I adore this bookstore. They have multiple levels and endless novel options. If you don't see what…read moreyou are looking for all the staff can assist in finding it for you. They are super helpful and kind. I was able to snag a novel I was searching for that I couldn't find because it had a different cover than in the US. So happy they helped me find it!

Hatchards is (at least the self-proclaimed) oldest book seller in London. It's a fantastic bookshop…read morewith 4 levels full of books. Perfectly sorted and organized by genre then author and title. There's a lot of great signed and first editions as well. Some rare and hard to find books. Prices are fair, service is friendly, all in all it's one of the nicest bookshops I've ever been in. I picked up some titles I haven't found in shops here in the states, especially those special printings. I requested they stamp my purchases with a shop stamp so I will always remember I bought these titles at the oldest London book shop!

This is a great book shop in Notting Hill. I'm not a Notting Hill native but I'm a big fan of…read morelittle independent book shops. I needed a travel book once day whilst strolling through Notting Hill, this shop has such a big selection. Books are so expensive nowadays but the books here were so affordable, there were lots of discounted books, the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed and the staff were so helpful and friendly. It's a shame this isn't closer to my house or else I'd be in there all the time. It beats the big corporate book shops on atmosphere and friendliness alone.

YOU will find great bargains, on both old and new books at this book warehouse. They have a…read morecomplete range for all age readers, from childrens, religious, fashion, lifestyle, property, fiction, biography, etc. Also to be seen are gift and accessory articles for presents. So if you ever find yourself around Notting Hill Tube station then drop by 'The Book Warehouse'. Come rain or sunshine they always have a deadly table laden with the best bargains outside the shop. One really can't resist pausing to browse.

West End Lane Books is everything a book store should be. The only trouble is they were playing Bob…read moreDylan when I arrived. I can not stand Bob Dylan. This store had a nice artsy sort of selection of the type of books people read who live in the NW postcodes, meaning NW3,NW5, NW6. I think this is not a bad thing at all. W.E Lane Books also had an impressive sale selection. I found the Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt reduced from 15.99 to 5.99. You look around and see Penguin Titles mugs and 5 pounds of the Mighty Boosh Book (not sure if this is a desirable book to acquire or not, you decide). The staff also shows your their favourites, in a section. A good shop but can the Dylan. Yikes!

Really top-notch bookstore. I used to stop in all the time when I lived around the corner, and was…read morejust back in yesterday. It's not big, but not too tiny, and is independently owned and operated. They carry all the latest fiction and non-fiction, and not just the best-sellers, either. They do special topical displays. Yesterday was a rack of about 10 books about finance and the global economic crisis. They have a large section of Jewish books, catering to the local demographic. Their sale/discount section is one of the best I've seen. It's a couple of shelves near the back, and one right under the cash counter, but they're not the typical cheapo books you see in those sorts of bins. I picked up books like The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Search-Six-Million/dp/0007251939/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223300537&sr=8-1) (marked from £25 down to £9), The Rolling Thunder Logbook (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolling-Thunder-Logbook-T-Bone-Burnett/dp/1860746403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223300586&sr=1-1) (£14 down to £7), A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hedonist-Cellar-Adventures-Wine/dp/0747588465/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223300656&sr=1-2) (£14 down to £7, I think), and more.

A proper bookshop...but more importantly, and independent one!…read more I really like this place and am so happy that they still exist despite the convenience of online shopping. But it's actually at shops like this where I get inspired for a next book. I'm pretty much fed up with the personalisation of Amazon; while they probably know what I like, they cannot tell me what I might also like. And this is where the independent book sellers like The Stoke Newington Bookshop have a real margin: they have passionate and friendly staff who love to read themselves and they in turn can recommend their customers something totally unique...as long as you're willing to let them take you to undiscovered territory.

This large and popular bookstore is a good place to pick up a weekend's worth of reading. I find…read morebookshops cozy places to browse around in, and I enjoyed the experience of this small but well stoked local bookstore. Frequented by many of the literati that live in the whereabouts of Stoke Newington, this spacious store also hosts book readings by local authors, and an occasional poetry night. They have a good range of children's books, as well as several magazines on arcane and current subjects. I found an interesting philosophy journal here, with short articles on the most challenging ideas of our times by eminent philosophers. Another addition to the overflowing bookshelf!

