I discovered this bookshop since I was visiting Houseman's Bookshop and it was recommended by Yelp…read more So happy I was able to stop by while visiting London. I picked up some "Rebel Guide" series books to take back to Texas with me and a few items from the sales counter (impulse buys) too. There was also a nice shelf of older books to puruse if you are looking for a classic or out of print book. I will be visiting again this autumn when we return to London. Highly recommended worth seeking out and supporting.

I've been here twice now. The first time was an exploratory trip, when I was literally going…read morethrough the list of independent bookshops in London. After spending a couple of hours here I felt they had a fairly good collection but it was by no means extensive. There were, as the other review mentions, plenty of titles, authors and regions which are under-represented. Nonetheless, I found what I was looking for - which was a history of Cuba. The book was (surprisingly) cheaper here than on Amazon as well. The second time round it was for a friend who wanted to read about Russia (or the USSR) from beginning to end. Its a massive length of time to cover in 1 book but they did well to find a book out of the collection which was non-research/non-text-booky and cheap as well (5 quid). They have a few second hand books as well though its a very disorganized collection. The staff is friendly, though they get irritated with customers who stuff books into shelves and bend their covers (as they should be).

Excellent bookstore and cafe. Great selection of reading…read morematerials for all ages and interests. Also very helpful and knowledgable staff to assist you.

Waterstones is the kind of shop that makes me very happy! I always loved bookshops especially in…read morethe UK... The spaces are always beautiful and the atmosphere kind of enchanting. Also the covers on British editions are so much better than the French ones! Even if I have a huge pile of books to read at home I can't resist buying a book or two....

Despite occupying an extremely tiny room above a sex shop on Charring Cross Road, you'll have to…read moretake my word for it that I had initially found Claire De Rouen Books (specialising in photography and fashion) through by-chancing upon the window display and noticing the Robert Frank book "The Americans" in the window. As you walk up the narrow stairwell, you are greeted by a little gallery display some contemporary art prints. It's worth having a look through; even though I though most of it seemed a little overly-stylised, there were still some prints that caught my attention. After rummaging around in here for a while, you should go and check out the bookstore. Although quite expensive (as most art bookstores are), they have a broad selection of books that are often quite hard to find. The shop assistant was able to help me out with my query in a friendly and adequate manner, and I was pleased in general with this quaint little find.

I have been to bookshops all over the world and nothing makes me smile as much as seeing the grand…read moredame Claire De Rouen in her tiny little attic shop surrounded by artistic wonders. Claire is so knowledgeable and worldy. She has great style and that aristo kind of face where you know that in her day men used to whisk her around the globe and fall at her feet. She was born in Alexandria, Eygpt - with that great library its no wonder she turned to books and she used to work at Walter Koenig down the road before setting up her own shop. I know all of this because everytime I go in there we have a great old natter, even though she never remembers me! I love her fashion/art edit and her brilliant window displays, which are on the street level at the Soho Bookshop. Although it is expensive (arent books worth it!?) I've bought some great cheap fanzines here (including a Valerie Phillps one!) and they keep a varied stock of international fashion and art magazines (including Kids Wear which is full of Bruce Weber pics...), useful as the world renowed fashion school Central St Martins is a few doors down...There are also a lot of back issues of magazines, in case you missed your favourite rag. Another London hidden gem... great for that special gift.

I love bookshops, and for that reason maybe my review is biased, but then is there really an…read moreimpartial Yelper among us? This is indeed the lovely local bookshop A S talks about, filled with the treasures you won't find in Waterstones. As Jill mentions it doesn't have the discounts and offers Waterstones/Borders have either. It can't afford to compete in that market, because it can't bulk buy and worse, people don't support their local businesses as much as they should (see my review for Dogan's). This shop is lovely though, deathly quiet as bookshops should be. I even take my iPod off, to appreciate the stillness, and to avoid anyone hearing tinny beats echoing in this church to literature. There is a section for everything, and each section has several hundred titles. Okay, maybe if we're looking for a book on Poland we're down to a choice of Rough Guides (every time), lonely planet (for those with a short attention span) or a local book on the breads of Northern Poland, but I am sure Muswell Hill isn't full of people writing theses on the economy of Poland since 1973 and therefore the selection suffices. Like A S I could relax and peruse for hours, which is why wish they had a chair or settee or something, they certainly lose a star for that. But I can't fault them on anything else. The lack of cheap deals is not something they can deal with easily, so get out and support them, but they have an excellent range of book related things (covers, bookmarks, calendars, etc..). The staff are friendly and knowledgable. It's everything a bookshop should be. I love bookshops. Ipso facto, 4 stars.

