I like BooksActually very much.

Because it feels like a place set up by book lovers for fellow book lovers. And how the top of its pretty white shelves are lined with antiquish-looking cameras... Every single book on display feels unique and seems to yell out "I offer some precious insights about our complicated world" or... "Let me help you get away from the ultra-utilitarian/practical world you live in". And though it's prob but 20sm big, I can feel like someone/ some bunch of people poured all their heart and souls into it because the whole place is just so nicely and cosily done up. With little endearing things all over.

While browsing in the store today it started raining all of a sudden. And one of the staff actually asked me whether I needed an umbrella when I was about to pay and head out. I didn't need one, but was so tempted to ask if they were going to give me one? (Ok, maybe I was naive and he wanted to sell me one... but I choose to imagine that he was gonna give me a free umbrella :P). I dunno, but such warm personal touch is so lacking in most stores I frequent these days... I miss the little-independent-stores-by-the-street feeling.

Perhaps the sad reality is also that you prob also need loads of $$$ to comfortably live out your little fantasy without worrying about bread and butter issues. These BooksActually ppl certainly look like they threw in a little fortune for the place to materialise. (Maybe that also explains why the stuff in there's not cheap... :P)