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'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.

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

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

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

There are not many of these old fashioned, independent bookshops left anymore and so when I find…read moreone I like to spend a bit of time browsing around. I spent about twenty minutes in here the other day as the place is very small and quite intimate which made me feel I couldn't really use the place as a library. There is an extensive of first editions as well as a surprisingly large collection of old children's books - many of which I recognized from my own childhood such as Jemima Puddle duck and Thomas the tank engine. Because of the uniqueness of some of the books and the extraordinary condition they have been kept in some cost over £40. Obviously there are other books you can pick up for a fraction of the recommended retail price and I was able to find a book on painting on glass for a mere £6.00 - let my new hobby commence!

An antiquarian/second hand book shop of the best sort with an interesting selection of books…read moreincluding first editions on history, literature, art and cookery. There's also a rich selection of children's titles from days gone by from old authors like GA Henty and Alison Uttley, as well as early editions of Enid Blyton and Biggles. The shop is small but well laid out, kept well and cosy. I could have spent ages in here looking at the fascinating titles as there were so many boosk that I'd like to read though it does also cater for the serious book collector/antiquarian enthusiast.

Replacing 'Wesley Owen' Christian bookshop, which was a particularly favourite haunt of mine, is…read morethe new 'Living Oasis' bookshop. I was surprised to see that the layout was basically entirely the same, though this is no bad thing, but the shop has undergone a paint job, with yellow and blue tones appropriately reflecting its name. The store is well laid out, everything is tidy and well-organised, with suitable sections for new titles, most popular books etc. It's not a huge shop, but there is a good amount of stock, which mainly consists of...yep, you guessed it...books. There are Christian CDs and DVDs, as well as cards and gifts, and interestingly, an Irish / Northern Irish souvenir section which I thought was quite novel. Amongst the fridge magnets featuring Belfast murals, and books about the Orange Order, were shamrock keyrings and Irish flags. Nice touch...got to keep everyone happy! Very much a calm and tranquil shop, Living Oasis is definitely one I'll be returning to. Even if it is only to dream of sun, sandy beaches and the glistening sea...

Great collection of books, loads of Sci-fi, fantasy, fiction, local, food, business etc. Most books…read moreare about £2.50 The staff are pretty nice and it's very well stocked given its small size. In the good weather they have mobile shelves that sit outside to draw more customers.

I love Oxfam Books. It's so well laid out and stocked that on walking in you wouldn't even…read moreinitially realise it's a second hand bookstore. There's a huge selection of books spread over two large rooms and everything is shelved by theme e.g. art, history, cookery, fiction, graphic novels etc. I could spend a couple of hours looking through this shop and have picked up a quite a few great bargains over the years. Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves books.

As I have said in a number of different reviews, I am a big fan of charity shops. I always enjoy…read morethe laid back, chilled out atmosphere and you can usually get an absolute bargain if you have a good look around. I have called in here on a number of occassions and have picked up a few t-shirts and pairs of old jeans. The quality is always assured and you always know that you are doing a good thing and not giving your hard earned dollar to a big corporation. The staff in this particular store have always been helpful and friendly anytime I have called in. They're always willing to help you have a good look around and they'll hold stuff over for you if you need to pop out to get some money out or whatever. Well worth checking out.

One good thing about recession - it makes second hand cool again. In a time when everyone is…read morewatching the pennies, charity and vintage shops are making a killing. This store opened up in 2009 and seems to be doing very well. I love going in for a wee hoke about and while, like at most second hands, the results are varied, I've managed to find a few little pieces amongst the rails. It is predominately clothing, but there is the odd bit of furniture which tends to be beautifully crafted dressers or wardrobes - just what you need to hold all your beautiful vintage items, right? The staff are always very welcoming, the prices are right and there's always something new to find, rather than the same old stuff you see on the high street normally. Plus, it's run by the East Belfast Mission who do a lot of good work in the poorer parts of East Belfast, engaging with young people and homeless outreach, so everyone's a winner!

'Vintage, re:use, re:style, re:store'…read more I love the idea of this shop. I hate waste and I'm always one for restyling my own clothes. This isn't just another vintage shop, it's slightly better quality than the others. They do a great job with mannequins, I'm always impressed with their window dressing skills. The clothes in the shop front was the first thing I ever noticed about the place. It's always a really good job. So kudos to whoever sets this up. Inside the store it's always laid out brilliantly, some vintage shops are a bit like TK Maxx at the best of times, you need a good few hours to sort through the jumble until you find the gem you're after, but in Vintage they've got everything in order around the shop and you can immediately find some real gems. They sell (amongst a myriad of others) trousers, skirts, dresses, shoes, jackets, formal and casual wear. Anything and everything. Paradise! Even their furniture is for sale (so pretty too!) Like most vintage shops they don't offer refunds but do offer a credit note exchange. I find this particularly handy if you don't have the time to try items on. You're always going to find something you're after anyway.