Muswell Hill Books has a decent selection. It's good to have a look around here whether your…read moreshopping for yourself or shopping for a gift. There isn't one section that is particularly big but there are lots of different categories of books. I also haven't seen many discounted or sale titles, which is disappointing. On the plus side, I will say that this shop is quiet and has a good selection of calendars (present time) and greeting cards. If you are an animal lover check out the the calendars. Even I, melted away looking at the greyhound puppies one. Lil rascals.

SOAS is one of London's top universities - famous for its specialization in the Orient (despite…read moreEdward Said's infamous critique) and Africa, and for its politicized student body. SOAS Language Centre accepts independent students and teaches everything from Arabic to Zulu with classes in the evenings and at weekends. The bookshop (just inside the Brunei Gallery) is a great place to pick up a copy of the Ibn Khaldun or to browse the latest post-modern histories of Chinese society. Most of the university is closed to tourists or visitors but you can wonder through and get a feel for the place.

Amazing uni with amazing people. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the country. Great vibe…read more Great academics and chilled out atmosphere.I did anthropology of development. Anyone who actually cares about people and wants to do development, I recommend this course. Anyone who is already doing anthropology I recommend doing social anthropology.The league tables cannot possibly capture the real value of coming to SOAS.

I am not religious but I am forever looking for good reference books -and so I came upon the Quaker…read moreBookshop by chance. I admit my knowledge of the Quaker religion is little -and I had no idea what I would come across. What I found was a comfortable if not a little dowdy bookshop with a surprisingly very well stocked Fair trade cafe in the middle. No glamour here - but an impressive selection of good coffees, flapjacks and chocolate goodies mixed with religious books of many faiths ! - supporting the Quaker's tolerance and acknowledgment of other religions. What surprised me most was amongst the religion was a section on green issues and in particular "food issues." Books and leaflets such as how to cook and eat and even grow locally plus numerous fair-trade information sources are all available. In retrospect I suppose my own ignorance is to blame here - the Quakers anti-war and antiviolence beliefs require peaceful solutions for the bigger picture - and these all neatly interlace with fair-trade. Interested in fair trade -?? this is a good place to look for information -me - still looking for those obscure reference books with pictures.....

Religion really does not have to enter the conversation here when a quick, (fair-trade) coffee and…read morecaramel slice is in order. I cannot comment on the bookshop per se, as I have not browsed the shelves- normally for me the Quaker Meeting House functions as a delightful, quiet study environment. There is plenty of space, a multitude of nooks and crannies to nestle within, and for a bit of exercise there exists an enjoyably circuitous route around the recently renovated building to the WCs (which, I must add are very nice indeed). This peaceful haven is truly a complete world away from the cantankerous Euston road that it sits upon!

Oxfam Bookshop specialises in second hand books donated by the public. There is a decent selection…read moreof offer considering the shop's size, from mainstream fiction to humor and gift books at knock down prices. I have managed to get hardback books for as little as £2. The condition of the books varies but all are on good enough condition to make use of and you definitely get value for money. The store's layout is very clear and everything is organised making the books you're looking for easy to find. If you are going to visit the shop I would recommend taking a short cut through the shopping centre to avoid being bugged by the charity chuggers which line the main street on the route to the Oxfam Bookshop.

Buy books cheap and give money to charity…read more Can't argue with that can you. A little Oxfam bookshop just along the road from the Oxfam music shop just behind the Ealing shopping centre. This is a cracking little find with a good collection of first editions and special finds. There must be a lot of globe trotters in Ealing because there's always some really good travel novels and guide books. It's defiantly worth popping in to see what you can find.

An adorable little book shop with a really great selection…read more With an abundance of charity shops, including the Oxfam book shop in Ealing Broadway I wondered why the Mrs wanted to come out to West Ealing (very yummy mummy area) to get a book for a relative. This small, but perfectly formed book shop was very open and welcoming. It was the type of place where you felt free to spend ages browsing through it's offerings and not being watched by the creepy owner. It has a very good Fiction and History collection. Lots of less common books by famous authors and interesting titles. I nearly walked out with all the Atwood books he had, but just picked a couple. Books are all in great condition. We found a book for me Mrs Auntie and overall a very successful find.