Deborah is the most professional book store owner that I know. Her staff are so informative and…read morehelpful. I have always used Book Garden as a teacher and as a librarian. Woohoo! As good as it gets!

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.

My experience was perfect! ... almost. A lovely girl, whose name slips my mind, helped me pick out…read morea wonderful gift for my 12 year old's birthday. She was so helpful and gave me really insightful tips and had a great knowledge of the literature world. My experience, however, was ruined when I got to the counter and Esther was a little bit rude to me! I'll be coming back as I was impressed with the store, but I don't appreciate being spoken down to. Also - suggestion, maybe change the name Domocks, Dymocks is a bit weird.

Now that Borders is gone, I find myself browsing through Dymocks more. For those of you who were…read morealso fans of Borders and their huge selection of books and mags, you'd agree Dymocks doesn't really compare. However, it is still wonderful in its own right. Because it is smaller, there is a better sense of personal customer service. Dymocks in Indooroopilly Shopping Centre is small but packed with plenty of books. It hasn't changed much over the years and it has its base of loyal customers. I can't say I really was a fan when Borders was open, but by default, I've learnt to love it. I especially like the staff who work in this Dymocks. They've helped me pick out some really good books for my holiday reading. A staff member suggested I read books by Paulina Simmons and she was spot on, I absolutely loved reading it. Very helpful staff, with a good sense of personal customer service. Great to find this wonderful service even for a chain bookstore.

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.

This newsagency is a good place to get some rarely found web design magazines. If you ever needed…read morethem. Now that Borders has closed, I've found it hard to find these magazines such as WebDesigner and .Net. I had to resort to buying them online, which I guess is cheaper, but it takes a long time to arrive. It is slightly more expensive in News Xpress by around $5. Here you can also find plenty of other speciality magazines and the rest of the usual newsagency products. They have good staff and excellent customer service where you will always find them smiling. A good newsagency all in all, and especially for stocking the magazines I love.

I agree with Jen it wa a real shamethat Borders needed to close there doors. But I have found also…read morethat BOOKWORLD has taking over there Trading, which would be alot cheaper then Indoor Shop Newxpress. I did a search and found written things for Web Design, so maybe you could try them. http://www.bookworld.com.au/contact-us Angel

Strolling along Park Rd a friend and I came across this charming book store. The word charming is…read moremost often synonymous with smaller shops, but this respectably sized store somehow masters the concept while managing to offer plenty of merchandise. Meg Ryan would be proud. When you step inside you are greeted by shelves full of books of all genres, shapes and sizes, an internal coffee shop with a line of customers and a smattering of other bits and pieces such as quirky felt handbags and soft toys. We amused ourselves wandering about and picking up random books. We found some of the sections to be a bit oddly named - the 'recovery' section was full of diet books and the like, which struck us as a bit bizarre. There's a chance they were undergoing a bit of a restructure, but I didn't get that impression. I suppose someone in there just has a bit of a strange concept of dieting. Other than that, this is a great bookstore that I highly recommend.

My parent's live around Milton and we frequently meet up here for a coffee and a catch up every…read moremonth or so. It's promising to see that some of the local, Australian, book chains are still going strong. Especially in time where hard copy novel sales have been in a steady decline. This Mary Ryan's, as mention above also has a little coffee shop inside that serves a great drop, provides some yummy toasted sandwiches and moorish deserts. Perhaps it's because of its locality, every time in at Mary Ryan's there's a good crowd, milling amongst the shelves that contain a popular selection of genre fiction and non-fiction literature. There's also a section dedicated to magazines and newspapers. The Milton store has a ABC feel to it because it also sells a selection of DVDs and CD, that I would say is more for the adult contemporary listener rather than the youth market. I would also suggest that more than often the clients of Mary Ryan's Milton are of the baby boomers and beyond. Non-the-less, if you're going to meet up with your family, this is a pretty good place to do it. If you can go on a weekday afternoon, it's a little quieter and is almost like a library.

Walked past here during a tour and circled back after the tour ended…read more Well laid out bookstore. Books are new condition but not necessarily new books. Prices are the same as the other bookstores. Didn't interact with staff and I browsed to see what they had. Love the large selection but prices a bit higher for me.

The best Bookstore in Brisbane !! If you want any book just ask the helpful staff will find it for…read moreyou !

Great location in downtown and easy to find. Store is well laid out but selection of books seem…read morelimited. I wandered around for a bit and wasn't approached by any sales clerks. Unlike in the US where they have someone positioned in the front and others walking around the floor. Pricing seems on par for Australia but much higher than what we'd pay in the States. Found a few books I would have loved to buy but even with the favorable exchange rate I can't justify spending hard bank prices for a paperback.

The worm has turned. For years, Dymocks cowered in the shadow cast by the golden tome Borders. Who…read morewould have foreseen Dymocks rising from the ashes of their enemy's burial ground? (NB: I'm taking literary license here. In reality, Dymocks sprung up diagonally across the road.) The re-vamped Dymocks on Albert Street is pretty popular these days. There are always people browsing the new releases or specials near the door. On the second level, books are arranged in categories such as art, computer, cook books and gardening. They have an impressive variety of specialist books, though it's hardly surprising given their shop space. Also, keep your eye out for book signings. Admittedly, the last time I went, it was Ray Martin signing his latest book 'Ray Martin's Favourites' but some of my favourite authors are bound to show up eventually.

Junky is a pint size comic book store with a huge heart!…read more These guys don't do weekly issues. Stocking only volume collections and one off compilations, there is something here for everyone. The lovely staff are more than happy to share their knowledge and help you decide what you are after. And what they don't have they can order in. Current faves in store include the Saga series and Black Hole by Charles Burns.

Presents of Mind is one of those little places that delights kids, puzzle-loving adults, and random…read morefact lovers like myself. There are plenty of board games and chess sets and puzzles for every person, and of course I darted over to the book section straight away. If you love random things like me, you'll love this place. One of the first books I saw was A Guide for Hypochondriacs, followed by informative books like 30-second Religion, 30-second Economics, 30-second Philosophy; you get the point. I went with a Pocket History book enlightening people about course-changing moments in history. But there's also a choice of scandals throughout history, bad girls throughout history, and more. For someone thirsty for irrelevant but stimulating knowledge, this is a great place. And the thing that I love about places like this is that they seem to have singular things and books that you just can't find anywhere else. That and a really lovely team of people willing to help you out. I'm a fan. Don't let its simple facade fool you; it's great for brain-power presents and a little bit of fun.

I love a shop name that's based on a pun, so I couldn't resist popping inside for a peek. Although,…read moreadmittedly, I was expecting it to be faux intellectual, a tad dull and mainly for "games geeks". But it was quirkier and more fun than I expected. Think traditional games like Uno and jigsaw puzzles; a noughties update of a Rubik's cube (you touch and swipe instead of twist and turn); to an AppCopter (that you control via an App on your iPhone). I really wanted to buy the solar powered Fairy Light for my little niece and invest in a book called "30 Second Psychology" (50 theories explained in half a minute). Which proves my own psychological theory about myself - I will find something I want to buy almost anywhere.