As one of the oldest and most majestic cities in England, York has some amazing bookstores – both historic and new. Here’s our top ten recommended sites.
This walled, historic city has countless surprises tucked away in hidden corners and crannies, and these ten bookshops are just the beginning.
The Minster Gate Bookshop
Need an old, antique, or out-of-print book, but don’t know where to find one? You might just hit the jackpot at this massive secondhand shop. Spanning across five floors, this townhouse is filled with small rooms and narrow staircases. Stepping inside can feel like walking into a maze of books stretching back into the past. Pretty fitting for a bookstore so close to York Minster Cathedral, a masterpiece of 15th-century Gothic architecture that started out as a wooden church in the year 627.
Criminally Good Books
Local mystery and thriller lovers don’t need a trail of clues to find this shop – because it’s probably already their favorite bookseller in York. Criminally Good Books specializes in books about crime, both fictional and non.
Whether you want the latest true crime biography or you’re doing an Agatha Christie deep-dive, this store has what you need. The staff is passionate about the subject matter, and is always eager to offer recommendations for anyone hoping to peel back some new layers of mystery.
The Amnesty Bookshop
The Amnesty Bookshop welcomes guests with a spacious, well-organized interior, shelves and decorations arranged precisely in an aesthetically pleasing style. You would never guess just by looking that it’s a charity bookshop, but it’s one of the best in the UK. It offers a wide selection of donated secondhand books, all at a reasonable cost and presented in a thoughtful and caring way. After all, charity doesn’t have to mean grungy or unkempt – and this bookshop is proof.
The Little Apple Bookshop
This charming little shop draws the eye with its bright and colorful interior. Its front window often displays an array of unique and quirky tote bags hanging above a broad swath of books from every genre imaginable.
Inside, its collection caters to both young and old, offering both popular and lesser-known titles. It can get crowded easily during its busiest hours, but even that is a testament to how much locals love it. It’s also a great place to go to get signed copies – a perfect gift for any bibliophile.
Janette Ray Booksellers
Set in a medieval building, Janette Ray Booksellers has enough remodeling to make the interior comfortable and clean, but not so much to scrub away its old-world charm. From its wooden ceiling beams to the closed-off brick fireplace, this shop has an undeniably homey feel – in all the best ways. Inside, you can find many books on architecture, art, and urban planning, so it’s definitely somewhere you want to visit if you have an interest in design.
Lucius Books
Lucius Books has a simple, clean aesthetic and a focus on rare books. Its shelves are filled with first editions and signed copies, and should be the first stop for anyone seeking collector’s items. It also has a well-curated section of more ordinary but high quality secondhand volumes. The prices are a bit steeper than most used bookshops, but considering the high level of quality and service, it’s more than fair.
The Blue House Bookshop
This independent bookstore specializes in children’s literature, aimed at everyone from infants up to young adults. Inside, you can find colorful chairs designed for kids and a bright, inviting interior. It’s designed to be as inviting as possible to children of all ages, to encourage reading in future generations. It’s set in an old, Tudor-style building, but the inside has been modernized and often sports creative window displays to appeal to kids.
Oxfam Bookshop Micklegate
Oxfam has three charity shops in York, and their Micklegate bookshop specializes in antiquarian books of all types. You can find history, classics, fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and more. It also sells comic books, art, and CDs, making it a great stop for gift shopping.
As a charity shop, Oxfam supports various social causes. You can learn more about them from their website, where they often post petitions and spread the word about different issues, from climate inequality to global crises.
Waterstones
Waterstones is a UK bookstore chain known for their charming designs and high-quality selections, and their York branch is no exception. This spacious store is the perfect place to while away an afternoon. It comes complete with a café on the second floor overlooking the city’s biggest shopping street.
The staff provides excellent service and the store has a generous collection from pretty much every genre you can think of.
Travelling Man
Travelling Man is the best shop in York for anyone who loves comics, graphic novels, or board games. That includes role-playing and tabletop games as well, so no surprise that this is technically a game shop rather than a bookshop. Don’t worry, though; as mentioned, they have a healthy supply of graphic novels lining their shelves with enough variety to make any manga enthusiast happy.
Warhammer fans will be excited to hear about their upstairs room dedicated solely to the famous tabletop game. It’s a niche store that’s definitely worth a look.
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Migz
K Lou
K. Lou is a writer born in the U.S. who found her way to Japan through a spiritual calling—or, more precisely, better access to tea. She writes about travel, culture, and the occasional creative piece, inspired by her enduring love of books. This love began in high school when K. Lou carried books around to avoid seeming odd while lost in thought. Once she started reading, she never stopped. With zero regrets, she continues to explore the written word and invites others to join her in celebrating its varied forms.
