HMV in Speke isn't bad for a relatively small store. It's only one floor, but they make the most of…read morethe space. I mainly go there to check out the DVDs, and they usually have a wide selection, with some good offers in the sales section at the front. I like it because it's open late (9 or 10pm, I think) and it's handy to tie it in with a visit to Borders bookstore, which is just a few doors down.

I have been to Bold Street and Liverpool One's branches of HMV, and compared with them, this is a…read morevery impressive store. The layout is easier to understand, and the lighting is better than Bold Street, maybe because it's a fairly new store like Liverpool One. It's a large square shape in terms of interiors and they have an impressive variety and volume of stock for a relatively small branch. The stuff in their 2 for £10 on CDs (an ongoing thing all year round) is better than a lot of what you can find in their shops in town and their staff are more helpful and friendly as well. It's not too far from town; about 30 mins on the 82 or 86 bus services. They also have a lot more stock out the back and things you may not realise such as they do still sell CD walkmans, so always ask!!

This is a fab original little bookshop fighting against the likes of Waterstones and Blackwells. I…read moremean, it's not actually fighting those giants, but you know what I mean. If you've seen You've Got Mail you know what I mean. This is a proper bookshop. Books are crammed onto rickety-looking shelves and span all kinds of categories. They buy as well as sell books, so you can get yourself a good swop-shop thing going on if you're savvy enough. Obviously, you've got to have some spare time on your hands to browse through everything, but it's well worth it as this is one of the few remaining old fashioned book stores in the city centre, and you can find some real gems. Also worth a look from an academic point of view - being near the university campuses means you can get some bargains as far as uni reading goes.

It's good because it sells a lot of books cheaply but my enthusiasm for little quaint second hand…read morebookshops has worn a little thin mainly because the owners al seem to be sociopaths or misanthropes. Too harsh? Maybe, it could just be the case that put end to end and the hours sat alone with only books for company probably add up to years, either that or books give off some sort of toxic fumes that effect the central nervous system. Still there are lots of books here so if books are what you're after then why not take a few minutes to see if there's anything amongst the second hand stock - and therefore tick your little green eco box for the day to boot - and you may just come across some thing you'd never thought of picking up .

For its size the Blucoat Books and Arts store crams a hell of a lot into its small store which is…read morebasically a space under the stairs leading to the rest of the stores in the Gostins Building. Their selection of books is really very good especially in the arts, films and music sections. Taking an interest in the cinema section I was pleased to see many titles that you would struggle to find even in the new Waterstones - which for all its size isn't as extensive as you would expect, maybe they should concentrate on the books instead of the coffee to go with them. Added to this they only have an arts and crafts space that would give Rennie's a run for their money. It is not a one stop kind of place for all your artistic needs - that would be a bit too much to ask considering the lack of floor space - but with an extensive range of paints, cards and paper the enthusiast will find enough to keep them busy.

When I think of the bookshops in Liverpool, this one never seems to spring to mind first, but it…read morereally should. Tucked away in a little cluster of shops off Hanover Street, Bluecoat Books is a good little store for the budding artist, crammed with Art and Design books on specific artists and architecture as well as the usual A-Z of fiction. They have an art materials workshop with a rainbow of paints, brushes and canvases on sale and also a surprising amount of childrens books which took me back to the days when I was much happier reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar than Austen! I also noticed there was a whole section on travel guide to...'s and they had some out-of-date ones out at 50p each! Also it was £5 for 3 of the second-hand hardback books so I'm stock up for a while now! I won't be forgetting this place in a hurry!

Really good selection and great service in the children's section. You can get stuff cheaper on…read moreAmazon, but if you want to support the brick and mortar economy this is a good option.

The kids books section is awesome! It has not only books and toys, bit also a yellow submarine that…read moretoddlers can play in. It has a cafe upstairs, as well a pretty good inventory. Recommended.

If you attend University and want to get your books all shiny and new (this ideal lasts for about 6…read moremonths of your first year or until you realise you need new books all the time and it's cheaper to go to Amazon) this is the bookshop to head to. As an English and Philosophy student, I quickly found that the excuse "I've not done my work because the shop didn't stock that particular book" fell on deaf ears - my tutors would take their reading lists over to Blackwells at the start of semester and make sure there were enough copies ordered in. Hence everyone began crying poverty and the new excuse was "I couldn't find it online/in the library" - much fun ensued. Anyway, as an educational bookshop Blackwells is pretty damn good, and as it also stocks used books for more affordable prices, it's hard to find an excuse for why you've not got the books these days. There is also a smattering of stationary and cards etc if you want to give your eyes a break from raking the bookshelves, and a lovely little cafe upstairs. Pretty decent really.

