About The Guide

Hello! We are Sonja and Ivan. And this is our Bookstore Guide - an amateur guide to book shopping throughout Europe. We hope this Guide will help you find the book(stores) you are looking for. Unfortunately, the bookstores are no longer uploaded and may be out of date

Leakey's Second Hand Bookshop, Inverness


Where? Inverness, Scotland, UK



Recommended by
Jelica Gavrilovic

Jelica said: "My favourite book store is here in the Highlands: Leakey's Bookshop, Church Street, Inverness, Scotland. A great selection of second-hand books on every subject. Original prints and art for sale. A lovely gallery cafe."

It seems that the bookstore-in-a-church concept is quite appealing to bookstore owners for this is another one of such kind (second on Bookstore Guide, besides Selexyz Dominicanen) - located in an old Gaelic Church in the Scottish Highlands, in a city near the famous Loch Ness. Leakey's Second Hand Bookstore is considered to be one of the largest second-hand bookstores in Scotland with a general stock of over 100,000 books.

The bookstores is quite well known, not just over Inverness but throughout Scotland, for its relaxed atmosphere in the busy town of Inverness, a bistro-style cafe (with home-made dishes and an open fire - with an actual stove that runs on wood), exhibitions of local art and of course its stock of books piled up from the floor to the ceiling.

Although thought to be the largest second-hand bookstore in Scotland, its owner Charles Leakey argues by saying that size isn't everything. He opened the bookstore in Inverness in 1979 after relocating it from Hertfordshire to the St. Mary Gaelic Church. The historic feel of the place and being surrounded by old books and rare prints makes your book browsing even more pleasant. Besides old and rare prints, here you can also find many classic volumes and old maps. Therefore, if you're on your way to searching for the Loch Ness monster, make sure you stop in Inverness and visit this bookstore.

Leakey's Second Hand Bookshop
Address:
Greyfriars Hall, Church Street
Inverness, IV1 1EY
Scotland










Website:
www.facebook.com/LeakeysBookshop

Phone and Email:
01463 239947
charles@leakeysbookshop.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 10-17:30

Librairie Saint-Hubert, Brussels

saint-hubert logo

Where?
Brussels, Belgium




Visited:
August 2008
(Read more on Librairie Saint-Hubert in our Report from Brussels)

When walking from the famous Grand Place through a beautiful covered gallery opened in the mid 19th century, we couldn't have missed this amazing looking bookstore specialized in fine arts. Librairie Saint-Hubert is a bookstore closely connected with the art scene and this is obvious from the first moment you set your foot in the store. Actually, it's enough to take a look from the outside.

Galerie Saint-Hubert (also known as Galerie de la Reine and Galerie du Roi), is a rather posh looking street and the bookstore which bears its name is no exception. The interior of the store looks amazing, with the beautiful wooden shelves and the dominant chandeliers that both contribute to creating a very particular ambiance of this space.

We were very impressed with the selection of books housed on the shelves of Librairie Saint Hubert. Besides lots of titles dealing with fine arts, in a more classical meaning of this term, the store's offer also proves that it's in close touch with the recent artistic trends. There are sections devoted to web-design, graphic design or street art and other topics which add a very fresh flavor to this bookstore. You can also find interesting postcards and really cool posters in the smaller room on the ground floor. Books in English, although not concentrated in one place, but rather scattered around according to the topic they deal with, form a considerable part of the stock.

The bookstore underwent some important changes in the recent past - its name has been changed from Librairies des Galeries, and the first floor has been turned into a showroom where exhibitions of contemporary artists are already taking place.

saint-hubert bookstore brusselsLibrairie Saint-Hubert
Address:
2 Galerie du Roi
1000 Brussel
librairie saint-hubert bruxelles









Website:
http://www.librairie-saint-hubert.com/

Phone and Email
:
+ 32 2 511 24 12
info@librairie-saint-hubert.com

Working Hours:
Mon - Sat 10-18:30


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Waterstone's, Brussels

Waterstones bookstore Brussels logo

Where?
Brussels, Belgium



Visited:
August 2008
(Read more on Waterstone's in our Report from Brussels)

Although many people have been recommending Waterstone's to Bookstore Guide, we were reluctant about adding it since it is a part of a large bookstore chain from the UK. However, after visiting the bookstore, we've changed our mind since we've realized the significance of having a branch of such a chain in a non-English speaking country where English, although not being an official language, is widely spoken.

Waterstone's was the first English language bookstore in Brussels. It spreads on two floors and it stocks a large variety of books falling into all sorts of categories - typical for well-stocked bookstores. The first floor is home mainly for fiction, sorted by the authors from A to Z. Furthermore, there is a large selection of magazines and newspapers from the United Kingdom and the United States. Non-fiction can be found on the second floor - religion, politics, sports, economics, art, etc. - as well as a wide range of ELT materials. When it comes to prices, Waterstone's is not much different from other bookstores in Brussels selling new books. However, it is important to mention the "3 for the price of 2" offer, which they had at the time of our visit on many of their fiction titles.

