Nothing like a good book and a well brewed coffee

Large bookstores are good, but small, local bookstores are even better. These small bookstores are special places for book lovers. They sell bestsellers and a range of books from many different genres as well, but they truly win the hearts of bookworms by hosting special books that give the light of life to literature. When you walk in, you catch the owner's eyes instead of an employee's. You ask for a book but in a matter of seconds you find yourself in a literary conversation that starts at Julio Cortazar and ends at Umberto Eco. These bookstores have turned into places where you can sit and a sip your coffee while you can take a look at the shelves and read magazines. We visited some of these places, drank their coffee and browsed through their books.

AKADEMİ 1971 BOOKSTORE & CAFÉ

Located on Sakız Street in Kadıköy, Akademi 1971 Bookstore & Café was named after the Akademi Bookstore founded by Hadi Olca in 1971. Olca's son, author Özcan Sapan, reopened the bookstore, which had been a meeting place for artists and highbrowed figures since its foundation, after 20 years. The bookstore also organizes the Akademi Literature Awards, which introduced the first works of Murathan Mungan, İnci Aral and Ahmet Altan. The wall-to-wall bookshelves and framed mementos of prominent authors such as Cemal Süreyya welcome guests as soon as you walk in. The bookstore and café is on the ground floor. The book selection offers rare books that will satisfy any bookworm. There is also a garden in which you can sit, read, drink coffee and eat something as well as a library downstairs. The library has a 25-person capacity, where individuals can study and it offers the services of two laptops, a printer and wireless Internet connection. The library opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. However, if you have not finished studying, you can spend some extra time in the liberay without someone bothering you. Moreover, the bookstore holds events and chat sessions most weekends. Mario Levi, Emrah Serbest and Aydın Boysan were the latest guests of the store. Akademi 1971 Bookstore & Café is open every day until 10:00 p.m.

TASARIM BOOKSHOP

Tasarım Bookshop in Bahariye, Kadıköy attracts people who are interested in design, art and architecture. As soon as you enter the store, a splendid interior design welcomes you and does justice to its name ("tasarım" means design in English). The bookstore has three floors that you can climb up and down with only four or five stairs. The ground floor has a café atmosphere offering a large section of food including cheesecakes and pizzas beside coffee. One can find any book of any genre both upstairs and downstairs. It also resembles to a small library, as the bookstore offers a chance to research and study valuable design, architecture and art books on the tables located in the library. Furthermore, if you inform the store in advance, you can hold special meetings at the bookstore. Tasarım is open between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Z BOOKS COFFEE STORE

Located on Tosbağa Street in Beyoğlu, Z Books Coffee Store is a popular stop for young people. The store, whose name was "Aziz Kedi" until recently, collaborated with Zaytung, a website releasing ironic and comical news, and adopted a new name along with a cafe. The owner of the bookstore, Ezgi Ergenel, claimed that their aim is to bring book lovers together with powerful literature instead of filling up their bookshelves with bestsellers. You have a good chance to find the two books in which you have been struggling to find on the same shelf in this shop. Apart from that, the bookstore has a feature that especially pleases students: When you walk in the store, you can take the books that are located on the left shelf to your table and read as long as you want with a guarantee that nobody will bother you. The bookstore is also planning to hold stand up shows during winter. As stated on the signboard, the store opens at 10:00 a.m. but when it comes to the closing time, Z Books Coffee Store has an unusual policy: "We might close the store at 6:00 p.m. one day but the next day gosh! We are still open at 1:00 a.m.!"