Libreria: use a themed bookshop to escape your usual reading loop

Libreria is an independent bookshop on Hanbury Street in East London. Its website explains that books are arranged around broad themes rather than relying only on conventional categories. That approach can appeal to a reader who keeps receiving similar recommendations and wants a different route into a new book.

Follow a theme across different kinds of books

Try a browsing exercise around the idea of a city: choose a novel, an essay and a visual book that approach it differently. For each, note one question it raises rather than only the title. Libreria’s thematic shelving makes this kind of cross-subject exploration relevant to the shop. Stop at three candidates and read an available opening or description. The aim is to discover an unexpected relationship, not to leave with a longer list you cannot explain.

Serendipity works best with a small stopping rule

Check current opening information and any cultural programme before travelling. A themed arrangement can make discovery enjoyable, but it does not replace checking a title’s language, edition or suitability for a particular reader. If you leave with only one book, write down the unexpected connection that led you to it. You can use the same approach later in a library or your own shelves.

Official source: Libreria.