Winning tip: Ataba book market, Cairo
The book market at Ataba metro station is as crazy and bustling as the rest of the city. Four or five rows of shops spread their wares on tables, shelves and floor. It has Arabic texts old and new, as well as obscure books in English. Favourite buys include Tintin: Cigars of the Pharaoh (in Arabic) and a dozen beautiful 1940s Egyptian film posters. Ataba station, Puppet Theatre exit
alip
UK
Piece Hall Book Shop, Halifax
When you think of destinations to travel to, Halifax in the north of England is hardly the first place that comes to mind. However, the Piece Hall in Halifax is a magnificent Georgian grade I-listed work of art and home to the Piece Hall Book Shop. It has thousands of rare, specialist books, from crime thrillers to cartoons, and a welcoming, albeit eccentric, owner.
12 The Piece Hall, Halifax (01422 347775)
Lucejane
Readers Rest, Lincoln
This secondhand bookshop can be found halfway up Steep Hill in the heart of Lincoln. It is a warren of little corridors and dinky recesses, the atmosphere is calm and unhurried, and it's easy to lose track of time as you search through the shelves for new (old) books to buy. Well worth the trek up the hill to get to it!
13-14 Steep Hill, Lincoln (01522 543217)
Jtcampalans
Barter Books, Alnwick, Northumberland
There's a great selection of secondhand books in this amazing building. Walk through the old ticket office on to the main platform to browse, enjoy open fires, coffee and newspapers in the old waiting room.
Alnwick Station, barterbooks.co.uk
Phildo
The Minster Gate Bookshop, York
Uneven floors, narrow creaking stairs and walls covered in bookshelves groaning with antiquarian tomes, secondhand paperbacks and discount bookends. The Minster Gate Bookshop is on a narrow medieval street near the Minster. Tourists hurry by and miss this five-storey gem.
8 Minster Gates, minstergatebooks.co.uk
LeilaAlice
Stromness Books and Prints, Orkney
Who would have thought it possible to cram so much temptation into so small a space: adult or child, fact or fiction? There is room to browse, though close quarters means conversations are usually shared – new friendships as well as new books are to be found. There are, by the way, no prints.
1 Graham Place
Joefrozentoes
Much Ado Books, Alfriston, East Sussex
This was named was Independent Bookseller of the Year in 2007, and a recent move up the High Street has managed to improve on an unsurpassable original, taking in an extra floor and a barn that hosts workshops, talks and even Christmas card-writing afternoons. It feels like a series of personal recommendations from a friend with impeccable taste.
High Street, muchadobooks.com
The Book Ferret, Arundel
Sarah Meadham's shop, under the walls of Arundel Castle, has odd little rooms, old fireplaces and furniture and unusual books. It feels like it's been there years but is only months old.
34 High Street, tthebookferret.co.uk
danthompson
Children's Book Centre, near Norwich
In a small cottage in the countryside, this shop has an enormous variety of books. There are chairs to lounge in and the lady who owns it, Marilyn Brocklehurst, will recommend books that fit your specifications. She is very passionate about children's reading. I have never visited the shop without purchasing a book that I have found very exciting. Also she will bring you a drink and a biscuit if you would like, free of charge. Not only this, but it is a very friendly place to visit and you could stay there for hours. Also, many authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson, Andy McNabb, Anne Fine, Malorie Blackman and others have visited the bookshop.
Alby, Norfolk ncbc.co.uk
elliepellie
Mister B's Emporium of Reading, Bath
Mister B's Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath manages to be quaint without any of the negative connotations. It is a delight to wander around and pick out a new novel from the white-washed shelves, wooden tables, or the ornate bathtub that displays the best in children's literature. There's a huge travel section, sofas to curl up on, and refreshments upstairs. The staff are friendly, and their picks of the month are displayed. Plus their adorably scruffy rescue dog can sometimes be found sniffing around ankles and receiving pats from customers.
14/15 John Street, mrbsemporium.com
bexintown
Castle Hill Bookshop, Richmond, North Yorkshire
Although it's small, this shop makes up for its lack of size with a great range of fascinating stock. The staff are really helpful and knowledgeable. The shop is part of the community, organising a Walking & Book Festival annually.
