I have been looking forward to writing this blog, because this is one of my favourite shops locally. It is part of an independent book shop chain; (there are two others which I think are in Stoke Newington). Books Ink describes itself as a bargain bookshop and it often is. Next door to Yu Yi Factory Outlet and Benny Dee; at 134 High Street, the book shop is well placed for when I have had enough of the intensity and hurley-burley of the market on a Saturday and I need to stand and recover myself for a few minutes. These minutes have been known to stretch beyond an hour or so. Here, you won't be bumped into by anyone more irritating than a bibliophile.

It is not a bookshop which has a massive range of fiction, though they do stock a lot of classic fiction in the Wordsworth imprint; a very fair offer of 3 for five pounds.

Books Ink stocks a wide range of cookery books, most of which I have bought myself or been given over the years by the usual wheedling and hinting prior to Christmas and my birthday.

They also have a lot of children's books and children's activity books and a new-age bent to their Health; Body, Mind and Spirit and Alternative Health shelves, of which there are several. The reference section is reasonable and they stock a reasonable number of dictionaries, and arts and crafts how-to books. They have a small 'academic' section. Sadly, they do not have much of a history section, or browsers would be able to find out more about the interesting history of this particular building. A photograph of the aftermath of a raid on 27 December 1940 can be found on the internet in which the Luftwaffe had hit the shop.

The shop usually has good music playing, as they sell a range of cheapish but interesting cds. They have a number of shelves facing the front door which seem to change fairly often. The shop is notable for an excellent range of Manga drawing guides and what are either graphic novels or comics, depending on your point of view. Neither I or the pleasant young man who I recently discussed these with know if there is a crucial distinction to be made here but I, a 'comic' man, am willing to be convinced.