This shop was like a little treasure trove to me recently when looking for Xmas presents for hard…read moreto buy for people. They have some fantastic things that aren't just books as well as the usual book store stuff. Like heaps of little packs on everything from making sushi to pilates to learning to play harmonica. They also had some great packs for kids learning to read with a book and cd of popular characters like Toy Story. I found a great Transformers boxed set for under $30 that looked amazingly special. I also found some of the coolest games here. Like one where the right answer is the wrong answer. And one with kids vs adults. And a special Top Gear item for my partner. There was seriously something here for everyone and anyone. Definitely not just your usual book shop anymore.

The name of this shop really reveals nothing about it. When I went into it I had never heard of it…read moreor seen anything like it. I think it is even going to be a struggle to explain. Walk in and you see what looks and smells like a block of chocolate. Next to it, a tin of biscuits. Around the room there are cakes, bottles of wines, soccer balls etc. However, they are all books. Yes books that are made to look like what they are discussing. Inside each of the books it discusses the history of each item, including photos and quotes. I can't decide if this is tacky or cool? Mum and I decided that they would be a lot better if they were notepads or diaries. How good would it be to have a diary that looked and smelt like chocolate? You can't really use a history book too much, but it could be a good dining table book. The lady working there told us that the books were great for presents. Hilarious giving someone a bottle of wine and it actually being a book (I for one would be extremely disappointed). However, it is a good idea for children. They would think it was fun, whilst also learning about their chosen item!

Toots Books is a truly creative concept of a book store and I can't say I've ever seen anything…read morelike it before. They sell books that come in shapes of actual objects such as a chocolate bar, a football, a shoe or a CD. At first glance I didn't even know what it was until the friendly lady behind the counter explained what it's all about. Take for example the book that looks like a bottle of wine: they sell it in a cardboard box that looks like a box with real wine. The book inside then tells the story of wine with plenty of pictures and trivia. I really like the idea of the shop and it's certainly fun to look at all their things. Would I buy it for myself? Probably not, but it can be a great gift idea!

Thought they say they sell both new and used books, I can't really tell in the store which ones are…read moreold and which ones are new... because they all look like they've been sitting there for a while. They have a decent range of books, but it's nowhere near the best. They don't have a very big Stephen King section, which always leaves me disappointed. They have a pretty good biography section and Australiana section if you're into that sort of thing - but I didn't really find anything that interested me in there. They also have a fair few 'classics' (that I've never heard of) which look very old school and pretty, and there's also a lot of children's books. Prices aren't too bad but they aren't as cheap as some used book stores.

I first discovered The Book Boys a few years ago at a temporary site offering discount books…read moreleading up to Christmas. They'd set up an endless row of trestle tables covered with books in an empty shop and were pitching the 'great ideas for Christmas' angle. It wasn't until I stumbled onto this Harbour town store that I realised they part of a group. What I like most is they are Adelaide-owned and offer a great range of books at discounted prices. They many not have everything and probably not the latest on offer, but there are always great kids books, paperback and other ideas for gifts. The store at Harbour town is packed to the brim with specials and I never leave the store empty-handed. As tempting as Amazon.com and bookdepository.co.uk may be, if you want to buy well-priced books and support a local company, The Book Boys are a good place to start.

There are plenty of decent books and bits and pieces here, and they're not terribly expensive…read more This isn't a bookshop that I go into, looking for something specific. I probably wouldn't find it. No, it's a place that you come to, in order just to look around and find something interesting. The board games are pretty good, too, they're not terribly expensive. I quite like this little shop.

