QBD bookstores are survivors. Its great to see that in the decimation of book retailers this…read morelocally owned chain has been able to swim in though the torrents of the GFC and the digitisation of literature. It's a small store with a healthy selection of novels. It stocks generally popular fiction in most genres. The staff are really friendly and there are always sales going on and it's a place I visit when I'm at Chermside to see what new releases are in.

Clicking "Buy Now" on Amazon or Book Depository seems like the easiest way to have the latest best…read moreseller, adult colouring in book or animals giving high five thank you cards (yes, these are a thing and you can buy them at Mary Ryan's) in your hot little hands, but really, who wants to wait for them to arrive. We live in an age of instant gratification. And that, my friends, is what you get walking into Mary Ryan's in New Farm Village. Instant gratification from the well thought out books that line the shelves. Just the right mix of new, niche and even a grand selection for kids. As other Yelpers have noted, they know their target audience well with a brilliant range of travel, fashion, fiction and gift-items. Instant gratification that you can take your book home with you then and there. If you've timed your visit right you can then proceed to spend the afternoon, with a cup of tea, devouring your new book. Instant gratification that you've helped a local businesses. If we live in an era of instant gratification then this is the kind I want. Not the momentary rush of hitting "buy now" and waiting for it to arrive. Damon and his team have kept this little book shop humming when many haven't survived and I hope it stays that way.

It's pretty telling when a wee little chain like Mary Ryan's is still going strong when mega stores…read moresuch as Borders have closed. Mary Ryan's is really good at knowing their market. For instance the New Farm store is a great mix of food, travel, fiction and fantasy and I've ALWAYS found what I needed (or didn't quite know I needed but now need DESPERATELY) when I've visited. The staff are cool and very helpful, there's no judgement if you ask for the latest fantasy novel (we all have guilty secrets OK) and they now sell gourmet chocolates in store. Yes, gourmet chocolates. Way to buy my vote guys!

The best and worst thing you could ever give me is a Folio books voucher…read more I will be elated for days greedily thinking about all the books I have had my eye on, but when the time comes to pick the one book that gets to come home with me I start to panic. Will it be the limited edition Graphic Novel? the book on the history of Swiss Design? the vintage tattoo encyclopedia? the hilarious cat flip-up book?? Of course Folio books has such offerings and a whole load more. It's shelves are groaning with fat glossy art books on show and a large range of fiction to boot. to make matters worse for my wallet, I have recently discovered their online store (+ $9 postage anywhere in australia!) Goodbye money! Hello GREAT RAILWAY MAPS OF THE WORLD (Mark Ovenden, 2010)

If you walk near Albert Street or you're a QUT student, you'll no doubt have fallen across Folio…read moreBooks, but have you gone inside? This guy is just a place with wall-to-wall books on everything from design to art, fashion, food, photography, poetry, design, and just about every topic that's ever been written about. They also have a pretty sweet collection of fiction and some truly fantastic journals and diaries bound to look like antique books. So good. The trouble is picking a section in which to start browsing, because you get turned around and dazed with so many book and category choices. A kind of strange thing that stands out about Folio Books for me is that everything is shiny and new. I like a little bit of history to my books but this isn't an antique store, I must remind myself, so I shouldn't be too judgmental. This place has a ridiculously extensive range of books to delight and inspire.

Had a lot of books to donate found Cystic Fibrosis shop and looking forward to donating them here…read morewent today and was disappointed by one of the staff he just said put them up here no help whatsoever and started going through them throwing them which was not nice, and then another older gentleman came with a trolley and helped us. He was lovely and excited to see we had some music books as he said we don't get many of them. We had also sorted them into their genre and none were torn and dirty. So disappointed by what we saw. Yes I have worked as a volunteer so I do know what is exceptable and not. A lot of them were brand new. I just hope they are going to help people less fortunate than us. Just sad to see how these were handled.

Really good pricing on cook books and others and what a great experience it was it was like going…read morebonkers in a candy shop I meant what an enjoyable experience from Kate richardson

Airport coffee. Airport prices. You all know what I'm talking about. Low quality black gold and…read moreoften burnt taste for inflated prices that you submit to out of supply and demand. Well, when flying Qantas from Brisbane you no longer need to be raked over hot coals for a meager coffee, thanks to the newly opened Watermark Books. They've been open only two or three weeks and as well as supplying you with a decent range of books and stationary to keep you entertained once in flight, there's a café kiosk pouring Campos Coffee at standard café prices ($3.60 for a small coffee) as well as a small selection of cakes, quiches and muffins. And the real bonus, kids? Their long communal tables situated mid-store. Set your phone up as a hotspot, pop up that laptop or iPad, order your coffee of choice and enjoy a peaceful power work session before your flight departs.

