10 Brilliant Book

10 Brilliant Book Nooks in Paris loves its culture and especially book shops, just think of those green book boxes that line the River Seine. Known as the bouquinistes de Paris the 217 book sellers have 900 boxes between them containing 30,000 books! These open air book stalls that line the walls of the River Seine offer the perfect opportunity for wandering and flicking through second-hand books and absorbing the history and culture of the city. But if you're looking for English language books - then Paris has plenty to keep you happy. Biblomaniacs Janine Marsh and Barbara Pasquet James browse the book shops of Paris to bring you ten of the dreamiest book nooks in town...

Shakespeare & Company One of the most famous and much loved English language book shops in the city luring visitors from around the world to browse amongst the heaving book shelves. It even made an appearance in Woody Allen’s film “Midnight in Paris”. A stone’s throw from Notre Dame, a Wallace Fountain in front, a cute little café on the corner with fabulous views, I like it best at night (and it opens really late) when the fairy lights glow (see left). Though this is not the original location for the shop in the days when Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald perused the stock, it continues to win smitten fans with its mellow, quaint look and feel, it’s awesome literary connections and fabulous choice of old and new books. 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 5th Arr; shakespeareandcompany.com; Metro: Saint-Michel; Open 10am – 11pm daily. Abbey Bookshop Opened in 1989 by expat Canadian Brian Spence, this gorgeous bookshop in the Latin Quarter attracts a global audience thanks to the eclectic collection of over 35,000 titles in English ranging from scholarly to popular literature. It’s quirky and utterly photogenic! 29 rue de la Parchminerie, 5th Arr; Abbeybookshop; Metro: St. Michel/Cluny la Sorbonne; Open: 10am-11pm Mon-Sat.