I love bookstores: the smell, the colors, and the possibilities for adventure and escape. Where I…read morelive there aren't many left, so it's exciting to visit as wonderful as Unity Books. In Auckland there are quite a few places to go, but this one is independent and probably the best. Unity Books has its main store and children's book separate on the same street; both are fun to browse through. I came here both to browse and with a mission. I wanted to purchase the complete Lord of the Rings and Hobbit filming locations books. They're printed in New Zealand and cover places we visited, and others we'd love to return to. Their prices were what I expected; with the exchange rate, I was happy. The store was organized and they were easy to find, but one of the books' spine was broken. I asked a friendly clerk and they quickly went to the back and got another copy. It made buying them there easy. They had so many happy customers, it's easy to see they're doing well. I will definitely stop here on our next visit.

Service was fast and friendly, called to put a book on hold and showed up about 35 minutes later…read more They had it ready to go and were very nice.

This is Auckland's best (and probably biggest) second hand bookstore. It's musty in a good "old…read morebooks" kind of way, and sprawling and welcoming at the same time. Set over two floors of one of Onehunga's old buildings, it's like a house full of books. Most rooms have a comfy old chair or two for reading, and visitors are encouraged to sit and do just that. The subject range is huge and varied, and the prices are of course, excellent. The staff are knowledgeable and will point you in the right direction if you are after something in particular. Which is helpful because if you haven't been here before you could get lost and never come back out. Sadly Onehunga has been on the decline in the last few years despite there being a number of really great businesses here. I would recommend coming for lunch at Luscious, followed by a fossick at the Hard to Find and then checking out Look Sharp Discount Store. This historic Auckland suburb has suffered from mismanagement for too long now but as while these unique places cling on, it's still worth a visit - there is so much character and potential.

What do you buy for the person who has everything? Something fun, interesting or ridiculous;…read moresomething they've never seen before. Hard To Find Bookstore is the place to go for the person who has everything - spend enough time in amongst the weird little nooks and crannies and you're bound to find something for that awkward person who requires a gift. Ohe of my most lovely memories of Hard To Find Bookstore was a Christmas morning, when the small family of academics I was sharing breakfast with handed out presents. All three of them had bought each other gifts from Hard To Find, and all were so appreciative of their gifts. Some of the books still had their HTF price tags pencilled inside but nobody cared - gift-giving isn't always about how much it costs, but how much it means. And to these bookworms, the gifts were priceless.

I am all about independent bookstores these days and this one is an absolute gem! Doris, who owns…read morethe store is kind, knowledgable and most importantly passionate about books. When I last went in they didn't have the book I was after (City of Thieves by David Benioff - if you haven't already, you should read it - it's fantastic!) but were happy to order it in. They are also happy to host other people's book clubs after-hours complete with wine and sweet treats for FREE, which I think is pretty cool! Doris goes through some of the new and interesting books they have in-store and then you share with you B.C comrades what you have been reading of late. Book swaps are also allowed! I think it's important that we support small independant stores like this and am happy to make the extra trip over the bridge to do so!

I'm into a lot of historical books, so this book store isn't one of my favourites. However, I do…read moreadmire all independent bookshops like this one that still operate, especially when it's so easy to get stuff online. This bookshop in particular has a great selection of cookbooks and children's books, which means it's perfect for gifts. They seem to keep pretty up to date with all the latest new releases, and they can also order something in for you if they don't have it in stock. One of the bonuses of coming to a bookstore like this one is that you get good service and advice from the person who knows a lot about the products that she sells. Definitely ask if you are stuck for gift ideas.

Old and new book smell, love it! I used to think that this place was kind of crappy, but I now have…read morea renewed appreciation for this very old bookstore in Papakura's Selwyn Arcade. The store is not huge and really quite badly organised, but if you spend at least five minutes here you should find something that you're interested in. Apart from the fact that there are way too many old school Mills and Boon type romance novels, the other sections contain some great bargains. I found a beautiful and rare second hand book which was basically in brand new condition. To be honest I would've walked away with a handful of books if I had the money to spend. The staff member (owner?) was very kind and extremely helpful, directing me around the poorly organised shelves to a few books that I might have been interested in.

Gone West is quite small for a second hand bookshop, which I guess can be a good thing because then…read morethe thought of where to start browsing is a bit less overwhelming. They have a lot of quite old books, and even had a stack of magazines all from the 1960's to 80's which were pretty interesting to have a nosey through. Most of the smaller books go for around 15 dollars if they aren't damaged, and the larger ones for a bit more. There is also a lot of New Zealand orientated reading material on offer, particularly some new books about the local area, such as 'West' and 'Colin McCahon the Titirangi Years'. The owner, Murray, was quite clued up about all of the books he had on offer and I'm sure if you were after something in particular then he would easily be able to help you out.

