I have to give a major shout out to Paramount Books - a fantastic independent bookstore nestled in…read morethe sometimes overlooked and forgotten Shudehill area of town. Ok so there may be a million KFC ripoff takeaways and a few random shops that have seen better days around it but Paramount stands out as a well looked after 2nd hand book store with loads of character! I was pulled in on a wet and windy Monday by their comic book sale - in fact there's a whole area in the back dedicated to rare comics and graphic novels (fantastic selection) - inside there's a fantastic selection covering everything from music and film to politics, history and philosophy - really good to browse and possible pick up a tome to take home (wow that rhymes...) The best part of this place is the owner who basically is exactly what you'd be looking for if casting this place in a Hollywood movie. With glasses dangling from his neck and a scholarly look as he sorts the shelves - the classical music in the background makes you really feel what a unique place this is in the world of chain stores and amazon. Make sure you check out Paramount soon and enjoy a slip back into yesteryear!

Thank the lord for Paramount Book Exchange…read more One of the few independent bookshops left in Manchester, it's a strictly DIY affair run by a genuine book lover. The sign outside suggests it's only open Fridays and Saturdays but it's usually open Monday to Saturday unless the owner has popped out for something. The lively window displays give a great indicator of what's in store with stacks of new, vintage and secondhand books everywhere. Fans of cult fiction, sci-fi, horror, crime noir, queer fiction, biographies and pop culture will find much to treasure here as the stock leans more towards William Burroughs, Poppy Z Brite and Neil Gaiman than Harry Potter. There's also a small selection of 60s-90s vinyl for crate diggers. All they need is a coffee machine and I'd happily move in!

One of the most impressive bookstores I have seen through my travel around many cities in the world.read more

This Waterstones is one of two branches in the city center of Manchester, and is probably the…read morebetter branch out of the two, beating the Manchester Arndale branch which is both smaller and busier than this one, located on Deansgate fairly close to St Anne's Square and Market Street, opposite House Of Fraser, or as it's known to locals, Kendals. This store seems to have more of a vintage vibe, more old than new but still the vibe is quite nice for a bookshop, and they did have a selection of books. The store is set over several floors, as I recall there were 3 floors with lift access, in a rather old looking lift, which didn't look very pleasant and escalators available, and there was also a nice store guide to say what is on which floor, which was helpful. The layout of the books also seemed a lot nicer than some Waterstones stores I have visited, pricing seemed reasonable at most RRP prices, but still every book I noticed, was near enough all cheaper on Amazon, especially with delivery charges, which is one thing Waterstones needs to compete with. I'd normally come to Waterstones to take a look, and a read of books without buying, and buying what I like on Amazon, although I'm sure most people use Waterstones as a library, my friend even previously got banned from the Arndale store, for going in every week store, and just sitting in there from open to close, and reading books, without buying, so don't do it too much! There wasn't a lot of staff here I noticed, other than the tills, it would have been useful to see a few staff dotted around then, especially on the main floor, I think is called "Ground" where customers enter and exit the store onto Deansgate. This store is quite a nice Waterstones store and is a very large size and deserves a solid 3 stars, albeit sadly I feel I can't go any higher due to issues with the distribution of staff, pricing not being competitive with retailers such as Amazon and the lift looking something from Victorian Britain.

This is perhaps one of my favourite shops in Bury and one of the main reasons for my shopping trips…read morethere. Myself and my children are bookoholics and this shop is a heaven to book lovers. Although only a small shop they have a high stock level of factual and fiction books that are ideal for gifts or even for everyday purchases. The best bit however is you don't have to pay the publishers hiked up prices. They are especially good for children books with many of the favourates such as the gruffolo, bob the builder and dear zoo etc. I have lost count of the books my children have had thanks to this shop. The staff are polite and helpful and the stock is ever changing. Now there is no excuse for children not to have a variety of their own books and for you to add to your own collection too!

