One of life's greatest pleasures surely must be losing yourself in a good book, and even more so when you're traveling. I particularly love finishing a story on the road and then exchanging for a new one with someone I meet along the way. There are plenty of options for book shopping in Toronto, such as the standard big-box Chapters/Indigo, or the many charming second-hand book stores (there are a handful on College St just west of Bathurst St). However, my first stop is always BMV, a bookstore in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood.
BMV has a huge selection of, well, everything: classics, modern literature, non-fiction, coffee table books, comics, cookbooks, you name it (though they often don't carry the brand-new bestsellers, but that doesn't bother me). Even better than the vast selection are the prices; I rarely spend more than $ 5 - $ 8 on a paperback that otherwise retails for $ 20 or more. You won't leave BMV Books empty-handed.
BMV also has locations at 10 Edward Street (near Yonge and Dundas Square), 2289 Yonge Street (uptown, at Yonge and Eglinton) and on Queen West, at 244 Queen St W. The store on Queen St also has lots of neat Canada- and Toronto-inspired souvenirs.
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