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.)

Have you ever seen the British sitcom Black Books starring Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran? Because it…read morewill give you a far better idea of what this place is like than anything I could write. For those of you who haven't seen it, imagine the stock of several normal-sized seconhand bookshops all crammed in to one room. Organise the books less around subject or the alphabet and more around the concept of the pile, and then use those piles to prop up other piles. It's incredible. There are treasures here, if you can find them. The biggest downside about Brazier's, and for me this is a fatal flaw, is that the owner and his friends smoke inside the shop. Firstly, books are very flammable. Secondly, they absorb smells and retain them forever, so a smoked-over book is a smoked-over book forever. Thirdly, it's a very small and poorly-ventilated shop and it reeks of cigarettes and I can feel lumps growing through my lungs just going past the door. I like books but I'm not willing to die a slow, timorous death to find them. Sorry.

Great little shop tucked away down an arcaderead more

It's a little disappointing this store is hidden away down a West Auckland arcade. Though come to…read morethink about it, if my girlfriend new there was a book exchange shop she would be more than happy to discard part of my growing home library. While I find it hard to relinquish books, Leisure Time offers to exchange or sell books out-right to it's customers. I hope the gruff greeting I received when I entered the store was just part of my interrupting something. The book selection itself didn't really appeal to me (focusing on romance novels, Dean Koontz and glossy magazines), but any business offering a book exchange or cheap books is going to attract my attention. With some organizing and advertising, which would create a wider selection of books, Leisure Time could be a great store.

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.

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 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.

You know when you see houses converted into business and you're more than a little apprehensive to…read moreenter? For example you see a sign in someones yard advertising a dentist, or a vet clinic, or a podiatrist, and you're sure if you enter you will see a family sitting down to dinner. That's what Classics & Suchlike Books remind me of, but do not be put off! Inside this converted Ponsonby villa you will find a labyrinth of rooms with section upon section of alphabetized books. Honestly, you may need a ball of yarn to lay a trail behing you like Theseus. Twice I found myself back in the entrance, so engrossed was I in the endless titles. It doesn't have any café charade or try to masquerade the fact that it is anything but an immense supply of books. Get lost in a plethora of literature.

I'd been meaning to check out this bookstore in Ponsonby for years and only recently actually got…read morethe chance to go inside. I have to admit, I was shocked. Awed. Inspired. Classics and Suchlike Books looks more like an incredible library than a bookstore. Shelves upon shelves upon shelves, rows upon rows upon rows - books take up every inch of space in this surprisingly large store. From the street it looks as though Classics and Suchlike Books is only a room or two big, however it actually takes up the entire space of an old villa house. Every room is packed with books, most secondhand - and according to the knowledgeable and friendly sales assistant, they stock virtually everything but textbooks. That is, you can literally find any information you need to know in this place - whether you're after gardening advice, recipes or do-it-yourself books, the works of William Shakespeare, Tolstoy, the Bronte sisters or even a John Grisham thriller - chances are you'll find it here! Classics and suchlike Books is definitely the kind of place you need to set a few hours, or days really, aside for. There is such a wealth of knowledge on such a great variety of topics, I feel my one trip didn't do it justice at all and will have to return soon. Bonus: Because the books are secondhand they are pretty cheap. No more breaking the bank just to buy a decent read!

The name makes this book store sound as if it's really cute, and since it is tucked away down that…read morelittle garden side alley part of Remuera, and located in a little old fashioned brick house, the actual store really does reflect the name. This is not my favourite book store in Auckland, but that doesn't mean that there isn't something here for other people. The shop is small and there are not many sections here that I am into, like art, cooking, architecture, but I think this is a great place to find a gift. They have quite a large children's book section to the side of the store and a few books that you wouldn't necessarily find in one of the chain book stores like whitcoulls.

I am all about independent bookstores these days and this one is an absolute gem! Doris, who owns…read morethe store is kind, knowledgable and most importantly passionate about books. When I last went in they didn't have the book I was after (City of Thieves by David Benioff - if you haven't already, you should read it - it's fantastic!) but were happy to order it in. They are also happy to host other people's book clubs after-hours complete with wine and sweet treats for FREE, which I think is pretty cool! Doris goes through some of the new and interesting books they have in-store and then you share with you B.C comrades what you have been reading of late. Book swaps are also allowed! I think it's important that we support small independant stores like this and am happy to make the extra trip over the bridge to do so!

I'm into a lot of historical books, so this book store isn't one of my favourites. However, I do…read moreadmire all independent bookshops like this one that still operate, especially when it's so easy to get stuff online. This bookshop in particular has a great selection of cookbooks and children's books, which means it's perfect for gifts. They seem to keep pretty up to date with all the latest new releases, and they can also order something in for you if they don't have it in stock. One of the bonuses of coming to a bookstore like this one is that you get good service and advice from the person who knows a lot about the products that she sells. Definitely ask if you are stuck for gift ideas.

The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop is something of an institution in the precious little world…read moreof children's bookstores. I go in there on a fairly regular basis, as I teach at an intermediate school, and every single time I find myself swept up in these soft and powerful waves of nostalgia and quiet charm. I simply can't imagine a way in which this store could be improved. There is nothing tacky. No trying to cash in on the latest sweeping pre-teen literary phenomenon. The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop simply presents it's undying asset and doens't feel the need to dress it up or patronise their punters in any way. It's just books for kids and things like that. The shop is warm and inviting and they have a great selection, including a wide range of Aotearoa New Zealand Authors. The shelves are loaded with potential for learning and cerebral stimulation. It's one hell of a children's bookshop.

The word that would best describe this shop is quality. As soon as you walk in you can feel a good…read moreexperience waiting to happen. Right from the get go there is something to please everyone. There's an awesome train table set to keep the kids occupied and a little cornered off play area for those run-away toddlers. So easy as that... chuck them in there and you're left on your own to explore the store. There's so much going on here every inch and corner is packed with goodness. From educational books about dinosaurs and planes to the classics like Dr Seuss. There's also toy figurines and fairies which would be sure to put a smile on any child's face. The prices seem pretty reasonable for such quality goods. None of this two-dollar-shop crap here. Just gifts you would be proud to be giving away!