As a tourist in my own country, I love to visit small towns and take in the sights and sounds; just…read moreambling along the main streets and boulevards. On a recent visit to Warkworth, I was exposed to many of her charms, simply by strolling along the streets and riverfront. As I loitered about, I came upon the Unicorn Bookshop, and far from selling fantasy novels, this charming little bookstore is stocked with a wide variety of literature. My favourite travel guides were well represented, and they also sold a good range of second hand photography books. I ended up buying a beautiful art book, featuring the modern prints of Dick Frizzell, a rare find. This is what I love about small second hand bookstores, there is always a treasure waiting for its new owner.

Unicorn Book Shop has been in Warkworth for as long as I can remember. It's a little treasure trove…read moreof second hand books, and one of my favourite places to pop in to. They have a good range of fiction; the old favourites and if you are lucky you'll often find new best sellers too. They have an interesting bunch of non-fiction - the photography and art sections are the best. I've found a few really nice travel books in there too; perfect as gifts. The children's corner is cute, and they are happy for kids to read and play. It adds to the relaxed, nearly soothing atmosphere about the place. (similar to a library I guess). The pricing varies with age and condition of each book, and you can find some cheapies in the bargain bin outside.

On a day exploring Devonport, my first stop in the historic town was BookMark. If you're a fan of…read moreused books, militaria, collectibles, and local history, this is a must-visit little shop. It was cozy with chair and carpet, plus shelves area organized and clean. The shop has tons of old NZ military memorabilia, which was also fun to see. The cashier was welcoming as well. As I didn't want to carry a bunch of books all day, I left without anything but memories. The world needs more bookstores like this one. If you find yourself in the area, be sure to stop in and have a browse. They also have a bunch of sale carts outside on the sidewalk, a fun way to get you inside.

Ooh- eee! Do I love myself a good secondhand bookshop. It's like a normal bookshop but everything's…read morelike 100 times cheaper and it comes free with that musty kinda smell. This shop claims to have the best selection of used books in Auckland, and I know every seller of something claims to be the best but on this occasion I don't just think their blowing smoke out their asses, this really IS the best selection ever located in the best store ever! They have over 20,000 different titles to choose from, from general fiction to the specialty of this store, military tomes. The owner even goes as far afield as Melbourne on stock missions so you can be guaranteed to find some really priceless items. Overall one of the best things about this store I think is the range of super comfortable looking places to sit down ;so you are actually able to read instore if you want to, a concept foreign to most bookstores these days. Being a hardened book lover myself, I have whiled away many productive hours in this store. Even better on late Night Thursdays they have a 10% discount and a free glass of wine while you are perusing the shelves!

Yes. This is what secondhand book shops are. Dominion Books is stellar. A marvelous and outstanding…read moreexemplar. The shop is incredibly cramped. It's brilliant. You're forced to kind of tilt your body around and really exercise your joints in order to navigate the walls and aisles covered in shelves covered in books. The books are cheap. Dirt cheap. I got a near new copy of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom of $4. $4! It was daylight robbery. Most importantly, the whole operation is overseen by the most timid, aging woman of all time. She's bloody magnificent. So surprised whenever anyone comes up to her to buy a book. That's absolutely magic.

Never have I been in a book shop like Dominion Books that requires the flexibility of a gymnast to…read morenavigate between the packed shelves. It reminds me of something from Harry Potter but surrounded by yummy mummy's out for coffee with the pram. In the age of electronic book downloads it is satisfying to hold and flick through a tome of imagination and inspiration. It's also nice to but something on a whim, without reading 100 online reviews from around the globe. That said, what Dominion Books offer me over it's competitors downtown is that beautiful aroma of literature, the smell is addictive.

I'm always a bit nostalgic when I come here; Whitcoulls was previously a Borders and I used to…read morespend my time waiting for the next train home sitting amongst their magazine section. It's still a great bookshop and I love how big it is (although I do wish their psychology section was a little bit bigger!). They've got some really comfy leather chairs through the book sections downstairs if you want to read a couple of chapters. I really like their art and design section here but their fiction section is massive. So massive in fact, that even the crimes and thrillers have their own section. Needless to say my partner and I came in recently for a birthday card and left with a wonderful birthday card among many other purchases after perusing the shelves- and that was just downstairs. Upstairs is home a huge children's section that includes toys and other tidbits, and a Gloria Jean's for parents who may need that pick-me-up or a book club meeting. Whitcoulls also stocks CD, DVD's, gift wrapping and greeting cards, arts and crafts and stationery goods. I enjoy the service here the most out of the Whitcoulls I've been to in Auckland, so I always try to make an effort to make the trip here.

Fantastic store!!! Lots of vinyls, cds, books, t shirts all music related. I bought 2 albums I'd…read morenever seen in the US. Service was great. Value great. Loved this shop

ordered online for delivery 3 or 4 times. some of the books…read moreand cds were torn, and cracked. not happy with it when i bought with money. paid for it, but came along some torn books, and cracked cd cases. not worth ordering from real groovy. plus they sell stuff just a little bit expensiver than other retail stores. get it together crooks.