**Newly opened and currently open til 6pm but they are looking to expand their hours shortly. If…read moreyou're unsure about opening hours and you want to visit, I recommend firing off a tweet to @SECONDHOMELDN ** Popped in to Libreria last night for a quick reconnaissance mission. New independent bookshops aren't exactly ten a penny. It also happened to be World Book Day, I have just realised. It was meant to be. I love how it looks from the outside. Like a portal to another world. You go down Hanbury Street, think you must've missed it and then...suddenly it's there. Stylish black shopfront with a nice inviting glow. This was only a very quick visit but I like how they do things in Libreria. First, I have to note that there was a Riga RP-1 record player with Velvet Underground & Nico on the turntable so...good start. No espresso bar here. No mobiles allowed. Comfy seating and little nooks to sit down and check out a book. Tick tick tick. Sally, Libreria's director, introduced herself to me and explained how things were laid out. Very friendly and helpful. Books are largely organised alphabetically, fiction on the left and nonfic on the right. However, within that, books are clustered into themes or ideas, in order to promote interesting combinations of books nestling next to each other. Great idea. Pure A-Z is so 2015. Also, they have asked celebs to do a mini-curation of their favourite books. Shami Chakrabarti's faves are currently on display. I think the idea is to change everything round every quarter. Events are also gonna happen here. I dutifully added my email to the mailing list on the front desk. Waterstones can do one.

A quaint independent bookstore in the eastern part of London…read more https://prashantmudgal.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/the-cost-of-living/

When I have a break in-between lectures I normally come here to dream of all the books I wish I…read morecould buy! They also do amazing stationary and cards. I sometimes buy books from here if I need it in a hurry. But although they do 3 for 2 offers on books, the prices are just too expensive for me as a student. They also do book clubs here, and also a children's reading club every week. It really is a lovely shop.

I ordered a book from Halcyon using AbeBooks. The sale was confirmed and Halcyon took payment…read more($100usd). I was then informed that the price was "incorrect" and they canceled the sale. I followed up with AbeBooks and learned Halcyon has relisted and re-sold the book (at what I assume was a higher price). It is disappointing dealing with people who stoop to these kind of sleazy business practices.

Halcyon Books is a charming little bookshop located directly opposite Greenwich railway & DLR…read morestation. It specialises in second hand books but also dabbles in hunting down rare or out of print books if you require, ideal if you are looking for a gift of that nature. It is one my "must visit" shops in which I enjoy browsing whenever I am in Greenwich and before I know it I have easily lost half an hour simply browsing through their shelves. The place has a relaxed feel, a traditional rustic bookshop with makeshift shelving in places which makes Halcyon individual and gives it a real sense of identity. It even has a bell on the door which for some reason I found endearing. What they stock is normally quite good with a wide variety of genres, some recent releases and some older editions, all organised quite clearly around the shop. The quality is good too considering most of the books are second hand. They're not in perfect condition but they will last and will certainly add character to your bookshelf. Price wise many of the items are a steal and cost a fraction of what you would pay brand new on the High Street. As you would imagine with a small book shop the staff are passionate about books and are willing and able to jump to your aid if required. They do not accept card payments but are always happy to reserve your book until you have the cash, even if that means them waiting for you for a few days. However, I cannot review this shop without sharing a story which gave Halcyon a place in my heart forever. A year ago I read The Damned United by David Peace and found myself fascinated with Brian Clough. I entered Halcyon in the hope of finding his autobiography which I did (a bargain at £2). When I opened it up on the train home I found that it had been autographed by the great man himself! This is one example of the types of one-off bargains you can find at Halcyon.

Awesome I genuinely love working with bookstores and…read moreauthors. There's something special about spaces filled with stories, creativity, and people who truly appreciate books. Even when bookstores are crowded and full of energy, they still carry that classic charm that reminds you of how real bookstores used to feel before everything became generic. Helping bookstores and authors grow through authentic promotion and marketing is something I truly enjoy because every book deserves the right audience and visibility.

Beautiful and charming old bookstore! Three floors with lots of books! Friendly staff! Love…read morevisiting this bookstore!

Best bookstore in London for language books (Celtic, German, English, Italian, Spanish, French,…read moreHebrew, Arabic, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Dutch, etc.!!) and it has a cafe upstairs as well as a huge kids books area.

