This is a grand little shop full of character and fair trade stuff. Most of the stuff happens to be…read morebooks, but that isn't the sole trade here. But first, the books. As much as is possible within the confined defined space of the shop, (as opposed to the infinite space of the internet) the range of books spans where it can - childrens', new age, crafts, pop culture and more. Beyond the books though is where I became more excited - all kinds of little jewellery items (which were cheaper here than other gift shops in Chapel A), candles, incense, oils, rainbow coloured hooded ponchos for £15, mini ponchos for kids, gems, and the most exciting dress I have ever seen! It had some crazy hippy flower print and such, and it was all very lovely. There are even a selection of CDs on sale, although I happened to notice that one 'Mik Artistic' had managed to, guerilla style, sneak one of his CDs onto the display - very near to a poster advertising one of his 'Ego trips'. And for anyone local enough to know who I mean, I think they'll share my amusement at that, and the fact the shop owner simply left it on the display!

I had a browse in Radish today looking for my next book for my book club, Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde, and…read morecame up trumps. This is a lovely independent bookshop and I would urge everyone to support it. I also bought some cards and some incense, Shanti Nagchampa, as the shop sells other stuff as well as books including a small selection of music and jewellery and also kids clothes and upstairs womens clothes. Meg who owns the shop is very knowledgeable about the book trade and I will order all my books through her in future, usually available within 1 or 2 days if not in the shop. The shop also runs a book club at Seven Arts centre details on the shops website www.radishweb.co.uk All in all a gem of a shop, I will take my Mum there when she comes up, she will love it!

I came here recently to fulfill another passion of mine; reading. Well, obviously, it's a book…read moreshop. But I'll get to the point. This store is certainly a handy locale for the many students that Leeds houses, and has a huge collection of virtually every specialty, it seems. With the exception of feminism and gender studies. Imagine my disappointment when browsing the various obscure specialty subjects on offer here, only to find a distinct lack of books surrounding my particular subject of interest. There was barely a book in relation to the subject, and I was directed to try and seek out material in psychology, of all categories! So, some of you may chirp in that it's neither a particularly popular subject, nor a common one, which is as may be. However, since I know that both the Universities offer courses in Gender Studies, and the various surrounding elements (of which there are many tangents), I thought this was a little disappointing. They aren't out on a limb though, it seems the only place I've found which actually caters to this subject has been the Oxfam books in Headingley. Even Borders, when it was still around, went from having a Gender Studies section to a smattering of books lumped in with Social Studies and lesbian writing. I shan't give up my search in any case! However, in spite of the lack of material in that particular area it has to be said that the store has a lot to offer. With many other specialty subjects catered for, a wealth of popular and classic fiction, and some interesting gift style items (see the Leeds pubs posters and similar) this shop would satisfy most of the general custom it supplies. Staff have always been as friendly and helpful as I've needed too, so all in all, one can't complain too much. If you're looking to expand your mind thoughts, this place is certainly somewhere to start. With the exception, of course, in gender studies.

A relic to what it was like to be a student in the days before Amazon, a visit to Blackwell's makes…read moreyou feel like proper student even if the closest you've ever been to higher education is getting caught in an Otley run trying to walk home on a Friday night. The shelves are packed high with textbooks and academic tomes on every subject imaginable, and there's a good selection of non-academic works too. Books are both new and second hand, and you can get money in exchange for bringing your old books in for resale. The only downside is the price, and many students seem to use it as a venue to preview books before ordering them for cheaper online.

Don't think I've ever felt less valued as a customer or witnessed anything as rude…read more In the middle of helping me the staff member just left me to take a payment for someone else who rudely interrupted, therefore indicating their time is more valuable than mine. I hope it was substantial as I will not be returning and I am a regular, repeat customer.

I used to love this Waterstones store until i discovered Borders on Briggate. It's so unfortunate…read morethat borders have now gone into administration. Anyway, Waterstones has always had a place in my heart and being a lover of anything I can get my hands on to read, this place has been a god send. From fiction to science-fiction, self help and non-fiction. Waterstones stocks so many different genres and kind of books that it's kind of impossible to not find something you don't like the sound of. They frequently have 'celebs' coming in to the store to sign copies of their books for customers so that's another good thing. If they don't have the book you're looking for, they're happy to track it down and order it in. Worth a look.

