I love mooching about in second-hand bookshops and London is packed full of them. I discovered a great place recently when sheltering from the summer rain after a lunch in Greenwich.
Halcyon Books is lined up to the high ceiling with shelves bursting with second-hand, out-of-print and new books on every subject under the sun.
It is possible to browse online and buy via email but there's really nothing like the smell of dusty old books to inspire and excite. It doesn't travel through the ether.
On my visit, all the second-hand books were selling for £1 each and I picked up some incredible bargains: a giant English-French-English dictionary and a massive Readers' Digest Complete Atlas of the British Isles. Two quid well spent!

www.halcyonbooks.co.uk
1 Greenwich South Street, London SE10 8NW
+44 208 305 2675
Open Mon-Sat 10.00-18.00, closed Sunday
Google map: bit.ly/qPzIWq

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Humorous description of typical and stereotypical British behaviour.

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A second-hand bookshop hidden in the basement of Brunswick shopping centre in Russell Square - Skoob has an expanse of books from all corners of the earth, on all topics, and arguably the best Everyman's and Penguin collection I have seen in London to date. Friendly staff and impromptu piano recitals to boot!

www.skoob.com/
66, The Brunswick
off Marchmont St
London WC1N 1AE
Tel: +44 (0)20 7278 8760

Google map: tinyurl.com/yzl2572

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This bookshop is only a few minutes walk from the British Library in Bloomsbury, Central London. It has a great selection of books on photography and of photographers monographs. Also a good stock of books on fashion photography, photo journalism, travel, nude and portrait photography. There are quite a few signed books and rare first editions too. Unique for photography lovers.

Photo Books International99 Judd StreetLondonWC1H 9NEURL: www.pbi-books.comTel: 020 7813 7363Nearest Stations: Kings Cross, Russell Square or Euston Station

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Underneath Waterloo Bridge on Southbank, directly in front of the NFT, there is a daily sale of second-hand books, at great prices.

The selection is infinitely varied, and it's very easy to find some little gems in amongst the randomness. Be prepared to search though, there's no genre (etc) organisation!

Tube: Waterloo

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The novels of Graham Swift, a contemporary London writer, and the Clash's London Calling, a classic album!

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Not a surprising recommendation, I know, but Ackroyd's kaleidoscopic appreciation of London makes the most dreary back street sing with its own history.

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Sukhdev Sandhu's acclaimed study of the city as seen through the lens of black and Asian writers.

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