9 Of The Most Amazing Bookstores In The World (PHOTOS)

It's a difficult time for bookstores. Online booksellers offer seductively low prices and the convenience of ordering from home. eBooks are poised to change the business of publishing as we know it, allowing readers to bypass printed material altogether. There are news stories almost every day telling us about another independent bookstore that has shut down, a casualty of the changing book business.

However, we hope that there will always be a place for physical bookstores. Below, we have gathered some of the most amazing bookstores in the world -- the places that would make any reader shut their laptop, put aside their eReader, and go out to buy a book. From New York to Portugal to China, we've picked the most beautiful, impressive, and inspiring. Let us know what you think, and if we missed any incredible bookstores, in the comments section below.

For more amazing book places, check out our slideshows on the most amazing libraries in the world and the best independent bookstores.