Upon entering the store I immediately felt relaxed and at ease, Readings was my quite retreat from…read moreone of those unpredictable grey, gloomy raining Melbourne days. Not only does this bookstore offer a wide variety of books, but its almost a sanctuary and one of the most iconic book stores in Melbourne who gives back to the community. 10% of our profits go to the Readings Foundation, which support individuals and organisations that wish to further the development of literacy, community work and the arts. Readings flagship store is the Carlton store, however they have many locations including Malvern, Port Melbourne, Hawthorn and St Kilda. Readings organizes and holds many events during the years from book launches, signings and other events. Staffs are always friendly and willing to provide sound advice and lend an ear to chat.

Readings Carlton is my favourite book shop in Melbourne. Floor to ceiling, this place is packed…read morewith well-researched, beautiful books and accessories. It's a must-stop for any book lover while in town. It feels good, smells good and just is good. Anybody who reckons the future of the written word is shaky, or even destined for a digital medium, get down to Readings and you'll think again. What they do so well is offer up quality publications in a well ordered and well staffed environment. There are countless little nooks and crannys for readers to settle in a test drive a new work before purchase and the staff have a collective knowledge of books and trends that will blow your mind. Even better still, the Carlton Readings (there are a couple of others about town) also stock a great range of CDs and now vinyl. This place personifies the concept that 'it's not what you do but the way that you do it' and the results speak for themselves.

I really enjoyed coming to this place. Right across the street of Flinders Station, Minotaur prides…read moreitself on being a go-to dealer for pop-culture products. A title well-earned! They have absolutely everything in this store. I'm a comic book enthusiast, so the comic book section excited me a bit. Unfortunately, the majority of their comics are wrapped in plastic so free loading in the store is out of the question (darn!). If you're into the more Asian side of comics, they have a pretty good manga section too with all the essentials (maybe missing a lot of the obscure mangas, but Minotaur is a good place to start if you're just getting into it). They also have a wide collection of films, posters, books, shirts, and even games and toys. There are random knick-knacks too so it is always fun to come in and just take a look around even if you aren't purchasing anything. Cute things I have found: a stuffed animal of the pig TonTon from Naruto, SuperMario Brothers Mushroom Backpack, Star Trek Bobbleheads, Hello Kitty Monopoly, and multi-coloured Domos! 2 stars off because the prices are pretty steep... but even if you aren't purchasing anything, I would recommend you stopping by just to take a look around.

If you love Pop Culture, this is a MUST visit place…read more We spent a few hours wandering around, and enjoying all merchandising available. Sadly we were not able to buy much as only had so much space in our suitcases. A real treat here, so much to see and put on your Wish List. #1 I wish they had a branch in Auckland !!!!

Having found that there's a Dixons near me rather recently has been like a breath of fresh air for…read moreme and my CD collection. Knowing the ins dn outs of the one found in Blackburn, I was surprised to find something working as well as it does closer to the city. Here you can buy and sell second hand wares in the form of CDs, Vinyl, and DVDs. What's even better here is the selection of DVDs also found amongst the music madness. I didn't make the most of this during my childhood so am lapping them up at a rate of knots. And just like Empire Records, there seems to be real characters here, both shopping and found behind the counter. Those who work here are passionate about music like you wouldn't believe, on the odd chance they are actually part of the Melbourne music scene, playing shows further down Brunswick street. Some of them work in Blackburn store as well, and will have a mental blank about stock as their mind is in the wrong store. Where is my mind, indeed.

I found Dixon's store pretty cool. Adrian was absolutely…read morefantastic. Nothing was too much bother for him to help me out - the customer. I was calling from Queenskand - on a number of occasions - enquiring about rare records etc etc and wow this guy answered all my questions - was most polite - and able to assist. Like that good, old fashioned customer service. Well done Adrian and Dixon's.

I have to admit, I'm one of those people that still frequents my local DVD store to rent TV series…read moreand movies for lazy stay-in weekends. Call me old fashioned but I just cannot succumb to the download everything mantra. Video Busters in Prahran is my all time favourite store mainly because it always has good deals throughout the week. In this day and age, $1 doesn't get you much. At Video Busters however, the $1 movie deal on tight-arse Tuesdays will get you any movie (including new releases) for just 1 buck! Other great deals include five 7-day DVDs (You can have a Gossip Girl extended marathon) for just $5. Besides that, I love that they sell their old DVDs off for a fraction of the cost compared to some other chain stores. My verdict is, rent it, love it, buy it. And Video Busters gives me that choice, all in one store.

