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.

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 Perfect for those who have a soft spot for out-of-date and unloved items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

I do adore bookshops and this one is a real treat for the eyes. There are paper cuttings directing…read moreyou to the fiction section and even free cake offerings! This place is almost my perfect bookshop (more comfy sofas to sink in to please)! I think they even have gigs here which is just a thing of dreams! Can't wait to return to actually purchase something, as last time i got extremely distracted with photographing every corner of it.

Rare and secondhand books are my thing, so I was bound to like it. I didn't know that it would be…read morelove at first sight though. Off the beaten track from the city's main shops, Colston Street is rapidly becoming the new cool, lined with retro boutiques, classy bars and one-off jewellery shops. The perfect location for a super cute second-hand bookshop, with a few other interesting kitsch bits and bobs thrown in for good measure. The space is compact, but I am drawn across the smooth wooden floors by the magnetic appeal of ALL THE BOOKS. For a mish-mash of different subjects (fiction and non-fiction) they're all well organised and some costs just a few quid. I suspect the selection is so good because of the proximity to a. University of Bristol English Literature department and b. University of Bristol Drama department. The quality classics, playtexts and poetry anthologies stand testament to that. The proprietor is too cool for school and is heard to blast out Dylan or Joni Mitchell from his laptop whilst reading and drinking coffee (exactly what I aim to do when I own my second hand bookshop). Saying that, he's enthusiastic and helpful (despite his nonchalant demeanour) and has been known to offer you a free slice of cake with a purchase.

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.

I was out Yelping in town the other day - by which I mean I had to do some chores so I took my…read morecamera with me and took some photos of various shops in the centre, not that I was standing outside the Tesco Metro where the nutters congregate shouting to myself. Anyway, this was all going fairly well and I'd established something of a routine - go to a shop, take a photo, go to the next shop, take another photo - you get the idea. This was all going swimmingly until I got to Smiths. For some reason, after I'd taken a pic, the manager came running out after me and demanded to know what the pic was far. I told her and she insisted that I write down the URL of this site for her to investigate. Out of respect for the privacy of Smiths, I've decided not to upload the pic, though, even without looking at it, I can easily describe it for you instead. It's a Smiths. As for a review of the store. It's a Smiths. I sincerely hope these revelations won't damage this secretive little store too much...

Yes, it's a Smiths, so expect a fairly standardised approach to the printed word, in magazines and…read morenewspapers. However, this place has a special significance for me, as I work for a magazine and it's always with special pride that I trot down to this store to make sure that all the hard work that me and the team put into making it each month wasn't entirely wasted. It's fairly niche, as magazines go, so this is one of the only stockists, and it's on this fact that I recommend this branch, especially now that Borders has been wiped off the face of the earth. Yes, this Smiths has two floors, so it's packed with printed goods. One of the better stores in the chain, for sure.

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.

This places has been few a couple of different makeovers. Previously Zavvi, and before that Virgin…read moreMegastore, it's always been a big city centre record shop where you can get all the usual chart stuff plus a bit more (mostly in virtue of their need to fill all space I think) that's never looked like it's doing all that well. The impact of music downloading and Amazon seems to have continued to eat into the business here, with more and more discounts on offer. At the moment there's racks and racks of four pound CDs. So even if you're tech savy enough (and these days, who isn't?) to get it cheap off the net it's still worth coming down here to do a bit of impulse shopping. It isn't the most pleasant of retail experiences in my opinion. This might just be because the tastes of the staff (who get to put the music on pretty loud here) don't usually match my own. Though it does feel a lot more impersonal than any of Bristol independents. It isn't too oppressive though, and if you're in the city centre with a tenner burning a hole in your pocket then head to Head to see if you can find anything you like.

Sam was on to something when he said 'Doing well to stay open', because they did recentley close. A…read morefew weeks ago they had a massive closing down sale, everything was reduced to quite low prices, and when I went in all they seemed to have was countless copies of rubbish childrens films and Sylvester Stallone in a film called 'Stop or my Mum will shoot'! Sounds pretty bad. But recentley this store has re-opened, nothing is really any different other than a seemingly large re-brand. It's still called 'Head', and they have got rid of the horrible green that could be seen everywhere which I think was a good move. I think the DVD's are a little bit cheaper though.

