I'm more of a Whitcoulls girl myself but i've got to admit this dinky little Paper Plus has got a…read moregood selection, from books to stationery and office supplies. Expect generic and (relatively) cheap and you'll be good to go.

On a day exploring Devonport, my first stop in the historic town was BookMark. If you're a fan of…read moreused books, militaria, collectibles, and local history, this is a must-visit little shop. It was cozy with chair and carpet, plus shelves area organized and clean. The shop has tons of old NZ military memorabilia, which was also fun to see. The cashier was welcoming as well. As I didn't want to carry a bunch of books all day, I left without anything but memories. The world needs more bookstores like this one. If you find yourself in the area, be sure to stop in and have a browse. They also have a bunch of sale carts outside on the sidewalk, a fun way to get you inside.

Ooh- eee! Do I love myself a good secondhand bookshop. It's like a normal bookshop but everything's…read morelike 100 times cheaper and it comes free with that musty kinda smell. This shop claims to have the best selection of used books in Auckland, and I know every seller of something claims to be the best but on this occasion I don't just think their blowing smoke out their asses, this really IS the best selection ever located in the best store ever! They have over 20,000 different titles to choose from, from general fiction to the specialty of this store, military tomes. The owner even goes as far afield as Melbourne on stock missions so you can be guaranteed to find some really priceless items. Overall one of the best things about this store I think is the range of super comfortable looking places to sit down ;so you are actually able to read instore if you want to, a concept foreign to most bookstores these days. Being a hardened book lover myself, I have whiled away many productive hours in this store. Even better on late Night Thursdays they have a 10% discount and a free glass of wine while you are perusing the shelves!

Well stocked book store on Hurstmere Road with the added visual bonus of colour coordinated…read moredisplays. There's a good range of gift cards and it's stocked with a fairly decent range of cookbooks. Good for Sunday browsing when the parking's free.

Man, Milford is really upping it's game! First an artisan cheese store and now our very own…read morebookstore. At this rate i'm going to struggle to leave... The Booklover opened in Milford a couple of weeks ago from it's previous location in Takapuna and is a welcome replacement for that GHASTLY all hours gaming/computer den. It's independent, which I love and they stock a beautiful range of books. I could spend hours perusing their Home & Garden section and those cookbooks....seriously dangerous. Today I popped in to buy a specific book and whilst they didn't have it on the shelves the owner happily ordered it for me and is going to call when it's in. He also added me to their loyalty program. I'm not quite sure what the benefits of this are but I do plan on visiting regularly so i'll keep you posted!

The Booklover is a wonderful independent book store. Tom, the owner, is knowledgeable and very…read morehelpful. When I went in looking for a copy of Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes the Booklover did not have a copy, but Tom spent 10 minutes ringing around other independent bookstores to find me a copy. The selection is great, particularly for lesser known titles with small print runs. If you're after the latest best-seller there are obviously many stores that cater to this, but the Booklover has much more depth. Tom and the team also arrange book club evenings and other interesting literary events. They also have an online store so you can get online and have your books delivered by the next day.

If you have overseas visitors taking them to an authentic New Zealand souvenir shop is a given. But…read moreI have to say there are some New Zealand souvenir shops around that really do no justice to the beauty and originality of the Kiwi culture. Nikau is a shop that seems to really understand and connect with that culture. Everything inside is authentic and stunning! There's a huge variety of things from expensive but awesome pounamu (greenstone) necklaces to quirky little aprons, candles, house decor accessories and cheaper trinkets and jewelry. If you're wanting to buy souvenirs for family and friends you are sure to find something that suits every one of them inside here!

I find NIkau superb. Lovely people, gift wrap beautifully, and an amazing array of superb…read moreproducts. Nic.

Before I developed my love for independant bookstores, Whitcoulls was my go-to for Christmas…read morepresents. A book (or board game, if I was feeling generous) for each family member and I was done. Despite being a chain, they've got a relatively good selection and the staff that i've interacted with seem to like and read a number of them, which is always a plus. Whitcoulls of course, also have stationery, magazines and a small selection of puzzles too. If you desperate for a gift, they're a one stop shop that's often open late but personally, now that we've got our own independent bookstore in Milford, The Booklover, I'd much rather support them and get a recommendation that's sure to wow!

I love bookstores: the smell, the colors, and the possibilities for adventure and escape. Where I…read morelive there aren't many left, so it's exciting to visit as wonderful as Unity Books. In Auckland there are quite a few places to go, but this one is independent and probably the best. Unity Books has its main store and children's book separate on the same street; both are fun to browse through. I came here both to browse and with a mission. I wanted to purchase the complete Lord of the Rings and Hobbit filming locations books. They're printed in New Zealand and cover places we visited, and others we'd love to return to. Their prices were what I expected; with the exchange rate, I was happy. The store was organized and they were easy to find, but one of the books' spine was broken. I asked a friendly clerk and they quickly went to the back and got another copy. It made buying them there easy. They had so many happy customers, it's easy to see they're doing well. I will definitely stop here on our next visit.

Service was fast and friendly, called to put a book on hold and showed up about 35 minutes later…read more They had it ready to go and were very nice.