Every trip to bury seems to take me into this store and I never leave empty handed. I'f you have…read morethe time I reccommend you having a good look around their shelves. This store is small considering the amount of stock and it can sometimes get very busy but Its always worth a look. They have an excellent local history section too!

As a book lover, I saw this shop and ran inside. The smell of old books and leather was almost too…read moremuch to bear. I got all excited like a child in a sweet shop, wandering what I could possibly find here. It is only small but let me assure you that you can spend hours in here. They have old version of Pride and Prejudice and even some Winnie the Pooh books. In Tameside, it is rare to find book stores like these as there is only WH Smith around. So this is a great find. I love this place. So go and have a look at what surprises you may find.

Have I ever mentioned that I'm a bookworm? And I like markets? That would make this pretty darn…read moreperfect then wouldn't it. St. Ann's Square, that perfect little spot for the quaint and quirky stalls making up markets of Christmas, flowers, art, food and fashion, is also home every now and again to an exchange of literature. I'm afraid there aren't any definite dates, you simply need to find out when the book market is on from the website. Keeping track of Manchester magazines like Large and CityLife will help with this. (We don't talk about Manchester Confidential any more.) As we all know second hand books can be cheap as chips, and this is your opportunity to grab some rare and unusual reads. Come here for something to take on your next holiday or if you're stuck for a subject to write an essay on. There's plenty to choose from, and I don't know about you but for me there's just something about books which have already been read several times that makes them all the more special. It was here that I managed to get a first edition copy of a Victorian novel I was including in my thesis, which is probably worth a fair bit of money now. Literary nest eggs. Now there's a concept I'll happily get on board with.

Fantastic place. I'm from London but I've spent the last four or five years living in Manchester…read more People are forever asking me what I think of Manchester, and I always say that its got everything. One of the few things it really lacks though, is second hand bookshops. Browsing the second hand bookshops in London is a great day-trip in itself, but in Manchester you rarely find a good second hand book, let alone a place with a good number worth looking at. I should mention The Art of Tea in Didsbury here, which is probably the only exception to the rule, apart from Manchester Book Market. I study English literature so you can imagine this is pretty close to my heart. Not only can you get rare books for good prices here, but they genuinely have a wide selection so if it's a classic you're after then you've a good chance of picking it up for a couple of squids. They've usually got all Dickens (who could want anything more) as well as plenty of other classic works. Spend £10-£20 quid and get yourself half a dozen quality books. Plus some great editions. I too picked up a gem in a colour-illustrated copy of Oliver Twist.

Amazing place that accepts you for being you. *Warning* @ Social Refuge where they treat you…read moredifferently if your not like them. I visited this coffee shop recently and left feeling pretty uncomfortable with how I was treated. From the moment I ordered, the staff came across as dismissive and noticeably colder toward me compared to other customers around me. There were a few interactions that felt unnecessarily sharp, and it gave the impression that I wasn't particularly welcome there. I want to be fair, but as a straight customer, the difference in tone and attitude didn't go unnoticed. Whether intentional or not, it made the experience feel exclusionary rather than inclusive. It's a shame because the space itself has a lot of personality, but the service made it hard to enjoy. I'd hope they work on creating a more welcoming environment for everyone.

I get the irony by starting with the quote "don't judge a book by its cover" but tbh this is…read moreexactly what I've been doing every time I've walked past this place in the past few months... Whether it was because the area of town is a bit random, the building a bit unattractive and me thinking it was more of a bookshop - something just seemed to be putting me off. But today in my meeting with Matt F we decided to give it a go and what a great decision it was! First off this place is huge and a labyrinth once inside - one half hipster bookshop, the other half cool cafe with a real nod to health (check out the menu on my pics). A really lovely environment with working fountain and a variety of places to sit. The food was excellent too - my breakfast pancakes were probably the best I've had in Manchester so far which is saying something. Quick note that they don't do sides - at one stage I thought I was going to turn into Jack Nicholson in '5 Easy Pieces' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wtfNE4z6a8 but thankfully the guy sorted us out with a side of toast after I asked nicely...repeatedly... Very friendly staff, great venue. I'll be back soon to work/eat/drink coffee/read a book - or all at the same time!

