The Best Books In Belfast

In case you don’t know I’m a big reader. I can put up with any kind of flight delay, loss of TV signal or bus journey, just so long as I have a book in my hand. 

Please don’t think though that I read the finest of published works. While I geniuinely try to ready worthy tomes to be honest for me it’s the trashier, the better. If Jilly Cooper wrote it I’m in heaven. 

Because of this one of my favourite pass times in my lunch hour is trawling second hand bookshops. Books are expensive and I never bring them back to the library in time so buying them second hand is my best option. There are also plenty of charity bookshops in Belfast city centre such as Barnardos, Oxfam, Chest Heart and Stroke just to name a few. 

But this is by far the best bookshop in Belfast in my opinion…

A scruffy little joint on North Street this little shop is, literally, crammed floor to ceiling with second hand books. 

If you’re looking for crime novels or local history, they’re usually all here. If you prefer the wisdom of the self-help book or the complete how-to of yoga you can probably find them. Any kind of children’s book, contemporary fiction, Mills & Boon and even travel guides are there in abundance. The travel guides might not be the most contemporary though…

It’s a wonderful place that smells of dust and people don’t ever speak louder than a whisper in. If you’re looking for something in particular then the staff will always know where to find it – astonishing given the sheer volume of books inside.

If you’re ever passing nip in for a look. It’s got the hushed atmosphere that bookshops used to have and I doubt you’ll have to pay more than £3 for a book.