Bermuda Book Store (3 Queen St., near Front Street junction, tel. 441/295-3698, www.bermudabookstore.com) sits in a historic building it has inhabited for decades. The store features a great selection of current Bermuda books, plus new fiction and a very good kids’ section.

Having crossed the street to relocate from the Phoenix Centre to its subsidiary Brown & Company, The Bookmart (35 Front St., tel. 441/279-5443, www.phoenixstores.com, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 1–5 p.m. Sun.) is a wonderful place to while away a few hours searching for the latest best seller, or browsing the large selection of Bermuda publications, international magazines, coffee-table books, cookbooks, and popular kids’ series, like the United Kingdom’s Mr. Men collection. An expanded children’s section is one of the island’s best.

Bookworms can also enjoy the store’s Birdcage Café, which serves java of every sort, along with smoothies, gingerbread, scones, sandwiches, and cool drinks. Take your snack out on the veranda, which has a great view of Front Street, the harborside, and the café’s namesake birdcage. It’s also a great place to stop if you have to wait for your ferry, as it’s just across the street from the main terminal.

Twice-Told Tales (34 Parliament St., tel. 441/296-1995) has a good selection of secondhand fiction, nonfiction, Bermuda books, and children’s editions. Lawyers, police, and MPs from nearby courts and Parliament buildings gather here for coffee. There’s also Internet access.

The Metaphysical Book Shop (61 Reid St., at Court St., tel. 441/295-5683) specializes in books and CDs on meditation, yoga, and spiritual healing. Incense sticks are also sold here.