There are always interesting books displayed in the window of Books on King. Interesting cover work…read moreand obscure titles; books about science, music, fiction; books that bring back nostalgic memories from days spent on busses, in parks, beneath trees. Books endorsed by celebrities and books that strive to teach us something. Record sleeves are stuck to the wall and familiar faces etched on vinyl welcome me into the small second hand book shop, Books on King. The narrow aisles make browsing difficult when there are too many people walking back and forth, scanning titles and reading blurbs. I wander up and down the aisle, I'm looking for a small book, one that could be read in a summers afternoon, one that I could flick through while the storm clouds rumble in the distance but the sun still shines down from above. Books for when the last remaining heat before the storm breaks and soft gentle rain shadowed by their father's, the clouds, comes down and refreshes us all and washes the sticky humidity from off our skins. I wanted that kind of book. I find a H.G. Wells book on the shelf, it's thin and has a tacky painting drawn on the cover, this small yellow paperback beckons for me to pick it up and read. It's the Island of Dr Moreau. I know little about the saga, but I know it holds a place in Science Fiction history, a thought provoking story, well imagined and shot to death by the silver screen as Val Kilmer just stood there and watched and never even said a thing.

Books on King is a reasonably priced second hand bookshop in Newtown, Their range within the shop…read moreis not as extensive or interesting as you may find in other second hands book shops, but it is worth a look as you might find that difficult to locate treasure for your collection. The best books in Books on King tend to be on display in the shop window and they always have some interesting choices, I often saw J.G Ballard, William S Burroughs and Peter Carey titles there, the prices are reasonable too, with most titles being around the $8 mark. Worth a look.

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?

There is nothing better than a good second-hand bookshop, other than a second-hand bookshop where…read morethe owner will talk to you for ages about second-hand books, and this is certainly one of those places. If there is one thing I love to talk about and that is books, expecially old books, and she certainly has a decent collection of them. There are some pretty good titles in here, but the best part about this place, as with most shops of a similar nature, is the ability to simply pour through the volumes looking for something that catches your attention, and also getting a nice, dusty old hardcover book.

Step aside Kindle and iPad, there is absolutely no replacing the feel and smell of an actual book…read more That woody, inky aroma is in full effect inside Brays Books. In fact, it kind of comes over you like a cloud when you waltz through the shop's doors. I found Brays to be a very curious little bookshop indeed. From what I could tell, they have three sections in their bag. If you're looking for a cookbook, any kind of culinary almanac at all, you can likely find it here. And what about travel books? With atlases, travel guides and travel related fiction and non-fiction at your fingertips, I recommend you pop in here before you next step on an airplane. And if you happen to be under the age of 10, or know someone who is, Brays delivers in the children's department as well. They have picture book classics and fiction for those readers who are stepping into the land of more words than pics. But, wait a second, what if I am looking for some good old fashioned adult fiction? With a rinky dink little case along one side of Brays, I had a hard time believing their selection was anywhere near complete. But I guess I can't be too hard on an independent bookshop. As they die out like orchids in the garden of retail, I'm sure Brays can use all the support it can get.

A boutique bookstore on Darling street, Balmain. I love these places. Each one has its own feel and…read morevibe, and there's no place like a good bookstore. Theres some good variety among the shelves, so you know theres no hidden agenda behind the store, just a bunch of popular books for sale. The place is colourful and inviting, the staff are great, and helpful when you're trying to find something, although if you're on a mission, I guess a boutique bookstore isn't where you'd go. But still, a great place to browse and get into the reading zone.

Abbey's is a great bookshop with a culty edge, they used to own Galaxy Bookshop on the same street…read morewhich is now closed and some of the sci-fi stock has been incorporated into Abbey's, check the window display for the very cute Star Wars soft toys (I want a Yoda, he is so cute). Being one of Sydney's larger bookshops Abbey's has a very large range, but the reason I like it is not so much for their books but the DVDs. Abbey's offers possibly the most extensive foreign film DVD selection in Sydney, they have many deleted titles and many imports. If you are looking for films by the greats of foreign cinema such as Bergman, Ozon, Haneke, Fellini, Antonioni, Abbey's is the place to find them. Oh and grab me a Yoda on the way out.

