I love Bookline. It's one of those shops that's remained faithful to its patrons, seeing through…read moredecades of change on the high street to keep delivering a personal touch to one's book-buying. The owner is so incredibly helpful and has made this shop his passion over the years. Inside, the weathered sign and small shop front belies the size of the store. It's a veritable tardis, with sections on just about everything: art, fiction, history, home and garden, languages, reference, travel. Everything you'd expect from a larger chain. It's sad to hear that sooner or later the owner will be retiring from the business, I just hope that it isn't the end for Bookline. Support your local stores!!

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

It may be a little off the beaten track (a good few minutes of deviation from the Oxford Road…read morecorridor anyway) but this place is absolutely worth the venture. Located on an industrial estate and looking from the outside like a carpet warehouse, Sharston Books is a trove of bibliographic marvels. There are books on any and every subject, bulging from shelves and crammed into creaking cases. From nasty yellow exploitation paperbacks (see the conspiracy section featuring titles like 'Genesis Revisited' and 'Tunguska - Cauldron of Hell!') to Everyman Library first edition folios; from travel guidebooks to military histories. There are so many books here that they spill out from the shop proper and fill giant green shipping crates in the car park outside. There is hours of browsing fun to be had here. The books themselves are reasonably priced (for example cook books cost about £3-£4, paperback fiction can be less than this) but the shop can't compete with the value for money of Oxfam et al, (there is a photocopied newspaper article attesting to this pinned to one of the bookshelves). Where Sharston Books really succeeds is in offering excellent customer service - as well as offering a wide selection of books the proprietors also run a no obligation finding service where, at customer request, they will attempt to track down and purchase a copy of that rare or special book. Really Excellent.

When you first arrive you may well think you have gone to the wrong place. It is not a conventional…read morebookshop but rather a huge warehouse on a small industrial estate. Another bit of advice is wrap up well! it is the sort of place you will want to linger at but it is NOT what you would call warm!!(freezing in fact!) There are books as far as the eye can see loads of nooks and crannies. Loads of secondhand stuff although they do seem to have a lot more new stuff now. It is very unusual with some truly awful prints and pictures also for sale (although why anybody would want to??????) There are loads of magazines. I was delighted to get a bundle of out of print magazines a couple of visits ago. The only disappointing thing is that the prices have risen significantly, although it still does have bargains. You will pay more than you would at a charity shop. It is still worth a visit provided you are well wrapped up! If you are looking for unusual or old books this is a great place to start your search.

I had a badly paid temp job in a call centre just before Christmas. Desperate times call for…read moredesperate measures. In mid-November I decided to have a look around Chorlton to see if I could find any inspiration for Christmas presents. I am not a typical girl as I hate shopping, but book shopping doesn't count as shopping so I naturally gravitated towards Oxfam Books, one of Chorlton's two bookshops. I came out 79p worse off and tried to shove the foreign children's book I had purchased into my pocket in case I bumped into anyone I knew and aroused suspicion. When I arrived home safely I carefully set about rubbing out the price in the front cover without leaving any smudges. Christmas Day: Me: Merry Christmas sis. Sister: Wow! 'Snow White' in Dutch. That's amazing. So thoughtful! Me: Glad you like it sis. Mum: Go on then, read us some. Sister: (starts to read aloud in Dutch) Mum: That's brilliant. Where did you get it from, Kirsten? The Internet? Me: *cough* Oxfam Books *cough* Alongside obscure foreign books Oxfam Books also sell a range of novels, travel guides and reference books. They are currently accepting donations, so when I get round to having a spring clean I will donate my old books and maybe replace them with some new ones. Well, they'll look new once I've rubbed out the prices!

After a copy of Zadie Smith's White Teeth? How about Toni…read moreMorrison's Paradise or Marilynne Robinson's Home? Step this way then.... Nestled amidst charity shops, cafes and green grocers, Oxfam Books is a small store packed floor to ceiling with great secondhand books, CDs and vinyl. As it's in deepest, suburban Chorlton, its a fabulous place to pick up copies of recent paper and hardback fiction. There's also a strong selection of literary classics, African-American fiction, gay and lesbian fiction, biographies and reference books. Go by all means but leave the Raymond Carver books for me please!