La Librairie de Mousterlin specialize in second-hand and discounted books, but also CDs and DVDs. The stock is quite diverse and according to the bookstore's website, some 50 new articles are added to it on monthly basis. The English language section is not an exquisite one but those several shelves of English books are much more precious in Quimper as the city doesn't have an English-only bookstore. And as for the music mentioned by Cristina in her recommendation, let us know if you have the same or a different experience whether in La Librairie de Mousterlin or in bookstores in general.

Librairie de Mousterlin
Address:
19 rue du Frout
29000
Quimper







Website: http://www.librairie-de-mousterlin.fr

Phone and Email:
02 98 64 37 94
Email via form on website

Working Hours:
July-Aug.
Mon-Sat 9:30-19
Sept.-June
Mon 15-19
Tue-Sat 10:30-19

View Librarie de Mousterlin in a larger map

Skoob, London

Where? London, England, UK



Recommended by Cristina Cona

Cristina said: "I visited it quite a few years ago, when it was still located at its old address in Sicilian Avenue, near Bloomsbury Square, and was very impressed with the quality of their second-hand choice (a lot of academic books, as they are located close to London University)."

Skoob (Books in reverse) is not a typical bookstore. It is a heaven with a scent of old and used, the moldy paper-like scent of knowledge and experience, where the shelves are full of old and sometimes dusty books, characterized by their yellowish-brown color. It has been working for over thirty years and it was founded by an ex-academic who still, together with a knowledgeable staff, manages the store. Skoob used to have more locations throughout the 80s and 90s but only one remained. Presently, it is located in central London, not so far from the British Museum, in an area of Bloomsbury just off Marchmont Street and it is a place filled with only secondhand books.

From a strictly practical viewpoint - the functioning of Skoob can be described as a highly effective book-recycling mechanism. They buy out used books, sort them out, store them in their warehouse, display in the bookshop or ship them out directly if you order online. The bookshop itself is some 180 square meters (2000sq feet) large and houses over 55.000 titles, priced at half or less of their original price. The stock is a true mixture of a little bit (or more than a little bit) of everything, bot academic and non-academic, fiction and non-fiction. Skoob also has an online catalog with some 80.000 titles which are stored in their over-a-million-book warehouse in Oxfordshire. So, if you don't find the book in the store and you do find it online, they will deliver it to the shop for you, free of charge.

The story of Skoob may well have been a sad one, as the bookshop was closed for a year and a half after The Brunswick Centre underwent a major upgrade to a rather fancy mall, and most of the independent traders weren't able to afford the rent. However, Skoob made a very successful comeback - it moved to a less prominent part of The Brunswick Centre, and although the ceiling height in the new premises might be lower, Skoob is still the old Skoob as all their loyal customers remember it. And so the low-key alternative is still there, refusing to give up, and that's a very positive ending.

Skoob
Address
66, The Brunswick off Marchmont St.
London Wc1N 1AE












Website: http://www.skoob.com/

Phone and Email:
+44 (0)20 72788760
skoobbooks@btconnect.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 10:30-20
Sun 10:30-18



View Skoob Books in a larger map

Back to the list of bookstores in London

Hodges Figgis, Dublin

Where? Dublin, Ireland



Recommended by Cristina Cona

Cristina said: "[Hodges Figgis has a] very good selection of books on all subjects, with particular emphasis on works of Irish interest. A cut-price, remainder section in the basement."

A sad fact lies behind Ireland's largest bookstore. While it used to be the biggest independent bookstore in the whole country, it was bought by the HMV Group a couple of years ago, the same group which owns such chains as Waterstone's and WH Smith. Nonetheless, Hodges Figgis has made its way to Bookstore Guide not only because of its size but also because of its long history and reputation, interesting stories behind it and, last but not the least, its immense stock.

Hodges Figgis is the largest bookstore in Ireland, while at the same time, it is one of the oldest. It was founded in the 18th century, the year being 1768 to be precise, and has a very picturesque history. What is interesting is that it was mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses:

"She, she, she. What she? The virgin at Hodges Figgis' window on Monday looking in for one of the alphabet books you were going to write."

Imagine being in the same bookstore as Mr. Joyce once did, and though back at the time it was located elsewhere, the store is the same, painted in its familiar green and gold, with a special aroma of a different bookstore (although no more independent).

Hodges Figgis stretches out on three floors and has numerous categories of books. It used to house a coffee shop on the first floor but in the end, it was removed because the space needed to be expanded for reading purposes. Nowadays, the ground floor is dedicated to the main categories. There is also a basement with bargain books, so be sure to check it out as well.

With the bookstore specializing in Irish literature, here you'll find almost any book ever published in Ireland. As for other categories, Hodges Figgins has it all, from books on gardening via books on Native Americans to study books on maternity. All in all, their stock consists of an impressive 60.000 different titles. When it comes to prices, considering that the books sold here are new, they do not differ from other bookstores in Dublin. But then again, you can apply for the loyalty card if you shop here often and you'll be surprised at how much you can save. According to many customer reviews, Hodges Figgis is also known for its friendly staff and the possibility to order books which you fail to find at the bookstore.

Hodges Figgis
Address:
56-58 Dawson Street
Dublin 2












Website: none

Phone: +353 (0)1 6774754

Working Hours:
Mon-Wed 9-20
Thu-Fri 9-18
Sat 12-18




View Hogges Figgis in a larger map

Back to the list of bookstores in Dublin