Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1546381
C O U R T E S Y O F L E P E T I T VOY E U R ; B O O K S & B O O K S ( K A P L A N ) time and curiosity. Booksmart: Affiliated Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum carries one of Europe's largest magazine selections. Neighborhood Tip: While on the inevitable line at nearby Hans Egstorf for stroopwafels (worth the splurge in price and calories), admire the Art Nouveau building designed by Dutch architect Gerrit van Arkel. BERLIN, GERMANY DO YOU READ ME?! If Miranda Priestly and Nick Cave dreamed up a store, you might get this sassy iconoclast. Boundary-pushing since 2008, the compact space offers hundreds of titles with a focus on fashion, art, and design. Come for limited-run magazines gorgeous enough to be forever titles on your coffee table, and niche imprints celebrating creatives as only Berlin can. Booksmart: The bold DO YOU READ ME?! totes are great for lugging books in any city. Neighborhood Tip: Mitte's Auguststrasse is known for galleries; don't miss KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Galerie Eigen + Art, Michael Fuchs Galerie, and the shows at nearby Fotografiska. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK LE PETIT VOYEUR At Le Petit Voyeur (primarily open by appointment), the assortment of avant-garde art books and magazines is not massive, and that's the point. Curated, opinionated, and often- changing, the titles range from photography and urban art to limited-edition zines and signed collector's editions. Behind the shop, the owners also operate an eponymous independent publisher. Booksmart: The shop's self-published titles, which include a recent collaboration with Berlin-based artist and photographer Ana Hell, are great conversation-starters about what's hot on the art scene now. Neighborhood Tip: An intimate ambience continues at nearby Bar Vitrine, whose menu excels in natural wines. ROME, ITALY SPAZIO SETTE Housed in a three-story, 17th-century palazzo, this bookstore retains a secret vibe, despite being a stone's throw from Campo de' Fiori. It's curated by a collective of booksellers, as is evidenced by the fun, personal assortment, including lesser- known titles about Italy. From its on-site cafe you can see the top floor's stunning Baroque ceiling fresco, a reminder of how lucky you are to be back in Rome. Spazio Sette hosts hundreds of free book presentations (many with translators present). Booksmart: The cookbook section is full of local authors, including Katie Parla's latest, "Rome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to the Flavors that Built a City." Neighborhood Tip: Grab lunch at Emma around the corner, arguably one of Rome's best pizzerias. If there's room beyond your literary haul, consider popping into their wine shop for a sippable souvenir. STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN PAPERCUT A one-stop shop for culture hounds with a stylish sense of humor, Papercut offers not just a trendy-cool collection of books and magazines, but also cards, gifts, and games. The inventory of films feels like time-traveling (remember Blu-ray?), while the books are particularly strong on photography, fashion, travel, and food (look for the designer tomes by indie publisher Apartamento). Booksmart: For aspiring writers, dreamers, and diarists, the notebook section is robust. Neighborhood Tip: You're in Södermalm (known as Söder), a trendy, creative nabe with great vintage shops: There are six alone within walking distance to Papercut. VENICE, ITALY SULLALUNA Cannaregio's Fondamenta della Misericordia is known for its apero scene, but insiders come for one of Venice's loveliest shops for children's literature, picture books and graphic arts that also moonlights—surprise!—as a vegetarian bistro. With brick walls and exposed ceiling beams, the shop is retro-poetic and the atmosphere laid-back, thanks to locals who bring their kids. Most titles are in Italian, but picture books transcend language barriers. Booksmart: Stay for a bubbly: The owners have a farm in the Veneto, where they produce an organic Prosecco DOCG. Neighborhood Tip: For NYC–based booklovers, Sullaluna has a sister shop that opened on Carmine Street in 2024. Le Petit Voyeur in Copenhagen Q&A Books & Books founder Mitchell Kaplan talks indie bookstores. Top things you look for when walking into an indie bookshop: Like a great book, a great bookstore has a distinctive voice; its ambiance, selection, and service convey something intangible. I love stores that are opulent and those that are humble, but what I love the most are the ones where I can get lost for hours at a time. What a shopper should feel when they enter Books & Books: I want a book lover who visits one of our stores to feel a sense of discovery. I want them to be comfortable enough to interact with our booksellers and find the perfect book. Why community matters: Community is in our DNA. For nearly 45 years, the mission of Books & Books has been to offer books and authors that reflect what makes Miami so special: its diversity. We want to bring everyone together under our literary tent. Our stores host over 500 events per year, and our newly formed Books & Books Literary Foundation brings our special sauce to those with difficulty accessing books. Last year, we donated over 35,000 books to kids in the South Florida community. 214 214 BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M