Bookshops are so much more than commercial storefronts—they’re trusted curators, cozy lounges, and neighborhood commons where ideas are exchanged and the fabric of communities is knit tight. Gestalten’s new book, Do You Read Me?, celebrates over 60 of the world’s most beloved (and beautifully designed) bookshops through profiles, essays, and vibrant photography.

Canonical legends like Shakespeare & Co. and The Strand share the shelf with recent arrivals and lesser-known gems in diverse geographies ranging from Reykjavík to Lagos, Istanbul, and Taipei. If you love perusing new tomes and digging into a great read, scroll on for a look at 12 incredible bookstores, with captions excerpted from the text.

FiLBooks in Istanbul, Turkey

Cărturești Carusel in Bucharest, Romania

The Jazzhole in Lagos, Nigeria

Books Over the Clouds in Shanghai, China

Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal

Pro qm in Berlin, Germany

Daikanyama Tsutaya Books in Tokyo, Japan

Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands

Casa Bosques in Mexico City, Mexico

El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Book Barge in Canal du Nivernais, France

Papercup in Beirut, Lebanon

More from gestalten:

Life From the Inside Out: The Essentially Modern Home of Designer Finn Juhl

Gestalten’s New Book Shows How to Turn Small Spaces Into Design Marvels

A New Book Explores 25 of the World’s Most Sensuous Buildings