Online said they closed at 6 but when I rolled up at 5:03 the shop lights were off and the owner…read morewas outside packing up. Asked if we could run in and browse for a couple mins and she welcomed us with open arms. A huge, packed to the brim new and used bookstore with every title under the sun! the bookseller (maybe owner) was so incredibly sweet and gave us such good book recs! Visited right after indie bookstore week so she threw in some extra swag for us with our purchase! Highly recommend

I must admit, I don't usually go in to book stores, when I am going to buy a book I usually head…read morestraight to Amazon but today after having breakfast in the Botanic area I was walking back to my car and I thought I would call in to No Alibis to see if I could pick up a book I had been recommended by numerous colleagues. On entrance No Alibis seemed cluttered and I couldn't immediately locate the section I thought the book I was looking for would be in. It certainly wasn't as clear as the Amazon search results. Anyway I struggled on and eventually came across the 'business' section at the back of the store. After having a quick sift through the books it became clear that they didn't stock the title I was looking for. With that I was about to leave but then I thought I'd ask the lad working there if she had seen/heard of the book. It was then my experience took an amazing turn for the positive. The helpful lady immediately consulted her 'book database' on the computer and immediately found the book. Unfortunately she didn't have it in store but she was able to reserve it for me and have it ready to be collected on Monday - plus it was cheaper that it was on Amazon. What a result! It was look old meets new! If you're looking for a book for study or leisure definitely pop in here - even if they don't have it they can source it for you. I also noticed they sold some unique pieces of local art. Hopefully this main stay of Botanic will be around for years to come!

I'm an English student so any bookstore is a good bookstore as far as I'm concerned. This one…read morehowever is independent of Queen's but has a very close relationship with the students and the staff. Despite there already being a bookshop owned by Queen's, many would recommend you try here first as if they don't have it, they will guarantee you it with their next delievery. It could be either that or the fact the people (whose names escape me yet again) are exceptionally friendly and have a real passion for their job. I have been in browsing before and soon i was sitting down with some friends having coffee and discussing books... pretentious possibly, but it's almost certainly the bookstore that makes me want to sit and drink coffee and talk about books. I dont even like coffee either. Very very very helpful, very friendly and a must for anyone who requires a good book

Sweetie Miller may be a bookshop / newsagents (that bears an uncanny resemblance to another local…read morebookshop / newsagents), but as far as I'm concerned, it's all about the sweets and chocolate...baby. I think it's physically impossible to come out of this shop empty handed. It's certainly that way for me. Having gone in with the notion to buy a box of chocolates for a friend, I came out with a box of chocolates, three bags of Werther's Original Chocolates (my Cheepers' review explains all) and five Curly Wurly's. [Guess who Mr Dentist is going to absolutely love next month?] I couldn't resist. The Werther's Originals were only 99p, and the Curly Wurly's were unbeatable value at not one, not two, or even three, or indeed four...but FIVE for 89p. Yes, this excited me greatly. And it should excite you too. As well as the bargainous sweetie section, Sweetie Miller also stocks stationery, books, cards, magazines and all that sort of jazz. And they're all cheap as can be (except the magazines...they're just average price, but hey, we can't have it all, eh?). Now, where did my Curly Wurly go? (Apologies in advance Mr Dentist...)

This shop is in Bow Street Mall and always seems busy. I guess it can be best described as a…read morenewsagent. They carry a large variety of sweets, mainly boxes of chocolates and packs of chocolate bars and maybe just a bit cheaper in price than other shops in town. So especially good to pop into at Christmas time. The other section of the shop that interests me most is the book section. They have an alright range of books, and you can certainly find something interesting at a very good price. The only downside I can think of is can be quite awkward to move around the sweet displays near the front the of the shop when there are a lot of people about.

The Wee Shop has gone by many names over the years, but one thing is for sure, it has been an…read moreabsolute life saver for many a Bangor resident. Located on High Street next to Bangor's various drinking establishments it has acted as an oasis for many revelers selling water and cigarettes . The Wee Shop has a night hatch meaning it stays open late specifically to accommodate these needs. More than just an oasis, The Wee Shop is a newsagents and a small grocery store selling the essentials. I noticed yesterday that it also sells e-cigs now too, so if you want to ditch the tobacco on a night out this is your place. You'll always get friendly service and a we bit of banter from the staff, no matter how late it is. This has been a staple of High Street for many years and long may it continue.

