Happen to be driving through the Blue Mountains on Easter Sunday and found the shop was open. For…read moresuch a small shop it is packed with books. I also was amazed when the nice shop keeper was able to help me find a hard to find book in their large Sci-Fi / Fantasy section. They had it and I was impressed. They also had Fighting Fantasy game books and a few how-to draw books, which I've not seen anywhere else in Australia. Will be going back here again.

Cream of the crop…read more Blue Dragon Books only opened three years ago but has become, in my humble, one of the best secondhand bookshops in the local area. Small, but perfectly formed, the Dragon (as I think I now dub it) seems to go for quality rather than quanitity of mindless trash you can pick up elsewhere. Not that mindless trash doesn't have its place. Just not here. They've a well-organised and clear layout, making it possible to instantly lay your hand on something you were looking for, or stumble across something unexpected. Diane, the owner, is a delight, and knows her stock well, chatting knowledgably about a wide range of books, and stocking an extensive selection of children's books, I think the largest sci-fi fantasy range in the Blue Mountains, a big crime section, as well as general Lit and the other usual suspects. They run a generous store credit system, not paying a pittance for books in cash as most secondhand bookstores do, but offering a larger chunk of change in credit you can use at the time, or record for later. Not that I've ever had the slightest difficulty in finding something to blow the credit on. And did I mention their prices are some of the most reasonable around? This week I dropped off 4 books, and came out with some classic spinster crime, a history book about Queen Caroline, wronged wife of the Prince Regent, a Russian murder mystery and a novel about art theft and mysticism. Am happy.

I didn't realize this was a Christian bookstore until some friends informed me. It is a clean,…read morebright, cheery store. Everything is laid out nicely, with various categories of books, Bibles, children's items, gifts, etc. There is even a small cafe with some beverages and treats to enjoy. Everyone I interacted with was friendly. The prices on some items were higher in equivalent dollars than what I could get them for in the states, but others were about the same. If I were living here, or had more suitcase room, I'd support this store on a regular basis!

Kooring Books is a Christian Bookstore/shop. It's at Henry Street which is a 10 minute walk from…read morePenrith Station (but they do have a parking site too). It not only sells books but CDs, stuff toys, stationary and even jewellery. The store is very bright and welcoming. The employees there are very friendly and can definitely help you out with any of your queries. It even has a small cafe inside the shop and a mini playground for the kids. The store itself is pretty big compared to a normal bookstore. Everything is organised and labelled so for example, if you're looking for Bibles, there is a Bible sign that you can't miss. There's also a toilet inside in case you need to go! If you think that you're going there from time to time then I suggest to be a member (for free) so that they can give you a membership card. It's pretty much like flybuys where you get points for every purchase. They can also send you a catalogue if you want to see what's on sale. Sometimes they even send you a job advertisement in case you would like to be part of the Koorong team. Definitely check it out! There's also a Koorong Store at Rydalmere and North Ryde in case Penrith is too far.