For general French titles, the biggest and most convenient shop has to be the FNAC in the Forum des Halles, though it's hardly the most congenial of places. If you fancy a prolonged session of browsing, the other general bookshops below are probably more suitable.FNAC at the Forum des Halles, niveau 2, Porte Pierre-Lescot (M°/RER Châtelet-Les Halles). Other branches include 136 rue de Rennes, 6e (M° Saint-Placide); 26 av des Ternes, 17e (M° Ternes); and CNIT, 2 pl de la Défense (M° La Défense); www.fnac.com. Lots of bandes dessinées, guidebooks and maps, among everything else. Mon–Sat 10am–7.30pm. Gallimard 15 bd Raspail, 7e. Most French publishers operate their own flagship bookshops, and Gallimard's boulevard Raspail store is one of the greats. M° Sèvres-Babylone. Daily 10am–7pm. Gibert Jeune 10 pl St-Michel & 27 Quai St-Michel, 5e. The biggest of the Quartier Latin student/academic bookshops with a vast selection of French books. There's a fair English-language and discounted selection at Gibert Joseph, 26 bd St-Michel. An institution. M° St-Michel. Mon–Sat 10am–7pm. La Hune 170 bd St-Germain, 6e. One of the biggest and best, with a strong art section. M° St-Germain-des-Prés. Mon–Sat 10am–midnight. Librairie Culture 17 bis rue Pavée, 4e. A real Aladdin's cave, spread over three floors, with books piled up everywhere you look – mostly secondhand and returns, with some good deals on art books. M° Saint-Paul. Mon–Sat 10.30am–7pm.
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