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.

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!

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.

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.

A little book shop in leeds union. Its extremely expensive, i mean, REALLY expensive! They only…read moreaccomadate for books if you in your 1st year otherwise, dont expect to find what you want. Its a real dissappointment for a shop connected with the university. Go somewhere else for your books, save some money.

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.