time to read

so for most of us, we now have all the time in the world – except for some reason the days seem to fly by and hardly anything on my list to do is crossed off…..   book reading was on the list, and I am trying to finish the 4th and final book in the My Brilliant Friend series;   sadly, I kind of spoiled it by seeing the play at the National, though that was such a hurried speedy rendition of the 4 books, that  you only grasped the story thread and none of the detail.  I am half way through the last book, but reading just before going to sleep is a disaster, I only ever manage a few pages……

there are lots of independent bookshops in london,  my favourite place being cecil court, a wonderfully atmospheric alley of victorian bookshops, specialising in antiquarian books.  i stepped into the lovely marchpane book shop, which was filled from floor to ceiling with beautiful old copies of children’s books.  you can spend anything from £10 to thousands, you have to just decide what you want to pay, and then see what you like.  I  usually go in there for early copies of alice in wonderland for my daughter alice – who has decided to collect these books.  i could have spent hours in there – the graphics and design of the books were so inspirational.  so for the perfect and original gift for the person who has everything, take a trip to cecil court.

I recently stumbled on Collinge & Clark in Holborn, which looks very interesting as does Peter Harrington, and Henry Pordes but I am guessing that these are very specialist books and you go there for a special gift.   I always find good gifts at reasonable prices at Any Amount of Books on Charing Cross Rd and  at the Oxfam bookshop near the British Museum.   Word on the water is an unusual place to browse, a canal boat at Kings Cross.   there is a lovely little second hand book shop next to Kenwood House cafe – its where we like to donate our books too.

 

here is a picture of lauren, another muse of mine, when she was 7 months pregnant, but has that amazing radiance that comes with impending motherhood.

my favourite places to have coffee are in bookshops that also serve you tea and cakes – what a perfect balance, to relax and spend time choosing and discovering new books. – best of them are books for cooks,   foyles on charring cross road,   stanfords sells everything about travel,  tea and tattle has a very british tea room,  and book and kitchen has cakes downstairs.

I have noticed recently that there are more and more individual bookshops opening, especially specialising in photography and art and special editioned books.  some books are becoming like art – collectors pieces.   dashwood books in new york has a beautiful and unique books, you could spend hours in there.

broadway market with its wonderful food stalls and interesting shops has 3 great book shops too, artwords books , broadway bookshop and donion books – both have an eclectic choice of books and a good selection of art based magazines.

and not forgetting the wonderful Persephone Books, who champion 20th Century women writers.

i particularly loved the book sellers in plaza de arm as in havana, mostly selling books about che  guevara.