Our overall impression of Waterstone's is actually quite positive - it seemed livelier than most of the specialized English bookstores we've seen in Belgium, France or Spain, but not too crowded, the selection of books was great and the atmosphere of the place wasn't unpleasant at all. We still prefer independent bookstores, but we absolutely agree that having a bookstore like this in any part of continental Europe is a great advantage and a great source of English books for the locals.

Waterstone's - 'the English Bookshop' - can be found just on the outskirts of Brussels center. Waterstone's is one of the leading booksellers in the United Kingdom and it's been operating for over 25 years - with over 300 stores in the UK, Ireland, Holland and of course, Belgium.

waterstone's brusselsWaterstone's
Address:
Boulevard Adolphe Max 71-75
1000 Brusselswaterstones bruxelles









Website:
http://www.waterstones.be

Phone and Email:
+322 219 2708
manager@brussels.waterstones.com
orders@brussels.waterstones.co.uk

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 9-19
Sun 10:30-18


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Brüsel, Brussels

brusel bookstore logo

Where?
Brussels, Belgium


Visited:
August 2008
(Read more on Brüsel in our Report from Brussels)

Brüsel was a sudden and unexpected but at the same time rather surprising and interesting stop on our bookstore browsing jaunt. It wasn't on our Brussels checklist, but the store's colorful windows caught our attention and basically forced us to enter. Perhaps it's not what you would call your typical bookstore since it's much more - said to be a bookstore gallery - it is certainly adorable and there was something specific about it and thus Brüsel just had to find its place among the rest in Bookstore Guide.

Belgium is a country obsessed with comics and we've stumbled upon several stores specializing in this domain, however, Brüsel clearly stands out. The walls painted in deep red create the right environment for all the comic books and graphic novels which are displayed all over the place. Entering Brüsel basically equals entering a whole different world, far away from the sometimes faded reality, where you find yourselves surrounded by a whole range of characters brought to life in a 2D parade packed with colors and action.

The store is divided into two floors, the upper one serving as a gallery where exhibitions of all sorts of graphic art take place on regular basis. The ground floor stocks everything related to the comics culture - comic books and beautifully done graphic novels from well known but also more obscure and underground authors, as well as some titles focused on art and design in general. And since an important number of the titles displayed is in English language, this bookstore managed to meet the ultimate condition to appear in our Guide. Besides books and comics you can also choose from postcards, posters and lots of figurines, toys and other collectibles related to this subculture. Add the friendly and helpful staff and you have bookstore which, in our opinion, will leave you looking around in amazement not knowing where to turn first.


brusel librairie galerieBrüsel
Address:
Boulevard Anspach 100
1000 Bruxelles
brusel bookstore brussels









Website:
http://www.brusel.com/

Phone and Email:
+32 2 511 0809
info@brusel.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 10:30-18:30
Sun 12-18:30


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Sterling Books, Brussels

sterling books logo
Where?
Brussels, Belgium


Visited: August 2008
(Read more on Sterling Books in our Report from Brussels)

Sterling Books was the first bookstore on our Brussels list that wasn't already a part of our Guide. Upon entering the store, one may check out the selection of books picked by the staff. The bookstore spreads on two floors, the bottom one being dedicated mainly to fiction and children's literature as well as newspapers and magazines, while the upper floor stocks non-fiction titles ranging from art books to books on politics and business. We've spent more time here, as the non-fiction selection was extraordinary indeed. Another aspect we appreciated was the way the books are displayed - visible, tidy and organized. Upstairs you can also find a library-type table with chairs, where you can flip through the pages of the books that caught your attention, without being interrupted.

Sterling Books only stocks new titles, in our opinion rather high priced, considering that most prices on the back covers were higher than those suggested by the publishers themselves. However, this is true for most of the bookstores that offer English books in continental Europe and the prices in Sterling Books fall into the same category as other bookstores in the city.

Centrally located, Sterling Books is considered to be one of the largest independent English language bookstores in Belgium. Operating for over 10 years (since 1997), it has established itself as one of the premier locations for people in need of English language reading material in Belgium's capital.

Overall, we have to say that this bookstore has been a pleasant surprise for us, as the owners have managed to gather a stock of the size and scope which can usually be found only in large chains and at the same time maintain an informal and friendly atmosphere of an independent bookstore.

sterling books brussels insideSterling Books
Address:
Wolvengracht 38
1000 Brussels
sterling books front







Website:
http://www.sterlingbooks.be

Phone and Email:
+32 22236223
info@sterlingbooks.be

Working Hours:
Mon - Sat 10-19
Sun 12-18:30


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