I love this place. They are cheap like $1 rental cheap and their selections sh*t all over…read moreblockbusters. When you need a night in, or you've been talking about the latest TV series your dying to watch from start to finish or your Asian DVD man has returned to Thailand.. Video Busters is your one stop shop. The Prahran location always had deals going and they are always so convenient. The store is a decent size and is always fully stocked with a wide range to choose from. Be sure to avoid the giant family size block of Cadbury's chocolate strategically placed between the latest release DVD's, gets me every time. They also have a set of computers at the back of the store and for a small fee you can browse the web or use Wi-Fi.

If this big and obvious sign to the entrance has been here a long time,…read moreI haven't seen it. It took a few goes of the memory to get it at first, but then it's almost convenient to go to as you duck and escape the nearby tourist trap cafe area. Basement Discs is generally quite a good store for jazz records, and will have a selection of world, and indie music too. It's quality over Quantity, and quite often it won't be chocked with Super top ten commercial artists. Sure, some popular ones make the way onto the shelves, but it's more more about good music. They participate in World Record store day, and sell gig tickets, etc.

There was once a time when the coolest place to be spotted was flipping through cd's or records at…read morean independent music store, spending your day discovering new artists and falling in love with genres of older eras. Unfortunately for most, that time is in the past. Basement Discs is one of the few stores holding out against Itunes and JB Hi-Fi ( Who by the way, are still okay for some music, but too many of their shelves are filled with reality tv box sets to really feature all the artists they could. But I digress). They literally have all types of music here. The sales assistants are great,and can introduce you to some new things based off what your current likes are. They stock everything from Blues, to thrash metal, to country to 90's girl and boy pop bands (Oh how I miss the Spice Girls.Just saying..). Of course, the vinyl records attract the DJ's too, though I personally dont even know how to turn a record player on. Check it out if you are a real music lover, and still find joy in owning the hard cover of an album, with jacket covers and song lyrics to boot.

It's always great to see an independent retailer battle its way into the crowded music market,…read moreparticularly given the monumental changes which the industry is undertaking. Thornbury records on High St opened back in February and has been accumulating an avid fan base ever since. The features a great range of new contemporary and classic vinyl records, along with more obscure band t-shirts, CDs by local and unsigned artists and a selection of small and independent publications covering a variety of topics. The shop is easy to browse and tidy, and the front window is filled with your obligatory live music and album posters. There's a chilled kind of vibe, and the proprietors are happy to let you be or have a chat about music or the store if you're into the scene. They also sell stuff online, and run competitions through the store's blog. All in all, a very funky establishment.

You gotta love your friendly local record shop -- they are back and if you don't have one you…read moreshould find one -- and Thornbury Records is the best little record shop in my hood. What I hate about the joint is that they suck money from my pocket on a regular basis, so I can't go there as often I would like. The other awesome-est thing about Thornbury Records (outside of the killer stock and great staff) is that their website is amazing and so up to date and sexy, you can browse, order or even buy before you trot off to the shop. What this means though, is that I can buy records through these folk in so many ways, it's impossible for me to avoid it. I reckon I'm personally bank-rolling the joint right now. I have a sickness. Help me...

The book grocer is the perfect little book shop. They have getting people back reading strongly on…read morethe agenda. With a good range of books spanning from Penguin classics right the way through to self-help books such as 'Sexercise'. But what makes The Book Grocer truly great is the fact that they serve up coffee and muffins and have plenty of couches and seats for the avid browser to sit upon, sip their coffee and ponder what to buy. And perhaps an even better thing is the fact that (bar a few exceptions) every book in the shop costs under $10. I don't know how they manage to be so cheap, but if you ask me $10 is a perfectly great price to pay for an entertaining book.

A visit to The Book Grocer is like falling down a rabbit hole into a bibliophile's heaven…read more A beautifully airy and modern bookshop replete with lots of seating and even a coffee machine, Northcote's Book Grocer sells an incredible range of books ranging from fiction to biography, art to the social sciences and all for incredible prices. Seemingly every time I visit The Book Grocer there are scores of people engrossed in a selection of this gorgeous little shop's tomes and this behaviour isn't just accepted, it's encouraged. The Book Grocer's staff are friendly and welcoming and there are so many incredible books within this awesome book shop's four walls that you can easily spend a good hour here giving each section no more than a cursory glance. Prices tend to be around $6 for paperback fiction and as little as $15 for a gorgeous hardcover, coffee table type book or cookbook. I was looking for some art and design reference books today and the selection was nothing short of intimidating. As a guide to the kind of discounts on offer, I found a beautifully put together book about legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland for $10 reduced from $40 and all stock is new and in impeccable condition. An incredible shop.