I'm fond of bookshops, and I'm particularly fond of this little one. Not a book shop in the…read moretraditional conception, but a book exchange, the tiny premises are often packed. Probably because it's a brilliant idea - instead of letting your old stories gather dust on your shelves (or, in the case of Manly's huge transient population, occupy valuable space in the backpack), why not pass it on and grab another? It's not a completely free swap, but you either trade in a few books and get a new one, or pay much less than a premium on that new romance you spy in the window. In an age of mindless consumerism, Andy's Book Shop is a timely reminder of the value in being thrifty, reusing, reducing and recycling!

When in Manly you're mind can't help but linger on all things leisure, and for me that includes…read morewolfing down books (if you can wolf down a book...) so I was thrilled to come across Andy's Book Exchange. This wee corner shop is an Aladdins cave of books, stacked floor to ceiling with them. For the casual browser they're helpfully arranged by genre so I was able to swoop in on the pink corner dedicated to chic-lit. What? Can't a girl indulge in some trash on the beach?! It's run by a couple of hobbit lookalikes which may or may not be off-putting for you, but they're friendly and helpful enough, if a little judgmental over your choice in books! The best thing about this shop is that it buys and sells so you can bring in old copies and get a good price, pick up used ones for a good price or even bring back one that you've bought there and get a few dollars back. It gives incentive to recycling! All the prices are clearly marked on the back including how much you'd get if you brought the book back, so it's as simple as can be (AND gives you an excuse to go back to Manly).

Cooool. A second…read morehand bookstore that occasionally sells new books, this little boutique store has a lot of character. The owner is a charistmatic woman who enjoys chatting and making a joke, so she's very approachable and capable of helping you find what you're looking for. It doesn't do mainstream, but focuses on lesser-known but very capable, often award winning literary artists, with a particular focus on history and the classics. There are typewriters on trhe walls near the ceiling, and towards the back are two glorious looking armchairs with a typewriter between them, almost as if one of these long since past authors had just risen from his place to make a cup of tea. In a book store, the vibe is very important, and this store has it right, at least matching the books it sells. What they may or may not have, is the book you're looking for. Have a browse, or call ahead if looking for a specific book. Oh, and I have been informed they are very picky about which second hand books they take. They're all in very good condition.

You could schedule out a bit of a 'book crawl' in Manly - Desire Books is just round the corner…read morefrom another secondhand bookstore, both packed with re-readable treasure. Desire is probably the more 'highbrow' of the two - along with some pop novels, there are shelves dedicated to classics and some quite alternative stuff. The owner seems to have read a scarily large proportion of them and can bang off in conversation about just about any one of the authors they feature - we ended up in the midst of one of 'those conversations' about 'We need to talk about Kevin'. Desire will buy books too. Frequent traders can establish an account, so they maintain a record of credit and you can pick up your replacement whenever something takes your fancy. I love a new book, but there's also something tantalising about one that has been read before - I wonder who by, and I wonder what they thought?

The staff was incredibly helpful and the range of books was amazing. This is highly recommended.read more

It's got the lovely homely smell of a second hand bookstore because it is a second hand bookstore…read morebut that's where my fondness for it ends sadly. It's brightly lit and in a shopping centre in need of a make-over. I prefer my bookstores dark and wooden, so that I can hide in amongst the shelves and finger my way around. I have browsed the display table outside this shop many a time but just don't feel I can intrude on the inner sanctum of the shop. On the odd occasion that I have made a purchase (selected from the display table) the staff were pretty uncommunicative - to not have a bit of chatter about a book is rare for me. They offer to buy books too though they declined my rejects recently and appear to be operating to undisclosed buying preferences. Not really my kinda place. Just no fun to be had in discovering what's there.

Great selection and hospitality, my go-to record store. Reasonable prices and easy access.read more

my name is sam i was born in deewhy but move away years ago but since ive moved back i couldnt…read morebelieve sandys music was still there ,i used go there as a kid after school nearly everyday and buy records seeing thats sandys music is still there makes me so happy an proud,so many record stores have closed down over the years but sandys is still there nigel an the gang you guys rock