Got to agree with the other review, this is definitely an unremarkable little shop…read more I used to work in an office close to this newsagents and was a daily visitor. It was always the same wee lady behind the counter, and we always had a chat and passed the time of day. They sell everything you would expect, and have anything you could need, such as magazines, milk, soup, bread and cigarettes, but just not a huge range, given that she shop is so small. Their packets of sandwiches are always fresh and there is a good range, and they always stocked the magazines and newspapers I like. One of the things I like best about this little shop, and something you don't see in every newsagent's nowadays, is the huge jars of sweets behind the counter. Sometimes it's nice to take a trip down memory lane, and get something like a quarter bag of Army and Navy or Toffee Chews!

Handy wee papershop that stocks a selection of grocery items that you might need to pick up, milk…read morebread etc. They also run the click n collect service which is very useful if you're getting parcels delivered and don't want to hang around the house all day. The staff are very friendly and nothing is too much trouble. There is also a cash machine instore.

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.

Near the entrance of Rushmere Shopping Centre sits this Bargain Books store. It is reasonably sized…read moreand has a decent enough range of books, as well as other items like calendars, diaries, colouring stuff for kids, etc. I've found it to be one of the better Bargain Books for finding books I'm interested in, that may not be stocked in other stores. Of course, like all of their branches you are in danger of buying any old rubbish just because it's £1! The staff are alright, they are mainly on the tills as there is not much staff available on the shop floor.

Great selection, good value, every genre imaginableread more

My sister and I went into The Paper Shop in search of an ice lolly, and came out with two…read morenewspapers, two magazines and a packet of Werther's Originals Chocolate Caramels. Isn't it always the way? My sister had decided she wanted an ice cream (it was sticky, very warm, headache-inducing weather, and she was slightly below par bless her), so spotting the ice cream sign on The Paper Shop's window, I decided it may just be a good call to pop in and have a look (not sure what gave me that idea...). Once we were in, I got incredibly distracted by the newspaper section, and spent a good few minutes examining the plethora of papers. Meanwhile, my sticky sis was attempting to climb into the drinks fridge in order to cool herself down. Sometimes I pretend we aren't related... Refocusing on the job in hand, I pointed her in the direction of the ice-cream counter, but was met with a reluctant smile, and a "well, I kinda wanted an ice lolly more than an ice-cream" verbal explanation. Indecisive should be her middle name... I then decided to examine the magazine section, which was pretty vast I must say, and pick up a few for the journey home. Noting that The Paper Shop was much more expansive than I had first realised, I spotted a huge card section too. However, today was not a greeting card day, so my attention was once again diverted back to the magazines. Feeling somewhat satisfied with my reading load for the next while (and as an English graduate, I am utterly ashamed with myself, and hope the newspapers justify me in some way), I went to the till, only to be distracted for the third (or fourth? Eh, who knows) time that day by the Werther's Originals Chocolate Caramels that I haven't found anywhere for months. Ooooh excitement. Plus they were down to £1.49. Yes, this had indeed been a productive trip. No ice lollies, but Morelli's down the street had the curious ability to persuade my sister that she did actually want ice cream. Oooh man...

I was cutting through Wellington Street on my way to Upper Queens Street yesterday when I stumbled…read moreacross Octopus's Garden. Belfast used to be a wash with Vintage stores but over the years these have slowly become extinct so it's always good to see a new one rise from the bottom of the ocean - much like an Octopus. Octopus's Garden has many strands or arms/tentacles (may as well continue down pun street). It sells vintage clothing for both males and females, old school vinyl and various other retro artifacts. The main thing I liked about Octopus Garden was that their was a varied choice - the rails were jam packed with everything from flannel shirts, band T's to leather jackets and potentially bum cheek exposing denim hot pants. The prices were reasonable too - you often find that vintage stores inflate the prices of their stock but it seems that Octopus Garden have made a concerted effort not to extort their clientele. I was only going in for a browse but I ended up walking out with a loud shirt that has already proved a controversial choice - but that's the beauty of buying vintage items - they always divide opinion and create a talking point. I recommend popping in here for a wee duke round - you never know you might come out with your (not everyone's) new favourite shirt.

If I was trapped in the Garden of The Octo I would never have a time of misery or boredom. This is…read morethe slickest place so far and I would tell anyone who visits this city that loves music and old clothes to begin their journey here. I love this place!