Plural of bookshop; retail stores where books are bought and sold to the public.
From 'book' (Old English 'bōc') + 'shop' (Old English 'sceoppa', a stall or booth). The term became standard in the 19th century as dedicated retail spaces for books emerged in cities.
Famous bookshops like Shakespeare and Company in Paris became legendary meeting places for writers—they were social hubs, not just stores, shaping literary movements through their influence.
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