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.

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 Perfect for those who have a soft spot for out-of-date and unloved items

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 prefer my bookshops musty and interesting, so the glowing sign of this place is hardly a beacon…read morein my eyes. Nevertheless, the other day, I stepped inside to have a browse. To be honest, it's a little better than most other discount bookstores I've been in - there are the standard kids books and biographies, but they also have a selection of other literature, through, granted - you' wont exactly find yourself spoiled for choice. I think you'd be hard pushed to find any groundbreaking or provocative literature lying around, but if you're just on the look out for a quick read, I'm sure you could pick up something suitable for a few pennies in here.

The arrival of the iReader and other electronic reading devices may signify a slight change in…read moreconsumer demands but for me the book will never die. The smell of old books in equally old book stores with their leaf like pages pushing gently by, or the newer modern shops with luxury leather sofas and crisp clean books. Both to me hold the excitement of a new story, idea or theme. In this shop it is more of the latter with some very comfortable furniture to peruse the new titles. Interestingly Wesley Owen is actually a charity. This is a Christian bookshop and thus all the books and music are Christian themed. Furthermore there's a good selection of Bibles - again as one would expect. Thus this shop makes for quite a specific shopping experience. If it's a warm and comfortable Christian bookshop you're after then this is the place for you.

Wesley Owen is located midway on Park Street and makes an excellent place to stop and take a…read morebreather. They have a large selection of books and music all at reasonable prices. I especially like the fact there are a couple of large sofas in which you are invited to sit back and relax with a book. Perfect after a long days shopping. It seems a shame that places like Wesley Owen might suffer due to the Internet music sharing business as it's really a very good shop. Unfortunately the days of Cd's and audio tapes seem to be behind us.

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.

This charity shop on Whiteladies road is excellently stocked - being in expensive areas always…read moreserves charity shops well, and this is clearly no exception. It's so well stocked it could be a proper book shop, only far far cheaper. They have a little section of music, which is also fairly impressive, and their range and topics of books is wide ranging. I had a very long chat to the guy who was working there, who seemed to know the shop back to front and was very helpful in finding a few relevant books for the thing I was searching for. They're obviously always in need of donations, so do a good turn in either way - donate, or have a browse and find yourself a bargain.

It seems all the craze these days for charity shops to branch out into the world of just books and…read moremusic, and British Heart Foundation are clean to hop on the band wagon. It's a bit of a trek up White Ladies but really very worth it once you get here. The selection is so varied and vast I have a hard time believing it all comes from donations. The music, for instance, stretches from Lenon to Arctic Monkeys to Dubstep and the book choice is huge! Books on insects, murder mysteries and so much more all peering out the woodwork. A bit of a stomp up the hill, but worth it.

Tons of books and a friendly knowledgeable staff that has a good sense of humor! Shop here!read more

Bath is hardly short of book shops (being England's publishing mecca) - so what sets Mr B's…read moreEmporium apart from the rest? Outstandingly friendly service, fantastic book signing events and a room dedicated to tranquil reading to name just a few. Voted Best Independent Bookshop, Mr B's Emporium isn't just a shop - it's an experience. My favourite thing to do of a lunch hour, is to pop along to the Bibliotherapy room at the top of the show, pick up a book, sit on the sofa and listen to the relaxing music. They also have a special booth equipped with tea, biscuits and headphones if you're looking for the ultimate in 'me time'. The shop spreads over three floors and covers a number of genres from cookbooks to psychology. These books are always sold at full price, so don't expect to get a bargain here, but you will find a carefully chosen selection of publications which you don't find on the highstreet.

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.