Looking for the best places to buy books in Cardiff? Or just fancy a browse of all the cool bookshops in the capital of Wales? I’ve got you covered. I’ve created a list of some of my favourites which are mostly independent shops. The majority are in a walking distance from the train station too.
Troutmark Books
This gem of a shop is hidden away in one of the beautiful city centre arcades. Spanning three floors, the rooms are filled to the brim with a range of books, vinyl, comics and more. It’s the perfect place to escape amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping streets. And all the books are a great price, which is perfect if you’re on a budget.
Situated in Castle Arcade, Troutmark stocks second hand books – ranging from science fiction, poetry, comics and pretty much every genre you can think of. What makes this places unique is their array of rare and special editions of books that line the shelves.
There’s also a non-fiction area for history, gardening and travel lovers (to name a few).
One of the things I love about this shop other than the vast amazing of books in the collection, is the helpful staff, who will be happy to assist if you ask but will also leave you to browse undisturbed for as long as your heart desires.
Website: https://www.troutmarkbooks.com/our-shops
Love Stories bookshop
Nestled in Castle arcade, a quaint pink room shines through a windowfront underneath the Christmas lights of the shopping quarter.
The shelves of Love Stories bookshop are lined with rows of romance novels – from the growing popular romantasy, to graphic novels and contemporary love stories. I’d say the majority of the books are novels published from the last 20 odd years. Among the vast selection of books are signed copies from various authors including Chloe Ford, Beth Reekles, Anna Fiteini and more. They even have special editions of popular books like Emily Henry’s.
As soon as we entered, we were welcomed with a warm smile from the owner, who offered a biscuit for our dog, which I thought was a lovely touch.
At the furthest corner of the shop, they had a nice selection of merchandise themed around the romance genre – including beautiful scented candles, illustrated bookmarks, stickers and greeting cards.
This arcade is becoming a book lover’s paradise – the shop is located right opposite Troutmark, a second-hand treasure trove sprawled across three floors. A trip to both shops followed by a hot drink and pastry from Pettigrew’s, or a Welsh cake from Fabulous, would make the perfect afternoon out.
The romance genre is increasingly popular but has been criticised in the past as not “worthy” enough for critical acclaim. With more people discovering and enjoying the genre thanks to Booktube and Booktok, I think this is such a great niche for a bookshop and I can’t wait to pop back in sometime in the future.
Website: https://www.instagram.com/lovestoriesbookshop?igsh=MTBsaWFnZjJkd3A4dA==
Caban
The Welsh language bookshop in Pontcanna is the perfect spot for books, greeting cards and gifts for those Welsh speakers in your life. The book sellers are always super friendly and are happy to chat about the books in Welsh or English.
They have rows of children and young adult books – even older books like Matilda by Roald Dahl that have been translated into Welsh. There’s plenty of adult fiction too as well as poetry collections.
Nearby there’s lots of lovely independent cafes and shops so it’s definitely worth the short trip from the city centre. It’s also dog friendly!
Website: https://www.instagram.com/siopcaban/?hl=en
Shelf Life – Books and Zines
Situated in an old, refurbished pub in Canton is the LGBTQ bookshop – Shelf Life. They’re a non-profit shop that sells books by unrepresented and marginalised voices. Not only do they sell books but there’s also Zines from local artists. The shop also host a bookclub every Wednesday in the Corp Market.
One of the best things about this shop is the fact you can buy a book for another customer who may not be able to afford books – called “Pay It Forward”. They have a pinboard filled with tags with various prices on. You can add to the board by paying for one or you can take one to buy something in store – no questions asked. This is a nice concept and I’ve not seen it done before.
The building itself is cool too, with the entirety of the former pub being a market hub. You can grab a cuppa and a lunch, visit plant stalls, crafts and more. There’s even a vending machine where you can sometimes find surprise books from the bookshop, along with craft kits too.
It’s also a dog friendly establishment!
UPDATE: This bookshop is moving to online only in February 2025. If you want to go to support them, you should definitely check them out soon!
Website: https://www.shelflifebookshop.com
Bear Island
Nestled in Cardiff city centre’s indoor market is the wonderful Bear Island, on St Mary Street. This is a second-hand bookshop is small but jam packed with rows and rows of fiction, non-fiction, manga, maps, plays and so much more.
They have a wide selection of popular genres such as thrillers, romance and fantasy novels as well – all for a bargain of a price.
Not only can you buy books here but you can sell them or part- exchange them too.
Around the shop is rows of independent traders selling delicious food, homemade gifts and flowers. There’s plenty to keep you busy in this Victorian picturesque building.
Cant a Mil
This is another Welsh medium bookshop but this one is located on Whitchurch Road which is a short walk through picturesque Bute Park.
They have an array of Welsh books and poetry – for children, learners and fluent Welsh speakers. There’s a second hand book section as well as brand new releases.
The shop also stocks Welsh cards, gifts like mug, magazines, DVDs and CDs.
The owners are very friendly too and allowed us to bring in our dog which I’m always delighted by. There’s also many cafes, such as Waterloo Tea, nearby where you can grab a cup of tea, brunch or afternoon tea making the bookshop experience the perfect day out.
Website: https://cantamil.com
Waterstones
I won’t be including lots of chain bookshops in this post as there are so many in Cardiff and not enough independent ones in contrast. Waterstones, in the city centre is included, only for the simple reason that it is the biggest bookshop in Wales – which is pretty cool if you love all things books.
They have lots of signed books, as well as the usual selection of paperbacks and hardback books. There’s two floors – with manga, fantasy and cookbooks on the second level.
Upstairs there’s a cafe that sells cakes and hot drinks if needed between browsing the shelves. I don’t need to go into that much detail about the shop as most people have a Waterstones where they live. But they have the usual poetry selections, children’s books, board games and bookish gifts you’ll find in most of their shops.
While it’s known as the biggest in Wales, it’s by no means as big as some of the other Waterstones in the UK. However, still lovely nonetheless.
The Works
Again, I don’t want to just talk about chains but I feel it’s important to include a bookshop that caters to all. I don’t believe books should be a privilege. Everyone should have access to books and that’s what’s so wonderful about The Works on Queen Street, in the city centre.
There’s rows upon rows of novels – from romance, thrillers, crime, and more all more or less for a price ranged between £2 and £5. They even had boxsets of books for a great price too. Some popular series with six to 10 books were about £20 – what a bargain!
Next to the till they had a Blind Date With a Book section which included a book wrapped neatly with a free bookmark. On the front there is a brief description or a quote and the rating people have given the book online. I thought this was very cool and after choosing a mystery surprise book for £4, I was pleased to find a book that I didn’t own, hadn’t heard of but am excited to read underneath the wrapping.
Griffin Books
Whilst not in Cardiff, but set on the outskirts, set in a small seaside town of Penarth, is the wonderful Griffin Books. This shop is less than 10 minutes from Cardiff centre and would make the perfect day trip for those wanting a taste of the quiet life.
They sell a vast amount of children’s books as well as a nice selection of adult – all new hardbacks and paperbacks. Some are signed by the authors too as they host events, including ones for children. I found a table of books by Welsh authors which was great to see as I find they rarely get celebrated or are more difficult to come across.
Griffin Books also has a book subscription service which you can sign up to online to get a surprise book every month.
Website: https://www.griffinbooksonline.co.uk
What’s your favourite bookshop in Cardiff? Let me know in the comments. I’m also on Instagram, Twitter and Threads – @bookwormgirl_24
And also on Bluesky – @emmabookwormgirl
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bookworm girl 
I would sure love to get to Cardiff someday and visit these shops.
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