All my life I have greatly enjoyed reading books but almost as much as I enjoy reading them I enjoy…read morefinding them. Never been one to peruse the clean cut aisles of W H Smith or Ottakers for instance, or to click through pages of Amazon - oh no, I prefer the real mc coy. Book shops like this one are a dying race and it's a shame. These books are all pre-loved and you can really feel it; the notes in the margins, the underlining of key points or simply the messages in the inside cover. Avon Books is an old fashioned affair complete with well spoken gent behind the till and a musty smell of ciggies. The stock is mostly on the subjects of war, espionage, natural history and philosophy but you can root out a few gems too. Recently I found the entire Gray's Anatomy for just a quid! Try and beat that.

It was the owner sitting outside having a quiet smoke that made me want to have a look inside this…read moreshop. A proper old bookshop, run by a proper bookish booklover, it's lovely for browsing, and is well organised if you're looking for something specific. I love buying books this way, rather than brand new from shiny big high street bookshops, and Avon Books does a good job of providing a classic library atmosphere to satisfy the old-fashioned among us. True to its local name, it stocks a good section of books about Bristol's history, which I'm sure get picked up by tourists on their way back from the Suspension Bridge. The classics section is large, so students of English Literature, take note: this is a good place to come if you need to stock up on books from your reading list.

I've lived in Bristol all my life and always enjoyed going in BOTL. Although it smells of mould and…read morehas had many of the same books on the shelves for years, the prices are very reasonable and there is a wide selection of material. The owner is always polite and helpful, which made it rather depressing to overhear him enjoying a tediously racist and homophobic conversation today with a friend at the front desk. Once they'd set the world to rights about the perils of representation in media of 'ethnic minorities' and gay people being able to live openly, they went in for trans folk. 'Middle aged men dressed as women' was the sneering phrase. As I paid for my copy of the NRSV Apocrypha, thanked the owner and wished both gentlemen a good day, I thought 'what a shame, I suppose they don't want my type or our money here'. In the interest of balance, I should repeat that this is a lovely little bookshop, and a Bristol classic. Perfect for those who have a soft spot for out-of-date and unloved items

Whenever I go to a second hand book shop, I am reminded of Helen Hanff's philosophy in 84 Charing…read moreCross Road. She believed it was selfish to keep hold of books that you'd read and were unlikely to read again. You were better to pass them on to friends or give them to shops like Beware of the Leopard. So whenever I look through the crates and crates of books I think how fantastic it is people have paid their books forward. It's worth taking your time to search every nook and cranny of this shop to find the hidden gems. Because there's a complete mix of genres in Beware of the Leopard, I love going iin with an open mind and coming out with something completely unexpected. Beware of the Leopard is spread over two sheltered units so don't miss out by forgetting to pop across the walkway.

This small Waterstones is an invaluable resource to students too late to take books out from the…read moreneighbouring university library. Here, the friendly sales assistants can track down and order those important university textbooks for you to arrive within days. Don't forget to visit the nearby student cash machine before visiting - the books from here aren't cheap, but you can be assured you'll be buying and ordering the right editions for your syllabus. Non students are also welcome here, where they have a good range of mainstream books too.

I know, you're thinking, Waterstone's, books, yawn, we know what it does…read more However despite being in the middle of the brain-dead Broadmead shopping centre this shop is a little gem purely because of the passion of its staff. Yes I come here to get a book I know about, and it has a pretty good stock of classics and new books and they can order anything in you like. However, the love comes when you have time to browse. This is when you should have a look at the side shelves at the end of the sections and the tables in the middle. The staff carefully pick out titles on a theme - perhaps Russian writers or books about serial killers in America - and have little reviews underneath. Now I know all Waterstone's do this but this shop seems to have a knack for finding some very interesting books. I discovered The Master and the Margarita here (I know! What was I doing all this time?) and for that they will always have my respect.

Thank you Anna for your help with helping finding books that were autism,diverse and inclusive for…read moremy daughter she is absolutely thrilled my bank account maybe not haha. you were amazing and a absolute asset to the store as Alice really appreciated your help and it made the end of our day she is looking forward to using the book for her art.

