About The Guide

Hello! We are Sonja and Ivan. And this is our Bookstore Guide - an amateur guide to book shopping throughout Europe. We hope this Guide will help you find the book(stores) you are looking for. Unfortunately, the bookstores are no longer uploaded and may be out of date

Books Upstairs, Dublin

Books Upstairs logo
Where? Dublin, Ireland


Recommended by
Cristina Cona

Cristina said: "Books Upstairs began life in the mid-Seventies on South King Street, right beside what was then the trendiest location in Dublin, the Dandelion Market on St Stephen’s Green (U2 had some of their earliest concerts there). When the Market closed down to make room for the Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, the bookshop moved first to Market Arcade, and then, by the early Nineties, to the present, very convenient location on College Green, a stone’s throw from the gates of Trinity College and Grafton Street, the main shopping artery on the south side. The shop itself is not large, but the type and quality of books it stores makes it the most interesting in Dublin. Here you’ll come across works rarely if ever found elsewhere in the city; literary criticism, women’s studies and gay issues are its strongest points, but let’s not forget its fiction, psychology, politics and Irish shelves, where you can discover real treasures. They also sell literary and political magazines, and – another plus point – they will ship your books anywhere in the world."

Often described as a bookshop where one could spend a seriously dangerous amount of time, Books Upstairs has, as we've found out from all the positive reviews online, managed to justify this claim. Its location (exactly opposite the entrance to Trinity College) is a perfect position for the young, developing minds of knowledge-craving students, who often frequent Books Upstairs. However, the little bookshop also often seems unnoticed, which comes as a surprise since many who ventured into it, found it very difficult to leave, always praising its somewhat alternative choice of books, the staff and the overall atmosphere. But perhaps, it is Books Upstairs' own "fault" as they are known for keeping a low profile when compared to their adversaries.

The narrow, somewhat even claustrophobic premises are stacked with books, but only few copies of one title are to be found on their shelves. The bookstore is divided in several levels and is equipped with a wooden staircase making it more interesting to browse. The stock is what sets Books Upstairs apart from other bookshops in the city, sections which are among the most praised ones include Irish literature, drama, women's studies, social sciences and others.

Books Upstairs has been around for over thirty years, thanks to its owner's, Maurice Earls's perseverance and endurance throughout sometimes difficult times for the shop, but as well to the more-than-often praised staff. This bookstore has indeed established a firm foundation onto which it has been building reputation ever since. Many famous Dubliners can be seen wandering about the store.

Books UpstBooks Upstairs Dublinairs
Address:
36 College Green,
Dublin 2
Books Upstairs Ireland











Website:
www.booksirish.com & www.booksupstairs.com
(currently closed pending redevelopment)

Phone and Email:
+353 (0)1 679-6687
info@booksirish.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 10-19
Sat 10-18
Sun 14-18




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Chapters Bookstore, Dublin

chapters bookstore logo

Where?
Dublin, Ireland



Recommended by:
Cristina Cona

Cristina said: "The area around Parnell Street (go to the top of O’Connell Street and turn left at the Parnell monument) has changed beyond recognition over the last ten years, and so has Chapters, which in its last-but-one incarnation used to be a medium-sized bookstore in Middle Abbey Street. Now it’s a huge place, stretched over two very large floors: the street-level one devoted to bargain-priced new books (plus stationery, CDs and DVDs) and the upstairs section a maze of shelves stocked with second-hand volumes (just as well the shop’s management has thoughtfully provided armchairs for exhausted customers to sink into from time to time). All genres are represented here, the most popular being general fiction (Irish fiction and classics are to be found on separate shelves). Penguin aficionados please note: the white-and-orange volumes you are so fond of are also located apart from General Fiction, on a small shelf just past the central desk. Pelicans are also stocked separately from the non-fiction shelves."