The first thing I spotted upon entering this store was the Candace Bushnell novel 'One Fifth…read moreAvenue' sitting smugly in the literature section. This was quite a blow and I staggered backwards in horror, smashing my elbow on the rear shelving in the process. Seeing this sort of absolute rubbish languishing in between William S. Burroughs and A.S Byatt made the bile rise in my gullet, but I swallowed and attempted to give this store a fair trial. Booked has an excellent non fiction range, the very latest children's picture books and a nice long bench in the corner for kids to sit and browse on. I also noticed staff calling kids coming in by name, and allowing them to hang and paw through numerous books at their leisure. This sort of relaxed and encouraging attitude to kids in book stores is excellent. But I do have to note that the books weren't cheap, with Julian Barnes's sense of an Ending (150 pages mind you) costing $30. I was heartened by the $9.99 book shelf at the front but was sad to see a number of them were quite damaged. Nice store, good range, but dear God if I find the author of 'Trading Up' in the literature section again, I'll go all cuckoo like Burroughs in the London Years.

Booked at North Adelaide is a well-stocked bookshop catering to its middle to upper-middle class…read moredemographic. It has a great range of genres, including home deco and gardening, travel, politics, biographies, health and well-being, cooking, teenage fictions, children's fiction and plenty of new release fiction. It has a wider selection than standard independent bookstores, and has some uncommon pieces that I haven't seen anyway else. I was caught by the large hardcover of the complete works of Jane Austen, a beautiful piece for collection or a gift for only $50. As the only bookshop in the vicinity, it caters well to most needs. It is not overly cheap, but it's no more expensive than other independent bookshops.

I love the magill book exchange the lovely Lady knows exactly what I want she knows me greets me…read morewith a smile and shows me books mags that interest me excite me. I can return them when I'm finished and swap or buy back etc. great fun browsing Top shop top staff 10/10

The lovely man who runs this store was kind enough to relieve me of all my two-decade old chick lit…read morein exchange for a huge pile of old Goosebumps and Enid Blyton's for my daughter. I love the fact I've walked in here numerous times with a stack of books I hate, and walked out 10 minutes later with a stack of books I love. The opening hours are unpredictable but can you blame them? I'm just amazed stores like this are still around. They're like the Tasmanian Devil of the retail world: it's hard to believe they still exist. And this is a legitimate old school book exchange: creaky floors, sad neglected shop front, weird collection of comics and cookbooks from the 1970's, and also, if you have the time to look, the most fantastic finds! As new Peter Carey and Jonathan Franzen: yes please! Don't ever change, book exchange.

What a great second hand bookshop! It's an amazing array of disorganised wall to wall, floor to…read moreceiling clutter, plus piles on the floor to rummage through , or step over. The quality of books on any given subject seemed to be exemplary, with care and thought clearly given to selection of titles for the store. My particular area of interest - Art books had a stong collection on many topics with a definate local emphasis, great for anyone with strong South Australian interests! The most expensive book I encountered was $30 - a fairly large scale hard cover glossy art book and would have been worth over $100 first time around. I am told by locals that the owner of the store, who was a bespectacled, white haired linen shirt wearing barefoot sort has an encyclopedic knowledge of the contents of his little literary haven. If you're looking for something specific, he is said to be capable of locating in a flash... no cataloguing, no databases, no website, not even a phone number. So if you're a book worm like me you'd best pop in for a browse next time you're in the area.

I can vouch for the encyclopedic knowledge of the little man who own's Elliot Books…read more I was there a few years ago looking for a rare out of print book by an Australian psychoanalyst/hypnotherapist who traveled around the world studying the mystic practices of various religions(don't ask me why its a long story). I tried everywhere, online and all book shops around town, but to no avail.That was of course until I popped into Elliot Books. Within a few minutes of rummaging, the chap from Elliot Books had what I was looking for, and in quite good condition considering its age. Since then I have a look around at Elliot Books every time I am in the area. I usually manage to pick up something of interest, more often than not for between $5-$10 bucks.

Get down to GMR and see John. Both my boys and I have purchased some amazing gear from Fender…read moreguitars, pedals and amps. John has always been super helpful and with great deals. I'm serious when I say 'I won't go anywhere else".

From the owner: Yes,we do stock a lot of 'Pro' gear for advanced musicians but we also understand that everyone has…read moreto start some where so we simply offer honest advice to help beginners make good choices at the most crucial point...the start.