For me, Abbeys vies with Gleebooks for the title of Sydney's best retailer of new books. The shop is large and well laid out, the stock is extensive, and they offer a "happy hour" every Thursday night 7.00 PM to 8.00 PM when there is 5% off all stock. Best of all their services is that they will order any book from anywhere for you, and are prompt in informing you when it arrives. Gift vouchers may also be purchased, and are a wonderful present. [CC]
Definitely worth a visit after Galaxy, just to get grounded again. Abbey's is a well-organised and large bookshop, extensively stocked with all subject matter and not part of a huge chain. Excellent worldwide ordering service, plus gift vouchers. Also publishers of free monthly 'Crime Chronicle' and 'Abbey's Advocate' newsletters. [PY, 08/2001]
Attached to Abbeys is the Language Book Centre, which offers an impressive range of material in a wide range of languages. They also have a science fiction bookshop Galaxy, which is right nearby [DY, 2003]
This has to be one of the most pleasant and spacious bookshops to be found in Sydney and considering the wide range of esoterica on offer, very well laid out. A lot of thought (and money) has gone into this place. The main focus of activities centred on the shop itself are the teachings of Madame Blavatsky and her Theosophical Society, but info on all activities, talks and other events with a New Age slant can also be found here. The shop also publishes an excellent quality newsletter, Adyar Booknews, offering book & CD reviews and a regular competition, and has a decent second-hand section plus a range of greatly discounted remainder books near the entrance. [PY, 10/2001]
The shop is staffed by friendly, informed people, who have interests in the the type of books and material stocked. Those subjects are many and varied but fit broadly under the "alternative/metaphysical" banner. i.e. psychology, mythology, world religions, mysticism, tarot, numerology, psychic teachings, health, oriental medicine, body/mind techniques etc. etc. The range is outstanding by world standards. The atmosphere is pleasant with comfortable reading areas. Good stocks of C.D's (ambient, baroque, meditative...) and videos as well. [employee]
Sells fiction, non-fiction, art, technical books, paperbacks, stationery, CD-ROMs and cards in Australia and online. [employee, July 2001]
The bookshop of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Shops in Paddington and the Rocks. Open till midnight, this is a great place to hang out after a concert or film.
A comprehensive range of art books from prehistoric to postmodernism, artists biographies and monographs from Michelangelo to Bacon.
Also provides school and library supplies and a selected range of our most popular prints, posters and other merchandise.
A major resource for artists and artisans of all mediums for 17 years, Artisan Books offers books, periodicals and exhibition catalogues relating to art, craft, design and culture.
From shops in Paddington and Berrima, Berkelouw has been rapidly expanding.
For at least a decade visiting the Berkelouw's Book Barn at Berrima has been one of the highlights of any trip to the Southern Highlands. Paul Berkelouw's card declares that the family have been "antiquarian bookdealers since 1812" - that's a long tradition. This shop is large and airy, with a range of new and secondhand stock. Prices are reasonable, although there are few real "steals" on the shelves. Paddington is a little out of the way for me (I'm firmly based at the University of Sydney main campus) but I go out of my way to check on Berkelouw's approximately once per month. [CC]
Specializing in automotive, motorcycle, karting, and engineering books and software. Retail and online.
A nice little shop, crowded with goodies.
An Australian owned, independent bookseller offering customers an eclectic range of technical, practical and special interest books. We first opened our doors in Perth's CBD in 1989, and since then have grown to become the leading technical bookshop in Western Australia. [site, 07/2007]
New and second-hand cookery books. Over 28,000 new, out-of print, second-hand & antiquarian cookery books & food & wine related titles in stock (five rooms, floor to ceiling jam-packed).
A computer book specialist.
An online bookshop specialising in Australian books.
Shops in Bondi Junction, Chatswood, Hornsby, Campbelltown, Macquarie Centre, Paramatta, and Rouse Hill.
Textbooks, some purchasing of current textbooks.
Located in a beautiful late 19th century two storey building, with basement, Clarence Corner stocks significant books from the past, favourite out of print books, recent popular and well regarded books - all subjects and genres. Books can be mailed anywhere outside of Brisbane, at the cost of postage only.
The book shop adjoins a cute 1930’s cafe with style. Jazz and cabaret, classic movies, clairvoyant readings, high teas and more, which is an added bonus for book shop visitors. [owner, 05/2007]
Melbourne Australia’s one-stop shop for foreign language learning and material. Specializes in language books for learning/novels in languages other than English...and more.
Military and Transport books, videos, prints and ceremonial items.
