Abacus Books

Abacus Books has traded from the same shopfront on Regent Road for more than four decades, specialising in out-of-print and hard-to-find titles with a particular strength in art and local history. Shelves are arranged by subject rather than alphabetically by author, rewarding browsing over searching for a specific title. The shop is a member of the Booksellers Association and has more recently listed a selection of new titles through the online platform Bookshop.org, without changing its core trade in secondhand and antiquarian stock. It keeps limited hours, opening only on Thursdays and Saturdays, a schedule that reflects a small independent operation rather than a retail chain. Regulars tend to be collectors and researchers hunting a specific volume rather than casual passers-by.