Replacing 'Wesley Owen' Christian bookshop, which was a particularly favourite haunt of mine, is…read morethe new 'Living Oasis' bookshop. I was surprised to see that the layout was basically entirely the same, though this is no bad thing, but the shop has undergone a paint job, with yellow and blue tones appropriately reflecting its name. The store is well laid out, everything is tidy and well-organised, with suitable sections for new titles, most popular books etc. It's not a huge shop, but there is a good amount of stock, which mainly consists of...yep, you guessed it...books. There are Christian CDs and DVDs, as well as cards and gifts, and interestingly, an Irish / Northern Irish souvenir section which I thought was quite novel. Amongst the fridge magnets featuring Belfast murals, and books about the Orange Order, were shamrock keyrings and Irish flags. Nice touch...got to keep everyone happy! Very much a calm and tranquil shop, Living Oasis is definitely one I'll be returning to. Even if it is only to dream of sun, sandy beaches and the glistening sea...

This is one of the branches of The Basement of which there are now three (I think) around the…read moreBelfast area. This branch is Carrick is located on one of the main streets and the shop stocks a great range of DVDs, CDs and games. I must admit, I was very impressed, although I thought it would be rubbish, I was pleasantly surprised by both the amount and variation that the shop sold. Now sadly the staff don't really seem to care about whoever's in the shop, certainly when I was in I wasn't even looked at, never mind spoken to, but hey I guess you can't win every time! So, all in all The Basement sell good second hand stock for very good prices. A bit like Extradeal or a second hand Xtra-Vision, a good place for bargain buys. It's handy too if you're looking to make some extra cash as you can bring in your old films you no longer want and make a bit of money in the process, win!

HMV in town is pretty much a monopoly now which is kind of unfortunate. Back in the days where I…read moreactually had disposable income and I enjoyed acquired Cds and DVDs, I preferred Virgin/Zavvi being close by to provide a potential alternative! I do praise this HMV though. It has an excellent selection of Cds , DVDs and games ranging over 3 floors, with a wide range of music related accessories like t shirts, posters etc. In recent years the store has also increased its range of electronic items for sale and its music accessories! Staff here are friendly and have ordered in obscure comedy DVDs for me on a number of times when the usually impeccable fellows at Amazon fail me. Unfortunately the store is frequently jam-packed with people, most of whom are merely browsing which makes me fear for the future of such stores on a long term basis. I must say my concern is a little bit hypocritical: I am the biggest downloader around! * *To all copyright lawyers out there I do mean I download off reputable music and DVD download websites. Ahem.

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.

This is a big shop. Like, really big. I have the same problem with it as Suzy B does in that I…read moremostly go in for DVDs and so I have to trek the whole way to the top floor (I say trek. There are escalators. I'm just very lazy.) Their range of DVDs is vast, and you can usually find what you're looking for (or if you're me, you can find something, whether you intended to buy or not!), and the staff on that floor I find to be particularly lovely and usually up for a bit of banter (which is exactly how record shop staff should be fyi) The music selection is a little more limited, focussing mainly on chart and very popular stuff. Not that this is a bad thing, it just gets a little frustrating sometimes if you're looking for something a little more obscure. This store have also been known to host gigs and other such events. It's great to see that even though its part of a massive chain of stores, this branch is in touch with the local scene.

HMV... does anyone know what that stands for? I have been sitting here trying to work it out…read morewithout the help of Google but I can not for the life of me think what it could be? Must just be a big corporate mess made up of random letters from peoples names.. Anyway having said its name probably came from a boardroom it is obvious that HMV is a massive multi national brand but I thought I better just give it a thumbs up for the offers, deals and service that HMV continually dishes out. I mean DVD's and CD's for £3, it would be rude not to. But having said that its usually films that have been on ITV 15 times in a month that are on the bargain shelf. The staff are always really quirky in HMV, they have this thing about hiring individual looking people, this must be in a done in an attempt to mask the fact the every store is identical. But I must compliment the quirky characters that work in HMV, they are always really helpful, whether it is in helping you find you're a copy of The Notebook, ehhh or I mean Anchorman or having a bit of chit chat at the checkout.

