Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

best book shop/store in dublin

Options
  • 30-10-2007 3:56pm
    #1
    maradona10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 440 ✭✭


    what is the best book shop/store in dublin


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    luckat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭luckat


    Hodges Figgis and Waterstones are both big and fairly friendly, and fill each other's deficiencies. Books Upstairs is good for slightly abstruse stuff. Eason's is good for bestsellers and tourist books. Chapters for unexpected finds.

    Dubrays is surprisingly big (on Grafton Street, in Bray, in the Swan Centre in Rathmines) and is Irish-owned, and they're helpful and know their stock. They have reviews of popular books by their staff, who are book-mad types.

    Hannas always seems a little all over the place, but they're nice and will help if they can.

    Borders in Blanch is an Irish branch of an American giant, and eager to do well, and they're nice and run their own book club (as do Dubrays, I think).

    Then there are lots of second-hand shops - try the Secret Book and Record Store in Exchequer Street, the big one upstairs a couple of doors up from the Polish shop that used to be a bank and then a bookshop in Rathmines (opposite the TSB), a couple more in Abbey Street.

    Alas for Green's Library in Clare Street. Alas for Webb's on the quays. Alas for Parson's on Baggot Street Bridge. Alas for the Paperback Centre in Suffolk Street. Alas for Duffy's secondhand shop in Lincoln Place.


  • Options
    #3
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users Posts: 9,557 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    Bukes are way too expensive new.

    Take a walk down Wexford St. through to Camden St. and you'll come across about half a dozen charity shops, including the Carmalite centre.


  • Options
    #4
    MysticalSoul
    Registered Users Posts: 1,266 ✭✭✭MysticalSoul


    Also Chapters on Parnell Street - they do both new and second hand book, and is HUGE :D


  • Options
    #5
    dubtom
    Registered Users Posts: 3,084 ✭✭✭dubtom


    There is a second hand book store in the ally that runs from the hapenny bridge into temple bar, not sure of the name of the alley or book store.Only been in it once but picked up a couple of second hands fairly cheaply. Seemed to kind of be organised,well, to the owner it was anyway. Nice for a browse.
    I remember the second hand store on lincoln place very well,spent many a lunch hour browsing there.There used to be a place on wexford st,one of those places that just turn up overnight,run by an eccentric type fellow,he had good stock there for a while but just closed up shop as quick as he opened,if i'm not mistaken the place on lincoln bought his stock.I only mention him because of his looks and eccentricty, he is the only book seller I could pick out of a crowd now,and that shop was there 10 years ago or more.


  • Options
    #6
    maradona10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 440 ✭✭maradona10


    thanks for those suggestions, appreciate the effort


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    eclectichoney
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,291 ✭✭✭eclectichoney


    I do like the Exchange in Dalkey, though not quite as good since they stopped issuing credit notes for second hand books :(

    I do like Waterstones on dawson Street for the 3 for 2s, and secret book and record store for a good selection of modern classic-type stuff second-hand.


  • Options
    #8
    Ray777
    Closed Accounts Posts: 350 ✭✭Ray777


    For me, it has to be Chapters on Parnell St. It's a great shop for getting 'lost' in for hours on end. I like Hodges Figgis too - particularly their bargain basement.


  • Options
    #9
    cats-pyjamas
    Closed Accounts Posts: 59 ✭✭cats-pyjamas


    Hodges Figgis is by far my favourite, I love the creaky stairs, the bargain basement, and the loyalty card thingy they have. For some reason I just can't warm to Chapters - it's a bit too crowded in there for me. I've tried going in on Monday mornings, but it even seems crowded with books. And you can't beat the smell of a new book....mmm.....


  • Options
    #10
    luckat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭luckat


    Incidentally, the subject line - do you see a book store as different from a book shop, OP? How? Just curious, not criticising - love the way words change their meaning and usage.


  • Options
    #11
    dubtom
    Registered Users Posts: 3,084 ✭✭✭dubtom


    luckat wrote: »
    Incidentally, the subject line - do you see a book store as different from a book shop, OP? How? Just curious, not criticising - love the way words change their meaning and usage.
    Would a shop be smallish and a store big?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Valmont
    Registered Users Posts: 5,856 ✭✭✭Valmont


    I usually do the waterstones/hodges figgis job. They're so close they may as well be two parts of the same shop. Although I went to buy 'the luzhin defence' (sp?) by Nabokov and discovered that most of his books were eur17.80! That's robbery! I like the second hand shop in temple bar. They usually have popular titles at low prices. I bought 'fear and loathing in Las Vegas' for a fiver and it was 13.30 in waterstones for the same edition.

    Does anyone know of an good academic bookshop other that Hodges figgis?


Advertisement