Libraries to visit

"The world belongs to those who read." ~ Rick Holland

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." ~ Cicero

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." ~ Paul Sweeney

For those who know me, I am quite the bookworm. I always have, at the very least, two or three books going at once, only because there is so little time in the world and so many books waiting to be read. Right now I'm in the middle of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath, Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein, and The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers.

I have compiled multiple lists of places to go, things to do and people to meet in my lifetime. For an avid reader like me, a list of libraries to visit was inevitable. So, fellow bookworms, eat your heart out:

The New York Public Library

New York, NY

 The Monastery Library

San Francisco Monastery and Church

Lima, Peru

Joanina Library

University of Coimbra

Portugal

Fayetteville Public Library

Fayettevill, AR

Geisel Library

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA

The Long Room

Trinity College

Dublin, Ireland

The Library of Sorbonne

Paris-Sorbonne University

Paris, France

Radcliffe Camera

Oxford University

England

Shibo Ryotaro Memorial Musem library

Osaka, Japan

These aren't all of the libraries on my list - not even close. But they are some incredibly amazing places I wanted to share with you. If you're lucky enough to be graced with a sunny day today, pick up a good book and find a nice place to read outside. Leave your iPod and cell phone indoors and immerse yourself in a wonderful piece of literature. But if you're like me - living in one of the rainiest places in the world - sit yourself in a quiet corner. Curl up with a cup of tea, a blanket and your book.

 Read. Exist. Be.

(All photos belong to their respective owners)