Very wide selection of used books, but the prices can be extremely expensive for the overall…read morecondition of the books. You won't find many bargains, but you may find something you would not see at any other bookstore in Australia. The restaurant itself is fine, if also a bit on the spendy side. Have eaten there two or three times. Nothing really stood out, would classify it as fairly ordinary overall. However, this is still worth a visit if you are in the Southern Highlands. The location is beautiful.

I went on a day trip to Bowral to see a friend and she treated me to a delicous lunch at Berkelouw…read moreBooks Cafe. The scenery was as delicious as the food! The entire time I was sitting there eating all I could think was how great it would be to get married there...but I digress...to the food! I had the spiced duck with orange and pomegranate salad. With duck, you win or you lose. I won. I won big time. It wasn't dry or tough, it was lean with no fat and it was freaking delicious. The dressing was light with just enough tang to really bring out the spices the duck had been cooked in. We also shared a mushroom pizza with parmesan oil and truffles....oh my word. I love a shroom and this pizza was fabulous. Not greasy, not stringy, just perfect - real gourmet stuff. Everything felt so fresh and light and as I said, the gorgeous surroundings just really help to make this place worth the trip from Sydney!

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.

Basement Books is a dangerous place on many levels…read more Danger number one: It's in Central. It is right in Central. Central is a place you meet people, so you might say, meet you in central at 4pm and then you get there at 3.30pm and you have to wait. So what do you do? You go to Basement Books and peruse their countless books with bright yellow stickers advertising their low and affordable price. Danger number two: Because these books that you're perusing are cheap, you can justify the price even if you're not sure whether you even need the book. 'Oh, a history of Physics' I've always been interested in Physics, and it's only $9.95 I should probably buy this and learn about Physics. Danger number three: Their range is gigantic! I almost said 'ginormous', but that's not a word. What I meant was Hugantic! There are literally thousands upon thousands of books and they're always receiving new stock. They have art sections, computer sections, history, film, personal growth, science fiction, literature, even books like the dictionary, which, had I purchased a copy last I was in, would have saved me the embarrassment of using a non-word like 'ginormous'. So beware of Basement Books. You have been warned. The bookshop is in a great location, the titles are cheap and the range extraordinary. I have a pile of books in my room almost as tall as I am that I have yet to read, opportune purchases that came at me as I strolled amidst the aisles killing time. A book on deadly diseases for $4.95, I'm not going to find that bargain again. Buy! Buy! Buy!

In this day and age of Kindle and Kobo and Nook, a solid read (and I mean one that you can…read moreliterally hold and turn pages beneath your fingers) comes pretty cheap. You really do need to head in to see what they've got because I find their online catalogue lacking and sometimes the staff don't even know what they're stocking. The outside disguises how big this place really is, as it has sections for anything from classic fiction to travel books and bios. It has a pretty decent selection of art supplies as well (I'm no art student, but it does cater for scrapbooking hobbies or the amateur artist if you're after it). Right in the back corner they have a little children's section which I found perfect for my six year old sister who's going through her first reading phase. I bought her a collection of these tiny Winnie the Pooh classics, and a special anniversary edition of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit and Friends stories which averaged around $4 and $12 respectively. They have tons of different hard cover books (some of which are pop up!) which were surprisingly cheap, but more importantly, were invaluable in keeping kids (of all ages) entertained for hours.

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.

Charming little bookshop, lovingly curated, in the darling village of Bowral in the Southern…read moreHighlands. The owner is well versed in the book business and does a wonderful job of curating the best of art and design books, a lot of them featuring local talents. We regularly stop in here for a browse on a Saturday. It's nicely laid out and if you cannot find what you are looking for, ask them to order a copy for you. The staff here are always helpful.

Booklovers, rejoice! All is not lost. In the age of ipads and kindles, book shops still exist in…read moresuburban malls. Dymocks is a fine example of one such book shop, and keeps me coming back time and time again. Having stood the test of both time and exorbinant Warringah Mall rent, Dymocks has been there as long as I can remember. With the exception of textbooks, I reckon every book I've bought in Australia can trace itself to that shop. I love the shelf of classic Penguins, the music books, the cooking books, the contemporary fiction... I just love it, and will sit down on the floor and read all day if you don't stop me! Dymocks exclusively employs people who feel this way, creating a goooood vibe in the store. As detailed above, the range of books is fantastic. The store itself is well-lit (essential in a bookstore), and smells fantastic thanks to the attached coffee shop. If you're in the market for a story, you'd do well to stop in here and purchase something beautiful/funny/meaningful/sad/happy/informative/escapist. It;s all here.

I'm not sure what the bookstore situation is in Australia, but back home (in Canada) smaller…read morebookstores are becoming increasingly rare. Ones this size are no longer guaranteed to be a staple found in most shopping malls, and even more rare to find one simply off the street. In any case, it was nice to find this as we were walking along Cronulla st. as we were looking for some gifts for the kids. I'm not sure how they decide to 'curate' their selection of books, but they're doing a good job since, in spite of the smaller size, there seemed to be a book you would be interested in at every turn. For the kids books, there was still a good supply with all sorts of variety and lots of unique ones too. Very good attentive service, and we even found some niche things such as maps which my sons enjoys. Worth popping into if you're in the area for sure.

In our times of ibooks and Kindles its nice to find a real bookshop with real books that you take…read morehome and they have that new book smell. The first time you fold the corner of the page .. I ordered a book that didnt arrive in time and the staff rang me to let me know why it wasnt in yet and again when it was . (obviously) . The customer service is above and beyond , Old School like books. Its a big modern store with gifts and cards too . A Great business . Save our books and shop here.