I must warn you. You should not come here if you are saving money. You should not come here if you…read moreare trying to live light. You should not come here if you're about to go overseas, or if you're about to move house. Because as soon as you step through the doors, you will fall into a hypnotic book-trance as over 8000 titles try to lure you over to them, all words and tongues, and you won't leave until you have a brown-paper lunch-bag full of the most delicious literary treats you could hope for! Warren and Kirsty have created the most beautiful inner-city shrine to literature, a land of teak and glass artifacts, tempting sit-spots and a plenty titles that are guaranteed to fill you with a sense of wonderment and inspiration! They also have an array of in-store events and appearances, and are just some of the most lovely people you'll meet! Moving to Melbourne from a small country town, I was warned you'd be hard pressed to come by a sense of community and caring in the big, cold city. But spending a little time in the store you'll see there's a heartbeat and lifeblood flowing though our beautiful Melbourne - and the soulful brain is at Embiggen. Go get lost there for a little while - you'll likely end up finding yourself on the shelves there somewhere!

I LOVE this swanky little book shop. There's a sweet open window front display of the whole store…read morewhich really feasts the eyes. When en-route to a meeting a friend for coffee i received a text that said she was going to be running late and lucky enough i was walking past Embiggen when this happened. Embiggen was actually closed up until mid October due to flooding (I'm sure it had something to do with that massive storm in August), now open Embiggen is a book store to be reckoned with. They have a large range of titles all spread across a wooden interior (both floor and shelving), genres range from anything Art & Design, Sciences, Fiction, Economics, Politics, Poetry, Travel and more, there's a epic range for you to procrastinate through.

I'm always up for a second-hand bookshop, and this is certainly a decent one. Okay, it isn't huge,…read morebut like a lot of this places it does happen to have a pretty decent collection. However, the collection also tends to be pretty random so, like a lot of these places, the joy comes down to actually see what is on the shelf. I found some decent books, and as is typical, ended up walking out with more than I actually knew what to do with. It is tucked away off the main road, but still worth checking out if you happen to be down this way.

This guy is magic. I swear, every time I've gone into this place looking for anything in…read moreparticular, not only does he have it, but he knows the work, the author and is willing to chat about it. 'So what?' you say. Well, I don't know about anyone else but, usually when I enter a second hand book shop, the first thing I'm asked to do is remove my bag because I obviously look like a book theif, and then I'm often treated with a distant rudeness like I'm somehow interupting the ebb and flow of the vendor's day. Not so with Already Read. This bloke is cheery and engaging. He usually seems up for a bit of a chat and stocks great quality, sought after titles; not just best sellers and fuckin' Dan Brown. He keeps multiple copies of the greats and has a large cache out back if you can't find something in the well ordered shelves. Seriously, as far as second hand book shops go, this is the one.

The book grocer is the perfect little book shop. They have getting people back reading strongly on…read morethe agenda. With a good range of books spanning from Penguin classics right the way through to self-help books such as 'Sexercise'. But what makes The Book Grocer truly great is the fact that they serve up coffee and muffins and have plenty of couches and seats for the avid browser to sit upon, sip their coffee and ponder what to buy. And perhaps an even better thing is the fact that (bar a few exceptions) every book in the shop costs under $10. I don't know how they manage to be so cheap, but if you ask me $10 is a perfectly great price to pay for an entertaining book.

A visit to The Book Grocer is like falling down a rabbit hole into a bibliophile's heaven…read more A beautifully airy and modern bookshop replete with lots of seating and even a coffee machine, Northcote's Book Grocer sells an incredible range of books ranging from fiction to biography, art to the social sciences and all for incredible prices. Seemingly every time I visit The Book Grocer there are scores of people engrossed in a selection of this gorgeous little shop's tomes and this behaviour isn't just accepted, it's encouraged. The Book Grocer's staff are friendly and welcoming and there are so many incredible books within this awesome book shop's four walls that you can easily spend a good hour here giving each section no more than a cursory glance. Prices tend to be around $6 for paperback fiction and as little as $15 for a gorgeous hardcover, coffee table type book or cookbook. I was looking for some art and design reference books today and the selection was nothing short of intimidating. As a guide to the kind of discounts on offer, I found a beautifully put together book about legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland for $10 reduced from $40 and all stock is new and in impeccable condition. An incredible shop.

Look, even though I love second-hand bookshops, this place wasn't as good as some that I have…read morevisited. I guess it has something to do with it being more for second-hand books as opposed to antiquarian books as well. I guess it also has something to do with the difficulty I had in finding any really good books that would grab my attention. Still, places like these aren't places where you visit once because they tend to be the type of places where you will always find something new.

I absolutely love this book shop. About every 2 weeks I pop in and there's always new stuff in…read morethere. It's got absolutely great second hand books in there. Lovely service and lovely people.

Part of a dying breed of independent bookstores…read more The interesting thing about Brunswick Street Bookstore is that whilst it doesn't exclusively stock a particular genre, it DOES seem to stock the sort of publications you wouldn't find at a chain bookstore. More offbeat / leftwing / whatever type books, somewhat underground magazines and the like. Definitely worth a look if you're in the area or a call if you're after a particular printed prize. (I like alliteration, ok?)

