West End Lane Books is everything a book store should be. The only trouble is they were playing Bob…read moreDylan when I arrived. I can not stand Bob Dylan. This store had a nice artsy sort of selection of the type of books people read who live in the NW postcodes, meaning NW3,NW5, NW6. I think this is not a bad thing at all. W.E Lane Books also had an impressive sale selection. I found the Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt reduced from 15.99 to 5.99. You look around and see Penguin Titles mugs and 5 pounds of the Mighty Boosh Book (not sure if this is a desirable book to acquire or not, you decide). The staff also shows your their favourites, in a section. A good shop but can the Dylan. Yikes!

Really top-notch bookstore. I used to stop in all the time when I lived around the corner, and was…read morejust back in yesterday. It's not big, but not too tiny, and is independently owned and operated. They carry all the latest fiction and non-fiction, and not just the best-sellers, either. They do special topical displays. Yesterday was a rack of about 10 books about finance and the global economic crisis. They have a large section of Jewish books, catering to the local demographic. Their sale/discount section is one of the best I've seen. It's a couple of shelves near the back, and one right under the cash counter, but they're not the typical cheapo books you see in those sorts of bins. I picked up books like The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Search-Six-Million/dp/0007251939/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223300537&sr=8-1) (marked from £25 down to £9), The Rolling Thunder Logbook (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolling-Thunder-Logbook-T-Bone-Burnett/dp/1860746403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223300586&sr=1-1) (£14 down to £7), A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hedonist-Cellar-Adventures-Wine/dp/0747588465/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223300656&sr=1-2) (£14 down to £7, I think), and more.

Albeit dismayed by the glaringly poor promotional selections, I reluctantly but confidently give…read morethis specific franchise 5/5. The nexus of all literary pursuits is not stilted academia, nor grand capitalist enterprises such as Waterstones, nor cheap regurgitations of tired plots, but interpersonal connection and the greater human experience. I thus thank Sophia for efficiently and kindly assisting me in various searches and enquiries. Rare is the flawless customer service experience. I walked away from High Street content in both tangible and intangible manifestations, and I have Sophia to thank. Thanks!

Super staff that was so helpful! Lovely children's section. Gifts, stationary..and of course…read moreBOOKS! Prices are very reasonable and all the new releases and classics are available. Can't find what you are looking ask them..they will find it for you.

This is a large WHSmith store, a travel location serving London Victoria Station. They have a great…read moreselection of travel essentials such as a drinks fridge, including a small selection of alcohol, that covers almost the whole wall on the right side of the store. Prices are high here, ultimately you're paying for convenience, if you have more time, you can pick up 90% of the items here at a fraction of the cost, even just a couple of minutes down the road. This is the case at pretty much every WHSmith Travel location. There is a Nescafe Azera coffee machine here, obviously, you have the usual suspects inside the station, but this coffee machine is especially useful if you're in a hurry ahead of getting a train, and don't have time to wait at Starbucks/Costa etc. The checkout area seemed a little too compact for my liking, it became a little messy rather quickly, given the size of the store, it's almost unacceptable as they could easily improve the area. 4*

A larger than average station branch of W H Smiths, located right in the heart of the station, and…read moreset over two floors. The ground floor has a huge (and unsurprisingly busy) magazine and newspaper section, as well as a smaller book section, selling fiction, travel and business books. It's usually packed with commuters browsing the magazines while waiting for their train. There's also a food cabinet selling a limited range of drinks and pre-packed sandwiches. Upstairs is the cards and stationery section, with a large choice of greeting cards.

I like this W H Smith, because it is in a good location. I go there more often these days, because…read morethis is where the Post Office now is also located. I personally prefer this, because I like to shop in W H Smith anyway. I like the stationery that they sell and the choice of magazines that are available. I like to check out their books, as they sometimes have good offers. Of course, Smiths will only stock more popular titles if you want more specialist books you have to go elsewhere, but I think Smiths can order things in for you if you want. The staff are fine too.

I generally really like this business, and feel that they have a very legitimate place in the…read moreEnglish high street. This particular branch, however, is most definitely the worst managed outlet that I have visited. I feel that the layout inside is very cluttered, dark and tough to navigate when you're looking for that particular item. For many weeks (perhaps months), one half of the metal shutter on the front of the store was jammed shut, and it appeared that no effort was made to rectify this. It did not bother me much, but I wonder who was responsible for repairing this and why it took so long? I felt particularly letdown on my most recent visit here, when I bought a number of items, and was told by the shop assistant that I needed to pay for a bag. I inquired as to whether that was standard policy for WHSmith now and his reply was "The manager only orders the bags that you have to pay for now"! I feel that this is a terrible customer service faux pas and makes me not want to visit this particular branch. Is this really WHSmith's goal? To penny pinch and upset their customers who have to pay for carrier bags?

I find the staff very helpful in this branch of WHSmith (always willing to go to the stock-room to…read moresearch if an item is not displayed) although WHS would not get 5 stars from me as their goods are so hideously overpriced. In this branch I regularly buy stamps for my competitions which are at Post Office prices (some independent newsagents charge extra), lottery tickets and magazines. The staff are helpful although this branch is small and not the most aesthetically pleasing.

This is a reasonably sized branch of W H Smiths, hidden away in the Kings Mall shopping centre in…read moreHammersmith. (There's a very small one in the shopping centre next to the underground station, but that's too small to be of use for anything beyond sweets and newspapers.) This branch has the full range of magazines, with an audio and DVD section, as well as an extensive range of the expected stationery and cards. I fled there after fighting in vain with the excitable 14-year olds in the adjacent Clinton's for a Valentine card for my other half, and here found both better choice and a comparative oasis of calm. The only criticism is that they didn't have enough staff on the tills.

Small but perfectly formed. Not a full selection of the usual WH Smith stuff but a good selection…read moreof chocolate, books and a tiny tiny selection if cards. There is a scribbler if you need stationary or cards so this WH Smirh fills in when you need something as a gift or some chocolate :-)

A proper bookshop...but more importantly, and independent one!…read more I really like this place and am so happy that they still exist despite the convenience of online shopping. But it's actually at shops like this where I get inspired for a next book. I'm pretty much fed up with the personalisation of Amazon; while they probably know what I like, they cannot tell me what I might also like. And this is where the independent book sellers like The Stoke Newington Bookshop have a real margin: they have passionate and friendly staff who love to read themselves and they in turn can recommend their customers something totally unique...as long as you're willing to let them take you to undiscovered territory.

This large and popular bookstore is a good place to pick up a weekend's worth of reading. I find…read morebookshops cozy places to browse around in, and I enjoyed the experience of this small but well stoked local bookstore. Frequented by many of the literati that live in the whereabouts of Stoke Newington, this spacious store also hosts book readings by local authors, and an occasional poetry night. They have a good range of children's books, as well as several magazines on arcane and current subjects. I found an interesting philosophy journal here, with short articles on the most challenging ideas of our times by eminent philosophers. Another addition to the overflowing bookshelf!

Not only is this location huge, it has a large collection of a little bit of everything! I…read moreespecially love the records part of the store. The cafe is pretty cozy and you can find little seating areas throughout. I'm especially a big fan of their photo booth!

The store off of Air street - What a lovely bookstore. 4-5 floors and there is a section with…read moreClassics and Everyman's library hardcovers (love!). It's a relaxing atmosphere and personnel were kind and helpful. The Gower Street store was also lovely, I believe it has three floors. Also, very nice bookstore.