The World's Biggest {and Awesomest} Bookstore

As a book geek, one of my main goals when I was in Toronto was to spend some time {and possibly buy a couple of titles} from what Guinness Book of World Records used to list as the world's biggest bookstore {currently it's Barnes and Noble NYC on the basis of shelf space but WBB takes away most number of titles carried}.

I'm just your Next Door Nerd.

Via

One rainy weekday, after our trip to the Niagara Falls, I set out alone to explore Edward St. and the 20 kilometer long bookshelves:

Because the bookstore was too wide, one shot was not enough to capture the
entire facade.

I must've looked dazed and definitely not confused as I got through the doors of WBB because the patrons near the door all looked at me. With its bright white lighting and rows upon rows of books, I felt a little dizzy as to which shelf to go to first. The ones near the entrance were lined up neatly facing the front so you can see all the covers and not be intimated. I realized that space can do so much to a book-seeker --- I did not get overwhelmed enough to just go back to the hotel and mope because of fear that the books might be more expensive in there {the price was just about the same.}

Unlike here, everything was free to be read and aren't wrapped in cling wrap. I'd like to sound smart and say I read at bookstores but I don't. When I am inside one, I feel that I always have so little time to see everything's that available so I don't stop to read what's inside. I do read the back covers though and if my breath is not taken away, I put the book back where I got it.

One of the aisles for Fiction. I think I must've spent an entire hour just
going through the titles...

Where I saw this:

Sweet Valley Confidential! Of course I've already read it and I wouldn't really
recommend getting it in hardbound version but it was just so pretty in there xx

If it weren't for the thick, hardbound covers, I'd have taken them all home.

It was the first time I'd ever swooned over a book's cover. I didn't look at each of the books'

cover artists but whomever it was just got the right feel of the book {Jane Austen's Emma} from the artwork to the paper used. I kept touching them and running my hands through.

These took my breath away. And now, a month after that day, I feel sad that I did not
buy these. I've never read Pride and Prejudice {though S urges me to} for fear of being
intimidated by heavy and big old English words but if a book was this pretty and have as
much covers, one can't help but do so, too. Unfortunately, because of luggage limitations,

I ended up carting the following:

Top to bottom: A poster with a cat in it {which I've yet to put on a frame}

Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer {which I finished in the plane on my way home}

It's a virtual romance that begins by chance. When Leo mistakenly receives e-mails from a stranger named Emmi, he replies-and Emmi writes back.  Soon, secrets are shared, sparks fly, and erotic tension simmers. Even though Emmi is married, it seems only a matter of time till they meet. But will their feelings survive a real-life encounter?  And, if so-what then? Funny and fast-paced, Love Virtually offers plenty of twists, turns, and satisfaction.

Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet

Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey. Through brilliant and witty dialogue with the beloved Pooh-bear and his companions, the author of this smash bestseller explains with ease and aplomb that rather than being a distant and mysterious concept, Taoism is as near and practical to us as our morning breakfast bowl. Romp through the enchanting world of Winnie-the-Pooh while soaking up invaluable lessons on simplicity and natural living.

I'm currently reading the Tao of Pooh {thanks to my friend T's suggestion} and it's amazing how calming its effect can be.

How to Be Single by Liz Tuccillo

Tuccillo, coauthor of the enormously popular He’s Just Not That into You (2004), ventures into fictional territory that distinctly echoes Sex and the City. Julie Jensen, 38, and her friends are singletons living it up in New York, but they would all much rather be in committed relationships. On a whim, Julie decides to write a book about the experiences of single women around the world. Taking a leave of absence from her job as a publicist, she jets off for parts unknown. Her first destination is France, where she encounters the enigmatic and charming Thomas, who is in an open marriage. Even as she visits other countries, Julie can’t help but long for Thomas, who meets up with her again in Bali, jump-starting a whirlwind affair. While Julie is off seeing the world, her friends are back in New York, growing closer to each other as their lives take some disastrous twists and turns. Both entertaining and thoughtful, Tuccillo’s debut is a must-read for women navigating the sometimes treacherous dating world.

I saw this book on the sale bin {retailing at CAN$ 4.50} so despite it being a hardcover, I decided to buy it. It's not exactly a bestseller material {finished this in about two weeks} but it was pretty informative as I learned about women and how they work it being single in various cultures such as India, China, Iceland, Brazil, New York City, Australia, Bali and others.


I did give up a bunch of books before paying for everything at the WBB counter, some of which that I can remember are Derek Blasberg's Classy, Drink, Play F@#ck by Andrew Gottlieb, Jack Kerouac's On The Road {dammit, I still feel haunted for giving this up!} among many others.

As I was paying at the counter, the cashier cheerily nodded at my purchases and gladly offered me a membership card {I apparently spent enough to merit one}. I politely declined, saying I am only a tourist visiting an important bookstore. For some weird reason, I felt like I belonged to that bookstore and feel that I should be back in the near future.


Do you have a favorite bookstore? I think I just found mine.