A Guide to St Andrews Bookstores

A bookstore is a bridge between culture and community; at least, a good one should be. In St Andrews, we are certainly not starved for choice when it comes to finding one of these strongholds of the literary world. Whether you are seeking the next novel on your TBR, frantically trying to collect your module reading list before Great Expectations sells out, or simply wishing for the perfect book to come to you, all of the stores below certainly merit an extended stay.  

Topping & Company Booksellers 

You can tell a book is good when you get lost in it — perhaps the same is true of a bookstore. There is something labyrinthine about Topping & Co’s stretching wooden shelves, nooks and crannies, adjoining rooms, and rolling ladders. As you casually scan or meticulously scrutinise a stock of over fifty thousand, you might lose yourself in time and space, but the real wonder lies in what is to be found. All of the books here are deliberately selected by an expert team of staff members, making the curation a treasured blend of new releases and unsung gems, with devoted sections for student reading lists. This is the human touch sorely lacking from instantaneous Amazon purchases: the potential for uncharted exploration into new intellectual realms, and for unexpected conversation with like-minded companions. Topping & Co certainly serves its role as a cultural beacon, inviting the town to its year-long literary festival, frequent author visitations, and inclusive group discussions. And perhaps the loss of money you’ll inevitably spend will be softened by the generous offer of free tea or coffee…. 

Bouquiniste Books 

Despite the name’s allusion to far-off Parisian streets, this is a bookstore that can be noted for its welcomingly local feeling. Nestled within the stone walls of Market Street, the store boasts over forty years of history and, with its specialisation in Antiquarian works, contains an even deeper well of history on the inside. Earmarked sections devoted to everything from poetry and travel to regional Scottish history, each book is enclosed within beautiful or rare editions. There is much to be gained from avid perusal of all corners.          

Barnardo’s Books

It is easy to assume that a bookstore largely made up of public donations might not feature the same vast collection that another shop may hold, but that is why it is best not to assume. Barnardo’s Books on Bell Street is impressive in its stock of literary classics, comics, and particularly its academic selection, for those in frantic search of module-specific textbooks. However, what I was drawn to most about this location was its communal aspect: the clear connection between staff and clientele, evident from something as simple as greetings to all newcomers, and dedicated conversations with regulars. Bookstores have been termed in sociology as “third places” (places we most frequent after home and work or school), and as such are essential to promoting local collective communication — something which Barnardo’s Books powerfully embodies. 

Closing thoughts

I had set out to write a guide to the bookstores of our town, but a good bookstore deserves something closer to a museum inscription than an instruction manual. The curation of art is itself an art, and one that warrants our attention and appreciation more than ever, as the aforementioned stores exemplify. Hopefully, this article and these stores can be of some use in helping you find exactly which book you are looking for — or, even better, something you never knew was there.

Image from Artvee