I'm creative. Since I was able to write, I have written, and the minute I was given a camera I took…read morephotos of everything I could. I still do. The world is so confounding and obfuscating that I don't think I'll ever tire of trying to suss it out with words and pictures and sounds. I'll get to the point -- I have a personal take on being artistic. So, when you walk into a place that's full of incredible, intriguing art that seems as though it's in an entirely different language to your own, it can be challenging, daunting, and exciting. That's how I feel when I go into Village Bookstore. I almost feel like a poser. An imposter. A petty pretender. Because, the majority of the material in here seems foreign to me -- I might not be able to understand it, but I'm drawn to it and want to figure it out. I long to translate it into something I can understand. The collection in here is incredible. A lot of it seems photography-focused; there's a sizeable collection of photography books, both assortments of work and a few "how-tos". I use inverted commas, as the book that I bought is a sort-of how-to -- it's this amazing book, called The Photographer's Playbook, that has 307 assignments and ideas that you can do yourself. It's filled with snippets and thoughts from established photographers, and it's wonderful. As well as photography, there is a myriad of books with a modern art focus (perhaps where the "foreign" feeling comes from -- I find modern art hit and miss), contemporary design, fashion, and more. It's independent, it's quirky, it's filled with self-published zines, and (I'm sure I'm not making this up) they even sell coffee. Last time I was in (around Christmas) they had this camera set up to photograph what appeared to be a gemstone collection, but I think this may be where they photo the new collections for the website. Anyway, it's another curious detail of the shop. The staff are friendly but make no attempt to coerce a sale or upsell products -- I like that. Essentially, it's an outlier. It's in danger of being accused of hipsterism. But it's entirely different to any other bookshop, or even regular shop, that we have here in Leeds and you've got to get in and see for yourself. Explore your artistic side, face something challenging that might not look like the art you know, and see everything with eyes anew. Take a wander.

This cute little second hand bookshop has shelves packed full of an array of used and antique…read morebooks. Their sections include maritime, cricket, ornithology and fungi among others. Any bookworm could spend hours browsing. There is a special cabinet set aside for the large hardback antique books which look like something out of a fairytale, some dating back centuries! There are also some delightful, slightly more recent hardback books for children and teenagers from the mid 20th century which provide a wonderful insight into what life might have been like for youngsters at that time. There are also plenty of modern books at decent prices including the likes of Harry Potter and Star Wars. The owners can open the shop specially for an appointment for anyone interested in selling or buying a number of second-hand books - the email address for more info is book.shop@btinternet.com. This is a great place to browse for a unique, carefully chosen gift for a book enthusiast or someone who has a passion for a particular obscure topic that may well be covered here...or just to have a nosy through the shelves for that special find.

For a while now I have had in my possesion a Grimm's Fairy Tales book dating back to at least 1906…read more As I didn't know much about the book other than that Grimm's Fairy Tales are rare, I decided to look online to see if there was any information I could find. After a four hour extensive google search I found nothing. No images and very little about the publishers. The only reason I know it dates back to 11th July 1906 is the plaque in the back. The book belonged to a school girl and she was rewarded the book for perfect attendance at Leith Academy in Edinborough. Needless to say, my fruitless efforts led me to believe that there would be a shop out there that would know much about this book and be able to give me some sort of professional opinion. I searched all around Leeds but all the shops said the same thing: "The only store I know of that deals with books is The Book Store in Kirkstall". It took me a while to get there, mainly because money is hard to come by but I eventually found myself outside of this mysterious and well talked about store. The store itself is quaint and a little charming but nothing to write home about. Certainly a bookworms delight but nothing more. I approached the counter and talked with the woman behind it. She seemed friendly enough but I expected a little more professionalism from her, after all she owns this book store so she should at least know something about the books she handles! Here is what she said. "The book is a reprint of the Grimm's tales" Firstly I would just like to say, No sh*t Sherlock. It's not exactly going to be the hand written very first edition of the tales by the brothers themselves is it? I was aware that it wasn't a first edition 1812 copy so I let her continue. She examined the book to the extent someone who didn't know what a book was would do, in that she handled it like it was a brand new book. It was painful to watch this nice old book being treated rough. She also completely ignored the plaque at the back that I had to point out to her when she said "without a date for this book there isn't much to go by." The date in the book is when the book was given to the girl which was 1906 which means the book itself could possibly pre-date that by a few years. I would say that is substantial evidence of the date of the book but this woman was absolutely clueless and completely dismissed the fact that the date was there saying: "That date doesn't have anything to do with the book though, it does not tell us when the book was published." I get that but it's not going to be anytime AFTER the date is it? Because the book was given to the girl ON the date inside the plague of the book. She then looked on her computer for what I can imagine must have been a google search for the book, of which I told her I had done an extensive search online for this book with the evidence that I had but I still found nothing. I really don't know what she was hoping to achieve in the two minutes she looked online but obviously, she didn't find anything. To which she concluded her examination by saying that "Unless it has illustrations in, especially by Arthur Rackham, i am sorry to say the book isn't worth anything." Basically making out that the work inside the book is rubbish unless it is accompanied by the illustrations of a famous artist. I was always under the impression that a books worth came from it's main selling point itself, in this case, the Fairy Tales. What I find funny more than anything, Is the fact that a woman who owns a book store full of old, possibly ancient and antique books, told me that a rare book that is 100+ years old was worth nothing. She also mentioned the state of the book, complaining that it was in poor condition. In actual fact,the book itself is in a good condition. It's not falling apart save for an illustration at the beginning of the book and the cover is in great condition considering the age of the book. I am no expert by all means but I have seen books this age in poor condition, not only are they illegible but most are very delicate indeed. I would go as far as saying this book is in great condition and as much as I can praise the store I can't praise the lack of help I received. I didn't expect much for free in terms of evaluation but I did expect more professionalism in terms of knowledge and handling of the subject matter.