Extradeal is a new discount DVD/Music store opened on Belfast's busy Royal Avenue. If you're…read moreanything like I am and love films/music, then get round here, NOW! The prices here are ridiculously cheap, it's ex rental stock now on sale to the general public. I'd advise you to check the quality of the disc before you commit to purchase, but saying that, I've yet to find a mark or scratch on anything. Their 'without a box' items of stock can't be refunded but the copies that come with cases can, so make sure to keep your receipt. OK, so they may not have every DVD available under the sun and it certainly can be a bit of a needle in a haystack scenario when you're looking for items, but if you have the time and patience to have a good look then you're bound to find something you'd like. I've already picked up some great bargains, like Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland for £6 (try getting it this price anywhere else) and the hilarious Pineapple Express for 99p. Admittedly they need to arrange their stock properly, they do try to alphabetise the sections but the layout just doesn't work. Saying that it's probably the public who come in and disorganise it all. No, not guilty! Things like that annoy the life out of me, I couldn't work here, if I had it all sorted perfectly and someone ruined it, I'd see red! But thankfully I don't, and I shall try to reinstate order one little step at a time on a each visit! But back to Extradeal, you can choose between DVD/CD/XBOX/PS2/PS3 format. With or without their boxes. You can always make your own cover if needs be. Just don't miss your chance to bag a real bargain.

I'm not convinced. Call me a snob, but buying second hand computer games / old rental DVDS from…read moreXtra Vision doesn't fill me full of confidence. In saying that, there is a huge range of stock, and most of the DVDs are fairly recent releases, rather than being completely out of the ark. The CDs aren't quite so up-to-date, with a few Girls Aloud and McFly ones flying about, but they're only a couple to three quid each. Some CDs have been inserted into plastic covers, selling at only 99p each, but I was staying well-clear of this section for two reasons - a) it was extremely busy, and CDs were being pulled out left, right and centre, and b) I wasn't particularly interested in CDs which had somehow (and you have to wonder how) lost their covers. Mmm. I was tempted to pick up a copy of '27 Dresses', but since I had no idea where the heck that DVD had been, or indeed what condition it was in, I decided against such a purchase. Extradeal offers fab bargains, but whether or not buying something from here is worthwhile remains to be seen. It's a huge risk. You have been warned - proceed with caution...

Cregagh Video Club is a rental store you would pop into if none of the larger chains nearby were…read moreopen. It's a pretty old store and could do with a refurbishment. Inside it's a bit dank. Whilst they have some of the latest releases, they don't have a greta range of choice. You'll get the classics here and some recent releases but don't expect any arthouse or avant garde films. They also have a small collection of music, on CD's and music DVD's, some of which are pretty decent. Cregagh video also offer some good deals on renting films by the bulk.

This is a strange little store and one of the few independently owned retailers still operating in…read morethe city. If anyone can remember the fantastic Hector's House located just on the end of North Street then you know what a travesty it was when the little gem of a music store closed its doors. If it was rare vinyl, odd singles and in general a more alternative less mainstream approach to music then it was your hub. A truly fantastic place. This store doesn't quite have the same level of expertise and panache but you will find some random LPs (do the kids still call them LPs or has that ship long sailed) and you're likely to find a few a discounted prices. It certainly makes a change from the big hitters such as HMV or the like but certainly worth a little trek around for that rare oddity.

I'm currently searching for a top notch indie record store in Belfast and decided to check this…read morelittle shop out. First impressions was ok, but not heart racing. Music selection was reasonable, but I wish it had more vinyl. The shop was also too dated and run down, but the owner was helpful and polite enough for me to give it a second chance! When I lived in Scotland I always used to go to a wee record store called Groucho's, which was fantastic and large enough to spend a good few hours in and the staff were very knowledgeble. This is the kind of indipendent record store that I am searching for in Belfast

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