Chapters Bookstore was established in 1983 in Wicklow Street but it has moved (St. Stephens Green, Henry Street, Abbey Street) four times in order to reach its present premises in Parnell Street in 2006. The Parnell Street bookstore is also the largest independent bookstore not only in Dublin but in the entire country. It is also one of few bookstores with a very lively Twitter page. The bookstore on Abbey Street was very popular and it seemed that Chapters has found its true home over there. That is why many of the bookstore's visitors were seriously disappointed to find out the bookstore was moving once again. It was a very difficult task to reproduce the charm of the bookstore in any other place. Even though Chapters Bookstore in Parnell street is a different place in several ways, it has managed to hold on to its original charm which keeps the customers coming. Not to forget, the prices are still considerably lower...

Two floors of available space were quickly filled with books and more books, but also music and DVDs. The stock of the store is too extensive to name all the specific sections, so we would just like to highlight the cult fiction section and the graphic novel section, both to be found among the second-hand books. The ground floor is home to new titles but also the bargains, while the entire second floor is dedicated to second-hand books. Especially the second floor is praised by people looking for a different book-shopping experience as that's exactly what this independent bookstore offers. In case you're searching for a concrete book, the ground floor may be the better option, but if you're up for a long browsing session with unpredictable results, the second floor certainly won't disappoint you. The sheer size of the store makes the visit a true adventure and if you're brave enough to explore some of the darker parts of the second-hand section you will most likely be rewarded. Organization is definitely not among the first words that cross your mind when you find yourselves facing all the long overflowing shelves and random piles. However, this is also a part of what makes Chapters Bookstore a special place.

chapters bookstore dublinChapters Bookstore
Address:
Ivy Exchange
Parnell Street
Dublin 1
chapters bookstore ireland










Website:
http://www.chapters.ie

Phone and Email:
+353 (0)18723297
shop@chapters.ie

Working Hours:
Mon-Wed 9:30-18:30
Thu 9:30-20
Fri-Sat 9:30-18:30
Sun 12-18:30



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Librairie Alinea, Luxembourg

librairie alinea logo

Where?
Luxembourg, Luxembourg



Recommended by:
Chantal Burton

Chantal said: "I would like to contribute with my favorite bookstore in Luxembourg, my hometown: Librairie Alinea. On the second floor there is quite a large section with English books. Living in a country with so many foreigners and at least three official languages, you can imagine that the space has to be divided between French, German and English books. But the owner is very thoughtful and always offers a variety of books, everybody should find something for his taste. A rather good choice in children's literature and BD (Bandes Dessinés, the more appropriate word for 'comics') are a plus. Hope to see you one of these days in this shop."

We were more than glad to fill one of the few remaining voids on the imaginary Bookstore Guide map of Europe and finally add the first bookstore in Luxembourg. We hope that this will also motivate other people from Luxembourg to recommend their favorite sources of English books and that more bookstores will be added in the future.

The stock of Librairie Alinea spreads over on 300 square meters on two floors of an old building in the rue Beaumont. As already mentioned, the language situation in Luxembourg is quite specific and this fact is also reflected in the bookstore's stock, which counts around 12 thousand titles. English language books are in the third spot behind titles in French and German, but you can still browse through a decent selection on the second floor. This bookstore doesn't specialize in one specific subject and its stock is rather general. Most of the books belong to the general fiction category, but more specific sections such as travel, art, history or children's books are present as well.

Librairie Alinea is also known for its helpful staff which is able to discuss books and chat with the customers in several languages. The staff is ready to help you choose the right book or order the title you can't find in the bookstore. All in all, a very nice mixture of languages and subjects in a city which offers its own mixture of languages and cultures.

alinea bookstore luxembourgLibrairie Alinea
Address:
5 rue Beaumont
L-1219 Luxembourg
librairie alinea luxembourg










Website:
http://www.alinea.lu

Phone and Email:
+ 352 22 67 87
alinea@pt.lu

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9-18:30
Sat: 9-18



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