World's coolest bookstores

By Frances Cha, CNN - July 24, 2014 -- 

Stunning El Ateneo bookstore in Buenos Aires was once a theater. The theater boxes have been turned 

They may be a generation of kids who think bookstores are fictional creations found only in novels that come in the mail.

Understandable, since many of the world's most beautiful independent bookstores have closed in recent years.

Not all of them are facing unhappy endings, however.

The brick-and-mortar survivors -- and brave newcomers -- have adapted to the Age of Amazon in their own ways, from opening 24 hours to undergoing spectacular design renovations or stocking books that aren't sold by the online giant.

Old or new, all with fascinating stories, the bookstores below serve as historic sites, sanctuaries, salons of culture and must-visit entries in any travel itinerary.