Waterstones is the beating heart of the literature-enthusiastic city that is Exeter. From gardening to learning new languages, poetry to old-time classics, the shop has every novel, paperback, instruction manual, and audiobook one could ever need. Since its opening in 1982, it has become the number-one bookstore chain in the UK, and as a student living in Exeter, I can see why.
Some students have described it to me as a place that brings a homely feeling; easy to study in as you can eat or drink and surround yourself with books to help set the mood. The staff are always smiling, eager to give you a helping hand or serve you a coffee to sit in with.
Waterstones has two bookstores in town; one on either end of Sidwell Street, reminding students and literature lovers that there are always more books to be read and discovered but also giving Exeter a new academic charm.
Personally, being a classics fan, I enjoy browsing the section to admire the ones that may be missing from my bookshelf as they have all of the books I could ever desire; from Shakespeare to Jane Austen, Charles Dickens to Fyodor Dostoevsky. On the other, hand if you’re exploring a new hobby or ways to get more hands-on, there is a huge range of manual books ready to guide you through any activity one step at a time.
Personally, being a classics fan, I enjoy browsing the section to admire the ones that may be missing from my bookshelf
This bookstore is highly recommended by other students and myself for those who like to submerge themselves in a vibrant but peaceful environment while enjoying any sort of beverage to guide them through work, with famous names in literary culture by their sides. Nothing motivates me more than sitting next to Jane Austen!
A great idea for book lovers is to go to Waterstones and either advise each other on your favourite sci-fi or classic novels or pick out new reads. During a day out in town, Waterstones is always a must to go into for its welcoming, kind, and inspiring environment, making anyone and myself always eager to work.