Blackwell's is the ideal place for students to purchase their books. It is opened especially to…read moremeet students' needs and located in a busy student area (on the University of Liverpool campus). Whether it's a certain book you require or not, the bookshop makes decent browsing. With the upper floor also hosting a café, it is an ideal place to share a drink or muffin with colleagues whilst on your lunch break. Since it is a shop dedicated for students, they do student discount offers if you have a valid student ID card. Plus, if you have any unwanted books, you can trade them in for store vouchers provided the book is in good condition and on request by Blackwell's. In addition to books, you will find other items such as small gifts, stationery and audio CD's.

If you are anywhere near the Empire Theatre with some time to spare, this small rare and second…read morehand book shop is a treat to visit. Just look out for the big clock. There a books packed on shelves from floor to the high ceiling for the depth of the shop. Outside there is a 10p bookcase with some interesting titles. The sign above the door reads "Books purchased from Single Items to the Largest Library. All Subjects, All periods, 16th Century to Modern Paperbacks." They also purchase classical and jazz LPs and CDs but the first floor department is not open yet. There are all manor of books to browse from specialist subjects to old annuals. They have recently been refurbished but the bookshop has an real old fashioned feeling.

Henry Bohn is a mini second hand book shop that has surprisingly and most recently attracted my…read moreattention. It is a mystery that I bothered to walk in after so many years I've passed this shop. Outside the entrance currently has a collection of books on sale for as cheap as 10p each. I don't know anywhere else where you can buy books for 10p! Most of these books are in adequate condition and of course readable. Inside is a different story. There are stacks full of books that feature many genres such as classics like Shakespeare and plenty of other literature including poetry. Plus, if that's not enough to tempt you, then they have a variety of music CD's. For example, jazz, classical, blues and LP's too. All of these items are affordable and if you have any unwanted items, you can trade in for cash depending on the type of book and condition. This is what's great about the shop as both sides can benefit. In terms of the layout, it is rather narrow and the lighting is a bit dull. Other than that, you can't really argue much about the items they sell. There is something for everyone here and it could be your lucky day if you come across a valuable read.

My first visit to Kernaghan Books was only fairly recently. I hadn't visited the Wayfarer's arcade…read morefor a long time, probably not since I was dragged around Broadbents' department store as a screaming child.This time I promise I did not scream. Tucked away on the second floor, Kernaghan's is easily ignored, however doing so would be a very big mistake on your part. For any bibliophile or avid reader this is a truly excellent haven of books. You really cannot beat £1 for Bret Easton Ellis' 'American Psycho', which ended up being my purchase. I would recommend Kernaghan's to anyone who enjoys a particular and maybe obscure reading matter. Divided into many different sections, as well as having a rare books room, it is perfect for someone rooting out a particularly uncommon book. The staff are friendly and extremely helpful and eager to counsel on other books you might enjoy based on your selection. On a side-note, my friend discovered and eventually bought a Spam recipe book for her father as a joke present. It was very well received.

I visited here in June 2017. I thought it was going to be only antiquarian books, but there is a…read moregood selection of fiction and non-fiction books at low prices. I met the owner and he was very friendly.

The Book Clearance store situated in St. John's Precinct is a small shop which sells a variety of…read morebooks at affordable prices. The shop is not really aimed towards children but more to those interested in arts, literature, history, cookery and languages to name but a few. They have a great selection of books on offer and attract a lot of students. Quite often when I was a student, I went straight towards the computing section where they always had a range of books related to software development and hardware. Their prices are usually cheaper than most high street stores like Waterstones but their selection sometimes dated. The shop is perhaps a little tight for comfort and you will have to be on your feet to flick through a book. However, it is a fabulous place to buy hobby books or a good place to browse if you have time on your hands.

The Book Clearance Centre is one of those places where you need to be patient, but you can more…read moreoften than not find something you want or at least are interested in. There is a varied selection of fiction and non-fiction books, both paperback and hardback, at pretty good prices. There is usually some sort of offer on as well, such as three paperbacks for £10. In addition to this, there is a section dedicated to Liverpool - its authors, history and tourist information, as well as the usual tat to do with The Beatles. Not an ideal place, if, like me, bookshops make you need the loo (and I know I'm not alone here - something about browsing bookshelves just makes you wanna go!!) as you need to invest some time if you're gonna find anything valuable. Still, worth a shot!