I went to this Waterstones branch, during a trip to Oldham and it was very quiet as you would…read moreexpect close to closing on a Sunday. An emploee who was very nice greated me and offered to show me where something was - The first book I looked at was Harry Redknapp;s Autobiography he shown me his 2013 one was "new" but the new book was there out in October, he explained he didn't like football but he should know the products they sell. This item was really expensive, £5 more than Amazon but that is just a usual at Waterstones. He also found another product for me, eventually leading in the wrong direction, he did look a little puzzled but found the right product in the end, also around 5 pounds more. Overall, this store is a nice size and has alot of books but I would say this store is for looking at the books before you buy as most of them are too expensive, the staff are nice but they don't really know what they are doing so I feel only 2 stars is fair for this store.

This lovely book shop is soon to be closed down due to building work…read more Inside it as all the usually students books autobiograhys and even childrens book. Theres a place to sit and read before you buy and a starbucks coffee shop and even toilets( a first) staff are knowledgeable and very pleasent . didnt buy anything this time but had my eye on a beatles lyric book for a christmas gift so that was good !

As an English Literature student I literally have to guzzle my way through books and so, when I…read morehaven't planned ahead and ordered my pre-term shelf full on Amazon, Blackwell becomes a weekly port of call. This particular branch is situated within the slightly defunct University Shopping Precinct and consists of three floors of academia alongside your more mainstream reads and children's books. I love the fact that you can purchase a copy of 'Hamlet' on the ground floor and then traverse to the top floor to obtain your very own 'Yorrick' model skull from the Medical section. (They also have a really fun selection of pens concealed as syringes, spines and finger bones up here which make great gifts for children.) There is a lovely little café always heaving with intellectuals and there are well positioned sofas for moments of seated contemplation. If you sign up for a Blackwell loyalty card you'll earn one point for every pound you spend within the store and when you've collected one hundred points you'll receive a five pound voucher. It's not the most generous loyalty scheme I've ever encountered but beats being poked in the eye with a burnt stick, eh?

Manchester Buddhist Centre has been teaching Buddhism and meditation in Manchester since 1977,…read moretheir current location in Manchester's Northern Quarter is a short walk from Shude Hill Metro station. It is a vibrant and very modern urban oasis providing a much needed haven of calm for our City. The centre is laid out over four floors, the basement floor is a Vegetarian cafe and juice bar, the other floors provide space for the shop, meditation and Buddhist practises and teachings. The great thing about the centre is that anyone can come in and try out one of the classes, natural treatments and therapies or Buddhism courses. I went here with my best friend to try out some meditation, the environment in itself is calming and peaceful as soon as you walk in, after talking to the kind receptionist we decided to go in for some breathing meditation, the idea was that we would pick up some tips on remaining calm and focused. The class was easily picked up on, and I did not feel out of place or unsure of what I should be doing for the whole session. It was worth a million times over the amount I paid for the session.... and taught me (over time) a lot about myself... really, just from those few precious hours! I went with an open mind, without any prior experience or expectations and I left willing to look into the basic tenets of Buddhist teachings, which are..... nothing is fixed or permanent, actions have consequences and .... change is possible.

I popped in as someone who has little knowledge around Buddhism but looking to find out more…read more The woman behind the desk was a massive help and was so welcoming after explaining my situation. I bought a couple of books to read through which the lady recommended and asked me to have a glance through in the cosey set up they have around the corner before I purchased anything. I also got offered a brew, which was nice! They had a brilliant selection of books and Buddhist items in the store which I'd recommend you all check out, with some second hands books aswell. Overall I'd recommend the centre to anyone who is looking at learning more about Buddhism or if your already past that point. Went around 1pm and was a lot of welcoming people in the back who were happy to have a chat. Sadly I didn't go to any meditation classes, but it won't be long until I do!