I'm not the biggest fan of Oxfam on the whole, as charities go it is the one that has most…read moreobviously become more of a business. In many cases the Oxfam shops sell second hand clothing at ridiculous prices under the guise of vintage, and I've even seen Primark clothing on sale there for a little more than it sells brand new! But Oxfam books is a shade different. Here there are literally hundreds of different books on sale. As with the standard Oxfam shops, some of these are a little overpriced, but with so much variety it's hard not to find a bargain in here. There are lots of popular texts, but also some really quirky old books, which have that lovely antique vibe. I wanted to find some specialist literature based around gender studies and feminist non-fiction and found a far better range and highlighted section than even Borders - which had merged those texts in with lesbian erotica! Oh the irony! Every item that I chose to purchase was super cheap and it was pleasing to know that some of my money, however much, should go to a good cause. A great gem of a bookshop for wee Headingley.

Oxfam Books is jolly good indeed. It is rather large and has clearly labelled sections with areas…read moreincluding gender studies, philosophy, gardening and much, much more. It's the kind of place you could spend forever in, browsing, reading, then curling up in a corner engrossed! It has a lovely, library-like feel to it with many other people flicking through pages and browsing the shelves. For the most part the books are very good value for money and the huge selection means you are absolutely guaranteed to find something you want to take away. They also sell a tasteful range of greetings cards. The staff seem lovely and you get the impression they really enjoy their job. Next time I have some pennies to rub together I'm definitely heading over there to stock up on books in preparation for springtime reading under a tree in my local park! Can't wait!

Chris Bray, Probable a down right insult a Book called…read moreNecrophilia once upon a time other wise known an older version of a book unknown The Silence of the Lambs the year it was written which has nothing to do with HR.Gigers Alien an old price list perhaps government employed 1980's watershed 10'oclock news the landlord Andrew Murphy Crowley. Debora Marc Bolan 1970's the real one I mean Debora the name above.

Emmaus is a charity shop specialising in second-hand furniture and books. The charity supports…read morehomeless people to "move on from homelessness, providing work and a home in a supportive, family environment. Companions, as residents are known, work full time collecting renovating and reselling donated furniture. This work supports the Community financially and enables residents to develop skills and rebuild their self-respect." (www.emmaus.org.uk). The furniture is generally of a high quality and very reasonably priced with some quite charming vintage-style cupboards and shelves. The books are very cheap at 50p for paper backs and £1 for hard backs. Although there isn't a huge amount of books, what they do have covers a wide variety of types and genres. I would definitely recommend checking out Emmaus if you're looking for decent furniture at an affordable price, especially if you want something with a bit of character. It's great to know you would be giving unwanted furniture a new appreciative home while supporting a very worthwhile cause.

This branch of Emmaus is great. It sells second hand furniture and a few books in support of this…read morecharity helping people out of homelessness. There is a larger branch on the edge of the town centre but it is a bit out of the way. This one provides cheap, good quality furniture whilst making people aware of the cause. They have tables, shelves, sofas and lamps. The staff are pretty friendly and if you can't find what you want here, are happy to point you in the right direction of the larger shop.

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!