Where am I? Where am I going?…read moreWhat shall I do when I get there? Stanfords can help. The place to go when you are going places, Stanfords houses maps of a trillion kinds from sightseeing in Las Vegas to walking in Andalucian hills (check out the staircase down to the lower floor for a huge map of Bristol as wallpaper) as well a wide selection of travel literature including all the Lonely Planet/Rough Guide series. They also handle the OS customised map service here - where you can have a map made of anywhere - say you want your favourite walk but it usually takes two maps to see the whole thing? You can get a customised map of the area you need. Also good to use as a moving-in present as you can get a map centered around your house! They often have authors signing books and talks by travellers and writers in store - David Attenborough is there next week, I'll be the one weeping in the corner too afraid to say anything to him.

The Arnolfini Bookshop is a great find for unusual art and architecture books, off-beat novels and…read morejournals, and niche greetings cards you won't find in conventional high street shops. Most of the products aren't cheap, but being attached to an art gallery that comes as no surprise. On my first visit, I managed to pick up a book of Arabic short stories with English translations for a friend who's studying the language, and some quirky gift postcards I'd never seen in any other card shops. Since then I've been back many times and have found some weirdly entertaining novels and discovered periodicals I never knew existed. It's the sort of shop you could browse around for hours, despite being miniscule - and being part of the Arnolfini art gallery you can enjoy the current art exhibitions on the same visit.

I simply love this small store, which is located on the left inside the main Arnolfini Gallery,…read morejust beyond the central reception. It stocks an amazing array of periodicals, mags and amateur zines that you just can't get anywhere else. I can literally while away hours inside here, looking at all the crazy art that is displayed in these publications from all over the world, including many from cultural hotspots such as New York and San Francisco. There is also a decent selection of art books, from high-brow stuff about the masters to the grimiest urban graffiti and political stuff in cities all over the place. It may be expensive, but there's plenty of great present ideas here, just because it's so different from other stores. Check it out.

I love this place. I really wish waterstones would follow this shops example!…read more The stock usually rotates, but I have found quite a few steals here!!! It used to be the £2 book shop and now the £3 bookshop. But again, that's still a steal. On occasion, they do stock rare editions, but you will probably be in there for a couple of hours before you find one :p

Everything in this shop is gorgeous, including second-hand books, vintage clothes and accessories,…read moreleather-bound notebooks, local postcards. "Booty", with its definition "treasure", is exactly the right name for the place; anything you pick up here feels like a little prize, something you uncovered by happy accident when wandering along this quirky street. This is the sort of shop I remember dreaming about as a teenager, yearning for a shop that would have the ideal combination of brilliant things all in one place. It's a great place to come for gift-shopping, as you're likely to find something far more original and meaningul (and easier on the wallet) here than you would in a conventional, specific "gift shop". The shop is very at home here in this part of Bristol, with a dozen unique small businesses along one stretch leading towards yet more as you start down the Christmas Steps.

Booty! The name says it all - this shop is pretty much like a car boot sale (this particular car…read morewould have a very big boot). There are tonnes of books, vintage jewelery, vintage flick out fans, sunglasses, clothes, leather bound Indiany books, cards, hats, records.. the list goes on, and boy does it go on. You feel like you're transported to many different shops while you're in here. You could be in the aisles of an old library in the book section, and suddenly you're in your grandmother's closet, and a few steps later, you're in a really old school record shop! It makes it feels so fun to shuffle around in here, peering at every item as you go along. A great shop to wander in on a lazy afternoon, when you feel like immersing yourself in some great vintage retail therapy.

There aren't many branches of Foyles, so when you see one, grab a book, take a seat on a very…read morecomfortable chair and wile away a slow day with a cuppa. When the upstairs cafe first opened a few months ago, it felt like a trial, with takeaway cups and little else in the way of snacks. There's now more on offer, and if you're a coffee snob (like me), you can enjoy drinking from a bit of crockery rather than a cardboard tumbler. You would think a bookshop is a bookshop, but I've found books here I haven't seen elsewhere. I confess, most of my books are on my iPad these days, but this is a great place to find giant coffee table books that would look great on the giant, industrial-looking coffee table I wish I owned. Local books are here, too, and there's a space for authors to do talks and book readings, plus a modest gallery. And if you're looking for unique cards and wrapping paper, though sometimes pricey, look no further.

This is the best 2nd hand book store I have ever been to inside the UK. The range is massive, from…read morethe latest bestseller through to the classic novel, and there's always, always something that I want to buy. The prices are pretty decent less than half price of the RRP in a lot of cases, including for almost brand new books. It's pretty fun to rummage around looking for something to read, and you feel pretty good too - I mean, it's recycling, right?! They also buy your unwanted books back from you, but be aware - they only take soft back fiction, which I discovered after hauling down my hard backs, manga books and nonfiction! Really worth a visit if you're in the area.