"Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.The soul of the person who wrote it and of those…read morewho read it and lived and dreamed with it" - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind. It's an enchanting feeling & sense of wonder, walking inside one of the biggest & oldest second hand book stores in Australia, Archives Fine Books. Located in Brisbane's CBD (40 Charlotte St), in the John Mills Himself heritage listed building. Every nook & cranny, every hallway, is lined & crowded with books; with that perfectly familiar old smell filling the air reminding you of the wonderland you have been transported to.Where stories & ideas have been captured on every topic possible; if you are looking for it, chances are, Archives Fine Books has it in store. The building itself was built in 1919 by Printer John Mills, & was used by US General MacArthur during World War 2. Archives Fine Books was established in 1985, but since 2008 has been the baby of owners Hamish Alcorn & Dawn Albinger. Speaking to Hamish, we love his passion & love for books as it is refreshingly infectious. Archives Fine Books is truly unique & special when you consider the challenges of surviving as a traditional bookstore, in an age of e-books & all things "digital". Archives Fine Books is also an antiquarian of sorts, as they acquire rare, unusual & collectible books. They've just recently taken hold of a true first edition of H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds", first published in 1898 by Heinemann & priced at $1500. It's easy to lose track of time at Archives Fine Books.You can spend hours looking at amazing collections you won't find anywhere else; a sanctuary for true book lovers, escaping the "noise" of the real world. Whilst we love Paris's historically famous & romantic Shakespeare & Co bookstore, & Porto's exquisite Livraria Lello (Portugal), in Brisbane's Archives Fine Books we have something that's truly wonderful, amazing, & close to our hearts. Go check them out, support local, to ensure the story of Archives Fine Books continues, and to keep the love of books alive!

I found first found Archive's through a friend, having sadly…read morelost the address (and also the name of the store) in the ghostly recesses of my mind I was over the moon of in finding it all over again. I love the other wordly-ness of this store, you can roam the long corridors and feel quite insignificant gazing up at the vast piles of literature. You can also geek over the abundant smell of old literature and spend whole days in perusing the large range of well worn and well loved books. Insider tip! Those with severe dust allergies are strongly recommended to bring a mask (..and perhaps a sandwich because your probably going to be there all day.)

The best and worst thing you could ever give me is a Folio books voucher…read more I will be elated for days greedily thinking about all the books I have had my eye on, but when the time comes to pick the one book that gets to come home with me I start to panic. Will it be the limited edition Graphic Novel? the book on the history of Swiss Design? the vintage tattoo encyclopedia? the hilarious cat flip-up book?? Of course Folio books has such offerings and a whole load more. It's shelves are groaning with fat glossy art books on show and a large range of fiction to boot. to make matters worse for my wallet, I have recently discovered their online store (+ $9 postage anywhere in australia!) Goodbye money! Hello GREAT RAILWAY MAPS OF THE WORLD (Mark Ovenden, 2010)

If you walk near Albert Street or you're a QUT student, you'll no doubt have fallen across Folio…read moreBooks, but have you gone inside? This guy is just a place with wall-to-wall books on everything from design to art, fashion, food, photography, poetry, design, and just about every topic that's ever been written about. They also have a pretty sweet collection of fiction and some truly fantastic journals and diaries bound to look like antique books. So good. The trouble is picking a section in which to start browsing, because you get turned around and dazed with so many book and category choices. A kind of strange thing that stands out about Folio Books for me is that everything is shiny and new. I like a little bit of history to my books but this isn't an antique store, I must remind myself, so I shouldn't be too judgmental. This place has a ridiculously extensive range of books to delight and inspire.

Strolling along Park Rd a friend and I came across this charming book store. The word charming is…read moremost often synonymous with smaller shops, but this respectably sized store somehow masters the concept while managing to offer plenty of merchandise. Meg Ryan would be proud. When you step inside you are greeted by shelves full of books of all genres, shapes and sizes, an internal coffee shop with a line of customers and a smattering of other bits and pieces such as quirky felt handbags and soft toys. We amused ourselves wandering about and picking up random books. We found some of the sections to be a bit oddly named - the 'recovery' section was full of diet books and the like, which struck us as a bit bizarre. There's a chance they were undergoing a bit of a restructure, but I didn't get that impression. I suppose someone in there just has a bit of a strange concept of dieting. Other than that, this is a great bookstore that I highly recommend.

My parent's live around Milton and we frequently meet up here for a coffee and a catch up every…read moremonth or so. It's promising to see that some of the local, Australian, book chains are still going strong. Especially in time where hard copy novel sales have been in a steady decline. This Mary Ryan's, as mention above also has a little coffee shop inside that serves a great drop, provides some yummy toasted sandwiches and moorish deserts. Perhaps it's because of its locality, every time in at Mary Ryan's there's a good crowd, milling amongst the shelves that contain a popular selection of genre fiction and non-fiction literature. There's also a section dedicated to magazines and newspapers. The Milton store has a ABC feel to it because it also sells a selection of DVDs and CD, that I would say is more for the adult contemporary listener rather than the youth market. I would also suggest that more than often the clients of Mary Ryan's Milton are of the baby boomers and beyond. Non-the-less, if you're going to meet up with your family, this is a pretty good place to do it. If you can go on a weekday afternoon, it's a little quieter and is almost like a library.

Walked past here during a tour and circled back after the tour ended…read more Well laid out bookstore. Books are new condition but not necessarily new books. Prices are the same as the other bookstores. Didn't interact with staff and I browsed to see what they had. Love the large selection but prices a bit higher for me.

