What comes to mind when I think of the American Book Center a pretty average bookshop that does not…read morestand out from the rest, despite them speaking English. I always try to stop in here every once in a blue moon to see if a book will stand out for me to purchase. Once in a while, I get lucky to find a book that strikes my interest. However, most of the time I try to check out other bookstores that have that warm, cozy, and friendly feeling because half of the time I feel they definitely don't got it.

This will be the best selection of English and American books in Amsterdam. It's very sterile, but…read morehas a wide selection. Especially in a city that really celebrates Dutch book shops, if you need an English book this place will have it.

From the owner: Over Vrolijk Begin jaren tachtig was er in Europa en de…read moreVerenigde Staten een reeks kleine uitgevers van homoliteratuur, die de reguliere Nederlandse importeurs echter niet wilden verspreiden. Daarom ging de redactie van het tijdschrift Homologie dergelijke buitenlandse boeken aan haar lezers aanbieden. Dit was dermate succesvol dat hieruit in 1984 de kleine homo/lesbische Boekhandel Vrolijk ontstond, gevestigd in de kelder van het pand aan de Voetboogstraat 7 in Amsterdam. De zaak verhuisde in 1989 naar het pand aan de Paleisstraat 135. In april 2013 ging Vrolijk failliet, maar na een ingrijpende verbouwing, waarbij o.a. een coffee-corner was aangebracht, kon de zaak in november van dat jaar weer heropend worden. Desondanks moest het bedrijf op 21 maart 2017 helaas opnieuw failliet verklaard worden. In januari 2018 heeft Antoine van den Berg, voormalig medewerker van Boekhandel Vrolijk, een geheel nieuwe LGBT-webshop opgestart onder de naam Vrolijk Boeken & Films. Mission statement Antoine: "Met Vrolijk Boeken & Films wil ik een toegankelijk platform bieden om de aanschaf van roze literatuur en films opnieuw gemakkelijk te maken voor alle LGBT'ers en sympathisanten, in Nederland, maar ook daarbuiten. Ik denk dat een webwinkel daarvoor het ideale middel is en een heel groot bereik kan hebben. Daarnaast spelen ook de relatief hoge vaste lasten mee die een fysieke zaak met zich meebrengt. Wereldwijd worden LGBT'ers nog steeds slachtoffer van discriminatie en geweld. Hopelijk

Wow what a delightful bookstore and good selection of books. I especially liked an entire section…read morededicated to romance - even had a shelf for sports romance! Service was friendly and good value for books and magazines. Some seating available. I wish they had souvenirs if their store to buy like bags or mugs etc. Highly recommended!

This bookstore just keeps getting better. And now they have gotten bigger. I thought it was my…read moreimagination that the warren of books seemed to be a little Alice in Wonderland like...down the rabbit hole I went...and then another door opened to another room and upstairs! It has gotten bigger. I used to go in after a trip to the cheese shop, just for the magazines. The magazines are beyond the mundane. Quarterlies, niche, design and other interesting perusal opportunities that will make you much smarter at your next cocktail party. Love. This. Bookstore.!

Wow, what an impressive bookshop. Full of great books at a reasonable price. The selection of books…read morekeeps getting better. The service is friendly and professional, they have a wide selection of books for different genres. So many books caught my eye, for such a great price. The book shop is a bit tight in space, but everything is perfectly structured in a wonderful and organize way. It's definitely worth a visit.

This place is seriously awesome of course if you speak english and live/work/are visiting this…read morearea. They have books as low as 4 Euros NEW! and up to about maybe 11 or 12 Euros. They have a huge selection of travel guides, fiction and biography type books. Sadly if you are like me and looking for travel writing or things of this nature they do not have them. However for what they do have it is worth a look at the least. The staff is also friendly and speak dutch and english, so if you need help finding someone they are happy to assist.

A great local spot for lunch. We had bitterballen and fries and sandwiches. Also good for a solo…read morelunch - they have free books to read and a cat.

This is a wonderful, big bookstore right off Dam Square. The majority of books are in Dutch, but…read morethey do have a large selection of English titles, as well as a smaller selection in other languages. There is a small used book area on the top floor where I have found few gems. Any book lover should stop by here if they are in town!

Beautiful bookstore with lots of American titles and a staff that speaks English. Unfortunately,…read morethey don't have my book club books. There were four English bookshops in this area.

Waterstone's is a British bookstore that I love. If you need or want a book in English while in…read moreAmsterdam, this is the place. The store is several stories with many flights of stairs which makes browsing around a little more difficult than some. Since this is a smaller store, the selection and depth within each category of books is more limited. You may find books at better prices with other retailers but it is so nice to walk into a bookstore and walk out with your purchase. Waterstone's also has a frequent purchase card.

Five stars for what the Bookieman represents - the freedom to look at and buy used books whenever…read moreyou want and at whatever price you want. Take that digital. While you could plan a trip especially to come here, the best way to visit is to accidentally drop in while on your walk back home. The books are placed outside, rain or shine, and all you have to do is replace them with a token amount of €1.50 per book. There are more books in the entrance of the owner's living quarters. All it takes is a little bit of luck and spontaneity to land yourself a good read for the weekend. Line up here!

I collect books from each country that I visit, so I always research a place to go prior to my…read moretrip. I found this place through a yelp search and I loved it! The concept is amazing (and helpful since we got there early), so we were able to pick out a book, and put the required amount of money in the mailbox. The outside selection was great, I just wish we had visited later in the day, so I could have seen the inside as well!

Beautifully curated, coffee table book shop that specializes in lifestyle, travel, cooking and…read morefashion books. Great to stroll through on a rainy day.

I thought I had died and gone to coffee table book heaven. Photography, art, fashion, design fans -…read morelisten up - you must check Mendo out. All the books they sell in store are available online as well on http://mendo.nl/ but the books themselves are really like pieces of art and must be seen in person. The staff is extremely helpful, there is comfortable seating for perusing and it's just a lovely store to lose time in.

We stopped by in this split level shop to check it out--my husband was impressed with the vast…read moreselection of comics and graphic novels (mostly new, not back issues). Prices were higher than in the U.S. but you figure they have to be imported so that makes sense. Great organization between the character figures, the Funko pop figures, the manga, and the comic books/graphic novels.

Tiny but cool comic shop in the central district of Amsterdam, what caught my eye most about Henk…read morewas its stained glass superhero windows! I think there was a stained glass Wolverine, as far as I can remember. Inside, they had a decent supply of Dutch comics, as well as international titles, graphic novels, action figures and geeky t shirts. My boyfriend at the time was a big fan of comics, so I had a wee look for things he might've enjoyed. Overall the graphic novel collection impressed me, and it was interesting for a visitor to take a forage into popular comics from further afield! Well stocked and specialised - the best things come in small packages.