Book Extra is a small bookshop located inside The Mall Bristol in Broadmead. There is a small…read moreselection of books (by no means as good as WH Smiths or Waterstones) but if you do find what you are looking for, you are guaranteed to get it for far less the RRP. There are almost always sales on, sometimes with more than 75% off. I recently bought a hardback Desperate Housewives Official Annual for £3 and when I looked on the inside cover, it was worth £14.99 so I was very happy with that! Don't expect a good selection, but well worth a pop in for a quick browse.

An average selection of books, nothing to impressive, and no real originality. If your looking for…read morethe latest mainstrem book, like '8 out of 10 cats annual' or a large selection of childrens books then its ok. But when most charity shops, and idependent stores (that seem to be still going strong in the recession) have a much better and varied selection I think places like this are slowly becoming redundant. You can find the odd bargain, but personally I think there is nothing like trawling an old charity shop, pulling out a dusty book and brushing off the cobwebs to find that brilliant gem that your collection has seemingly been missing. Also with Waterstones just round the corner it's difficult for it's selection to hold you captive for too long.

Growing up with a record collector for a Dad I have always had an affinity towards anywhere selling…read morevinyl . So whenever I'm taking a walk through St Nicholas Market I take time to pay a visit to Wanted Records. Record collecting may now be seen as a bit of a dying art form, so it's always a thrill to see collectors hunting out a rarity or bargain. On the whole Wanted are on the lookout for Jazz, Soul, Funk , Reggae and obscure records rather than pop, country and western or country music. If you're not sure whether what you have to offer is worth anything, it's worth giving them a call rather than dragging your stuff down to the city centre. It doesn't matter whether you're a serious collector, have something to sell or just want to listen to some great music - it's definitely worth a visit. And remember -"we don't buy records by Chris de Burgh"!

Ok...sorry all you other record stores in town (that I love very much) I have found my favourite!…read moreAnd although you might think that is a very subjective decision to make, you'd only be half right. You see the music sold here is the best ever made and is what all the music of today is born out of. Ok needless to say any shop that makes it so the first thing I see as I enter is a label that reads 'Hendrix/Who/Floyd' and then supplies their best albums directly below it in the beautifully preserved vinyl form gets my vote. It's such a fantastic record to store to be in considering they specialise in the old stuff (best stuff), it's so clean and dust-free, unlike some record stores where searching through the boxes and shelves of dusty vinyl can get pretty tiring. They also have the most beautiful collection of records, and tell me, honestly, does anything on earth feel as nice as The White Album by The Beatles on Vynil!? A thing of pure beauty (if your answer to that question is yes, go away, you suck). This is a record store for the guys mentioned in High Fidelity who are looking for deleted Smiths singles! While the owner and his friend (or random customer) discussed a blues record from Memphis in the 60s and play it for us mere mortals to hear and enjoy I began to think that anyone who wanted to start collecting records could enter this shop with £100 and leave with an extensive collection of the best music ever made. I left as the blues singer got into his lyrics, "if you catch me sober...please make me drunk again" and I thought...time to go to the pub.

The Here Gallery is such an assuming little place. They are fully stocked with tonnes of inspiring…read morearty things; books, posters, wallpaper, stickers and lots more, that always makes me really smiley when I'm here. There is a gallery downstairs which exhibits interesting work, from local and international artists. They always welcome submissions for their consideration, and you can tell they are quite select with the work they choose, as the work shown always is quite spectacular. If you're a little down in the dumps or facing a mind block with your own artwork, this place will really help re-jig your mind.

Stokes Croft's got a few flowers poking through the grey concrete, the Here Shop is one of them. A…read moregallery and bookshop, they've got an often changing range of contemporary art. They do exhibitions by visiting artists, with pen drawings of slightly alien looking organic shapes (that description's ripped off their website) by a Yugoslav-American Yellena James currently on display. Whatever is being shown the gallery is always a warm and quiet respite from the traffic on Stokes Croft. The bookshop side of things is similarly left-field and varied. They have loads of children's books, as well as books on graffiti, manga, and an eclectic mix of other subjects. You really have to go along to get a proper sense of the sort of thing they have. It feels like one persons just taken their personal interests and made a shop around it. I like this about the shop, you get exposed to things you might not otherwise get exposed to. The Here shop is kookish and neat, a nice play to wonder round for half an hour or so.