I was dismayed at the recent demise of bookstores Angus and Robertson and Borders. It was sadly…read moresignaling the end of the paperback era and a glimpse of how technology has the power to change the way we will read and communicate in the future. Feeling the need to support the publishing industry, I recently came across All Books for Less. I guess the point of difference is the $5 price of all books for sale which gives them some hope of remaining viable in the foreseeable future. But if you're like me and prefer the smell and feel of a book made of paper rather than reading from an avatar from Amazon.com, go to All Books for Less and support our bookstores! They've got an immense and varied selection available. I came across sections for gardening, history, crime, romance, biographies and drama. Not being up to date on the current best sellers list and unsure of what to get, I chose the prequel to SATC (Sex and the City), and a true story of a talented writer's battle with anorexia which resulted in her death, titled 'Daddy's Little Girl'. It's not a bad read but I probably wouldn't recommend it, and the SATC prequel is a big fat flop and will be a box office disaster should it make it to the big screen. But the point is there is now another player out there with the buying power to stock a great variety of new and best sellers. Lets get behind them and support a store that could save the paperback from extinction.

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.

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.

These places seemed to have survived the arrival of the internet because they are basically…read moreeverywhere. Actually, relatively speaking, they are pretty new, but you will be hard-pressed to wander into a shopping centre these days and not find one of them stuck in the corner, and people still seem to go in here and buy, well, books. Okay, don't expect a huge range, or anything particularly in depth either, namely because they only stock what people want to buy. It really isn't one of my favourite bookshops, but it is still cool to see them about the place.

When we arrived at the airport, my husband asked me if I wanted to try his favorite airport spot…read more Off we go! I love books, I love coffee : great combination! It's hidden behind the books so it's nice and quiet. Don't feel like you are in an airport. I browsed around in the book section while my tea cooled down. It's the secret spot of the pilots / air staff! They know where to go to avoid the crowds! My husband had a coffee and he loved it. I had a soy chai - it was good but not amazing. Overall great little find!

Books and coffee? I'm sold! A great alternative to the loud, crass food courts that are usually…read morefound in airports. The Toby's Estate coffee is a fairly easily blend to serve. It's hard to ruin it. This place won't blow your socks off but it will offer a decent coffee and a respite from the world.

When I first visited this place a few years back it was a small second-hand bookshop tucked around…read morethe corner near the Essendon Railway Station. Well, it seems as if things happened and has now condensed into a single second-hand shop down in Moonee Ponds, but it is quite a lot larger, and also has a much more diverse stock. Okay, while they also sell stamps, I also disovered that they have not just a decent collection of books, but also of DVDs and CDs. In fact the collection is so large you could spend a considerable amount of time exploring its nooks and crannies looking for that elusive treasure - and that elusive treasure is certainly going to be there, you just don't know what it is going to be until you find it.

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.

Brunswick Bound is a particularly thoughtful bookshop. Not overly small and not large like the…read morechain stores, it caters to a variety of broad and specialty interests. There's a great range of locally designed cards, stationary and the odd bit of craft that make for great presents. A lot of the cards have some very cheeky local jokes on them, such as the cards with a photo of a zone 2 sign as part of the statement "I'd go to zone 2 for you" that were in stock about a year back. It also sells a small range of CDs and vinyl, as well as DVDs, journals and magazines. There's also a small gallery space upstairs that hosts bimonthly exhibits of local artists work. The staff are all avid book lovers and will happily talk you through your purchase or recommend something. It's also not too expensive, though obviously an independent bookstore rather than a discount outlet. Always worth a look in when gift shopping, or any other time really.

If you like reading, and I know you do because you're reading this review, then you must pop into…read morethis independent bookshop the next time you find yourself on Sydney Road. It's also a bit of an oasis of calm in here if Sydney Road is giving you aural overload. There's lots of great books, music, and knick-knacky gift type things to look at, so take your time about it. Grab a few books and find a spare spot on a sofa and just take a load off. If you've found the books you want but you're still not ready for pavement pounding, upstairs is a small, sun-flooded art gallery, and another space in which to meditate. Exhibitions here usually feature local artists. Brunswick Bound hosts the occasional author event too, so visit their beautiful website and get your name on their mailing list to keep in touch.