We buy and sell secondhand books, with a range of over 50 000 titles. Our main topics include Australiana, Art, Military, Boating and Literature. [owner, 03/2007]
Many branches around Sydney, all generally well stocked with good selections covering all subject matter. The main branch is at 424-425 George Street, well worth a visit. SF and Fantasy are well-represented in all branches with current UK editions; as is the usual rule, the bigger the shop the bigger the selection. Some SF/Fantasy can also be found in remaindered/discounted tables in some branches, positioned at the entrance.
Dymocks Building, 424-425 George Street
The major branch, especially strong on fiction, also providing guides, maps, and a decent balcony cafe (art supplies, stationery at Dymocks Stationery next door at 428 George Street). The basement houses a superb SF/F section in which can be found plenty of rarities and SF-related toys and DVDs (almost enough to rival Galaxy) plus a good section on fannish stuff, comics and marginal literature; also down there is a large, excellent children's books section with quite a bit of computer-based learning material. Knowledgable staff on hand to help track something down, and definitely worth a visit; this is the kind of bookshop that ought to be open late every evening. [PY, October 2001]
350 George Street: Largish basement branch, good general reference & computing sections.
An off shoot of Canberra’s longest running independent arthouse cinema of the same name and as a consequence is still a specialist film, theatre and arts bookshop set amidst an eclectic and interesting selection of general subjects.
A nice mix of new and secondhand books. Shops in the CBD (Pitt St) and Newtown (King St).
Four shops and a "warehouse" in Western Australia.
Specialises in gardening and botany, with hugely broad coverage – if you want a book on Peruvian cactuses, this is where to go.
This is a great book shop if you're looking for Architecture, Design, Graphics Design and Photography, also have a good range of popular books. They have a good in store selection and will order books in.
Mostly Japanese books, with a few shelves of English books. Very friendly staff, has an interesting manga collection. [LW, 11/2006]
The Hobart Collins St shop has the Afterword Cafe upstairs.
SF/F. Also specialises in Star Trek and role playing games. Books on history and mythology for those who want to do a little world exploring, distributor of local (and national?) SF magazines, some overseas ones as well (e.g. Twin Peaks). Lots of the latest releases and a wide range which amazingly doesn't mesh with Minotaur Books in Melbourne (I visited one after the other). A block down from the Queen Vic Building towards Darling Harbour. [LR]
Now rehomed alongside their sister store Abbeys in slightly larger premises, Galaxy is Australia's oldest and largest specialist for SF/F/Horror. The Sydney equivalent of London's Forbidden Planet, this comprehensive store stocks an even spread of US & UK titles currently in print (there are plenty of gems to be found here), plus a disappointingly small 2nd-hand section (connected to their book-credit rewards scheme) and a useful SF reference section which contains some rare bibliographies, chapbooks and critiques, many vastly overpriced (the poorly-stapled 20-page A5 ones, anyway) as a result of their rarity. Large sections are devoted to Dr. Who, Star Trek and Star Wars (all books and videos) and SF-related subjects (SF art, popular science, a comprehensive horror section, ufology, folklore, etc.).
Galaxy also has a good selection of DVDs, videos and film-related merchandise and recent SF magazines published worldwide, plus frequent signings from famous SF/Fantasy authors and stars (check out the Rogues Gallery in the entrance). Customers are requested to consider the shop a 'spoiler-free zone', forbidding discussion of the latest episodes of Farscape, Buffy, Trek etc., probably with a sordid variety of terrible punishments reserved for transgressors. They also publish Nexus, a free monthly newsletter of brief SF reviews written by its staff, making the entire operation the central focus for Sydney's SF community. [PY, 08/2001 updated 03/2003]
Right across from the school where they hold markets on the weekends. Lots of new releases, academic books, good section on drama, a huge amount of stuff on lifestyle, classic literature and "modern" novels. Some SF/F. (LR)
Vies with Abbeys for the status of Sydney's best bookshop. Exceptional philosophy and cultural studies stock, but also solid holdings in other academic areas. Has a broad range of literature and a decent selection of DVDs. Holds regular book launches and other events. [DY]
New and secondhand books, DVDs. Good coverage of literature and the humanities.
Specialists in graphic & product design, architecture, interior design, fashion, photography, art, & contemporary literature, music & culture. We order extensively from Europe & America, have excellent research skills, send out informative e-newsletters, and provide a reliable mail-order service. [owner]
This is a Collins franchise, but has the feel of an independent bookshop.
