The Best Birmingham Bookshops for New and Secondhand Books

Updated May 2024

My passport may be bursting at the seams, but I’m definitely guilty of ignoring what’s in my own back yard. So, since I’ve been back in Birmingham (UK, not US), I’m making it my mission to explore my home city a little more, starting with my favourite places to visit – bookstores! Here’s my list of the best Birmingham bookshops for new and secondhand books, from comic book stores to independent bookshops selling used books; where you can find your next Brummy read:

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Best Bookshops in Birmingham City Centre

1. Waterstones Books, High Street

The Waterstones in Birmingham city centre is my Mecca. It’s easily my favourite bookshop in Birmingham, mostly due to the whopping six floors and in-store cafe (with excellent cake), where you can peruse the titles you’re interested in over a steaming cappuccino.

In addition to this monster Waterstones bookstore on Birmingham’s high street, there are also branches of Waterstones Books in Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Walsall and Merry Hill.

2. Foyles Bookstore, Grand Central

The Foyles bookstore in Grand Central, Birmingham is only Foyles’ second bookshop outside of London. The place is over 4000 square feet and full of great titles, gifts and stationary, which I struggle to tear myself away from.

It’s a great spot to pop into if you want to pick up a good book for a long train journey, you have a wait between trains, or you’re like me and you’re a serious book addict and don’t need an excuse to meander around a good bookshop for a few hours.

3. The Works, New Street

I’m a big fan of The Works Birmingham (New Street) and can often be found in the Sutton Coldfield branch. As well as great deals on quirky books (Game of Scones, anyone?), The Works has very reasonably priced art and craft materials, stationery, toys and games. It’s a great place for Christmas present shopping and satisfying my obsession with notebooks without breaking the bank.

Niche Bookshops in Birmingham

Of course, Birmingham’s bookshops have more to offer than big brands, high street chains and discount deals. If you look a little further afield, there are more than a few niche bookshops in the city to satisfy your specific field of interest:

1. Art || Ikon Bookshop, Oozells Street

Ikon Shop is Birmingham’s only specialist art bookshop and it stocks a wide range of books, cards, artists’ multiples, magazine and gifts relating to art and contemporary culture. All profits support Ikon’s artistic and educational programmes. You can also visit the Ikon Gallery or chill out in the Ikon cafe, which has excellent food.

2. Cult || Forbidden Planet, Bull Street

Forbidden Planet is the world’s largest and best-known science fiction, fantasy and cult entertainment retailer. More than just a comic book shop, Forbidden Planet boasts the largest stock of Doctor Who merchandise in the UK, as well as action figures, artwork, games and more.

If you wouldn’t feel out of place with the cast of the Big Bang Theory, then this is the Birmingham bookshop for you. You can find me in the dedicated Harry Potter section.

Secondhand Bookshops in Birmingham City Centre

Sadly, there are few secondhand bookshops in Birmingham city centre, however I’ve found that the local charity shops can be a great place to pick up cheap reads. Even in researching this article, I accidentally ended up buying nine books at the British Heart Foundation shop because the prices were just too good not to!

1. British Heart Foundation, Bull Street

The British Heart Foundation charity shop sells a wide range of secondhand books and other items. The book section at the back of the store may seem small, but the quality of the titles on offer is really quite surprising.

I saw quite a few novels that are currently in the book charts, such as Zadie Smith’s Swing Time as well as evergreen classics, such as Jack Kerouac’s On the Road – all for a fraction of the price they would be on the high street.

2. Oxfam Bookshop, High Street

Oxfam is the UK’s largest secondhand bookseller, offering a wider selection of books than most charity bookshops, from modern fiction and leisure interest to more specialist subjects, classics, and even rare or collectable books. Don’t discount a charity shop when it comes to shopping for used books!

The Best Secondhand Bookshops in the West Midlands

As much as I love my beloved Waterstones in Birmingham, there is nothing that can replace the atmosphere (and the smell!) of a secondhand bookshop, as I may have mentioned in The Best Bookstores in Mexico City (for Books in English).

Unfortunately, no secondhand bookstores have survived in Birmingham city centre, however many independent bookshops can be found a little further afield. Six brilliant indie bookshops in the West Midlands is a great article about some of these, but you will need a car to get to them (which, sadly, I don’t have). Plus, there’s always the new Birmingham Library (pictured above).

More Birmingham Bookstores

Is this the definitive list of the best bookshops in Birmingham for new and used books… or have I missed your favourite out? Let me know in the comments below and save this post for later because you never know when you might need to find your next Brum books!