During last month’s trip to Scotland, my boyfriend and I had a few spare hours to explore Edinburgh. We had a lot to cram in and I hadn’t imagined there would be time to check out any bookshops. So I was delighted when we stumbled upon what must be the best bookshop in Edinburgh (although please let me know if there’s a better one and I’ll put it on my list for next time).
UK
Owl Bookshop – London
My uncle and auntie live very close to Kentish Town. Not only are they lucky enough to have Hampstead Heath almost on their doorstep, but they also have a lovely local bookshop. It’s great having an independent bookshop nearby, especially this one.
The Owl Bookshop is wonderfully orderly, with well thought out displays and very clear sections – it’s an easy shop to navigate for readers in search of a particular subject. Continue reading
The Angel Bookshop – Cambridge
On a recent visit to Cambridge, I spotted this ‘heavenly’ bookshop. In between punting on the Cam and a cake and tea stop, my friends and I couldn’t help but take a quick look – I mean, who could resist this window display? It’s colourful, varied and has some cute cuddly toys for good measure. It was the icing on the cake to make the weekend perfect.
The Harbour Bookshop – St. Ives
This is the second bookshop I visited in St. Ives. It’s not exactly a big town, and with the St. Ives Bookseller just around the corner, you might think there’s no need for another bookshop. But I say that you can never have too many bookshops!
(Sorry for the terrible picture!) Continue reading
St. Ives Bookseller – St. Ives
When I first walked past this bookshop, I was immediately attracted by the lovely, bright and colourful window display. Through the miserable “summer” weather, the display was so sunny and cheerful, I could almost imagine myself away and on a hot beach. The display had a distinctly beachy and local theme going on, with the exception of Fifty Shades of Grey, of course, which I can’t seem to escape at the moment. One window was dedicated to a children’s book called Cornish Tales which looked very good. It’s a shame I went home before the book signing!
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Bookwise – Southwell
Recently, a couple of friends and I took a much needed day off. We didn’t want to travel too far from home, but wanted to get away from the same old cafés in the centre of Nottingham. We were hoping to spend the day drinking tea, eating cakes and having a good old girlie natter and catch up. At the suggestion of one of our parents, we drove over to the nearby town of Southwell, which seems to be the land of lovely tearooms.
We did indeed spend a couple of hours eating, drinking and chatting, but left enough time to have a little explore. Southwell is a picturesque town with a beautiful minster and some interesting shops. Of course, my eyes were kept peeled for a good bookshop, and as luck would have it, I did not need to look very far!
The Slightly Foxed Bookshop – London
*** Please note: Sadly The Slightly Foxed Bookshop on Gloucester Road is now closed. Please visit this website for more information. ***
During the two weeks of my work experience at Slightly Foxed, there was one thing on my list of things to do that I really had to do – even if it took me all the way to the other side of London following a complicated route chosen for me by the Transport of London website – and that was to visit The Slightly Foxed Bookshop. Located a stone’s throw from Gloucester Road tube station, the shop is very easy to find, even if you are new to London and useless with a map! As an added bonus, there is also a conveniently placed Caffè Nero next door so that you can enjoy a well deserved hot drink whilst reading through your purchases.
The shop was originally Gloucester Road Bookshop, owned and run by Graham Greene’s nephew, until Slightly Foxed – the ‘real readers’ literary quarterly magazine took it over in 2009. In the few years that it has been open, it has become a much loved part of Gloucester Road, holding events and launches, not just for Slightly Foxed’s own editions and magazines, but also for other like-minded publishers such as Candlestick Press.
Camden Lock Books – London
A while ago I heard rumour of a wonderful little gem of a bookshop in one of the tube stations in London. Because I was nowhere near London at the time, I promptly forgot all about it. When I was offered a work experience position at Slightly Foxed, ten minutes from Old Street Station, I heard it mentioned yet again and was told that I simply had to visit. It sounded brilliant, and so off I went one lunchtime to check it out. 
Strangely, the bookshop is named Camden Lock Books, as that was where the owner, Jason Burley, opened his first bookshop in 1984. The name is a bit odd as it is located nowhere near Camden, but little quirks like this are always appreciated by a bookworm like me. Continue reading
Bookscene – Nottingham
I absolutely love discovering cheap bookshops. So imagine how delighted I was when walking around my new neighbourhood this weekend I found one just around the corner!
Bookscene has something for everyone. There is a particularly large science-fiction and horror/crime section, but there is plenty more on offer here. Not being the hugest fan of science-fiction, I headed straight over to the general fiction shelf and was happy to find that there was a lot of choice. I was even happier when I saw the prices! A book for 75p? Could I have read that right? It was then a struggle not to grab books by the handful and buy them all! Continue reading
Bundle of Books 