Tell me about your favourite bookshops.

[ThePineappleSeahorse]

I think that I have a new favourite, and no this isn’t an advertisement. I was in St Andrews last week and went to Topping and Company. I love all bookstores though normally prefer used bookstores but I found so many books that I wanted to buy. They had lots of lovely special and signed editions, ladders on the walls, friendly staff, offered tea and coffee, have a customer loo and was large and just maze like enough to be interesting without being too confusing.

I could only buy one book as I’d already bought several others and I had no more room.

So please tell me about your other much loved book shops as I’m eager to visit as many as possible.

TIA

May I mention mine, even it it's in New York?

The Strand is an amazing bookstore just because of its size and breadth. For most of its existence, it was a scruffy place - and the bathroom was disgusting. But there were always two main kinds of books: recent books that were often half-price, either overstock or sold to them by the many book reviewers in NYC, or older books, often very worn. In fact, there were bins outside which originally had books under a dollar. You never knew what you might find. The owner would sometimes be presiding over the buying desk, and I'd hold my breath and smile sweetly in the hopes that they might pay out an additional dollar or two. They claim to have 18 miles of books. And the staff has had to take a difficult test before being hired, so they're very knowledgeable.

They've since done a massive re-model, and it was a surprise when it became a pleasant venue. What they don't have is chairs. I think there are only two chairs in the whole store, and they're hidden away. But there's still excitement because you never know what you might find. They've also branched out into a bunch of other areas - mugs and such. After Trump was elected, they had buttons parodying his "Make America Great Again" slogan, which read "Make America Read Again." I bought several and gave one to anyone who admired them.

I love all bookshops, including several already mentioned up thread, but I think my favourites are Portobello Books in Edinburgh (five minutes from the beach, next door to a great cafe) and Main Street Books in St Boswell in the Scottish Borders (great cafe inside the shop, great deli behind it). Neither shop is huge but the range of titles in each is amazing and looks as though someone carefully chose titles based on what they know their local customers might like, rather than an area manager bought all the top titles in bulk from Gardners to sell 3-for-2. Whenever I visit, I always end up buying at least one extra book i didn’t go in for but like the look of.

I love Daunts in London.

I can’t believe I forgot Main Street Trading!

I absolutely love it there.

i have been known to drive from where I live (about 2 hours away) just for a browse!

I no longer live there but used to regularly go into Cherner Books in East Dulwich. They had a fantastic feminist section but I book all sorts of things from there. I think it may still be there.

Aardvark Books in the Welsh Marches. Second hand, middle of nowhere, does a fine bowl of homemade soup in the cafe mid-browse. And Daunt in Marylebone, which combines my two favourite things: books and travel.

Hat tip too to the long gone Dark They Were And Golden Eyed. My mum and stepdad were both really into sci-fi and this was their favourite place.

The FARA book shop in Teddington. It is a charity shop and all the books are second hand but the stock is amazing. It is staffed by people who love books. The interior is pretty and it is a pleasure to browse through the stock. I love visiting.

Charlie Byrne’s in Galway is my favourite but there’s also a brilliant one in Carlisle but the name escapes me

What a fabulous name that was (Dark…)!

There used to be a lovely little book shop in Teddington years ago, I worked there when I was a student.

I now go to Book Stop In Tavistock.

Once a year I go to Brighton for a conference, and I love popping into - https://goldsborobooks.com/.

@TonTonMacoute
Swan Bookshop? Amazing stock. A fierce woman who scared away customers and her lovely husband who really knew his stuff. I loved the Swan Bookshop.

My home town and I agree one of the most stunning bookshops in the world !

Another vote for Scarthins in Cromford. A wonderful shop which I'm lucky to be within walking distance of. It is a little haven of peace and loveliness.

@ghostyslovesheets I'm going to Liverpool this weekend and am going to check out News From Nowhere, thank you!

I love Toppings in Edinburgh and they do a lot of author talks. If I'm planning on ordering a book, I'll generally go to The Edinburgh Bookshop in Bruntsfield. My daughter is a big fan of Argonaut Books at the foot of Leith Walk. My newest favourite is The Aberfeldy Watermill, just gorgeous, but regrettably, not local.

@Tarragon123 its at the top of Bold Street

I persuaded my husband that we should go on holiday to Northumberland when I recently read about Barter Books!
We have been to different areas of Northumberland over the years, but this stay is to specifically visit Barter Books! Luckily, he is into railways/stations/model railways and so it will hold interest for him too...and we both love a cafe!
It is a 5 hour trip for us, so not just a hop, skip and a jump!
I am so excited and we go in exactly a months time. :-)

Locally, I live close to Oxford, so one of my favourite things to do is to go for a browse around Blackwell's. It is HUGE and a little overwhelming, but it is amazing!

Thank you @Lovesabadboy - plenty of love for Heffers but Blackwell’s pips it, I think!

Yeah, love the main Blackwells on Broad Street. I prefer to buy from them than Amazon when buying online. With the added bonus that they take about 2 weeks to deliver which means I forget about my order then get a nice surprise when the book arrives.

Astley Book Farm in Bedworth.
Thousands of pre loved books, and an amazing cafe with amazing cakes!

I love the Waterstones in Amsterdam, you get all the typical Waterstones British releases in lovely surroundings: and then across the road is The American Book Center. That’s more interesting, in that it’s books you don’t see in the U.K. anywhere. I haven’t been for a few years, but whenever I’ve been to Amsterdam, I always lose an afternoon wondering around both 😄

My favourite bookshop of all time was the one in Penn, which Terry Pratchett was supposed to have taken inspiration from for the concept of L space. It was chaotic, tightly packed, and gave the distinct impression that you weren't really encouraged to buy anything. Sadly closed now.

Quayside Bookshop in Teignmouth in Devon.

It's a tiny, absolutely packed the rafters 2nd hand bookshop. We holiday down there every year and I always spend a happy hour or two browsing while DH and DS crab fish off the harbour.

Then I have to go in again with DS for him to chose a book.

The (Little) Ripon Bookshop - gorgeous shop in and of itself, with regularly-changing, beautifully-done window displays, and five rooms of simply gorgeous book: children's non-fiction, children's fiction, adult non-fiction and young adult fiction, adult fiction and a room at the back with specialty books. There are usually fresh flowers, pretty lighting and the sound of birdsong. They also sell beautiful wrapping papers, cards and book-related gifts and on top of all of that, they are a true community endeavour, organising loads of author events and running book clubs for adults and children, as well as a preschool storytime, with biscuits and drinks for no cost at all. They offer a fabulous and quick ordering system for books they don't have in. The whole place is a little haven, full of light and joy and stories. I can wholeheartedly recommend!

@foreverbasil Is your Carlisle suggestion Bookcase? In previous years, I spent many happy hours there. When I took friends, we all wandered off to areas of our own interests and, several hours later, we realised that we'd lost each other because the shop is so large 😁

Unfortunately, it is now too far away, and my nearest town doesn't have a bookshop AT ALL 😫