I like Brunswick Street Bookstore. It is a small shop with an interesting range of books that other…read morelarger bookshops dont have - particularly the chain bookshops. It focuses on arty type books such as photography and stuff like that. For the genres Im into, it has a large range of Lonely Planet titles and quite a few travelogues. I also got a really good tattoo book there once - but that was a long time ago. The staff are friendly but they also leave you alone to browse and dont bother you. It also has some very comfortable chairs at the back to sit in and read - which is also a nice touch. I also like the fact that it is open late. If you are meeting someone at a restaurant or cafe or pub and you arrive early, where better to kill some time than having a look at the books! A shop with a very very nice energy!!!

Wonderful selection of expertly-curated books and cards. Like a magician's hat, this…read morepocket-handkerchief space seems to keep on giving, as a source for all worthwhile books. And the staff are welcoming, helpful and resourceful. Without fail.

Some people have suggested that we are going to see the end of the traditional bookshop, but this…read moreplace is still around (though I don't know for how long). Sure, you may be able to pick up books cheaper at Dymoks, but what you don't get is that old bookstore charm that this place offers, and I must say that I prefer to wander around the cramped and crowded shelves browsing at the many books in a place like this any day. While it may not be a second-hand bookshop, you can still find some pretty interesting title here, though expect to spend a lot to time simply browsing the titles. Oh, as the name suggests, they only sell paperback books, which is also pretty cool.

SALE! SALE! So I was strolling past this store and saw a sign saying 'all books $10' and I of…read morecourse was skeptical, so I ventured in. There was a huge range of new books all for $10, it really is unbelievable! My poor friend accompanying me had to spend a whole hour in here while I looked through every genre and every shelf. I have really fallen in love with this place because they had relevant (to me) design books (both graphic and art) on sale as well. I picked up a typography design books for $10 which will teach me everything the $130 degree textbook I bought would. Amazing. They have several genres in the store as well, anything from design to literature to fiction to history. I cannot believe I haven't heard of this place before!

Insaw this shop today and they were on a closing down sale!…read moreIt's sad as they really looked like a good shop. Would have wanted to go back here regularly. The books look like good finds. I will go back tomorrow.

Upon entering the store I immediately felt relaxed and at ease, Readings was my quite retreat from…read moreone of those unpredictable grey, gloomy raining Melbourne days. Not only does this bookstore offer a wide variety of books, but its almost a sanctuary and one of the most iconic book stores in Melbourne who gives back to the community. 10% of our profits go to the Readings Foundation, which support individuals and organisations that wish to further the development of literacy, community work and the arts. Readings flagship store is the Carlton store, however they have many locations including Malvern, Port Melbourne, Hawthorn and St Kilda. Readings organizes and holds many events during the years from book launches, signings and other events. Staffs are always friendly and willing to provide sound advice and lend an ear to chat.

Readings Carlton is my favourite book shop in Melbourne. Floor to ceiling, this place is packed…read morewith well-researched, beautiful books and accessories. It's a must-stop for any book lover while in town. It feels good, smells good and just is good. Anybody who reckons the future of the written word is shaky, or even destined for a digital medium, get down to Readings and you'll think again. What they do so well is offer up quality publications in a well ordered and well staffed environment. There are countless little nooks and crannys for readers to settle in a test drive a new work before purchase and the staff have a collective knowledge of books and trends that will blow your mind. Even better still, the Carlton Readings (there are a couple of others about town) also stock a great range of CDs and now vinyl. This place personifies the concept that 'it's not what you do but the way that you do it' and the results speak for themselves.

By far the biggest dymocks I've been to and the most expansive in titles of the 2 I was thoroughly…read moreimpressed by the breath of titles over the levels as well as the helpful staff always around periodically. For my preferred subjects: sci-fi, history, media and sports this is a treasure trove of books I've been looking for(some for over 6 years). I appreciated their accommodation of me coming in relatively late and the book they had was in impressive condition compared to bookstores where I'm from. Overall I can't wait to call this shop home and eventually delve deep into their contents. Can't wait to come back again!

Books, games, toys, a café Intensive thousands of books fill the shop. It appeared to be well…read moreorganized and there were some information from him. An author was on hand signing his books and there was a story time in the children's section.This is the largest bookstore in Melbourne and the second largest in Australia.

Okay, while Melboure might not have a bookshop cafe, there are some nice bookshops hidden around…read morethe place, and this would have to be one of them. Okay, it isn't my favourite, namely because it doesn't have a pet cat as the one in Pahran does, but it still has its fair share of books. I discovered it because we happened to be driving along Rathdowne street, namely because it is better to drive down than is Lygon Street, and I saw it out of the corner of my eye. So we immediately pulled over and I went inside and had a look around. Anyway, I had been meaning to come back, and I managed to do so, particularly since I was hunting out a book, which I actually ended up find, which is a huge bonus because I namely go to secondhand book shops simply to see what is available. Anyway, while it isn't one of the best, it still has a bit of charm about it.

Quaint little Alice. This gorgeous bookstore fits in perfectly in leafy, terrace-house lined…read moreRathdowne Village. Specialising in second-hand books, the range on non-fiction topics alone is enough to get a nerd of any kind excited. Instead of a 'history' section, for example, you can find the history section split into every country, religion, social movement and period of time. My English-history-obsessed Mum was in heaven. Normally she picks up the biggest book on the shelf, gasps in delight at the contents and then gives out a sigh heavier than the hardback she's holding when she realises the damage she's about to do to her credit card. I think I may have heard a squeak when on this occasion her ritual was met with a $20 price tag. Filled with everything from well-preserved childhood nostalgia to piano sheet music, it's the perfect place for book nerds to come for a long browse to discover some fascinating pre-loved reads.