The largest bookstore in Britain blew my mind

I went to Waterstones Piccadilly with a rule. I could buy a book I’d already read and absolutely loved, something I couldn’t stop thinking about and wanted to reread. I couldn’t just bring home more books because their covers looked nice.

That was quite a rule to take into such a big bookstore. I love holding books, buying books and being around books, but I’d run out of room at home. This visit was a chance to explore somewhere new and choose a physical copy that deserved a place in my collection.

Watch my Waterstones Piccadilly visit on YouTube.

Quiet inside, overwhelming all the same

Central London was busy and loud when I arrived. Inside Waterstones, it was so quiet that I didn’t want to stand there talking to my camera. I went to St James’s Park to sit on the grass and describe what I’d seen instead.

The bookstore felt overwhelming immediately, but it was also one of the neatest and most organised I’d visited. The lower floors had the layouts I expected, with books arranged by author or genre. There was so much that I felt finding a particular book would mean looking for it deliberately rather than stumbling across it.

I particularly liked the little staff review cards. They give a brief opinion about a book, which suits the slightly weird way I choose my reading. I don’t read the back cover or the synopsis. I want as little information as possible before I start.

I’ll take a recommendation from someone, a stranger or one of those cards, but I want the story itself to surprise me. Goodreads helps me find possibilities based on books I’ve liked, and I still skip the blurb. I read across genres and prefer not to read the same kind of thing back to back.

Familiar books among unfamiliar floors

I spotted a Wuthering Heights display after having read it for the first time recently. My verdict was fairly mixed. I liked the tragedy and that everybody was horrible, but I found it a little too long and was quite happy when it ended. Still enjoyable, just not an unqualified favourite.

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin was a different matter. I’d read it recently too and absolutely loved its thoughts on creativity. It was about being creative more generally, rather than only making music, which was what I liked about it.

Upstairs, the children’s floor greeted me with a giant Lego Harry Potter. There were Lego kits and vintage Tintin books, but I didn’t stay long. I didn’t have a child with me, and filming in that part of the shop felt a bit weird.

The record section surprised me because I’d never seen one in a Waterstones before. There were records and a couple of record players, as well as seating areas with big brown leather seats on the floors I explored. I could have sat there to talk, but the silence still put me off.

There were puzzles and lovely notebooks too. I have too many notebooks already, and I don’t write in them because I don’t want to mess them up. I resisted buying another, although I wanted to.

Why I switched to a Kindle

My first job was at a library when I was about to turn 16. My parents had told me to find work, with a job at McDonald’s through a family friend as the alternative. I got the library job, and it became one of the best jobs I’ve had.

I still love physical books, but switching to a Kindle helped with both reading and storage. I find it comfortable, always have enough light, and get through books faster. Buying two or three books a month had left me with stacks at home. I donated ones I didn’t like and tried to squeeze the favourites somewhere.

The compromise was to read on the Kindle and buy a physical copy when a book was a ten out of ten for me. That was the reason for my shopping rule at Piccadilly.

Lunch first, then the book

The food area on the top floor was closed when I reached it, which was disappointing because I’d been counting on lunch there. After a sunny wander, I ended up at Caffè Nero for a chicken, basil and tomato toasted wrap and an iced coffee. The wrap was really nice, and I sat outside before heading back to choose my treat.

Most of the books I wanted weren’t available, but I found Rebecca. I’d absolutely loved it, and we hadn’t had to read it at school, so it had been a discovery for me.

One book came home. I got to explore a bookstore I hadn’t known was there, spend time outside on a beautiful day and buy something I wanted to reread.