In the light of recent news and further developments about Booktopia, we want to celebrate some of the many bookshops which we have known and loved. These are our team’s favourites, though we can’t claim they are the best. What are your favourites? We have limited our selection to independent bookshops, rather than branches of a chain – though we do have our favourite outlets too (thinking of you Waterstones in the UK). To search for more information on Australian bookshops, check out Book People’s Find a Bookshop function! 

Australia

There are many fantastic, thriving bookshops in Australia despite the age-old rumours of a dwindling demand for books. Readers are resilient and all these stores are well-loved in their communities, and they are doing the vital work of sharing a love of literature with the Australian people. This list is just a few of our favourites!  

This bookshop/gallery is a fantastic place to visit when down on the Peninsula. It is light and airy, and they have a great selection of books for children and adults alike.

A fantastic bookshop in Brisbane. Unique for the large number of literary events they host in-store. The Brisbane book launch of Robbie Arnott’s new book Dusk will be hosted here in October. You may recognise Robbie’s name as his book, The Rain Heron, is a firm favourite for many of our groups.

A firm fixture in Melbourne’s outer east, Belgrave Book Barn is a fantastic shop stocking a wide range of new books, art supplies and giftware. They also have a large range of discounted books which is great if you find it difficult to leave a bookshop without buying anything!

Bendigo’s newest bookshop, this store opened in early 2022 and its already much-loved in the local community. Run by book-loving duo, Wendy and Wendy, this store is a literary haven in rural Victoria.

High ceilings, wooden shelves and two storeys of wonderful books. This is a bookshop to get lost in.

This wonderful, petite bookshop is tucked away in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges. Lyn, the owner, has a wonderfully curated list of fiction, non-fiction and children’s titles available. A must-visit for any trip into that beautiful part of Melbourne.

A delightful place to browse, this store is a firm favourite among our staff. They also represent a lot of local talent, with many books written by Tasmanian authors on their shelves.

An independent, literary haven in Adelaide. This year, Imprint Booksellers are celebrating over 30 years of bookselling. Tall, dark, wooden shelves make you feel as though you’re wandering through an old, European library. And with this alluring ambiance, you could stay here for hours.

Freemantle is full of great bookshops, including this one. A wide range of books, and a beautiful store. A must visit if you’re ever in the area.

The Paperback Bookshop on Bourke Street is a fantastic store. They have a huge selection of books, in a tiny space. It is the sort of store where you could get lost, everywhere you look there are more books tucked away in hidden corners. The staff there are always ready with a fantastic recommendation if you need help choosing!

Readings are an icon of the Melbourne literary scene. They have several amazing stores around the city but the original, Carlton store, is our personal favourite! Dark, warm and cozy, these stores provide the quintessential book shopping experience. If you are a book lover in Melbourne, you probably love Readings too. If you’ve never been, it’s never too late!

Another fantastic bookshop in Melbourne. The Sun Bookshops are made up of two locations, one of which is a kid’s book paradise. They have a fantastic selection of great reads, and friendly and knowledgeable staff.

 

Rest of the World

We have some amazing bookshops in Australia, but here are some of the best ones we have discovered during our travels.

 

Canada:

Queen Books (Toronto)

This is a treat of a bookshop, with a wide range of stock that is well-organised and easy to browse. The atmosphere is tranquil and the staff are passionate booksellers, always at the ready with the perfect recommendation.

Chechia:

Shakespeare and Sons (Prague)

There are many beautiful bookshops in Prague but for a foreign-language shop, stocking English titles, Shakespeare and Sons is the place to visit. This is a beautiful, cosy store and they stock a comprehensive selection of local titles translated into English, making it the perfect place to pick up a literary souvenir.

England:

Foyles (London)

Foyles is a book metropolis. Spread over 5 floors, this store has everything; books galore, CDs, DVDs and a jazz café (why not?). They are located on the iconic Charing Cross Road and their collection is so large it even inspired the saying ‘If Foyles don’t have it, no-one does.’

The Little Apple Bookshop (York, Yorkshire)

There are many wonderful bookshops in York, but this one is particularly amazing. Their shelves are filled to the brim with signed copies. During one of our visits, we found books signed by the likes of Stephen Fry, Madeleine Miller and Matt Haig. Amazing!

The Stripey Badger (Grassington, Yorkshire)

This is little bookshop with lots of character. Set in the heart of Grassington, a stunning historical village in the beating heart of the Yorkshire Dales. This store sports an adjoining coffee shop, making it a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

The Hedgehog Bookshop (Penrith, Cumbria)

The Hedgehog Bookshop is set over two floors and is a wonderful, independent bookshop filled to the brim with books and giftware. Step outside and you will find yourself in a cobbled alleyway that feels like the set of Harry Potter.

France:

Shakespeare and Company (Paris)

This is an iconic English-language bookshop that was first opened in 1951. It has a remarkable history and the original Shakespeare and Company (opened in 1919 by Sylvia Beach, at a different location) was the first to publish James Joyce’s Ulysses. This store remains a literary institution and is a must-visit when in Paris.