These shops (like the George Street Book and Record Exchange) stock new books and secondhand CDs. The range is inferior, however. There are also porn magazines. Takes credit cards. [CC]
Always an excellent selection of recent SF/F/Horror remainders and a good range of decent secondhand SF plus plenty of mainstream and classic fiction. Good selection of CDs. This place really is worth a visit. [PY, 08/2001]
A Japanese based chain. A large store which seems to have different suppliers to other chains, so they get some unique new books. Very strong on art, design, manga and Japanese books. [LW, 11/2006]
Art, Photography, Fashion, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Landscape Design and Architecture.
Over 8,000 books and 4,000 CDs, plus a wide range of gifts and ritual supplies.
The oldest travel bookshop in Australia, going back to 1870. We carry Lonely Planet guides and more, plus maps worldwide. [owner]
Local history, childrens, DVDs.
An extensive collection of academic titles; medicine, economics, law, languages, education, social, technical and applied sciences, computer books and software, literature, fine arts, agriculture, history, architecture, philosophy, music, anthropology and more. Plus a wide range of general books, stationery and multi-media cd-roms, with a special order service.
Modern Times is actually two shops - a stationery shop on the right and a bookshop on the left. The bookshop doesn't have a large stock (and it's mostly popular titles), but it does offer a 15% discount on new releases. Not a patch on the famous Modern Times bookshop in San Francisco, but a good place to browse while waiting for the bus. [DY, 08/1996]
Covering all things military in recent and ancient history, Napoleons also has a gaming section with a large range of fantasy war-gaming handbooks available going back almost to the dawn of the Dungeons & Dragons era! The shop also does special orders, catalogues and mail orders. [PY, updated 11/2006]
The National Library of Australia shop carries a very large range of Australian books, both fiction and non-fiction, including juvenile literature, biography, history, Aboriginal studies, popular works. [customer]
Books on Indonesian language, history, art, culture, etc.
We are a general bookshop with a specialised Children's Department. We opened in July 1995 and steadily built a reputation for having an excellent range and providing exceptional service. We conduct a regular programme of author visits for both adult & children's authors. This information can be found in our regular newsletter which we send out to our recorded mailing list. Orders are accepted via email. [owner]
Providing online book listings since 1999, our database now boasts over 1.2 million titles.
A specialised bookshop servicing the art, architecture and design communities. Only the latest titles are kept in stock.
They stock Science Fiction and Mysteries. The staff are very friendly and will cheerfully order anything in these genres. [02/2004]
Originally a Queensland chain, but now has shops in NSW, Victoria, Canberra and Darwin as well.
We specialise in Fiction (all genres), Art, Business, Children's and Health titles and also have a good range of South East Asian authors. [owner, 10/2002]
Victoria's largest independent bookseller.
Specialist books on: mental health; counselling; relationships; parenting; abuse; grief.
Riverbend Books is situated in a delightfully renovated "Queenslander", and incorporates a coffee shop on the front verandah overlooking Oxford Street. One of the most appealing features of the design is that there are places to sit down - comfortably - while browsing possible purchases. [customer]
Located next to the Palace Cinema. Open till 9pm (10pm on Saturdays).
A school textbook specialist.
Personal and professional development books. Cafe offering vegetarian chemical-free food and Fair Trade coffee.
The Book Buff sells all types of popular fiction and literature, a broad range of non-fiction books, and has an excellent children's/young adults' section. The shop also specialises in second hand printed music.
A gay and lesbian book store. Sells DVDs, magazines, and erotica as well as books.
A more interesting selection than most general suburban bookshops: an impressive history section, especially for military and medieval books. [DY, updated 2010]
Lots of stock, with all the cooking books you could want, plus lots on food and the hospitality industry more generally. Quick off the mark looking up an obscure request in their database. [DY, 2007]
Where the writers hang out.
Attached to the State Library of New South Wales, the Library Shop specialises in Australian books and prints. Using the latest digital technology it also offers archival quality reproductions of photographs, maps, oil paintings, watercolours, drawings and panoramas from the collections of the Library.
We are a small general bookshop at the top end of Bourke St in Melbourne with a wide and interesting range of both new release and backlist titles. Subject areas include fiction, history, biographies, poetry, Australian current affairs, travel, music and film books, classics and more. We do a lot of special orders and are happy to answer any enquiries. Every two months we put out a newsletter of new releases and we have a mailing list. Open late most nights. [owner]
A mix of books, CDs and DVDs.
South Australia's largest textbook supplier, Unibooks looks after the book and software needs of academics, students, professionals and the general public. It has shops on most university campuses.
As well as servicing student textbook needs, offers an excellent range of general/trade books, specialising in several areas, such as architecture/urban planning; business/management; literature; etc. Fast special & mail orders are an important part of the business. There is a 10% discount on most books. [employee]