I’m absolutely obsessed with books – I read them constantly, I write them, and I blog about them – and somehow most lunchtimes I find myself in one bookshop or another around Wellington just enjoying the feeling of being around so many stories.
One of my favourites for second hand books is Pegasus Books in Left Bank Arcade, Cuba Street, which just has everything. It’s the kind of place where you go in there looking for something specific, find it, then spend another hour (or two) silently squealing with delight as you browse the rest of the store and find that every second book is one you have on your “must read” list.
A lot of second hand bookstores just stock anything and everything, but Pegasus seems much more selective and they stock a lot of classics and greats as well as new, popular fiction. I was so excited when I saw they had a great selection of Joanne Harris, one of my favourite writers, then a couple of shelves over, a row of Charles Dickens.
The staff are really helpful there. I was looking for some books for my 13-year-old (boy) cousin and had no idea where to start and the guy there was so great, he showed some that he loved as a young man and even suggested a few others that they didn’t have, but I should look elsewhere for.
Wellington is a wonderful place for book lovers, as you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to bookstores. Even though things are moving quickly into the digital age, I think bookstores, if the owners are creative and innovative, have the potential to survive, because there’s something irreplaceable about being ensconced in a room where you’re surrounded by thousands of stories just waiting to be discovered and read. It’s a feeling you just can’t get from a little digital device.This quote sums up the value and potential survival of bookstores perfectly: “Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.” ― Stephen Fry.
Sarah is an avid reader, writer and blogger from Wellington. Check out her blog, You May Say I’m a Dreamer at: http://youmaysayimadreamer-sh.blogspot.co.nz/
Do you have a favourite bookshop too? We’d love to hear about it. Email: info@booksellers.co.nz
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