Just don't go in- you'll never leave!!…read more This quietly unassuming second-hand bookshop halfway up North Street will steal your time, but in a great way. From the outside it doesn't look that big, but step inside and you find yourself in a tardis, with books piled from floor to ceiling, winding backwards and sideways and crammed into every possible place. While it can initially be a little intimidating by the sheer volume, everything is organised into genres and between fiction and non-fiction so finding things is easier than you initially think. The fact that the books are second hand means you might find little gems that you wouldn't see piled neatly in the chain stores because publishers tell them too, and you might stumble across a book or author you'd never even considered. If you can't find what you are looking for, don't be afraid to ask, these guys are super friendly, and at the prices they charge who would bother with a kindle! I'll be back, when I've a couple of hours to spare. :-)

This place is AMAZING!!! Books behind books, on top of books. Could easily spend days here. And the…read moreprices are amazing. Tons of Irish authors, classics, sci-fi, and everything in between.

Somewhere I always pop into when in Bow Street Mall, just to see if they've anything new. Books are…read morealways cheaper here than anywhere else, though that means that new releases don't appear here for a while, and particular authors aren't stocked at all. But I always like to make use of one of their offers, such as 3 books for £5, or pick up something useful for 99p.. Although the shop is large enough, I actually prefer some of the other Bargain Books stores as they seem to stock a better choice of books, at least the kind that interest me.

This is one of my favourite Christian bookshops, even though I don't think I've ever bought…read moreanything out of it. This hasn't been due to lack of choice, but merely because I haven't had the money to be buying anything (which seems to usually be the case, sadly). The Faith Mission Bookshop is actually a whole lot bigger than you initially think, and has such a good variety of books (shock horror), music, cards, gifts and stationery that you could spend a right while nosing around. When I was last in, I spent forever hunting through the women's books and nearly ended up buying a couple, but the money issue prevented me (sadly). Whilst I have been in other Christian bookshops which have a much greater choice, I keep coming back to this one for its systematic layout and general organised feel (makes life so much easier), as well as its homely feel and friendly staff. Ask them anything, and they'll be willing to help you. I *will* buy something from the Faith Mission Bookshop one day, money-willing...

There are not many Eason's stores around these days but this one seems to be thriving, set in a…read morecentral location they've given the interior a real facelift - it's bright and vibrant and seems to be doing the trick when it comes to drawing the Belfast punters in. Eason's are specialist's in stationery and magazines, especially niche ones. I popped in here last week to grab a birthday card and to be honest I was a little disappointed with their selection but I suppose there's dedicated card shops for that sort of thing. One thing I noticed is that Eason's seems to have moved with the times, selling electronic goods and essential office supplies such as printer cartridges. On the lower floor there's a huge book selection that would rival Waterstones. Belfast actually doesn't have that many big book shops so if you still haven't succumb to a Kindle this will be your idea of heaven. This Eason is really well staffed so if you're looking for something in particular I would just ask one of the many attentive assistants (who are also pretty quick on the checkouts). All in all it's nice to see a familiar name in the city centre, I'm sure at some point the majority of Northern Ireland picked up their school stationery and chose that all important pencil case from an Eason's branch.

Easons claims to be a bookstore, but it is not a bookstore in the traditional sense of the word. It…read moreis a corporate store than sells art supplies, stationary, newspapers, chocolate, fizzy drinks etc. I am a fan of old rickety bookshops which you have to bump into people to get past. This is not one of them. Though they do have cheaper priced books than old bookshops, they can still be gotten on the internet so again if all you need is a book, try the internet. If you want the experience, go to an oldfashioned book shop. Not a fan

Stepping into Bookfinders is like stepping back in time 30 years. It's a proper old fashioned,…read morebohemian book shop and café located in the Queen's Quarter of Belfast. I love it but it won't be to everyone's taste - it's definitely a place you'll either love or hate. Other reviewers have mentioned this and the vibe is definitely like stepping into a Harry Potter movie or an episode of Black Books. It's full of second hand books, plants, candles, ornaments and paintings. The floors are uneven, the walls are crammed with paintings, posters and newspaper cut outs and a lovely peaceful, charming atmosphere prevails. They serve sandwiches, toasties, soups, stews, pastas, salads, teas and coffees - I can vouch for the cheese and tomato toasty being extremely tasty. Queen's University English Society hold monthly poetry events in Bookfinders (Poetry and Pints) and drama groups meet here too. Bookfinders is open from 11am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday and later during the light evenings of the summer months. A big plus is there's free Wi-Fi and you can BYOB of wine for lunch, an afternoon meal or to an event. This little bookshop and cafe is the true definition of a hidden gem. I love it and would highly recommend a visit.

I really adore this little place. It's old, the books tend to be tattered, the floor is a bit…read moreuneven and the place looks like it would be freezing in the winter. However, it is as traditional as a bookshop can ever get. It's like some old Victorian bookshop that you might see in the movies. I've had lunch here which is so cheap and quite nice but its the 'get-away-from-it-all' atmosphere which you cannot pay for. I've also had a few classes and meetings in here and its always really quiet so you feel a bit out of place making noise. It's like a library where you can have lunch. Combines my two favourite things... food and words. Perfect! Definately a must if you ever fancy a book and somewhere to read it undisturbed

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.

Eason's is a large newsagent, conveniently located in Lisburn's main shopping area. A large store…read morespread across one floor, it has a wide range of products. As well as the normal magazines and books ,(and they do have a good range), they also sell all the various stationery bits and bobs you might need as well as art supplies. Staff are generally friendly and helpful enough, (and can order a book in for you if they don't have it in stock). I don't think I've ever had anything to complain about when shopping here, (other than people using the magazine section as a library!).

I really like this little bookshop - well, I like any bookshop really, being a totally sad English…read moreteacher and bookworm saddo. I don't care, books make me happy. The banana bookshop is light, airy and has lots of space and comfort to browse and buy as many books as you wish - of which I chose many. You can find big discounts on some great types of books, especially cookery books, puzzle books (great if you have kids), and fiction books too, which are my big love. My Mum loves it too for autobiographies, and if you want to buy a book as a gift its brilliant because you can buy several at a discounted rate and get some real bargains. Worth a visit if you're a bookworm like me.

I love this bookshop. There is always something wild and wonderful I find, plus I always manage to…read morefind a book that my nephew hasn't read in there! A real finD

If this came through my door, I wouldn't be too impressed. The Lisburn Echo should probably be…read morerenamed the Lisburn Shadow...it's clearly the skinniest newspaper in existence (though it did come in handy for batting away wasps), with a mere sixteen pages (including the back and front covers). Of these sixteen pages, one page is dedicated to a secondary school advertisement, three pages are all about cars, there's a page for public notices, another page for services, and a lonely hearts page (or whatever they're calling them these days). So, if my calculations are correct, that leaves nine pages of news, all of which are taken up by at least half a page of adverts, meaning that there are approximately four to five full pages of just ads (I'll go with four seeing as I'm generous like that). There's also an entire page dedicated to the Hillsborough Oyster Festival (or 'Osyter' as it is now apparently spelt). So, we're now left with four pages of news, including a story on the huge amount of waste produced by the UK despite recycling, an article on 'Used Clothing Co.', and a story on the first Dobbie's Garden World to open in the UK. Exciting. Well, at least it's free...