Basement Books is a dangerous place on many levels…read more Danger number one: It's in Central. It is right in Central. Central is a place you meet people, so you might say, meet you in central at 4pm and then you get there at 3.30pm and you have to wait. So what do you do? You go to Basement Books and peruse their countless books with bright yellow stickers advertising their low and affordable price. Danger number two: Because these books that you're perusing are cheap, you can justify the price even if you're not sure whether you even need the book. 'Oh, a history of Physics' I've always been interested in Physics, and it's only $9.95 I should probably buy this and learn about Physics. Danger number three: Their range is gigantic! I almost said 'ginormous', but that's not a word. What I meant was Hugantic! There are literally thousands upon thousands of books and they're always receiving new stock. They have art sections, computer sections, history, film, personal growth, science fiction, literature, even books like the dictionary, which, had I purchased a copy last I was in, would have saved me the embarrassment of using a non-word like 'ginormous'. So beware of Basement Books. You have been warned. The bookshop is in a great location, the titles are cheap and the range extraordinary. I have a pile of books in my room almost as tall as I am that I have yet to read, opportune purchases that came at me as I strolled amidst the aisles killing time. A book on deadly diseases for $4.95, I'm not going to find that bargain again. Buy! Buy! Buy!

In this day and age of Kindle and Kobo and Nook, a solid read (and I mean one that you can…read moreliterally hold and turn pages beneath your fingers) comes pretty cheap. You really do need to head in to see what they've got because I find their online catalogue lacking and sometimes the staff don't even know what they're stocking. The outside disguises how big this place really is, as it has sections for anything from classic fiction to travel books and bios. It has a pretty decent selection of art supplies as well (I'm no art student, but it does cater for scrapbooking hobbies or the amateur artist if you're after it). Right in the back corner they have a little children's section which I found perfect for my six year old sister who's going through her first reading phase. I bought her a collection of these tiny Winnie the Pooh classics, and a special anniversary edition of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit and Friends stories which averaged around $4 and $12 respectively. They have tons of different hard cover books (some of which are pop up!) which were surprisingly cheap, but more importantly, were invaluable in keeping kids (of all ages) entertained for hours.

If you're a brick-and-mortar bookstore and you're still alive I take my hat off to you. Its…read moreimmediate respect, in fact - given the swift move to e-books and online purchasing all around the world. I really enjoyed my experience at Dymocks in the Junction. It is situated just below the cinemas and I popped in to find some childrens books for my nieces birthday. Not only did I find what I was looking for - books written by the one and only Enid Blyton, my idol as a child, but they beautifully gift wrapped it for me too! I'm not sure how they do survive and remain competitive, but it will be a sad day if a place like this does close down one day. There are some that say book stores are a dying breed. I'm not one of them.

The back wall of this bookshop has a moving ladder. Its for staff use only of course but what a…read morelovely thing to have in a book shop. That in itself is something to write home about. There aren't too many book shops left that have an original mark on them. High ceilings, big windows, plenty of light and relatively small. I imagine the owners hand pick each book because they like it rather than it will sell well. I guess as a business owner you'd always have this in mind if you want to stay open for longer than a season but populous pleasing books wouldn't be the driving force. I love the original finds like: Nomads which is a book about interior decorating for the traveler ie furnishing your home with the stories of your travels. The children's story The Moon Belongs to No One was another book I think would be hard to find in your high street book chain store. Thanks for bringing us something new Oscar... and friends.

Attention everyone, if you want to buy me a present, please go to Oscar and Friends in…read moreDarlinghurst, I would like either "Steampunk, the art of Victorian Futurism", "Mister Wonderful" by Daniel Clowes, "My Secret Postcard" compiled by Frank Warren, "I Am Plastic Too" by Paul Budnitz or if you would like to buy me a selection just stay in the Art and Industrial design sections and you will make me happy. I love bookshops like this, even though it is a small shop and tiny in comparison with the larger chain bookshops, I could spend much longer browsing Oscar and Friends than I would ever spend in your average booksellers. Oscar and Friends offers the standard selection of fiction, non -fiction, science- fiction/ Fantasy, biography and social Political collections, which you would find in most bookshops. But it is the modern literature and particularly art books range, which stands them apart. Offering books on fashion, typesetting, industrial design, graphic design, tattoos just to name a few of the sections, titles are available which are rare to see and make it a great place to find that perfect unusual gift or the coffee table book to surprise your friends. It is not everyday you see a book titled: The Big Book of Packaging. John put away your credit card.