I went to Pages of Hackney to buy a present for a friend of mine who is a woman…read more The person who served me (a woman in her mid-30s with long black hair) suggested a new book about feminism. I said my friend wouldn't read a book about that subject. Well - the clerk didn't take that lightly and said that no woman is uninterested in feminism. And it was probably me not liking the subject. For the following 5 minutes, she behaved incredibly grumpy and was of no help. Ultimately, she went behind the counter and stopped helping me in the most unprofessional fashion. I didn't give her nasty provocations any space and kept doing my thing. After all, I was there for my friend. Eventually, I found an interesting title, paid and left. On my way out, I noticed another book in the window that I thought would have been a much better choice. So I went straight back in and asked the lady if she knew anything about the book. Unfortunately, she didn't. So, I grabbed my phone and checked the reviews online. The woman didn't miss the opportunity to be nasty once again. And in a very snobbish and pseudo-intellectual way, she said, "Oh wow! So you trust reviews on Google?" YO! I JUST ASKED YOU TO GIVE ME YOUR REVIEW OF THE BOOK, AND YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT. Of course, I will trust the reviews of a thousand people who read the book over your bloody ignorance. Don't you think? GROW UP, GIRL. I know it's hard. But it would help if you make an effort. Grow the f* up!

Great bookshop. I went there for an event with the author Owen Jones and for £3 you get an…read moreinteresting evening topped off by a glass (or glasses, as some guests had refills) of wine. Afterwards a friend of the owner so very convincingly raved about what a good book 'We need to talk about Kevin' is that I left with a second hand copy of said book. The staff were all very friendly and lovely and made everyone feel welcome. They have a great selection of books, a special mention goes to the extensive travel book section the owner is apparently a well-travelled bloke and it shows. It is the kind of place you want to return to not because you really need a book but just because you want to support such wonderful independent shops and simply enjoy being in a shop with friendly staff who know what they are talking about and are happy to help.

The quality of second hand books often leaves a lot to be desired, buying first hand costs you a…read morefortune, yet by buying on-line you are missing out on that wonderful pastime of browsing through anything that catches your eye on the book shelves. So what to do? Come to this little assortment on Portobello Road. Like Oxfam Originals, Oxfam Books is another great idea. It's cheap, cheerful, the books are well organised and in pretty good condition. By buying here you also know you're helping a good cause as of course all the proceeds go to charity. I've bought some great finds, from cookery books to paperbacks that have only recently been published. Definitely worth a browse if you are coming to the market.

Normally, once a month I pay these guys a visit and I never leave empty handed…read more I love this little shop, from the 20's jazz they're playing in the background to the super bargains you get on books, comics and video tapes. The books are in good condition and normally if you buy one, you get one free. The same deal goes for the video tapes ( 99p for one) and I buy loads for my kid. Last time I was there I bought 5 books for only £6. If I were to buy them from WHSmith (I did the maths on their site) the total cost would have been £40.50 for the exact same books!!! Craaaazy!!

Great bookstore!…read more The selection is well-curated and there is something for everyone in here. The owners are friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to offer recommendations. Definitely worth a visit for anyone into books!!

Really, a lovely little bookshop with a long-standing history in this area. Where it could have…read moresuccumbed to the temptation to sell cool books to all the cool people that pass through this street (y'know how Fopp does it - bit of Orwell, bit of Camus, bit o' Kafka), they actually got a really well-stocked selection of fiction. The kind of fiction you've always wanted to read, or thought you should be reading. like Proust? And they do pretty greetings cards. There is a standard section on design, with big coffee table books about brazillian architecture or pictures of industrial decline. You do know them ones. But that's ok, their local history selection is beautiful and really appropriate for Brick Lane, where it would be easy to forget what it looked like last year. This bit's got nice books on the area's radical history, the stories of the Jewish presence in the area (I'd been looking for a Litvinoff book for ages) and the struggles against fascism and the National Front in London's East End. Which I felt really ties it to the area. It's definitely worth coming in 2 Eastside Books for a browse...

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.