Possibly Toronto’s best all-round book shop, the Annex Book City is the crown jewel in a chain of six stores, appealing to academics and the literati with its large volume of cultural studies, political science, history, literary fiction, poetry and graphic novels. The oldest outlet in the chain (established in 1976), the Annex location has the largest selection (about 35,000 titles) and tons of remaindered hardcovers reduced by 60 to 80 per cent—cheaper than the equivalent trade paperback. All new hardcovers are 10 per cent off, and you can double that deal by buying a “loyalty” card; for $20 a year, you are entitled to 20 per cent off regular hardcover books.