The ultimate bookworm bookstore guide
Would you rather be reading a book above anything else? Do you decline going out on weekends just to spend time with a special book? Are you always having to convince your friends that the book is always better than the movie? Then you are definitely showing signs and symptoms of being a bookworm.
Bookworms often like to stay in their home-made cocoon of blankets and a comfy couch, and feed on coffee, tea and sweet snacks. When they emerge from their habitat, usually sleep-deprived and in slight emotional turmoil from the book they managed to finish in record time, it is time to go on the lookout for more books.
A bookworm lives and breathes books, which is why bookstores are essential. London offers a variety of bookstores that should be on every bookworm’s list.
Attic Books
240 Dundas St.
An antique bookstore that carries books, prints and maps. Outside of the store during the warm weather are “loonie bins” that hold items that can be purchased for $1. Inside there are three floors where books are sectioned by genre. Second-hand books can be sold or donated by appointment, which makes it a great place to get rid of some oldies and refresh your bookshelf with new titles.
City Lights Bookshop
356 Richmond St.
Known as “Canada’s most unusual bookstore since 1975”, City Lights Bookshop is a two-level store filled with mostly second-hand books that are half of the original retail price. Collectors’ editions and a wide variety of genres make this bookstore an ideal place for a bookworm.
The store also sells CDs, records, sheet music, posters and magazines, many of which now cannot be found in first-hand retail stores. The cozy atmosphere and the cultured and classic feel of the antique bookstore will enhance the reader’s visit.
The Mystic Bookshop
612 Dundas St.
A unique occult-themed bookstore that lives up to its name. The store has its own cat, a fortune teller machine and incense burning to create a mystical atmosphere.
This spot is different compared to other bookstores in London because it carries a little bit of everything. All of the items brought into the store are new to sell, and cover a wide range of spiritual, metaphysical and religious topics.
While bigger and mainstream bookstores such as Indigo are a great place to buy a selection of books, nothing compares to an antique and unique experience that is associated with small bookstores. Next time you go out to buy a book, check out London’s local bookstores.