1B Castle Hill, castlehillbookshop.co.uk
oakleaf1
Stanfords Travel Bookshop, London
This London landmark will get the pulse of any would-be adventurer racing. Sherlock Holmes bought a map here in The Hound of the Baskervilles, and both Dr Livingstone and Cecil Rhodes started their journeys here. More recently Kenneth Williams trained as a map maker here, before going round the Horne and carrying on up the Khyber. Today three floors of books, maps and travel paraphernalia include specialist books on climbing, canals, caving and kayaking. Thumb through a guide to battlefields or customs and etiquette in Turkey. Further afield wander into Tajikistan, Togo or Tuvalu.
12-14 Long Acre, stanfords.co.uk
LizCleere
Bakewell Books, Derbyshire
This is a fantastic independent bookshop, with brilliant music and CDs, too. Quirky, original, friendly and unexpected, it's one of Bakewell's treasures, and featured in Last Shop Standing.
Matlock Street, bakewellbooks.co.uk
Nickyrostern
Scrivener's, Buxton, Derbyshire
The owner of this large secondhand bookshop has brought together people skilled in bookbinding, repair and restoration, calligraphy, even bookcase-building. Watch them at work, browse the books, then retire upstairs for tea and cake.
42 High Street, scrivenersbooks.co.uk
Ericadon
Westwood Books, Sedbergh, Cumbria
This place, in a former cinema, has no muzak, no branding and enough space to get dreamy in. There are books on two floors, stuff on every conceivable subject, coffee, sofas, views of the fells and booksellers on hand in love with their space and stock.
Long Lane, westwoodbooks.co.uk
Blueywest1
Topping and Company, Ely
A short walk from Ely Station, past the glorious cathedral rising from the Fens, on the unpretentious High Street, you'll find this wonderful bookshop. Walk in through the modest frontage into a labyrinth of aesthetic shelved rooms on three floors. Knowledgeable staff are happy to help, recommend and advise; but equally happy to leave you to browse, even encouraging this by bringing freshly brewed coffee or tea. Regular meet-the-author, events are also held.
9 High Street, toppingbooks.co.uk
SarahTottenhill
Voltaire and Rousseau, Glasgow
Books are piled floor to ceiling – some buried so deep it's unlikely anyone will ever buy them. You never know what treasures you'll uncover. Watch your step, though: the owner's cats love to wander around the stacks.
12-14 Otago Lane
NYKT
Europe
Edison Bookstore, Florence, Italy
This fantastic bookshop, arranged over four floors, is open from 9am until midnight. It's right in the middle of the city, buzzing with life and has a coffee bar. English books are on the top floor. What a civilised place to be of an evening! It's never overrun with tourists, and there's plenty of room to sit and read with a hot chocolate.
Piazza della Repubblica 27/Rr – 50123, Florence (+39 055- 213-110)
Guardianographer
Le Trouve Tout du Livre, Le Somail, France
This remarkable shop houses a cornucopia of rare books modern and ancient, from all over the world. On the Canal du Midi, between Trèbes and Béziers, it boasts more than 50,000 books. You can relax on the canal bank with a coffee or a bottle of Minervois.
28 Allée de la Glacière, le-trouve-tout-du-livre.fr Organicman
Massolit Books, Kraków, Poland
A secondhand bookshop with sofas, coffee and excellent cake. I love to read authors of the country I'm visiting, but it's not always easy to find them translated into English. Here you can. Could take an hour, or all morning.
Ul Felicjanek 4, massolit.com
Totskalini
Saint Georges Bookshop, Berlin
Saint Georges sells new and used books close to Kollwitzplatz in Prenzlauer Berg. Paul, the British owner, is friendly and open to some negotiation on price. You'll find a wide range of books (though this is not really the place for bodice rippers) including plenty of books on Berlin and a decent children's section. There are comfy old leather seats and a community noticeboard.
Woerther Strasse 27, 10405 Berlin, saintgeorgesbookshop.com
LTOtt
Librería Mujeres, Madrid
Most books on sale here have been either written by women or talk about women. It was founded in 1978, when over 200 women, including famous names from politics and culture, created a cooperative to finance it.
Calle San Cristobal, 17, unapalabraotra.org/libreriamujeres.html
Anedumla
Calle Libreros, Madrid
Like many other old town streets in Madrid (curtidores – tanners; cuchilleros – knifemakers), it's named after the tradesmen and craftsmen that worked in the city centre from the early 20th century. Calle Libreros is a tiny street off the central Gran Via, previously called Ceres Street. Not so long ago, university students still went there to sell their previous academic course's textbooks and buy the next ones. The few bookshops that remain are specialised in various technical and humanistic subjects, and many keep out-of-stock volumes. They've been hit hard by the recession and few survive now, so walking into one of them does feel like stepping back in time...
