Librairie Feuilles d'Encre

Cour Waldner Stephen, 5 rue des Marchands, Colmar

This bookshop is located in the centre of the beautiful Alsatian town of Colmar.

You can tell at first glance that the bookshop is in France. Almost the entire bookshop is lined with these white "livres poches". The shop is very tidy, almost too tidy. It lacks a little charm. Nevertheless, the selection is very varied. Many books are laid out on the spine, the shelves are full all around the shop.

J.P. Donleavy: The Lady Who Liked Clean Restrooms

Jocelyne Jones' life comes apart at the seams when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Her children ignore her completely, and high society excludes her just as much.

Accustomed to a very feudal life, she ends up in New York. But she never forgets one piece of advice: nothing beats clean toilets.

And after a turbulent time, it is precisely these that give her a surprising twist.

This book didn't really get to me, as I could hardly get close to the protagonist. Entertaining, but nothing more.

Bookshop: 

***

Book: 

**

Ruc Librairie-Papeterie

6, Place de la Cathédrale, Colmar

Beautifully situated on the cathedral square. This bookshop is a real pleasure to browse through. It is laid out over four floors. There is an industrial-style staircase in the centre of the shop. You can see the wooden beams on the ceiling. Only these white beams and the ceiling reminded me a little of polystyrene.

The selection is very good with a large children's book and comics section. The staff are VERY friendly.

It's also often the case that I can usually choose between several staff picks in good bookshops. Here I opted for the first coup de coeur, which aroused my curiosity.

Benoît Gallot: La vie secrète d'un cimetière (the secret life of a cemetery)

With “La Vie Secrète d'un Cimetière” Benôit Gallot has written a wonderful book about the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. He writes about the dead, his work in the role of the General Director with their relatives, and above all, about the life that has been able to develop between the graves thanks to the absence of herbicides. Or as the book so beautifully mentions on page 44: consilier le respect des morts avec le respect du vivant (reconciling respect for the dead with respect for the living).

I visit this beautiful cemetery regularly when I'm in Paris. For me, it's a peaceful retreat from the noisy city. This book and the beautiful pictures reflect my experiences.

Even the wonderful Smiths song "Cemetery Gates" was mentioned in the book. 

I lived next to a cemetery for years. My cat Mütze often spent time there and we often met at the cemetery gate.

But where there are people, noise and vandalism are unfortunately also the order of the day. Ignorant tourists or disoriented people sticking chewing gum to the tree at Jim Morrison's grave or climbing around on the gravestones and picnicking. I wish there was an herbicide for this kind of "weed" / disrespect.

Bookshop: 

****

Book: 

****