Just don't go in- you'll never leave!!…read more This quietly unassuming second-hand bookshop halfway up North Street will steal your time, but in a great way. From the outside it doesn't look that big, but step inside and you find yourself in a tardis, with books piled from floor to ceiling, winding backwards and sideways and crammed into every possible place. While it can initially be a little intimidating by the sheer volume, everything is organised into genres and between fiction and non-fiction so finding things is easier than you initially think. The fact that the books are second hand means you might find little gems that you wouldn't see piled neatly in the chain stores because publishers tell them too, and you might stumble across a book or author you'd never even considered. If you can't find what you are looking for, don't be afraid to ask, these guys are super friendly, and at the prices they charge who would bother with a kindle! I'll be back, when I've a couple of hours to spare. :-)

This place is AMAZING!!! Books behind books, on top of books. Could easily spend days here. And the…read moreprices are amazing. Tons of Irish authors, classics, sci-fi, and everything in between.

Now widely acknowledged as Northern Ireland's premiere secondhand bookshop, Bookends - situated…read moreright near the bus and train station in Bangor - carries over 70,000 books in stock. Bookends has gone from strength to strength since they first opened our doors back in 2003. Regular customers will have noticed that the main retail premises has moved two doors up from its original location, thus increasing space (and books!) by almost fifty per cent. The first shop continues to be maintained as a store, and as a result Bookends has an enormous reservoir of stock to draw upon. But we're not just any secondhand bookshop! Most of our stock is 'nearly new', and the surroundings are clean and bright, just as they would be in a 'normal' bookshop. Even our store is so well organised that if you're looking for one particular thing, chances are they'll be able to lay our hands on it! And when you're done, almost all of our books can be returned to us for half price exchange, allowing your cash to go further in these difficult times. Books are, after all, a necessity of life. A really, really good bookshop in the heart of town with friendly and helpful staff, an absolute must for book fans.

I could (and have) literally spent well over an hour just browsing in this wee shop…read more There is not a great deal more I can say than what the other reviewer has said - especially since he has just copied and pasted their 'about us' directly from their website! All I can offer is personal experience. They are literally wall to wall and floor to ceiling with books. You will pretty much find anything you are looking for here, and things you aren't looking for but discover once you get here, and just have to have! When I was studying, I managed to find every single reference book I needed here, and I paid less than a quarter of what I would have had to shell out if I'd got them brand new. I also just happened upon some books from a series of pony books I had when I was younger. I was able to get the three books missing from my collection, all ready to take home for a little bit of nostalgia.

I'm actually in Waterstones a lot without every buying a book. You see Waterstones houses one of my…read morefavourite coffee shops in the city, Ground Espresso Bar. The bookshop itself is always busy but don't worry there's also plenty of staff although sometimes I find it hard to distinguish between staff and browsers as they don't appear to have a clear uniform. The shop displays are always excellent - they often have featured books highlighted on a table and then related works nearby. I really like this concept as it makes it a really easy shopping experience. Waterstones has a really nice relaxed feeling about it - you won't get told off for having a good rummage and likewise if you want to contemplate your next novel choice the upstairs coffee shop is the perfect place to do that. I know this review wasn't exactly a thriller but hopefully it's a good non-fiction.

Waterstones does not strike me as 'mainstream' as Easons or WH Smith. There is more of a homely,…read moresort of old fashioned atmosphere at Waterstones which takes the shabby bookshop feel but invests lots of money and time into it to make it into a great store. It is a great mix of old and new. The shop gives you a feel of being a bit like going to your gran's house, but instead of old photo albums, you have the latest bestsellers dotted around instead. They have some great offers, particularly on children's books. I went in with a friend to buy books for primary school teaching and they had some great ones for very cheap. The shop also has some travel guides, a great section on irish history, and is a perfect stop if you need to get someone a Christmas present and you've already exhausted the CD and DVD route one too many times. The staff are really nice and smile and do everything you want from a bookshop member of staff. Remarkable how some shops not too far away have the most ignorant members of staff you can find, yet a quaint little bookshop has the most polite and pleasent people you will ever find. Although I don't like buying books and not ever getting round to reading them, I do like to browse bookshops and Waterstones is one of my favourite in all of Belfast.

Is there one of these awesome stores in every little town in Co. Down? There blooming well should…read morebe! How I wish I were a child again (I notice I'm saying that a lot these days) What a magical feeling it must be to climb the stairs of Stewart Miller's and know that you are basically going into Santa's grotto - have you ever seen so many toys shoved and stacked into one top floor - I haven't I can tell ye! Not only is it toy heaven upstairs but downstairs is like a child's dream - sweets, chocolate, crisps and wrapping paper - well, they ahve to stock something for adults! Seriously though, if you need a newspaper, your lotto, a card, a fine nibbed marker in florescent green, a book on horses or a tub of Roses then this is the place for you. Make sure you spend over a fiver if you want to use your debit card though as they won't take it unless you do. Stewart Miller I salute you.

One of my favourite shops in newtownards, all the childhood memories of getting a new subbuteo team…read moreor some sweets and the latest beano mag, then the dreaded stationary shop at the end of the summer holidays to the present day browsing books and looking at toys for my son and gifts for others. Its remained unchanged and that's because Stewart millers works so well and has got something to offer everyone. Christmas time is great in Stewart millers too and its one of the best shops in ards.