Pleasant place to hang out and wait for your flight. Campos…read morecoffee, books and cake are present so happy place for me. I'm partial to Campos that's what drew me in initially. Book cafes are also a love of mine so I thought I'd give it a go. Coffee was fine, not the best I've ever had but totally drinkable. Got a caramel tart which while diabetes-inducing was pretty good. My coffee came with a tiny choc chip cookie on the rim (free things will win me over no matter the scale!) - so cute! Service was good and friendly - the guy who served me was pleasant despite still being at work at 5pm on a Friday afternoon. Sat. Ate. Caffienated. Paged through books I had no intention of buying.... Not a bad way to wait around for my flight!

"Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.The soul of the person who wrote it and of those…read morewho read it and lived and dreamed with it" - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind. It's an enchanting feeling & sense of wonder, walking inside one of the biggest & oldest second hand book stores in Australia, Archives Fine Books. Located in Brisbane's CBD (40 Charlotte St), in the John Mills Himself heritage listed building. Every nook & cranny, every hallway, is lined & crowded with books; with that perfectly familiar old smell filling the air reminding you of the wonderland you have been transported to.Where stories & ideas have been captured on every topic possible; if you are looking for it, chances are, Archives Fine Books has it in store. The building itself was built in 1919 by Printer John Mills, & was used by US General MacArthur during World War 2. Archives Fine Books was established in 1985, but since 2008 has been the baby of owners Hamish Alcorn & Dawn Albinger. Speaking to Hamish, we love his passion & love for books as it is refreshingly infectious. Archives Fine Books is truly unique & special when you consider the challenges of surviving as a traditional bookstore, in an age of e-books & all things "digital". Archives Fine Books is also an antiquarian of sorts, as they acquire rare, unusual & collectible books. They've just recently taken hold of a true first edition of H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds", first published in 1898 by Heinemann & priced at $1500. It's easy to lose track of time at Archives Fine Books.You can spend hours looking at amazing collections you won't find anywhere else; a sanctuary for true book lovers, escaping the "noise" of the real world. Whilst we love Paris's historically famous & romantic Shakespeare & Co bookstore, & Porto's exquisite Livraria Lello (Portugal), in Brisbane's Archives Fine Books we have something that's truly wonderful, amazing, & close to our hearts. Go check them out, support local, to ensure the story of Archives Fine Books continues, and to keep the love of books alive!

I found first found Archive's through a friend, having sadly…read morelost the address (and also the name of the store) in the ghostly recesses of my mind I was over the moon of in finding it all over again. I love the other wordly-ness of this store, you can roam the long corridors and feel quite insignificant gazing up at the vast piles of literature. You can also geek over the abundant smell of old literature and spend whole days in perusing the large range of well worn and well loved books. Insider tip! Those with severe dust allergies are strongly recommended to bring a mask (..and perhaps a sandwich because your probably going to be there all day.)

Have you heard the expression, "match made in heaven"?…read more On my last rendezvous in Fortitude Valley, quickly become Brisbane's Mecca for exceptional coffee. I was taken back by the smooth taste of flat white order that may have come about by accident. I asked for an almond flat white, since I wasn't too excited about the soy milk on-hand. Now, I am putting my reputation as a coffee snob and caffeine addict on the line with this next comment...but! " I believe with all my heart that Black Star (Rev - Espresso) Coffee and almond milk hand crafted by the lovely young lady barista at Foundry Records, is the bomb, hands down the best in Brisbane".

From the owner: Foundry Records and Cafe are Brisbane's local dealers in caffeine and vinyl (records not the old…read morefloors from Auntie Tracey's kitchen). We think there is nothing greater in this world then losing yourself in the immersion of your favourite record. To take this to the next level, do this while you slowly sip on some of the best coffee in the world. We love music and all things music, but there isn't enough time in the day for all of it. So, we have become avid lovers of the magic powers of the little brown bean that delivers the finer things in life.