"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.)

Omigoshness. I look at Kidspace and think about my childhood spent roller skating across the living…read moreroom in a cramped apartment in Hong Kong and want to cry. We are so lucky in Australia to have so much space to spend on our children. When it comes to parklands, I'm pretty grateful for all the public parks across Brisbane but Kidspace in Chermside really stand out. It's been designed for all ages. There are picnic tables with BBQs and easy access toilets (including disabled facilities). For the older kids there are wide paths for riding, scootering, skating and a half sized tennis court as well. The play area is shaded and there's a great fort suitable for babies, toddlers and younger kids. Southsiders take note: This family friendly park is worth the drive.

The 7th Brigade Park is huge, apparently one of the biggest parks in Brisbane. It runs from Newman…read moreRoad in Geebung, all the way through to Murphy Road and Chermside Shopping Centre. I have only just recently discovered this park is all connected and now I've started walking through the park to the Chermside Library or Shopping Centre. There are two playgrounds or play areas, separated by large sports fields, trees and bicycle and walk paths. At the Newman Road end of the park, there is a playground and exercise equipment, as well as BBQ areas, shelters and lots of space for large groups. There are toilets down this end too. Towards Chermside Shopping Centre, along Murphy Road, there's a huge play area called Kidspace. Kidspace covers an area approximately the size of 5 homes and includes a large undercover play area, electric BBQ's, toilets, shelters, bench tables and seating. There's also a basketball ring and half court and a tennis court with a rebound wall. There is parking at both ends, and the gates to these parking lots are open from 6am to 9pm. A network of shared bicycle/walk paths run throughout the park, and there are exercise stations along the pathway - hurdles, chin ups and sit ups to name a few. 7th Brigade Park is also dog friendly. Dogs are allowed throughout the park and there are a couple of specific off-leash areas for dogs.

I've been enjoying rediscovering the wonders of the library this year. It had been years since I'd…read moreset foot in one, and I have to say, I have been missing out. The Browns Plains library is impressive indeed. I spend a lot of time in my vehicle for work, so the audio books have been a real favourite of mine. I've also been borrowing DVDs and graphic novels for my son. There is free Wi Fi on offer and all the newspapers of the day too. Browns Plains library must have at least 20 computers available along with printing and copying services. Prices are very reasonable and the staff are most helpful. Why not drop into your local if you have a free moment. I promise you won't regret it.

They sell books for various charities every couple of weeks which is a great way to own a few book…read more You can order books in from anywhere in the Logan library network. There is plenty of parking on site and undercover to keep your car protected during summer storms and hot days. Right across the road from Grand Plaza it's a great place to leave your kids (high school age not the little ones) doing their homework and assignments while you pop over and do the grocery shopping. The Library always has something interesting on display. There are readings for the youngsters and often events on for those who are older just keep an eye on that noticeboard.

Small but good local library if you're looking for somewhere less busy and quiet to study…read more Ample off-street parking and situated close to public transport. Caters for a various genres of books especially children's books. ***Please note*** This library is only open on a part-time basis so refer to photos or council website for operating hours before visiting to avoid disappointment.

good place for use computer printer out borrow books and u can join it for free and good place meet…read morefriends

Love my library and think we should all love them more!…read more The range of books on offer is outstanding and having a linked collection accross the city of Brisbane means you would be hard pressed to not find the book you were looking for. As part of the City of Brisbane you get free wifi, access to the internet, plenty of classes and in particular kids sessions included in your membership at no extra charge. Borrowing books is now so much easier too. You can self check out and have access to your account online to see when items are due back. Plus you can renew books online from home without needing to go back to the library. Just be aware charges apply if you miss the return dates and they can all add up. The good news though is that you get a little reminder email about 5 days before your books are due back to help prevent this happening.

This hidden gem can be found in the first floor near the children's area on the east side of the…read morehospital. The library is quite small but they offer free internet for anyone who has time to kill. I come here often during my breaks to study. The library is usually full of residents and medical students who need to study for exams but there is an outside area for anyone who just want to sit and relax with WiFi.