I live for charming little bookstores like this one. In college I would spend hours in bookstores…read moreto study or just meditate and peruse through books. Sadly, more bookstores are being replaced by Kindle, but I still prefer the smell and feel of a paperback, and the comforting stillness of being surrounded by books. It's a shame there aren't many bookstores where I live in Honolulu, but I came across quite a few in Sydney, including Ariel Booksellers. Walking in here is simply a joy. Bookstores have now branched out to not only sell books but also the cutest knickknacks and items that anyone will love. Ariel sells calendars, postcards, greeting cards, even lamps like the cute bear lamp from the LINE friends collection as seen in one of the photographs below. Ariel was a lovely and relaxing stop during my busy day touring Sydney. I recommend this bookstore to tourists and locals alike who need a bit of respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The smaller of the two I've been to it's still not that small given the multiple levels. Where you…read morehave me lost is that most of the ground floor is gifts souvenirs and trendy stuff/stationary. Normally I don't mind but I was surprised given the fact that everything upstairs seemed so condensed because of this like an aisle and that's it. Because of this I didn't get the type of time I wanted to have in what I was told was the biggest in Australia. Your mileage may vary on this obviously but for me that's a dealbreaker. On lighter notes staff were scarce and while nice didnt have what I was looking for. Books were in the best condition of the two and I was impressed by that as again I don't have that where I'm from. Despite that Sydney will eventually be my home I'll definitely be looking to shop in Melbourne more for the genres of my tastes.

Absolute garbage service. I PRE ORDER a textbook MONTHS in advance. I then have to reach out to…read moreTHEM to confirm my order as they didn't do so. They extend the delivery date out another 23 days, whatever, fine. I reach out again 20 odd days after that date, only to be told they don't have the book anymore. I demand a refund. They REFUSE. THEY HAVE THE *GALL* TO REFUSE A REFUND UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES!?!? The demand my bank account number! They demand 4-6 weeks turn around time for their "Accounts" team to process the refund. WHAT. A. JOKE. Don't bother with this clown company. Absolute clown circus square go.

Abbey's is a great bookshop with a culty edge, they used to own Galaxy Bookshop on the same street…read morewhich is now closed and some of the sci-fi stock has been incorporated into Abbey's, check the window display for the very cute Star Wars soft toys (I want a Yoda, he is so cute). Being one of Sydney's larger bookshops Abbey's has a very large range, but the reason I like it is not so much for their books but the DVDs. Abbey's offers possibly the most extensive foreign film DVD selection in Sydney, they have many deleted titles and many imports. If you are looking for films by the greats of foreign cinema such as Bergman, Ozon, Haneke, Fellini, Antonioni, Abbey's is the place to find them. Oh and grab me a Yoda on the way out.

I was, for a time, what can only be described as a Frankophile. That's someone who is obsessed with…read morethings a la Francois. I got heavily into the music of Raphael, Camille, Serge Gainsbourg and even Vanessa Paradis. I was watching French Films like a maniac, and I even endeavoured to take up the ancient art of speaking the language. I decided the best way to do this (Well, not the best way, but the most accessible, the cheapest and the most likely that I would follow it through.) would be to purchase some French Speaking CD's and utilise the lessons therein. With a reputation for language books and media, I journeyed to Abbey Books just behind the QVB. Which has now taken into its premises the science fiction bookshop, Galaxy. I had no idea which one would be the ideal course for me so I got some advice from the staff there, he asked me questions about outcomes and reasons to learn and such and then pointed me in the right direction. I purchased my audio lessons and thanked the man. And after many a jog around the bay with my headphones in, repeating french phrases as I jogged. Probably looking like a looney from Paris talking to himself, I learnt the ancient art of Conversational French. Though I still can't have a conversation in it, unless that conversation is asking how you are, you say fine and then I buy something from you.

I had just come out of the "other" Westfield centre at Bondi Junction and was walking along the…read morefootpath back to the station when I spotted a sign plastered on a curved window a few floors above the "opposite" Westfield centre declaring "Harry Hartog Bookseller". I was intrigued - the font it was written in was that of the fonts used by old antique shops but with a modern slant. I couldn't resist - damn it if I miss that train but damn it if I don't find out what was behind that window. I glad I missed my train (and the next one and the one after that). If you like fresh, airy and light-filled bookshops with room to move and to wander from aisle to aisle and stack to stack I highly recommend popping into Harry Hartog's. It's a beautiful (and slightly quirky) store that not only has a wonderful collection of books - including a terrific children's book and puzzle collection but gifts, bags, cards and stationery. The store also proudly promotes in-store events for all ages (there was a kid's event happening that weekend), and there are lounges and seats scattered around so you can sit quietly and thumb through that potential purchase. There are well dressed displays in the store windows and throughout the store that entice the visitor to inquire. Staff are friendly, helpful yet unobtrusive. If you like that famous Japanese bookstore in the city -you'll like find Harry Hartog with similar style but with more sophistication and relaxed.

