In between semesters (in December + early January) I had the opportunity to do some traveling throughout the UK and Europe and visit, of course, LOTS of bookstores. I have to hedge that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list or a guide to bookstores in each of these cities…given the size of these cities and my (relative) inexperience navigating their literary scenes. I also didn’t get to every store that I intended to given that so much of my traveling occurred during the weeks of both Christmas and New Years. But, nevertheless, here are the stores that I visited and my thoughts on all of them.
Edinburgh
#1 Typewronger Books
I adore Typewronger books and made sure this was one of the stores I brought my dad to on our brief visit to Edinburgh. Tucked beside McNaughtan’s, this little gem of a bookstore is highly curated with the most friendly staff. I really enjoyed their selection of local zines + their commitment to comics and graphic novels. Don’t skip this one
#2 McNaughtan’s Bookshop and Gallery
No list would be complete without a bookshop dedicated to the antiquarian book trade. I loved walking the shelves.
#3 Toppings and Co
I am lucky enough to be a frequent customer of the Toppings location in St Andrews, however, the Edinburgh location is something special. I love the floor to ceiling shelves and the various rooms. Toppings does such a fantastic job of stocking their stores. If you’ve never been, make sure to check out their lockers of rare + signed stock, because they always have something incredible to find there.
#4 Edinburgh Books
A used bookstore that I was thrilled to walk through. A classic used store, in my mind, in part because of the books piled every which way. They do have an antiquarian selection as well, but you probably have to pick through it.
#5 Armchair Books
This made its way onto my list in part because my friend Hopie had a “bookstores of the world” calendar for 2023 and Armchair Books was listed. This is an adorable used bookstore near the University of Edinburgh + their library. I actually picked up a copy of The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty, which was entitled Becoming Bindy Mackenzie in the UK. It had been a few years since I had re-read it but for only a couple of pounds I picked this up for nostalgia’s sake.
London
#1 Daunt Books Marylebone
We lost a day in London due to a train delay, so I didn’t get to visit as many bookstores in London as I intended. I new that if I could only make it to one, however, it had to be Daunt Books. My parents and I actually spent an entire day wandering around Marylebone (I also had to visit Sézane). Daunt Books is everything everyone promises it to be. I did walk out with an iconic tote bag + a copy of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro for my dad.
#2 Cecil Court
Cecil Court is this adorable little street in London that is full of bookstores! Many of them are very specialized and it was so intriguing to make our way through these stores. It’s a pretty small street though, and during the holidays not all of the stores were open. I would recommend stopping through though!
*Bonus* Choosing Keeping Stationary This store was put on my radar by my friend Anjali who knows I am a sucker for good stationary. I dragged my dad here during our mini bookstore crawl and am so glad I did. Such an adorable curated collection of fine stationary goods. This is a budget buster!
Dublin
#1 Ulysses Rare Books
A quintessential antiquarian/rare books store. They obviously cater to some of the big name Irish writers–so if you’re looking for a significant copy of something Irish, this is the place to visit.
#2 Hodges Figgis
This is the quintessential Dublin bookstore. It’s the oldest continuously operated bookstore in Dublin and has been open since 1768 (as an American, that’s pretty fun–older than the USA). Block out an afternoon so you can take your time exploring this one.
#3 Books Upstairs
With both new and used books, Books Upstairs had the best of both worlds. I really enjoyed their selection and the way they stylized their shelves.
#4 Chapters Bookstore
This store felt a bit like a fever dream. When we walked in it almost felt like an old school American Borders…but as you moved through the initial section of new books there were SHELVES AND SHELVES of used books to pick through. It was an amalgamation unlike any bookstore I’ve ever visited with a store composition I wasn’t ever able to quite pin down.
#5 The Winding Stair
Tiny but adorable. A genuine curated collection of contemporary titles. We didn’t get a chance to try the sister restaurant but hope to on the next visit.
Amsterdam
#1 The American Book Center
I’ll be honest this one really surprised me! On the outside it sort of looks like a random big box store in the middle of scenic Amsterdam but the inside is rather quirky and winding around. All new books but a great selection. I’d recommend both for Americans living in Amsterdam but also for any visitors who are looking for a read for their Europe trip.
Cambridge
#1 Heffers Bookshop
I have to say this might be the only miss on this list…I had high hopes for the primary independent bookstore in Cambridge. I mean, Waterstones are everywhere. I think that Heffers is associated somehow with Blackwell’s, which I’m not sure that I understand, and while I did enjoy my visit I think I was expecting something more quirky and unique, like Daunt Books was in London.
Of course, these are just my opinions and to echo @willowbiblio’s reminder that “reading is subjective,” whether or not you like a bookstore is subjective. I’m headed to London again next week and have some more bookstores on my list, as trips to Inverness and Bath planned. Hopefully I can do a UK bookstores pt 2 review later this summer. In the meantime, here’s to summer reading!
