Blogging Anniversary - 10 years

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A while ago I checked when I did my first blog post, in order to celebrate with an anniversary post. Well, that day came and went without any reaction from me. Better late than never, so here a reminder of my very first blog post from 24 October 2012.  The book was New Finnish Grammar  by Diego Marani. Marani is an Italian novelist, translator and newspaper columnist. While working as a translator for the European Union he invented a language ‘Europanto’ which is a mixture of languages and based on the common practice of word-borrowing usage of many EU languages. It was a suitable book to start with, being a book about letters, languages and memories. With a beautiful prose, the novel went directly to my heart.  "One night at Trieste in September 1943 a seriously wounded soldier is found on the quay. The doctor, of a newly arrived German hospital ship, Pietri Friari gives the unconscious soldier medical assistance. His new patient has no documents or anything that can ide...
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The most beautiful book stores in the world?

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A couple of years ago the Guardian had a request to readers to propose what could be the most beautiful book shop in the world. They were inspired by Flavorwire who made a list of the 20 most beautiful book stores in the world (click link to see list).  Of this list my favourite seven would be:

Selexyz Bookstore, Maastricht, Holland
Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal
Cook & Book, Brussels, Belgium
Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cafebreria El Pendulo, Mexico City, Mexico
Shakespeare & Company, Paris, France
Bart’s Books, Ojai, California

I love coming in to these kind of book stores. Unfortunately, they are not that common anymore. The idea that you have a café or restaurant in the book store where you can borrow a book and read or look in while you are drinking your coffee, maybe find a fellow soulmate who loves books and have a nice talk. Of the book stores above I have only been to Cook & Book in Brussels and it is really lovely. Each room has a different theme and you are surrounding by books. I add here some of my own photos from my visit there (not the best of photos but still...).
Cook & Book 




Another book store which I love might not be called beautiful but intriguing! It is situated in the old city of Palma in Mallorca, Spain. It is run by an Englishman and you have a notion of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books'! 3-4 stories, going downwards... It is like a labyrinth and sometimes you feel that you might not find you way out around all the book cases which are placed absolutely everywhere and makes a big room into... right, a labyrinth! It has to be seen.






I also love those small cafés which you enter by chance and then there are 10 books or even less placed on a shelf or in a corner. It immediately gives me a wonderful feeling. Do you have any favourite book stores? Libraries? Anything where books are stored. Please let me know either here or on my facebook page (yes, I have finally managed it!) It is also called The Content Reader. Enjoy the following picture and wise words.




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