Part 3/3: Quaint and Cozy Bookstores in Taiwan 窝台湾老屋, 寻找全球最美 20 家实体书店之一, 回味美好时光 - VVG Something 好样本事

Here goes the Part 3 of 3-series blog posts on Quaint and Cozy Bookstores in Taiwan 窝台湾老屋, 寻找全球最美 20 家实体书店之一, 回味美好时光 - VVG Something (short for very, very good) 好样本事.

Even if there’s very little time left from the set itinerary for my trips, I always try to make time out to visit a local bookstore and get myself a copy of a wonderful art / travel book to add on to my collection. Why would anyone leave the comfort of their couch to buy a book when with just a click of a button, they could have it delivered to their door? Well, here’s why: bookstores are so beautiful they are worth getting out of the house (or the country) to visit whether you need a new hardcover or not. We cannot over-estimate the importance of bookstores - they are community centers, places to browse and discover and monuments to literature all at once.

Just last year end, a trip to Taiwan brought me to one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and so naturally, the books that I got for myself are probably few of the most beautiful additions to my stash.

VVG Something is a little hard to find, located in a small alley, with a red front door that could easily pass as the entrance to someone’s home. Come here to find a fine selection of artsy books and enjoy the atmosphere. The books concentrate heavily on art: picture book about things we love, essay on arts, recipe books with tempting pictures, cute cards with beautiful writings inside. All books are pretty and pristine. The decor is vintage, gorgeous and you can always take a break from the book browsing to sneak around to the back, sit down and sip some coffee.

Now it is probably better known as one of the world's 20 most beautiful bookstores.

In February last year, the bookshop was given that honor by a U.S entertainment website Flavorwire.com which described it as “almost utilitarian but filled with simple old-world grace” that resembles “what we might imagine our ideal ship's main cabin to look like.”

带著探险的雀跃心情, 推开低调却存在感十足的红色大门, 敞开一个足够自己深入的缝隙, 下一秒, 走进虽小却充满中古世纪风情的空间, 气氛是静谧与专注, 每个人是阅读, 是翻找, 是品咖啡, 或者只是存在, 不大的小书店, 藏有众多的可能.

VVG Something 好样本事, 隐身於安静的小巷内, 附近即是诚品敦南店和热闹的服饰店, 餐厅, 这样个性的小店, 从外观来看也许还不知道是家什麽样的店, 复古又时尚, 摆饰许多老物件精品, 实际上却也是一家不折不扣的书店. 好样本事曾入围全球最美的二十家书店, 让原本十分低调的 '本事' 经营者们也非常惊喜. 虽大隐隐於市, 但内涵却非常丰富的好样本事, 究竟有哪些书使人惊艳著迷呢?

For residents of Taipei, accustomed to the city’s fast pace, crowded spaces, and constant traffic, stepping into VVG Something can feel like the world around has come screeching to a halt. With just 50 sam, the bookstore owner has created a space full of books and crafts collected from around the world, one where people can’t help but flip through a few books and while away an afternoon in peace and quiet.

A spot for potting flowers & plants, a shiny red bike, wooden steps and red sliding doors greet visitors from all over the world. 

从热闹的忠孝东路走进巷弄内, 好样本事的招牌只有小小的一个, 一开始还找不着, 倒是看到对面的餐厅是满满的人潮, 门种满满的缘意, 彷佛带领着人进入不同的时空之内.

限量的外文书籍, 古道具, 手工杂货, 灯光, 家饰以及设计师週边商品, 集合各个元素风格形成了迷人摆设与氛围，协调不混乱, 每个小角落都能成为一个风景.

虽然空间不算大, 却可以让人目不转睛, 细细品味久久, 都很想拉张椅子坐下来哩.

A long wooden table lay in the middle as piles of books, vintage tin toys, seeds and random nothings cover every inch of the weathered surface. Stacks of recipe, children’s and art & design books both local and foreign are stacked on top of each other.

It may not have a flashy facade, but inside, VVG Something offers a warm, nostalgic space.

Every time you lift a book and see what’s under: magic! The book selection is unique and quirky and just plain wonderful. I wish i could buy all of them if only i could understand the writings (as well as afford it).

书, 灯饰, 杂货, 桌椅跟长型空间融为一体, 店内以设计及生活类的书为主. 一走进去, 就是一个以木头跟铁枝条做成的长桌, 是汪丽琴从一位韩国摄影家那边购得, 摆在仓库里面好多年, 开书店时正好派上用场. 精选书巧布置 小店充满人文温度.

说实在的, 来好样本事买书的人可能没有那么多, 但很多人来参观, 翻阅, 店主也很高兴, 所以都不会把书封起来, 就是要让大家不断翻阅, 而不是只是摆著好看.

Books are about more than just words and pictures, through good design and layout, they can bring ancient texts back to vibrant life.

长桌摆满了设计艺术, 生活风格, 食谱为主的外文书籍, 一本本堆叠在桌上, 动手是找到好书的途径.

身旁则围绕著店家从世界各地蒐集回来的老件, 设计小物, 生活杂货, 看对眼可以带走. 老东西沉淀下的时间感, 是无法粉饰的存在, 一格格的放置, 有种古董店寻宝的感受.

An old clothes wringer, a cash register, an iron-made clothes iron, an old typewriter. Such unusable antiques are transformed into display ornaments in the store. All have been carefully arranged to create an air of warmth and comfort - a place people can walk into and totally lose track of time.

Not just books but postcards, wooden rulers and pens, sharpeners and everything else!

 Pottery, tea pots and ceramics!

除了老傢俱, 书籍及文创商品外, 也放了不少来自世界各地的别緻装饰, 实用器皿, 糖果玩具, 让人颇有挖宝感.

Fundamentally, the bookstore owner hopes the beautiful space of VVG Something will help more people to fall in love with reading or find their way back into a long-forgotten hobby, stimulating greater creativity and creating something that is truly very, very good.

热爱设计与生活类小品的人, 千万不可以错过这家东区 - 好样本事 - 与其说这是间品味独特的设计书店, 不如说这是一家很像是设计杂货店, 有书香味外, 还贩售著许多小型的精品与复古的怀旧精品, 供人放松心情, 感受这可爱亲和力.

拍摄完好样本事之后, 我被一种悠閒, 完善的生活态度给感动, 在每一个细节, 每一个角落都是很精緻用心的. 我买了一本仿旧的英文练习簿笔记本, 薄薄的纸, 大大的方格, 很好用, 纪录了我的许多生活心情. 书不一定是全部充满文字的, 生活也不一定是固定单调的, 感谢好样本事, 我想这是一种我们都懂的, 想分享好东西的心情. :-)