for book & boat lovers: Word on the Water

London is a city of waterways as well as roads. We've posted about our canal walks before, but today we want to highlight a special resident of the Kings Cross floating community: the Word on the Water book barge. (Check out their Twitter and Facebook!)

We first caught a glimpse of this peculiar bookshop when just passing through during a festival of light in Kings Cross. When warm weather finally arrived, we behooved ourselves for a stroll along the canal to the book barge's permanent berth, newly established in Granary Square.

The gallant Captain is the caretaker and spokesperson of the book barge, which sells paperbacks at 2 for £5 and hardcovers from £4. Bookshop & bookseller alike seem to come from a young adult fantasy novel.

You almost believe you could find magical secrets here, or that the bookshop might vanish before your eyes.

Courtesy of Time Out

Fortunately for residents, Word on the Water isn't disappearing any time soon. After it was priced out of its berth in Paddington Basin (above), Londoners petitioned the Canal & River Trust to give the bookshop a permanent berth in the newly built Granary Square in Kings Cross.

Courtesy of MessyNessy Chic

It was even featured in one of our favourite travel blogs, MessyNessy Chic (scroll to #5 on the list).

Word on the Water's relaxed, dreamy atmosphere and superb curation of books make it the perfect place to loiter on a day off...rain or summer shine.