**Newly opened and currently open til 6pm but they are looking to expand their hours shortly. If…read moreyou're unsure about opening hours and you want to visit, I recommend firing off a tweet to @SECONDHOMELDN ** Popped in to Libreria last night for a quick reconnaissance mission. New independent bookshops aren't exactly ten a penny. It also happened to be World Book Day, I have just realised. It was meant to be. I love how it looks from the outside. Like a portal to another world. You go down Hanbury Street, think you must've missed it and then...suddenly it's there. Stylish black shopfront with a nice inviting glow. This was only a very quick visit but I like how they do things in Libreria. First, I have to note that there was a Riga RP-1 record player with Velvet Underground & Nico on the turntable so...good start. No espresso bar here. No mobiles allowed. Comfy seating and little nooks to sit down and check out a book. Tick tick tick. Sally, Libreria's director, introduced herself to me and explained how things were laid out. Very friendly and helpful. Books are largely organised alphabetically, fiction on the left and nonfic on the right. However, within that, books are clustered into themes or ideas, in order to promote interesting combinations of books nestling next to each other. Great idea. Pure A-Z is so 2015. Also, they have asked celebs to do a mini-curation of their favourite books. Shami Chakrabarti's faves are currently on display. I think the idea is to change everything round every quarter. Events are also gonna happen here. I dutifully added my email to the mailing list on the front desk. Waterstones can do one.

A quaint independent bookstore in the eastern part of London…read more https://prashantmudgal.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/the-cost-of-living/

Best bookstore in London for language books (Celtic, German, English, Italian, Spanish, French,…read moreHebrew, Arabic, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Dutch, etc.!!) and it has a cafe upstairs as well as a huge kids books area.

In 2018, after 115 years of independent bookselling, then-Chairman Christopher Foyle and the Board…read moreof Directors sold the company to Waterstones, with the proviso that the Foyles name must endure. Based on our recent visit, let's now call this place a chain on steroids. I just wonder how much the inevitable Corporate culture has robbed the old independent Foyles of its soul. Gayle and I spend a fair amount of time on various floors and sections. I found a nice Judaica book, a BBC publication for an upcoming PROMS program, and some filing folders. Gayle found a book she was looking for and a gift for back home. It was a fun and good outing, but not a great one. The place was clean and shiny, and with attentive and helpful employees. That's good and sometimes not. And if given more time, I'd would have preferred to be in a dusty independent specialty bookseller.

This quaint second hand book shop has an admirable range of books (19, 000!) from first editions,…read morerare finds to the academic sort. Conveniently located only a short walk from Soho as well as Leicester Square tube, Any Amount of Books is a safe haven to escape to from the busy streets of central London. They sell books as cheap as a pound to thousands. The choice is immense. If you go to their website you can see the books they sell and see if anything catches your fancy.

A great place to eavesdrop on intellectual conversations between the shopkeeper and the oldies…read morewho've been coming here for years. Minus one star 'cause it's so dusty you can barely breathe. Guess that's what happens when you're all historical and whatnot.

Awesome I genuinely love working with bookstores and…read moreauthors. There's something special about spaces filled with stories, creativity, and people who truly appreciate books. Even when bookstores are crowded and full of energy, they still carry that classic charm that reminds you of how real bookstores used to feel before everything became generic. Helping bookstores and authors grow through authentic promotion and marketing is something I truly enjoy because every book deserves the right audience and visibility.

Beautiful and charming old bookstore! Three floors with lots of books! Friendly staff! Love…read morevisiting this bookstore!

This branch of Waterstones - along with all of its other branches - is now closed temporarily, due…read moreto the coronavirus situation.

This may be one of my favourite bookshops in all of London. I know it's just a bookshop and a chain…read moreat that but hear me out on this one. 1. Staff - They staff are always extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I was just there a few weeks ago and they had run out of the book I was looking for so I had to order it. The gentleman who helped me was fast, efficient and friendly. He talked to me about the author and the series I was reading with passion. Then he leapt from behind the counter with a spritely leprechaun-like prance, and rushed me across the shop to show me another book he thought I'd like. Have already ascertained that he knew his stuff when it cames to tomes, I trusted him and bought the book and its sequel on the spot. He was so enthusiastic about the characters that I had to get it. It was "Rivers of London" just in case anyone wants to pick it up. Great book! 2. Special guests - Ever since I discovered this shop I've noted the revolving door of special guest authors that stop in for book signings. Just in passing I've seen Martina Cole, Jeffery Deaver and Rick Stein. I only walk by once every other month or so, so imagine who I must have missed! They only seem to advertise these signing events with a little sandwich board outside so I know there's been more. Lucky for me I got a photo with a Bond car and a signed copy of Rick Stein's new book on Spanish recipes. 3. Size & Selection - This shop is over two floors and has a better selection for it. I usually am able to find what I need or can order it quickly if needs be. If I don't know what I want there are plenty of books to browse through or a friendly staffer to ask.

