As soon as I walked in this place, someone - maybe it was Keith - immediately asked me if they…read morecould help. Considering the incredible disorder that abounded (there are literally books everywhere) this was helpful. Very helpful. I asked him if they had any books on astronomy. They had, near hand writing analysis apparently. I really do love book shops like this, they buy, they sell, there are antique books and also newer ones. They care about the selection but not in a snobbish, pretentiously literary way. It's a democracy and the book s are totally reasonable.

Loved this place! The book selection was vast and the people were very helpful. I was able to look…read morearound though had a hard time finding anything specific. While it is lovely to browse finding a specific book might be hard.

Black Gull is an alternative book store in the old fashioned sense…read more Books are piled up on top of each other and prices are written in pencil on the inside cover. There are mostly used books in this shop. I think the prices are pretty good. I found one of one Erica Jong's books( old favourite is Fear of Flying , high end smut :) called Fear of Fifty for 3 pounds. Also of interest, was a book of transvestite fetish photos. Cool. This is a good place to browse books, if you are unsure what you are after. I think this is the best way to find something new to read. The only thing is there is no seating. Still, you'll have fun browsing in this store.

A super place to browse and find the odd treasure. I bought great Christmas presents here,…read moreincluding a gorgeously illustrated 1972 book on Bakst, and a vintage Giles cartoon annual. Also a couple of immaculate Nadine Gordimers for my husband. There's a delightful children's section, and comfortable seating.

This place is awesome…read more And it's a chain so no matter where you go there's usually one in your area. It doesn't have every book but it has a pretty good selection for reasonable prices and there's always something that will interest you. I was on the hunt for a specific book that day so I was focused on finding that title but if I had given myself time to meander I probably would have come out of there with at least two books and only a little less pocket money.

amazing. I agree with Ashley. Probably not a wide range of choices but it definitely has a very…read moregood selection. I went there today and spent around 26 pounds and look what I've got. superb. - an illustrated encyclopedia of Buddhism - 3 classics books including Kim by Rudyard Kipling - Green Travel Guide by The Guardian - One business book. Next time i m thinking to buy some rare cds and cute stuff like coffee box inside you will find letters explaining coffee history. it's worth visiting i highly recommend ;)

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.

I like this branch, it is small and compact and you do feel they make the best of the space, but I…read moredon't feel it is cluttered. I really like upstairs, I can whittle away the time in their just by looking at books on travel and spirituality etc. They have provided soft furnishing their its almost meditative up their. I have not bought anything from their yet so I cant comment on customer service. I'm glad their is still a Waterstones not to far from me since they closed the big one in Watford a couple a years ago.

Originally an independent bookshop it was bought out by Otakar's who then sold it to Waterstone's…read more The layout always feels messy to me, as you walk in your ay is obstructed by a series of tables with new books or those which are part of a "three for two" offer. Broadly speaking non fiction is upstairs (some sections here are poorly stocked- I've always found the languages section especially poor). The most positive factor in the store are the staff; this is definitely the store to go to if you are not sure about a title, etc. as they will go out of their way to track down what you are looking for. If however you are buying a best selling book they will usually be much cheaper at Sussex Stationers about 200yards further down the shopping precinct.

A delightful trove of quality used books focused on UK architecture, design, literature, and…read morehistory. Found some gems here.

It's only when you come across a gem like this that you realise how few second hand bookstores…read morethere are in London these days. They used to be quite ubiquitous but now even charity shops don't seem to stock books anymore - it's all about vintage clothing these days ... Archive should be given museum status as it takes you right back to a time before Amazon and e-books. You can easily while away an entire afternoon on a discovery tour. I have to admit that I hardly ever buy second hand books as nothing beats a book fresh from the printers for me - I read mainly in bed and don't like the idea of a smelly old book between the sheets - which makes me wonder how a place like this can survive. I hope it'll still be here the next time I wander down Bell Street.