Germany:

Berlin Book Nook (Berlin)

The Berlin Book Nook is a wonderful bookish haven in the heart of Berlin. They serve complimentary tea and even offer private one-on-one German lessons! Their stock includes over 6,000 second-hand, English titles covering a wide range of topics.

Greece:

Atlantis Books (Santorini)

This shop has recently relocated to a cliffside location overlooking the Santorini caldera. It is a wonderful store, open since 2004 when an electric group of friends from around Europe decided they needed to rectify the no-bookshop status of Santorini. Atlantis books is now an iconic store, stocking books in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Chinese and Greek.

Italy:

Libreria Acqua Alta (Venice)

This is an eclectic store which acts as a microcosm of Venice’s rich culture. They stock a wide variety of new, second-hand and antiquarian titles, spread over shelves, gondolas and several rambling rooms. Not to mention… there’s cats! This bookshop is a treasure.

Ireland:

Ulysses Rare Books (Dublin)

A second-hand and antiquarian bookshop in the heart of Dublin. They are a beautiful little shop with plenty of first editions for all varieties of literary collectors. With an amazing ambiance, Ulysses Rare Books is a paradise for book lovers in Dublin.

Japan:

A special mention here to Kinokuniya Book Store in Tokyo, although they are a chain, these are wonderful stores to visit while in Japan. However, we can’t include them in our official list! Instead, we have picked our favourite of the many, fantastic Indie bookshops in Tokyo.

Hyakunen (Tokyo)

Hyakunen offers a range of second-hand and new titles, alongside a large selection of art books. Tucked away on the second floor of the building, they are easy to miss. However, they are worth seeking out for their range of talks and exhibitions. They also have bright green shelves which is an endearing and unique touch.

Netherlands:

The Book Exchange (Amsterdam)

Three floors of second-hand English language titles, The Book Exchange is the largest English bookshop on the European continent. It has over 50,000 titles and is only a couple minutes’ walk from Dam Square; it is full of hidden treasures!

New Caledonia:

Librarie Caledo Livres (Noumea, Provice Sud)

A delightful store in the heart of Noumea, Caledo Livres dub themselves ‘the bookshop of the Pacific.’ They stock a fantastic selection of local, French and some English books and their staff are wonderfully helpful.

New Zealand:

Unity Books (Wellington and Auckland)

With stores in both Wellington and Aukland, Unity Books are vibrant and expansive bookshops. They are often hosting events and are a wonderful place to visit if you are travelling around NZ’s North Island.

The Next Chapter (Wanaka, South Island)

This is a tiny store that packs a punch. Books are stuffed in all the nooks and crannies, and when combined, they represent a wonderful curation. Look out the windows and you will find Lake Wanaka, the ideal backdrop for a spot of book-shopping.

Poland:

Jakwamsiepodoba (As you like it) (Warsaw)

This is a gorgeous English bookshop in Warsaw. They have a broad selection of special editions, art, puzzles and other bookish items. A great place to stop by if you are looking for a bookshop to visit in Poland.

Portugal:

Bertrand (Lisbon)

BERTRAND, is the world’s oldest bookshop. It was founded by two French brothers in 1732, and it is now a popular tourist attraction. Filled with beautiful, wooden bookcases, and arched ceilings, this is a wonderful place to visit for any bookworm.

Scotland:

The Edinburgh Bookshop (Edinburgh)

Edinburgh, like Melbourne, is a UNESCO City of Literature, and as a result, it is filled (there’s more than 50) with wonderful bookshops. The Edinburgh Bookshop is a fantastic example, with awesome staff, a great atmosphere and a fabulous selection of books. This is the perfect stop-off on any literary tour of Edinburgh.

The Bookshop (Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway)

This is the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland, and it is the beating heart of Scotland’s national book town. Owner Shaun Bythell is the author of several books recording his life as a bookseller, the first of which is The Diary of a Bookseller.

Spain:

Altaïr (Barcelona)

This is a fantastic bookshop, specifically for their extensive range of travel books. They have plenty of maps, guidebooks and specialist travel literature, which is great for organising further travels around Spain, or the rest of Europe. They also organise meet ups for travellers passing through, to socialise and make friends!

USA:

Freebird Books (New York City)

Second-hand books, a reading nook and low prices? Sounds great to us! Freebird books is a lovely bookshop in Brooklyn, New York, well-known for their curated selection of comics, vintage pulp fiction, and rare books. If you like any of those, its well worth a visit!

The Concord Bookshop (Concord, Massachusetts)

The Concord Bookshop is one of the cosiest around! Inside, it is huge, but filled with wonderful books and the staff are awesome too! Not to mention, they have a huge range of signed books which is an exciting treat for any booklover. They have been open since 1940, and they are now an integral part of their local community.

What’s your favourite bookshop? Are you the kind of person that wants to spend their whole holiday shopping for books? And finally, what is it about your favourite bookshop that makes it so special?