A perfectly pokey little book store in the middle of tourist-mobbed Hayes Galleria, the Riverside…read moreBookshop always manages to maintain a quiet and reflective atmosphere. Although you wouldn't be amiss in initially assuming it's a Waterstones. Because it's rather unassuming. The selection of books available is admirable for the store's size. So until I eventually get a Kindle (and after that when I'm looking for non-ebook-friendly titles), I think I'll eschew the chain giants and make this my go-to local book store. (And it's the only place I've ever seen a "Congratuations on your divorce" greeting card for sale. Just, you know, in case you've been looking for one, as you would.)

Nice small shop away from the crowds with a good selection on the second floor. It's located in a…read morenewer mall area and takes a little looking but worth the find

This bookstore is pretty big with four floors of books and restrooms at every level by the stairs…read more They do also have an elevator of course. You can spend hours here, but eventually they will have to ask eve time to leave when they close.

So, made the mistake of trying to pop in here to grab a book however time was against me…read more Showed up at about 8 minutes to and was not permitted to enter because 'they had started clearing floors from the top'.YMMV but don't assume you can get in due to their published hours. I can on a Sunday not sure if they are more mellow when there is less God

Coming out of Bank underground station, I was thinking; 'Where on earth would I find some decent…read moreretail outlets, pubs or restaurants on streets of 100 year old office blocks?' Finding an old church, I peered into the clear doors and saw lots and lots of bookshelves! So I investigated a bit further and found a bookshop waited for me inside. Soft music plays in the background while you browse the inoffensive, relaxed bookshelves (you have to go there to understand just how inoffensive these bookshelves are compared to the ones you see all over the place these days..) and you can buy second hand as well as new books, which is very useful for penny pinchers like me. The staff are of the elderly, friendly kind and are so obviously spiritual that it warms your heart... though I was struck by a thought that these people are as much furniture as the tables and chairs are here. They have also expanded, for the season, into Christmas cards and postcards and some are pretty damn funny (if 100% tasteful) which isn't always a good thing. The book topics focus on religion and theology (understandably) and are of an adult context - big thinkers and book enthusiasts only should be shopping here. Teenagers looking for some romance novels may find a few floating around but much better off if you're into some hardcore thinking. An excellent little place.

I love this waterstones! It is one of my favorite bookstores I have been to. The building is…read moreinteresting and has nice areas for sitting. The cafe is usually busy, and seating can be hard to find, but there is often some available.

I'm generally not a fan of chain stores, especially chain stores which sell books. The clinical…read moreaspect a coorporation brings detracts a great deal from the buying experience; I like the idea of rooting through a mountain of crap in order to find that one elusive beauty. Book stores especially seem to almost need this atmosphere of chaos to be credible. However, Waterstones on Gower Street, the flagship store of the Waterstones empire, and , therefore, supposedly the belly of the beast, is just annoyingly good. I want to hate it but try as I might I've been won over the the excellent choice, service and air-conditioning. Gower Street boasts 160,000 volumes along with a willingness to acquire new texts at your behest. Due to its close collaboration with the University of London, this Waterstones has a distinctly academic feel to it and is a great place to come and stock up for the new semester. They periodically offer gatherings and signings involving various authors and last year famously hosted a talk by Professor Stephen Hawking.

An absolute joy to browse. Lots of new books, but the real finds are in the second hand section at…read morethe back and downstairs. I always find loads of really interesting books, gifts and nifty gadgets. Brilliant place!

Wonderful bookshop, with staff who are more than happy to order in any books you wish. Turnaround…read moreis quick and the level of service and recommendations make it a definite highlight at the top of Sydenham High Street. There are also often very cheap second hand books, particularly for children and there are often wonderful finds to be had in the bargain boxes!