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.

This is perhaps one of my favourite shops in Bury and one of the main reasons for my shopping trips…read morethere. Myself and my children are bookoholics and this shop is a heaven to book lovers. Although only a small shop they have a high stock level of factual and fiction books that are ideal for gifts or even for everyday purchases. The best bit however is you don't have to pay the publishers hiked up prices. They are especially good for children books with many of the favourates such as the gruffolo, bob the builder and dear zoo etc. I have lost count of the books my children have had thanks to this shop. The staff are polite and helpful and the stock is ever changing. Now there is no excuse for children not to have a variety of their own books and for you to add to your own collection too!

Every trip to bury seems to take me into this store and I never leave empty handed. I'f you have…read morethe time I reccommend you having a good look around their shelves. This store is small considering the amount of stock and it can sometimes get very busy but Its always worth a look. They have an excellent local history section too!

An excellent Christian bookshop. It enjoys a convenient, fairly central location (just opposite…read moreBolton's main Post Office), although that's not especially good news if you want to use a car. The range of stock is good, and the prices are what you'd expect. However, the best feature of the place is the customer service, which is very good: the staff there are keen to help you and very knowledgeable if you have any unusual requests. All in all, we'd have no hesitation in recommending this bookshop.

For all of you little bookworms out there…read more This is just the place for you, books of all shapes and sizes in any direction you look. I must admit I'm not the greatest of book reader, but I do know when you readi a really good one, it's a fantastic experience.. I'm more into audio books now.. Yip I know ,,the easy and lazy way out. And if you have time to put down that best selling novel you can turn your reading to magazines, newspapers, booklets , Ohhh you name it they have it. Then there 's the other shelves,,, Yes the other shelves. The little more exciting shelves. Ummm let me see What I can buy ? A day on a Race Track, An Hot Air Ballooon Ride, Rock Concert Tickets, A day out having Mud plastered on your face. Or A set of Earphones, Computer Mouse, An exciting little machine to shred all of those old Love Letters and other pieces of private paper. I could go on for the rest of the day , but to be honest, you are getting bored arnt you. Anyway to finish with this store, what happened to the music and dvd counter.. Like a David Copperfield illusion it DISAPPEARED

I cannot praise the staff at the Chorley Branch enough. On two occasions now they have gone beyond…read morethe call of duty and assisted me with my queries. The manageress ... I think that was her title. If it wasn't it should be was on both occasions polite, extremely helpful and very courteous. It is refreshing to come across such good service.

WHSmith is certainly a staple of the British high street, it seems there are very few towns and…read morecities in the country to lack a WHSmith store. It's a brand you pretty much expect to find wherever you go. This store fits that quota, it's nothing too exciting/different, it's your typical, average WHSmith. The store is a little dark, and while it isn't as modern as some of their newer stores, the store isn't as old-fashioned as some of their older ones which aren't very easy on the eye either. It is in a good location within Bolton town centre, it is a couple of minutes away from most shops in the town centre as well as Bolton Interchange. The prices are a little high, but they do have a satisfactory selection of books/drinks, nothing too impressive but if you're thirsty in town and looking for a quick beverage or to put on your lottery, without much of a queue and/or without having to go into a larger store such as one of the nearby supermarkets, this isn't too bad. The staff seemed friendly enough. 3*

Three floors! Three floors of... stuff! I don't know that I have ever been in a WHSmith that…read morespans three floors. Although three floors doesn't necessarily mean that it is bigger or contains more stock than the average WHSmith. Actually, it feels a bit cluttered... when we walked in it actually felt a bit like a location of The Works rather than a WHSmith. We didn't go upstairs, but the main floor has magazines, cards, stationary while the bottom floor has books. We were actually there looking for books and while they have a decent selection, it isn't as large as some of the other stores I have been to. Also if you have a large shopping bag or back pack, you may want to watch turning around and moving about as some of the spots in the store are quite narrow. It can be difficult to find a staff member, especially if you are on the bottom floor and the staff are on the other floors. I only saw stairs to access the other floors, so I'm not sure if it is accessible for all customers.

This branch of Waterstones is located on Deansgate in Bolton, it is a relatively small branch of…read morethe large book chain, and because of this, the store might feel more cluttered and slightly harder to get around, as they are trying to pack everything into such a small space, giving the store a poor feel. The store has a slightly old-fashioned nature, even more so than other branches such as Gateshead Metrocentre and Manchester Arndale, which are the two other branches of Waterstones, I have visited recently. The staff didn't seem too helpful or friendly which was a shame, and the overall selection at the store was okay at best, it certainly wasn't fantastic. Considering factors with the overall feel of the store as well as the poor service and selection, I sadly feel Bolton's Waterstones store deserves a single one-star rating.

Staying on a fiction tip, this branch of Waterstones is the best bookshop in Bolton. Spread over…read moretwo floors, it's a clean and well laid out shop with recommended books laid out on tables as well as floor to ceiling shelves. There's sections devoted to food and drink, travel, health, fitness, education, history, art and biography but my favourite section has to be the fiction. Alongside classic novels and reprints, there's a big selection of new and recent, contemporary novels like Colm Toibin's Brooklyn and Sadie Jones' The Outcast. Right now, the shop has £2-£3 off novels that have been adapted into Golden Globe winning movies, like Julie Powell's Julie and Julia and Sapphire's life-affirming Push*. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FYahzVU44 * Push has been made into a film called Precious starring Gabourey Sidibe as the 16 year old protagonist.

Amazing place that accepts you for being you. *Warning* @ Social Refuge where they treat you…read moredifferently if your not like them. I visited this coffee shop recently and left feeling pretty uncomfortable with how I was treated. From the moment I ordered, the staff came across as dismissive and noticeably colder toward me compared to other customers around me. There were a few interactions that felt unnecessarily sharp, and it gave the impression that I wasn't particularly welcome there. I want to be fair, but as a straight customer, the difference in tone and attitude didn't go unnoticed. Whether intentional or not, it made the experience feel exclusionary rather than inclusive. It's a shame because the space itself has a lot of personality, but the service made it hard to enjoy. I'd hope they work on creating a more welcoming environment for everyone.

I get the irony by starting with the quote "don't judge a book by its cover" but tbh this is…read moreexactly what I've been doing every time I've walked past this place in the past few months... Whether it was because the area of town is a bit random, the building a bit unattractive and me thinking it was more of a bookshop - something just seemed to be putting me off. But today in my meeting with Matt F we decided to give it a go and what a great decision it was! First off this place is huge and a labyrinth once inside - one half hipster bookshop, the other half cool cafe with a real nod to health (check out the menu on my pics). A really lovely environment with working fountain and a variety of places to sit. The food was excellent too - my breakfast pancakes were probably the best I've had in Manchester so far which is saying something. Quick note that they don't do sides - at one stage I thought I was going to turn into Jack Nicholson in '5 Easy Pieces' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wtfNE4z6a8 but thankfully the guy sorted us out with a side of toast after I asked nicely...repeatedly... Very friendly staff, great venue. I'll be back soon to work/eat/drink coffee/read a book - or all at the same time!