Damsels in DC: Blissful bookshops...

I don't quite know why all my posts require alliteration at the moment, but they do. You could not take two rather geek-loving literature students on any holiday without expecting some bookshop trawling. Armed with some insider advice, we went a'hunting. And were not disappointed, there were so so many little independent or secondhand shops everywhere(although we did also have to go into a Barnes and Noble)Here's some of our favourites...enjoy!

Day One - Kramerbooks

We somehow managed to be staying literally a minute away from this one, bookshop and cafe by day, bookshop and bar by night. We never ate here, but went in there several times to browse and the shope design just made me happy 

.CAKE AND BOOKS.

 On the first day we also ran into a brilliant basement secondhand bookshop near the crossing of Wisconsin/Resevoir Avenues (?) just called USED BOOKS. Sadly I didn't get any photos in there, it seemed like an Aladdin's Cave, and a mysterious place...Next time.

Day Four - Capitol Hill Books

I've seen some packed bookshops in my time (Moss books in Cheltenham for example) but this was insane. Every nook was crammed with things, and what was even more amazing was the fact it was actually in alphabetical author and genre order. Very impressive.

 
 Day Nine - Politics and Prose 

A real thinker's scene this one, there was a rather intense political talk going on when we went in, so me and my friend went searching for literary wonders (there are many, MANY, photos of us with our favourite finds, but I won't bore you even more with them) instead of paying attention to that. You had to talk a busride a bit out of the centre to get here, but it was obviously well known and well worth it. Especially for the pizza and pingpong that followed. But that's a tale for another day. 

So I said I wouldn't post a photo of a book...but we were so excited to find the book of one of my favourite procrastinatory sites ever Hark a Vagrant which I've never come across before in print. Brilliant.

Sorry for the long post and poorly aligned photos. Happy Easter to all! And many commiserations to the poor rowers today, what a crazy race!

Farewell to festivity, byebye to baubles, toodlepip to tinsel...

You'll have to wait for the explanation, I'm afraid I couldn't to share the photo

So, today (or yesterday, depending on where you start counting from) is Twelfth Night, the traditional day on which decorations must come down, and so the official end of Christmas. Sigh. Drawing close to the end of my holidays as well, which means last minute work rush, packing, baking and fare-the-well-ing. But to cling onto the festive period as long as possible, I thought I'd share some of the lovely lovely things I was given (Birthday posts to follow) an idea shamelessly copied from the equally lovely Anna (apologies.) It was such a good holiday, and I'm so grateful, that hopefully you'll allow some self-indulgent sharing of the gorgeousness. Note the several themes that seem to be appearing here, highlighting some of my favourite things; Austen, GBBO, collars, red. And my hunt for the perfect satchel is at last over! Merriment all round! 

Also the new Fabelist Journal 'Imprint' has been released, please do take a look at it, once again some very talented people have produced wonderful things! And if you're in London (or fancy a trip) there's the Imprint Festival on 27th January, come and see what this art community is all about. 

Just in case you can't quite see; The Great British Bake Off book, The Boy who Bakes (year before last's winner Ed's book) a Jane Austen biography and her Juvenalia, bow bag, mittens, collared blouses, SATCHEL, and Topshop pearl collar.Perfection.

There may have been a few tears shed at the beauty of this bag...

Nice little collection of collars i think

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid

From Nothanger Abbey, Jane Austen 

Sometimes even an English student needs a reminder that she does actually like books. For me this respite from the stress of studying them mostly comes with a reminder of just how beautiful visually works of literature can be, and how lovely bookshops are (especially, needless to say, second hand and independent ones.) For a long time, Moss Books in Cheltenham has been one of my favourite places. It’s a wonderful, haphazard, crazy mound of books masquerading as a shop, and has a particular little corner which I just love. There’s a little stool there, and I have frequently just tucked myself away among the old books that are stored in that one corner, and whiled away far more time than was strictly necessary…[apologies for the fairly poor quality of these photos, by camera was having an off day]

  

 However, there may be a rival to my affections. A few days ago, taking advantage of a brief respite in workload, we visited the bookshop-café Albion Beatnik in Jericho (the artsy bit of Oxford.) There’s a strong focus on the Beat generation here (hence the name) but also some contemporary stuff, and a substantial second hand section. Basically whatever the owner finds interesting, and all put together in a lovingly well thought out shop, with experimental jazz in the corner putting me very much in mind of the music for Funny Face’s café dance scene. In fact there was an atmosphere of quite genuine intellectual bohemia there (possibly aided by the gorgeously dressed girl studying on one of the tables and a man on a sofa pronouncing Marxist theory.) Plus, and more importantly, it has an impressive array of tea and choice of teacups. And they wrapped our purchases in paper parcels. Only future visits can tell whether this hub of book lover-y with its Prufrock quotes on the door and paper roses can replace my original love for ‘my’ corner of Moss Books, which means I shall have to return to both, inevitably spending more money on their wares. What a pity.

Tiny tiny books...

And just to make this post even longer (and multimedia) a friend showed me this lovely little book related stopmotion video a few weeks ago, which just cries out to be put here;