OMG! I accidentally found this bookstore today! How long I haven't noticed such a lovely bookstore…read more I fall in love with this bookstore and I think this is the best bookstore I have ever visited. It's not the huge store but size is good enough in the shopping centre. I have been to this shopping centre millions of times but until today I have never noticed this. It's amazing! Let me explain, well, it is really organised display and looking very attractive, and not only books but also some good qualities of gift items such as wallets, bags, briefcases, mug cups, coffee beans and tea bags, some gift items for children, all sorts of cards and so on. On top of those, there is lounge area outside of this bookstore. Please take a look at my photos. There are more bookshelves and comfortable couches there. Some people are reading books there, some are just having a chat and I just sit and feeling the happiness to find out this oasis. Nowadays, we tend to not reading a book and instead of reading books we watch internet items. However, I realised we still have nice bookstores out there and we really should go and feel how fantastic feeling and how we can relax being just there. So cool. Gold! 本日とてもうれしい発見を致しました。とても素敵な素晴らしい書店をたまたま見つけた事です。このショッピングセンターは今まで何年も通い続けていた建物なのですが、なぜかこのフロアーのこの角地には行った事がありませんでした。なぜだか、このフロアのはずれにあるエスカレーターを使う事となりブラブラ歩いてフロアの最後のテナントまで来たのですが、そこに見つけたのは通路にディスプレイされた書棚のいくつかと古いレザーでできた４セットのソファでした。うわー、くつろげる場所があるし、本も読める！と思ったら目の前に新しい本屋さんがあったのでした。 今年の初めにこのビル内でなぜか水浸しになってしまった本屋さんに遭遇した友人がいたり、その模様をニュースやネットでもチラッと見た事はあったのですがあれがこの本屋さんであった事が本日判明しました。多分そのためにこんなに新しい内装なのだなと思いました。書籍の内容はもう全て揃っています！赤ちゃん用から大人用まで。多種用のカード、おもちゃ、素晴らしい素材のお財布、バッグ、ブリーフケース。ギフト用のカップ類、お料理本がディスプレイされている書棚の上方には何とお料理用のお鍋とかまで。ホント、録画で世界中の皆さんに紹介したいほどです。 でも、日本とかイギリスロンドンにはこの手の素敵な本屋さんがありそうですが、私が今まで出会ったなかでは一番素敵な感動した本屋さんでした！

As an American exploring Paddington for the first time I came across this awesome cafe on Oxford…read more My flat was close by and the purple exterior was a happy purple that made me curious. Then I saw things that sparked joy. Coffee, books, art, food, Australian wine. And the outside tables were occupied by chill patrons of the intellect hip kind. My kind of people enjoying the warm Sydney weather. Add to this 3 floors to explore. I loved this place so much I came a few times. I loved looking through all the books and trying items off their menu. Rose' excellent. Flat white perfect. Chai very nice. The food is made from scratch so I cannot give this place enough Yelp stars. It would be 5 stars for each category. Their wifi works great too. I tried to order things I wasn't familiar with. They also have specials of the day so give that a go if you find your way here. I tried a Caramel Slice coz I've never seen that before. It's a posh layered dessert snack type a thing. So glad I ordered and would order that again. This cafe / bookstore encourages you to grab a book and relax. So I found a few and ordered the Tapas board. Keeping with a variety theme. I had a variety of books and paired it with a variety board of food. They serve breakfast lunch dinner and good Aussie vibes. Mel M Yelp 22:10

As you walk down Oxford St, Sydney in Paddington, you'll find yourself passing by Ampersand cafe &…read morebookstore. Downstairs, it looks like a familiar cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating, but make sure you head upstairs in one of the three levels and find a seat amongst the floor to ceiling bookshelves. Set into three rooms, consisting of books aplenty, organised into their themes with comfortable seating, this is somewhere you could absolutely sit for hours. Order your food at the front, and it will be delivered to you as you immerse yourself in the books. Whilst it is only a small menu, the food is interesting and they also have some daily salads, sandwiches and pastry goods. A couple of options using black rice, we chose the brekky bowl with Bircher and sticky black rice with figs, cinnamon and fresh fruits. We really liked this as it was quite different to your normal Bircher. French toast is an option, baked or poached eggs and smoked salmon is on the menu but we opted for a familiar favourite - the eggs Benedict with crispy bacon and creamy hollandaise. We were hungry so we also shared one of the fresh Reuben Bagels. It was filled with a super flavoursome pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut and this was the winner on the day. For those wanting lunch, there's a burger, steak sandwich and even a black risotto or polenta chips. Coffee is by Little Marionette and the mocha was a good drop, complete with Lindt chocolate. We also had a cold drip which we certainly enjoyed. Smoothies and teas are also available. Pop in for a nice meal and a good read.

Lots of books. There was a large amount of bilingual books although it was hard to findread more

After I was done with having lunch at The Galeries, I went upstairs to floor 2 to check this place…read moreout. They're a Japanese chain bookstore. I've been to their locations in Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA. My goodness, they had quite the extensive manga selection! Of course all of the super popular ones were available. If I had one of these bookstores closer to where I live, I would be giving them a lot of my money! Everything was so well organized, so everything was very easy to locate.

Excuse me if I'm wrong, but I think Phoenix music might be the only CD shop left in the Potts Point…read moreand Kings Cross area. Even without any other physical competition, it must be tough for them to survive in this digital age we live, but some of us do still buy CDs. I had to go inside and check it out when I saw Bjork's Biophilia poster in the window. It's only a little shop, but they still have quite a good selection with some interesting imports and rarities and a range of categories, even though they are eclectic selections, they even have some collectible vinyl editions. Also they have a nice little DVD range, predominantly the art house stuff, which is what interests me. Shops like this used to be everywhere, enjoy them before they're all swallowed up.