I have to give a major shout out to Paramount Books - a fantastic independent bookstore nestled in…read morethe sometimes overlooked and forgotten Shudehill area of town. Ok so there may be a million KFC ripoff takeaways and a few random shops that have seen better days around it but Paramount stands out as a well looked after 2nd hand book store with loads of character! I was pulled in on a wet and windy Monday by their comic book sale - in fact there's a whole area in the back dedicated to rare comics and graphic novels (fantastic selection) - inside there's a fantastic selection covering everything from music and film to politics, history and philosophy - really good to browse and possible pick up a tome to take home (wow that rhymes...) The best part of this place is the owner who basically is exactly what you'd be looking for if casting this place in a Hollywood movie. With glasses dangling from his neck and a scholarly look as he sorts the shelves - the classical music in the background makes you really feel what a unique place this is in the world of chain stores and amazon. Make sure you check out Paramount soon and enjoy a slip back into yesteryear!

Thank the lord for Paramount Book Exchange…read more One of the few independent bookshops left in Manchester, it's a strictly DIY affair run by a genuine book lover. The sign outside suggests it's only open Fridays and Saturdays but it's usually open Monday to Saturday unless the owner has popped out for something. The lively window displays give a great indicator of what's in store with stacks of new, vintage and secondhand books everywhere. Fans of cult fiction, sci-fi, horror, crime noir, queer fiction, biographies and pop culture will find much to treasure here as the stock leans more towards William Burroughs, Poppy Z Brite and Neil Gaiman than Harry Potter. There's also a small selection of 60s-90s vinyl for crate diggers. All they need is a coffee machine and I'd happily move in!

This WHsmith store is in the Bury Millgate Shopping Centre, it is quite near to Aleef News and next…read moreto HMV in the shopping centre. My sole purpose, of visiting this store was mainly to visit the news papers, as you walk in they is a fridge of drinks, a checkout and more importantly, the newspapers. I do feel for a big store like WHsmith, their range was disappointing not stocking newspapers like The Independent. One other thing which was annoying, was that this branch as well as selling Bury's newspaper sells newspapers from Heywood, Rochdale, Bolton and probably other locations, I feel these are newspapers just for residents so they should only sell the Rochdale Advertiser in Rochdale , and just sell the Bury one here, they is no need for it. If you are buying a newspaper, you will most likely want one from your region or city or a national one from that day, some of the regional ones were days old, I feel instead of stocking on newspapers from other local cities and some further out like Bolton, they should focus on getting a better range and more of the national newspapers like The Independent. One thing however that I liked was the staff didn't mind me standing their and just browsing the newspapers, I admit they could of said something as I did not end up buying the newspaper in the end - instead getting my paper from Aleef News. I did notice a good range of annuals, which were located near the newspapers but you would expect that from a place like WHsmith. Overall, this is not the best WHsmith store, the store manager needs to learn that selling Bolton newspapers in Bury will not work and they need to sell up to date newspapers which are from that area or nationally, and are updated daily, so for now I can only give two stars.

One of the best shops I have been to. A great selection of comics plus a continual supply of…read morespecial offers.

When I lived on Oldham Street many moons ago, I used to pop into Forbidden Planet on a weekly basis…read moreto pick up new copies of The Sandman, The Invisibles and other cool comics. These days, I only venture in now and again for something specific, like Reinhard Kleist's awesome graphic novel based on the life of Johnny Cash - I See A Darkness. For me, the layout and interior of Forbidden Planet lacks the ambience and wow factor of somewhere like Dave's Comics in Brighton but their range of comics, manga and graphic novels is faultless. For true fantatics and collectors, they also stock a massive range of cartoon, comic and pop culture memorabilia including tee-shirts, games, videos and toys. Personally, I have my eye on one of Frank Kozak's toy smoking rabbits complete with eye patch.

This is very unique book store full of unusual books but also has first edition books from medicine…read moreto children's novel. Over 5 floors, which allegedly the building was built in the late 1800s. I personally love the unusual book store, where love thy neighbours vaule/ trust in each other still stands. This is a rarity in itself, which I love so much . They even have diy tea area where you help yourself to tea/coffee for a very small nominal fee.

I like this place, will often have a walk in and browse even if I don't need a book…read more Very cheap books, really worth the prices. I tend to look for Gothy types of books , but its nice to grab a bit of poetry now and then.

Is there a finer, funkier, funnier, bookstore in all of Yorkshire? Maybe all of the UK? I don't…read morethink so. What topic are you looking for? Proprietor Barry, with his assistant Jerry the cat, will find it for you. Indeed, probably several books on topic. Or just go in with an open mind and you'll find many books of interest. The difficulty will be deciding which to buy. Don't worry, the prices are so reasonable that you can take all you can carry. Beware, there are approximately 14,000 books there, so bring a really big bag.

I love quaint traditional rummagy book shops and this is one of the best. Set up an old cobbled…read morelane with mandatory ats a top some old books outside, the shops itself is small and paked high with books of all genres as well as some old classics and the frienldy old staff

The works is a curious yet great shop to browse and buy from. Not only can you get a large array of…read morecut -price books to suit anyone and everyone they also stock craft supplies both adult and childrens varieties and games and toys. It's a great place to shop for holiday reading books or for Christmas stocking fillers (& party bag fillers!). The shops aren't the easiest to navigate due to the sporadic displays as opposed to linear aisles yet it's not as difficult to get around with a pushchair as you may fear. The stock levels are huge as is the variety of stock and the staff are helpful and pleasant.

This is the only shop in Chorlton that sells brand new books. Although the bars on the windows…read moredon't entice you into this bookshop, I would advice you to go in and have a browse. Although this is quite a small store they manage to pack quite a lot in, including a range of current and classic novels. These are shelved around the edge of the front room, and in the middle there is a table with many discounted books ranging from travel guides to recipe books. In the back room there are non-fiction books including foreign language books and dictionaries. The staff are really friendly, and if they don't have the book you're looking for then they can order it for you. They also have a gift wrapping service, and a great selection of arty cards including ones with Quentin Blake illustrations which I love. Let's hope that the giants of Amazon and co. do not force this lovely traditional bookshop out of business.

Toni Morrison Alice Walker…read moreJeanette Winterson Angela Carter Raymond Carter Richard Yates Cormac McCarthy Annie Proulx Carson McCullers It might be smaller than the travel section of Waterstones but Chorlton Bookshop is a lovely independent bookshop stocked with fine fiction and poetry. I've only visited half a dozen or so times but the fact I've never left empty-handed speaks volumes about the owner's selection. As well as a lots of classic British and American fiction, there's a strong, wee selection of African-American fiction, womens fiction, crime noir and books by critically acclaimed local authors. If I remember rightly, it was Chorlton Bookshop where I bought a copy of Jackie Kay's excellent debut novel Trumpet many moons ago. Since then, the Chorlton based author has produced some compelling books of poetry and short stories but I'm still holding out for her second novel. C'mon, Jackie! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiEyuJTyAlI

News Rack is a superb newsagent on Princess Parade in Bury. It is clean, tidy and there's not a…read morehint of the usual ramshackle that you get in most similar places. Whilst you may think this somewhat takes away from any character - indeed, the sign makes it look like a chain, don't worry. The staff more than make up for this with their chat and banter as they serve you with your magazine or chocolate bar. They look like they stand there behind the counter basically having fun all day and inviting you to join in.