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.

I occasionally stop by when I can to check out the kids books for my boy…read more The prices can be a bit pricey for some stuff, but in general it's cheap as. And the place is stacked to the max with different genres. If I had time to scan it out properly I'm sure I'd find heaps of crazy stuff to satisfy my weird mind as well. It has that 'Friday the 13th TV Series' feel to it but in a book version. But still worth a gander.

Excellent paperback exchange. Really love browsing around in this shop. As they say you need time…read moreto look. Always very helpful when looking for certain titles/authors and the books turn over quite quickly. Everytime I go in there are more new titles arriving. Highly recommend.

In my opinion, the single greatest bookshop in Auckland and I'm loath to tell anyone about it…read more Brazzers jokes will not be tolerated. I'm secretly happy this place isn't open often and it used to be the highlight of my morning run, where I could disappear for an hour in unkempt literature luxury. Leather bound books with gilded edges and embossed titles everywhere. That musty, bookish smell. This shop is the epitome of the TV series Black Books. If you have seen the show you, will know the chaotic, wonderful displays and service to expect. If you haven't seen it, you don't deserve to know and will never fully appreciate this place. (This store is opened sporadically on the whims of the owner.)

Apparently Braziers sells art as well as books. Most people would never know, because it seems to…read morenever be open. I once rang up to see if they had a book I needed in stock, and luckily enough they did. So I said I would come round about 1 to pick it up - 'sure thing, the shop will be open!' I go there at 12.45 and the shop is closed. An hour later of wandering around Balmoral, I go back - the shop is still closed. There's a number on a little card saying to ring if the shop needs attention. So I ring it - it goes to voice mail. Back in my car I get and head home to hop on the internet and order the book online. I recently found the secret of how to get to Brazier's books. You have to go to Jack's bar around the back of the warehouse, where he will be sitting out the front lecturing the bar about something. I'm all for over the top drinking, but I really wish Brazier's would hire some minimum wage flunky to , y'know - run the store.

This is Auckland's best (and probably biggest) second hand bookstore. It's musty in a good "old…read morebooks" kind of way, and sprawling and welcoming at the same time. Set over two floors of one of Onehunga's old buildings, it's like a house full of books. Most rooms have a comfy old chair or two for reading, and visitors are encouraged to sit and do just that. The subject range is huge and varied, and the prices are of course, excellent. The staff are knowledgeable and will point you in the right direction if you are after something in particular. Which is helpful because if you haven't been here before you could get lost and never come back out. Sadly Onehunga has been on the decline in the last few years despite there being a number of really great businesses here. I would recommend coming for lunch at Luscious, followed by a fossick at the Hard to Find and then checking out Look Sharp Discount Store. This historic Auckland suburb has suffered from mismanagement for too long now but as while these unique places cling on, it's still worth a visit - there is so much character and potential.

What do you buy for the person who has everything? Something fun, interesting or ridiculous;…read moresomething they've never seen before. Hard To Find Bookstore is the place to go for the person who has everything - spend enough time in amongst the weird little nooks and crannies and you're bound to find something for that awkward person who requires a gift. Ohe of my most lovely memories of Hard To Find Bookstore was a Christmas morning, when the small family of academics I was sharing breakfast with handed out presents. All three of them had bought each other gifts from Hard To Find, and all were so appreciative of their gifts. Some of the books still had their HTF price tags pencilled inside but nobody cared - gift-giving isn't always about how much it costs, but how much it means. And to these bookworms, the gifts were priceless.

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!

Yes. This is what secondhand book shops are. Dominion Books is stellar. A marvelous and outstanding…read moreexemplar. The shop is incredibly cramped. It's brilliant. You're forced to kind of tilt your body around and really exercise your joints in order to navigate the walls and aisles covered in shelves covered in books. The books are cheap. Dirt cheap. I got a near new copy of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom of $4. $4! It was daylight robbery. Most importantly, the whole operation is overseen by the most timid, aging woman of all time. She's bloody magnificent. So surprised whenever anyone comes up to her to buy a book. That's absolutely magic.

Never have I been in a book shop like Dominion Books that requires the flexibility of a gymnast to…read morenavigate between the packed shelves. It reminds me of something from Harry Potter but surrounded by yummy mummy's out for coffee with the pram. In the age of electronic book downloads it is satisfying to hold and flick through a tome of imagination and inspiration. It's also nice to but something on a whim, without reading 100 online reviews from around the globe. That said, what Dominion Books offer me over it's competitors downtown is that beautiful aroma of literature, the smell is addictive.

I'm of the opinion that you can never have too many good second hand bookstores in your repertoire…read more This one is so spacious and well designed you would be hard pressed to deduce that you were actually in a secondhand store, there are no dusty crammed shelves, that look like their about to collapse in on themselves in sight. It makes finding certain genres of books super easy as well, having everything so well set up. They also have nice little prints available for sale in the store as well, one which I bought for my office at home. Lastly I would just like to apologise to the cute sales assistant who I may have flashed, while going for a sneaky rearrange of my underwear behind a row of shelves that seemed to be private, UNTIL I saw the camera perched right above me. I hope I didn't scar you for life.

Evergreen has a great reputation in Auckland as a solid destination for second hand books…read more I always have a slight tinge of sadness that quite a lot of space seems to be taken up with popular fiction, and I really think the New Zealand fiction range needs work, but overall, it's a excellent place to spend more than you intended. The sci-fi range is particularly good and all the books are in really good condition, which makes a welcome change from finding a long-sought-after favourite only to discover that it's falling to pieces in your hands. Mucho disappointo. I've also had the welcome surprise at the till of having my order rounded down a couple of dollars, which is a really lovely way to reward customers who are buying a bundle. Overall, I would always come here for a browse when I'm in Devonport, but it's not really a go-to place if you have something specific in mind - in that case, I would head to Hard to Find books first.

The perfect way to relax and unwind is sitting in a big comfy chair with a good book and great…read morecoffee in hand. At the recently reopened The Book Exchange Glen Eden you can do exactly that! Serving the absolutely delicious Refined Wesite Mt Atkinson Coffee famous in West Auckland all you need to do is search through the abundance of pre loved books to find that perfect read. My long black was on point and there is a great selection of coffees on hand to meet most requirements. They also have a few counter top treats if you like a wee snack with your book and coffee. This place screams old school awesomeness from the old books to the big old vintage armchairs you can sit and relax in. This place is a real gem for young and old and a place you would happily enjoy on your own. "The more that you read, the more you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go." - Dr Seuss

What an inviting ,warm ,cosy find on one of the coldest mornings in Auckland. Not Nottinghill or…read moreNew York but Glen Eden. A very well organised second hand book shop with great Mt Atkinson coffee and baking ,tucked along the road from the Glen Eden library. A surprise find in one of Auckland's old Western suburbs. We enjoyed good coffee while browsing through the huge collection of books even finding the James Mitchener novel we were searching for.We will be returning.

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.

Gone West is quite small for a second hand bookshop, which I guess can be a good thing because then…read morethe thought of where to start browsing is a bit less overwhelming. They have a lot of quite old books, and even had a stack of magazines all from the 1960's to 80's which were pretty interesting to have a nosey through. Most of the smaller books go for around 15 dollars if they aren't damaged, and the larger ones for a bit more. There is also a lot of New Zealand orientated reading material on offer, particularly some new books about the local area, such as 'West' and 'Colin McCahon the Titirangi Years'. The owner, Murray, was quite clued up about all of the books he had on offer and I'm sure if you were after something in particular then he would easily be able to help you out.