Now widely acknowledged as Northern Ireland's premiere secondhand bookshop, Bookends - situated…read moreright near the bus and train station in Bangor - carries over 70,000 books in stock. Bookends has gone from strength to strength since they first opened our doors back in 2003. Regular customers will have noticed that the main retail premises has moved two doors up from its original location, thus increasing space (and books!) by almost fifty per cent. The first shop continues to be maintained as a store, and as a result Bookends has an enormous reservoir of stock to draw upon. But we're not just any secondhand bookshop! Most of our stock is 'nearly new', and the surroundings are clean and bright, just as they would be in a 'normal' bookshop. Even our store is so well organised that if you're looking for one particular thing, chances are they'll be able to lay our hands on it! And when you're done, almost all of our books can be returned to us for half price exchange, allowing your cash to go further in these difficult times. Books are, after all, a necessity of life. A really, really good bookshop in the heart of town with friendly and helpful staff, an absolute must for book fans.

I could (and have) literally spent well over an hour just browsing in this wee shop…read more There is not a great deal more I can say than what the other reviewer has said - especially since he has just copied and pasted their 'about us' directly from their website! All I can offer is personal experience. They are literally wall to wall and floor to ceiling with books. You will pretty much find anything you are looking for here, and things you aren't looking for but discover once you get here, and just have to have! When I was studying, I managed to find every single reference book I needed here, and I paid less than a quarter of what I would have had to shell out if I'd got them brand new. I also just happened upon some books from a series of pony books I had when I was younger. I was able to get the three books missing from my collection, all ready to take home for a little bit of nostalgia.

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.

I love this shop! As…read morethe name suggests, every book in here really is just a pound! They have such a wide variety of books that they would leave Easons quaking in their boots! Yes it's second hand, but if you go through books the way I do, then the best way to buy is second hand! I normally stick to charity shops as you're also helping a good cause, but I couldn't resist this place! I managed to get the final two books from a new favourite author and it cost me, yup, two pound! Seriously worth checking this wee gem out!

I am definitely a loyal fan of Stewart Millar although I often forget its name and refer to it as…read moreStuart Little (as in the little talking mouse) which of course causes hysterical laughter and confirms the kids' suspicions that I am in fact a total muppet. Stewart Miller is an independent retailer of toys, books, magazines and sweet shop stuff. I'm sure there's a better term than that for chocolate, drinks, crisps etc but that's what I call it. This shop's strength is in the offers they are always running and which change regularly. In the toy department, you often find lego you won't see elsewhere and they always have the latest must have sets. They often run promotions of 25% off lego which is great news for stocking up as lego is eye wateringly expensive. The same goes for play mobile sets which are even more expensive. The latest paperbacks are often on offer too and older titles for both adults and kids are at unbeatable prices all year round. You also get one off offers like huge scented candles which last for ages and don't have that horrible cheap smell for just £3.99. The selection of magazines and comics has to be seen to be believed, stretching across one whole wall of the shop. And they don't have any of those hateful notices telling you that 'we are not a library' so feel free to browse.

An essential cornerstone of the greater North Down area. Fantastic book offers and something for…read morepeople of all ages. Support the local businesses!

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.

A smaller, tidier and more organised version of it's big brother in Belfast, Faith Mission is not…read morequite up there with some of the Christian bookshops I've visited, but I'm still a fan. Usually quite a busy wee shop, I was rather alarmed to see it was completely empty and desolate when I went in yesterday. "Quiet?", I asked the sales assistant. Nodding, she replied, "Yes, that weather's enough to put anyone off coming out!" Sadly true. Determined to purchase something just to lift her spirits, I went for a dig up the back of the shop where the books are all kept. There's a bigger range than you would first expect - everything from Apologetics to Biographies - and it does take a wee while to find what you're looking for, though everything is very helpfully marked by section and author. I found the 'sale' section (typically) and picked up a book reduced from £13.99 to £4.99. That was enough to persuade me (it don't take much, I know), and I purchased it, happy in the knowledge that a) the sales lady had a least one sale that day and b) that I had gotten myself a tremendous bargain. Happy days.