The best Bookstore in Brisbane !! If you want any book just ask the helpful staff will find it for…read moreyou !

There are quite a few good secondhand bookstores in Brisbane, but this one, this one's something…read morespecial. Boswell's has an extraordinary wealth of books on seemingly endless subjects. They have most categories covered, from the Classics to English Literature, to Australiana, to Fantasy, spanning into all assortments of DIY manuals. The pricing is a little unpredictable, but generally agreeable. I went in there to find picture books, and came across this very old, worn, hard cover book on wildflowers. Every page was filled with beautiful, intricate illustrations and poetic little descriptions. It was a mere 75c. There were other books, newer books, of which they had several copies which would all have been around the $15- $30 price range. Who knows how that works, but it just does. I love the atmosphere. It's half chaotic bookstore/ half family lounge room. I had to happily negotiate footsteps with a few children tummy side down, lounging in between the corridors today. The shelves just ask to be rummaged through. The owner, a lovely older gentlemen, who for some reason reminds me something of David Attenborough completes the scene. I find it hard to leave this place empty handed. It's perfect for finding that great little book treasure you'd never even thought of before. Today I walked out with an illustrated dictionary of Birds of Paradise. Hooray!

I am a fan of bookshops, I even quite like chain bookshops, but most of all I love old bookshops…read more Bookshops like Boswell's that feel like they've grown organically over the years, where the comforting smell of old books has soaked into the walls, where you'll find odd stacks and get lost in strange turns in the shelves and where you know that your best friend is the person behind the counter as without them you may never find what you're looking for. Boswell's does a great line in second hand books, particularly hard to find titles, and they also have a sideline going in coins and other collectables. I must admit that coins don't really rock me, but I do enjoy peering through dusty glass display cases and there are often lovely little pieces of jewellery and curious trinkets to find and lust over. Boswell's will also buy boxes of your old books from you, at a lower rate of course however it's better than giving them away (or, horror of horrors, throwing them out). It also means that you will feel a little bit more justified when you buy that limited edition boxed set....

I can't say I buy a lot of adult books from here (unless the Brisbane Writers Festival is on when…read morethe Library Shop spills out into the Breezeway selling all the books of the festival) but I do really enjoy the range of children's books on offer. I came here to do my Christmas shopping for my niece and nephew last year and found so many lovely, original kids books that I wanted to buy. I also like their range of wrapping paper, which could be cut up nicely to make cards, however, it's very expensive! I took a piece up to the counter with another purchase recently and had to tell the cashier I didn't want it when the price came up on the scanner. I can't remember exactly how much it was, but it was enough to stop me from buying it and the cashier agreed that it was very expensive. If you want to splash out on wrapping and cards here, do so with monetary caution. I'll be sticking to buying books here.

Oh how I love this bookstore. It's beautifully laid out, the range is extremely carefully curated…read more(which you'd expect considering it's the State Library) and the range of add on products are just enchanting. You can grab a takeaway coffee from the adjoining cafe and wander through the stacks to your hearts content. I usually find something I just can't do without, and as my husband is a writer it's a great place to pick up a new Moleskin for him. This place definitely doesn't rest on any State Library laurels, it's a thriving business and destination in its own right and well worth visiting.

Great location in downtown and easy to find. Store is well laid out but selection of books seem…read morelimited. I wandered around for a bit and wasn't approached by any sales clerks. Unlike in the US where they have someone positioned in the front and others walking around the floor. Pricing seems on par for Australia but much higher than what we'd pay in the States. Found a few books I would have loved to buy but even with the favorable exchange rate I can't justify spending hard bank prices for a paperback.

The worm has turned. For years, Dymocks cowered in the shadow cast by the golden tome Borders. Who…read morewould have foreseen Dymocks rising from the ashes of their enemy's burial ground? (NB: I'm taking literary license here. In reality, Dymocks sprung up diagonally across the road.) The re-vamped Dymocks on Albert Street is pretty popular these days. There are always people browsing the new releases or specials near the door. On the second level, books are arranged in categories such as art, computer, cook books and gardening. They have an impressive variety of specialist books, though it's hardly surprising given their shop space. Also, keep your eye out for book signings. Admittedly, the last time I went, it was Ray Martin signing his latest book 'Ray Martin's Favourites' but some of my favourite authors are bound to show up eventually.

10 years in retail is no mean feat and this year Green Tangerine, the delightful homewares and gift…read morestore on Latrobe Terrace celebrates their 10th birthday. If you're local to Paddington or have spent any length of time in Brisbane, Green Tangerine has most likely come across your radar as a place to buy gifts for a multitude of occasions, perhaps a top for yourself purchased on a whim after having coffee or a weekend breakfast at one of the nearby cafes, or for a a sticky beak and inspiration. The store is always elegantly presented with enough of a collection to appeal to a wide audience. Most recently there's been an increase in Australian pieces including the ceramics of Angus & Celeste. Even if you're only in the market for a quirky card to send to a friend in far away places, Green Tangerine will come up trumps.

As my circle of friends have become increasingly fond of matrimony, Green Tangerine has fast become…read moremy go to place for wedding/engagement gifts. It's got an impressive range of homewares including some cool ceramics, framed art wall hangings and other curios which make a great gift for someone setting up a new home. It's also full of purely aesthetic pieces for the person who has everything. The service is great too. It's always good to get a friendly greeting followed by a respectful wait before the offer of help. Prices are wide-ranging but you can usually find something suitable for under $100, and often the pieces will look like they could cost a lot more.