I was, for a time, what can only be described as a Frankophile. That's someone who is obsessed with…read morethings a la Francois. I got heavily into the music of Raphael, Camille, Serge Gainsbourg and even Vanessa Paradis. I was watching French Films like a maniac, and I even endeavoured to take up the ancient art of speaking the language. I decided the best way to do this (Well, not the best way, but the most accessible, the cheapest and the most likely that I would follow it through.) would be to purchase some French Speaking CD's and utilise the lessons therein. With a reputation for language books and media, I journeyed to Abbey Books just behind the QVB. Which has now taken into its premises the science fiction bookshop, Galaxy. I had no idea which one would be the ideal course for me so I got some advice from the staff there, he asked me questions about outcomes and reasons to learn and such and then pointed me in the right direction. I purchased my audio lessons and thanked the man. And after many a jog around the bay with my headphones in, repeating french phrases as I jogged. Probably looking like a looney from Paris talking to himself, I learnt the ancient art of Conversational French. Though I still can't have a conversation in it, unless that conversation is asking how you are, you say fine and then I buy something from you.

Berkelouw is a beautiful book shop, worthy of extended browsing and buying. The second hand…read moresection upstairs is easy to loose yourself in and the ground level of the shop pleases with crisp fresh pages of coffee-table books, paperbacks, kids books and an exciting range of stationary and tid-bits. The wine bar upstairs is also quite nice and is a fantastic place to relax with friends or alone, with a good book and a glass of red. Sadly, the downstairs roadside cafe is not as great as Berkelouw's other elements. Despite the perfect location, directly opposite the Norton Plaza and in the heart of Leichhardt, Berkelouw's cafe prices are quite expensive and, what's more, the prices are not indicative of the standard of the meals, with the food and coffee being of poor quality. If you're after a good location in Leichhardt then you've got it here. If you're after a good book or a great gift, then you've got it here too. If you're after a great breakfast with value for money then there are plenty of good options in your surrounding suburbs.

I enjoy going to bookshops and often buy many books to support the business rather than shop…read moreonline. However, I will no longer be supporting Berlalouw books at Leichardt. The staff are rude and unfriendly and make you feel unwelcome. Bad service, service with an ATTITUDE.

This is one of those places that Sydney is famous for, at least in my mind - secondhand bookshops…read moreand coffee shops. Honestly, why can't they introduce a concept like this in Melbourne because it will make the secondhand bookshops so much better when you can sit on a comfy chair and drink a coffee (or a tea) while perusing a book. Not only that, but it is just across the road from the railway station, another awesome aspect with Sydney because you honestly don't have such convenience in Melbourne. Okay, I didn't stay for a coffee, but I did browse the books, and even found a couple that caught my attention. We certainly need something like this in Melbourne.

With bookshops continually disappearing, it is sad to think that the bookshop/coffee shop may no…read morelonger be a thing any more. The book station is a lovely little reminder of how nice it is to take yourself away from home, away from work and enjoy a coffee and a book. The book station at Caringbah is essentially a secondhand book shop with a coffee shop which oozes community spirit and a love for books (and coffee). The shop is split level with an array of eclectic furniture, where you are encouraged to browse and read at you leisure. The books are very well organised in sections according to interest, and the people who work there will do what they can to assist you in finding what you need.

Any book lover is in heaven right here. Despite the number of books for sale being way greater than…read morethe number of space available to store these books for sale; the owners have done extremely well and have made a great art out of this. The books are extremely neat and well stocked: this definitely defies the trend of used book stores. Usually they are messy and the walking space is cramped and limited: not so much at this establishment. Spacious and well inviting shop front with friendly staff manning the counter all the time with great service to boot which is a beautiful thing. Vinnies will pass on this occasion as well. And the flea markets too. This establishment is well set up and designed to give any of those nearby second hand book stores in Glebe a good run for their money. Books almost falling apart almost sell like hotcakes here, and at great prices too. My foster mum is really in heaven here as well. She loves books and always ends up with half a plastic bag full of them after her experiences book shopping here. And with a village atmosphere; what is there to not love here?