Is there one of these awesome stores in every little town in Co. Down? There blooming well should…read morebe! How I wish I were a child again (I notice I'm saying that a lot these days) What a magical feeling it must be to climb the stairs of Stewart Miller's and know that you are basically going into Santa's grotto - have you ever seen so many toys shoved and stacked into one top floor - I haven't I can tell ye! Not only is it toy heaven upstairs but downstairs is like a child's dream - sweets, chocolate, crisps and wrapping paper - well, they ahve to stock something for adults! Seriously though, if you need a newspaper, your lotto, a card, a fine nibbed marker in florescent green, a book on horses or a tub of Roses then this is the place for you. Make sure you spend over a fiver if you want to use your debit card though as they won't take it unless you do. Stewart Miller I salute you.

One of my favourite shops in newtownards, all the childhood memories of getting a new subbuteo team…read moreor some sweets and the latest beano mag, then the dreaded stationary shop at the end of the summer holidays to the present day browsing books and looking at toys for my son and gifts for others. Its remained unchanged and that's because Stewart millers works so well and has got something to offer everyone. Christmas time is great in Stewart millers too and its one of the best shops in ards.

I must admit, I don't usually go in to book stores, when I am going to buy a book I usually head…read morestraight to Amazon but today after having breakfast in the Botanic area I was walking back to my car and I thought I would call in to No Alibis to see if I could pick up a book I had been recommended by numerous colleagues. On entrance No Alibis seemed cluttered and I couldn't immediately locate the section I thought the book I was looking for would be in. It certainly wasn't as clear as the Amazon search results. Anyway I struggled on and eventually came across the 'business' section at the back of the store. After having a quick sift through the books it became clear that they didn't stock the title I was looking for. With that I was about to leave but then I thought I'd ask the lad working there if she had seen/heard of the book. It was then my experience took an amazing turn for the positive. The helpful lady immediately consulted her 'book database' on the computer and immediately found the book. Unfortunately she didn't have it in store but she was able to reserve it for me and have it ready to be collected on Monday - plus it was cheaper that it was on Amazon. What a result! It was look old meets new! If you're looking for a book for study or leisure definitely pop in here - even if they don't have it they can source it for you. I also noticed they sold some unique pieces of local art. Hopefully this main stay of Botanic will be around for years to come!

I'm an English student so any bookstore is a good bookstore as far as I'm concerned. This one…read morehowever is independent of Queen's but has a very close relationship with the students and the staff. Despite there already being a bookshop owned by Queen's, many would recommend you try here first as if they don't have it, they will guarantee you it with their next delievery. It could be either that or the fact the people (whose names escape me yet again) are exceptionally friendly and have a real passion for their job. I have been in browsing before and soon i was sitting down with some friends having coffee and discussing books... pretentious possibly, but it's almost certainly the bookstore that makes me want to sit and drink coffee and talk about books. I dont even like coffee either. Very very very helpful, very friendly and a must for anyone who requires a good book

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

Love books and love a bargain? Then Stacs is for you. And you can get a pastie supper in the…read morechippie next door when you're done. Fab. Stacs looks just how you would expect a secondhand book store to look - quite small and packed with shelves and shelves of every kind of book. To name a few genres (well I am writing about a bookshop so I thought I'd thow that word in), you can get children's books, military books, popular fiction (sounds better than chick lit), and reference and academic type books which I try not to look at. The owner is super friendly and really goes out of his way to help. When I decided to jump on the 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' bandwagon (I know, I'm such a follower) and he didn't have a copy, he offerred to take my number and ring me as soon as one came in. I love that kind of actual customer service which is so elusive these days. If you like a bargain and have a spare half an hour, give it a try.

Great variety of books all at a great price. Would highly recommend, only downside is you are not…read moregaranteed to find the book your looking for especially if its new.