Off Gran Via
Anedumla
Tea and Tattered Pages, Paris
Warm and welcoming, cluttered but cosy, Tea and Tattered Pages provides the perfect respite from the busy streets of Paris. Hilda and her cat preside over this charming second-hand English-language bookshop. The unassuming neighbour of the famous Shakespeare & Company invites visitors to read and refuel with tea and scones. The books are reasonably priced and the shop is free of tourists proclaiming how "quaint" the place is.
24 Rue Mayet, 75006, Paris, teaandtatteredpages.com
AnthonyCuthbertson
Selexyz Dominican, Maastricht, Netherlands
This evocative bookshop is built within an 800-year-old church, and books (including English ones) are piled high, framed by painted arches and intricate stonework. Coffee and food can be had in the altar under a huge stained-glass window. It is part of a chain, but it has an atmosphere all of its own.
Dominikanerkerkstraat 1, selexyz.nl
Methismenos
Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal
An historic bookshop with a beautiful art nouveau exterior and a fascinating interior dominated by a grand staircase. Visitors are welcome to browse and to enjoy a coffee and a cake from the small cafe.
Rua das Carmelitas 144
dorival
US
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, New York
Brilliant Bonnie will find cookbooks by nationality, era, illustrator or brand sponsorship. It's small and packed: you can easily lose a day here. Prices range from a couple of dollars to hundreds. (She showed me a first edition illustrated by a Mr Andrew Warhol!)
163 West Tenth Street, bonnieslotnickcookbooks.com
nwhittington
Powell's City of Books, Portland
Situated in the Pearl District of Portland, Powell's City of Books pretty much takes up an entire block. Wandering in like an underprepared polar explorer, I was disoriented by a bookish equivalent of snow blindness – do pick up one of the store map leaflets as you enter. I was looking for two specific books; I found these and then proceeded to spend the best part of a day wandering, browsing the shelves, reading and retreating to World Cup Coffee & Tea for an excellent espresso when I started to flag. I finally left with my wallet much lighter and my daysack much heavier.
1005 W Burnside, powells.com
christhehat65
Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver
In a converted warehouse close to Union station this shop wants you to take it slow and spend as much time as you like, enjoying the books while curled up on vintage leather sofas with a coffee from the espresso bar.
1628 16th Street, tatteredcover.com
Ptwdwr
Politics and Prose, Washington DC
This feisty independent bookshop in uptown Washington is well worth the ride out along Connecticut Ave. It has far more departments than the name suggests – including a children's section full of favourites old and new – an airy ambient atmosphere, community noticeboard, fresh food and good coffee. The cheerful assistants all got together to help us chose the perfect present for an eclectic friend. We went to buy a book, stayed all day, and returned next morning. Open every day, with book signings and talks most evenings, it's been there 25 years and you can see why.
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, politics-prose.com
IlysJoyJones
City Lights, San Francisco
Fantastic collection of books including many hard-to-find titles. They also publish books, run a foundation to encourage reading and literacy and hold regular events and readings. The sort of bookshop to spend time browsing, reading and generally enjoying the atmosphere. Open daily until midnight.
261 Columbus Avenue, citylights.com
HarryD23
Morocco
Cafe du Livre, Marrakech
Hidden away, and tricky to find, in the patio of the Hotel Toulousain in the Gueliz district, this great bookshop is a meeting place for the English-speaking community. Thousands of books, fiction and non-fiction, old and new, line the walls of this stylish place, including a permanant collection of Moroccan books that you can browse whilst enjoying coffee, fruit juice, a glass of wine, breakfast, a light lunch or tapas. Local guides, international newspapers, free Wi-Fi, readings, poetry … what more could you want.?
44 rue Tarik Ben Ziad
fiveacrefarmer
Cuba
La Escalera, Santiago de Cuba
La Escalera is a typical used bookshop but for the empty rum bottles, and the musical instruments, political posters and literary detritus. The proprietors encapsulate Cuban lightheartedness.
265 Calle Heredia
thinkingmanscrumpet
Panama
Boquete
There is an amazing secondhand bookshop on the road between Boquete and David, stocked with 1,000s of books. It is run by an American who is very knowledgeable and he also provides comfy chairs and a rest room.
On the road betwenn Boquete and David
Icebear8