In 2018, after 115 years of independent bookselling, then-Chairman Christopher Foyle and the Board…read moreof Directors sold the company to Waterstones, with the proviso that the Foyles name must endure. Based on our recent visit, let's now call this place a chain on steroids. I just wonder how much the inevitable Corporate culture has robbed the old independent Foyles of its soul. Gayle and I spend a fair amount of time on various floors and sections. I found a nice Judaica book, a BBC publication for an upcoming PROMS program, and some filing folders. Gayle found a book she was looking for and a gift for back home. It was a fun and good outing, but not a great one. The place was clean and shiny, and with attentive and helpful employees. That's good and sometimes not. And if given more time, I'd would have preferred to be in a dusty independent specialty bookseller.

An absolute joy to browse. Lots of new books, but the real finds are in the second hand section at…read morethe back and downstairs. I always find loads of really interesting books, gifts and nifty gadgets. Brilliant place!

Wonderful bookshop, with staff who are more than happy to order in any books you wish. Turnaround…read moreis quick and the level of service and recommendations make it a definite highlight at the top of Sydenham High Street. There are also often very cheap second hand books, particularly for children and there are often wonderful finds to be had in the bargain boxes!

Lovely little bookshop with an amazing,y well curated collection. We didn't plan to buy anything…read morebut browsed our way into a bag full, having found interesting titles we'd not seen elsewhere. While there, stop next door to Daquise for a fantastic lunch.

This bookstore was a fantastic find! It's located right next to the South Kensington tube station,…read moreand while it isn't too big, it boasts an impressive selection of books in various categories. Psychology, science, philosophy, politics, history, art, etc, and, of course, fiction. The books are all new, and extremely well-priced. I walked out of the store with 5 brand new books for only £22! If you are in the area and a book lover, this shop is a must-visit. The prices and selection are dangerous! I had to be careful not to buy out the whole store.

Good bookshops are dangerous places, and Daunt Books is one of the most dangerous of all. You can…read morelose yourself for hours, browsing through the recommendations temptingly laid out on tables. And while you're queuing to pay, there are more temptations on your way to the till - for book junkies this is worse than the sweet counters in supermarkets! Daunt Books is a small chain of independent booksellers with an emphasis on travel and literature. I like the way they curate their shops and always succeed to find a gift here - but not without buying one or two books to keep myself.

A trip to Holland Park is in order when I feel like I want to treat myself to a view of upscale…read morehomes, eat fancy deli foods, and, a recent discovery, peruse the Daunt bookshop outpost tucked into the main drag there. Compared to the Marylebone locale--the only other Daunt that I've visited--this shop is smaller, quainter, and, on my trip, super quiet. Ahh. I found an interesting-looking book, 'Mendelssohn Is on the Roof', quickly bought it and went on my merry way. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/05/books/trying-to-murder-a-statue.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

As soon as I walked in this place, someone - maybe it was Keith - immediately asked me if they…read morecould help. Considering the incredible disorder that abounded (there are literally books everywhere) this was helpful. Very helpful. I asked him if they had any books on astronomy. They had, near hand writing analysis apparently. I really do love book shops like this, they buy, they sell, there are antique books and also newer ones. They care about the selection but not in a snobbish, pretentiously literary way. It's a democracy and the book s are totally reasonable.

Loved this place! The book selection was vast and the people were very helpful. I was able to look…read morearound though had a hard time finding anything specific. While it is lovely to browse finding a specific book might be hard.

Great bookstore!…read more The selection is well-curated and there is something for everyone in here. The owners are friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to offer recommendations. Definitely worth a visit for anyone into books!!

Really, a lovely little bookshop with a long-standing history in this area. Where it could have…read moresuccumbed to the temptation to sell cool books to all the cool people that pass through this street (y'know how Fopp does it - bit of Orwell, bit of Camus, bit o' Kafka), they actually got a really well-stocked selection of fiction. The kind of fiction you've always wanted to read, or thought you should be reading. like Proust? And they do pretty greetings cards. There is a standard section on design, with big coffee table books about brazillian architecture or pictures of industrial decline. You do know them ones. But that's ok, their local history selection is beautiful and really appropriate for Brick Lane, where it would be easy to forget what it looked like last year. This bit's got nice books on the area's radical history, the stories of the Jewish presence in the area (I'd been looking for a Litvinoff book for ages) and the struggles against fascism and the National Front in London's East End. Which I felt really ties it to the area. It's definitely worth coming in 2 Eastside Books for a browse...