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.

So I am no bibliophile (bookworm) but I love words. I went here to buy my book loving mother a…read morecouple of books. What you are greeted with is an overwhelming collection of books. When I say overwhelming my mother was literally flush in the cheeks after 30mins of looking around & needed some fresh air after an hour. I would say they cater to everyone's tastes, but some people are into some freaky deeky stuff. If you can't find something.... There is a high chance you won't. Because there are TOOOOOOO many books! But thankfully they have staff that is equally in love with books & seem to love working there. So they will have an idea of where to find whatever it is that your heart desires. Last thing I will say is that if you or in the case of my mum are too overwhelmed, they have a website that actually works. They also have vouchers that come in twenty dollar denominations. So yeah if you want book, come here!

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.

If you are a book lover like myself then this store is a dream come true!…read more A huge store absolutely jam packed with books! Drama! Romance! Thrillers! Biographies! Novels from every genre can be found in this place. Not only does the Book Barn provide an extensive range of adult literature, they also cater to children. Last time I was there I purchased half a dozen Hairy Maclary books for my young cousins, and unlike in stores like Whitcoulls this didn't cost me an arm and a leg. Do-it-yourself books, recipe books, even colouring books can also be found at Book Barn. It's the kind of place you need to set aside some serious shopping time for, because if you're anything like me you could spend a decent hour or so perusing the titles and filling your basket. It's brilliant. Bonus: Not only is everything in store significantly cheaper than regular book stores, Book Barn are always having further sales and often have $5 and $10 tables of clearance books! The ultimate book-shopping experience!

I buy books online because they are cheaper but every so often when I am in Newmarket I will come…read moreand take a look at what Book Barn has because it is a book bargain bonanza! My mum goes through books like crazy and I she picks up paperbacks here for around only $5 each which is so good. They have cook books too and for those who like to cook from a book and have a picture you can pick up some cheap ones here. I got a couple of vegetarian cookbooks a while back and some baking books for my mum, hard covers and all under $15 each. Sure the range is not huge but like all stores like this you don't expect it to be like Whitcoulls or anything. There is still a good variety and with stock that changes frequently a store to check out every once and a while.

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.

Without a doubt my favourite bookstore in Auckland. Dear Reader has a great selection of books,…read morestocking everything from the latest Nicholas Sparks tear jerker to Dennis Lehane's most recent thriller, kids picture books to sports biographies, magazines to do-it-yourself books - Dear Reader will have you covered. Located in Grey Lynn shops it is an independently owned company, so not only will you be pleased with your purchases but you can also feel good about supporting a locally owned business - something that's always a bonus! My favourite purchase from Dear Reader was a special edition copy of Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice. Printed on unevenly cut paper and with the cover art done by a Cuban artist, the book is beautiful and only cost marginally more than a 'normal' copy. Other classics such as The Scarlett Letter and Wuthering Heights have also been redone by this artist - so keep an eye out for the brilliant artwork, these books would make great presents and are only available at select bookstores!

Do not visit here if you have children!…read more I popped in to let my to boys pick a book each and felt the eyes on me as soon as we stepped in. My children were told that the books were special and not for touching and someone might want to buy them (uh...yeah...us?). I joined yelp just to warn other parents, this place will put your kids off books!

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.

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!

It's no secret that I've got a thing for independent bookstores. They remind me of a time gone by…read more(which is strange because I am still in my 20's), when people weren't glued to their phones or the television every night but instead conversed or read books in happy solitude. Perhaps this is why I find it hard to go into a bookstore, like Timeout and not walk out with a book. Seriously, every time I find some excuse for buying a book. I also just love hearing the staff's recommendations. More often that not they lead to the discovery of a brilliant new author or reading a book you would've otherwise never picked up. Timeout seems to have more fiction than say, Novel in Herne Bay but they do also have a good number of design/architecture coffee table books as well. If you can't find what you're looking for, don't despair, although it's jam packed - floor to ceiling with books - the staff seem to miraculously know where everything is.

So first of all I'll confess that I am friends with the manager here. Her name is Jenna Todd and…read morewhen she's not in this very cool independent bookstore, she is being a very talented photographer and doing many other fabulous things. Really. Sometimes I want to BE her. Timeout though, even before Jenna, is its own legend. Battling in an industry where the littlies were mostly squashed a long time ago, this place is still here and I think that's so important. It is the antithesis of the big faceless corporate-owned bookstore; Timeout is small, perfectly formed, filled with personality and personalities. It has its own most awesomely cool cat Lucinda (I love you just the way I am) and the owner's dog often hangs out here too. Even the Facebook posts are actually funny and informative which is a real achievement when most social media is just CRAP (not Yelp of course, we're critics providing a service. Big difference.) These are no doubt just some of the reasons Timeout is constantly winning awards. The back room is given over entirely to children's books and the staff (all of them) are knowledgeable and can recommend something for every age group. I think that Timeout is one of Mt Eden village's key assets and one of the primary reasons the place actually feels like a village. It's bustling, buzzing and bursting with character and I find such a strange and profound pleasure in going in there and fondling the pile of brand new books stacked on the table. Does that make me weird?

Jason is a staple on the book circuit of any Auckland book lover. It's slightly tricky to find, but…read moreonce you get inside, you know you're in good company. The staff here are incredibly knowledgeable, not only about their stock but about books in general, and are more than willing to help. They also have extremely high tolerance for those of us who insist on making an art out of browsing. One thing that's really great about Jason is the involvement of the staff in the world of books outside the shop. This year, for instance, one of their rare book specialists is giving a special talk about book valuation at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival. Also, the shop is really well organised and they have an impressive selection of New Zealandy stuff.

No response no product no sale. Still trying to remove the hold on my credit card. It could be…read morethat the website was hacked and the sale was not legit but it would be nice if Jason's Books at least responded to my emails asking about it.

There is a great little Crazy Saver $1 and up novelty store located in the same building as this…read morevideo store which provides a source of occupation for children while parents are shopping for videos. If you are after a video for that birthday party get-together for the kids, you can kill two birds with one stone while you collect party treats or gift items from here. United Video New Lynn has a gigantic floor space which displays a huge and diverse range of videos. In an effort to capture the highly competitive video rental market, they've tailored some hard-to-beat deals to get you through the door. Like an everyday bargain of six movies for twenty bucks. One dollar DVDS on not just one weeknight but two, Tuesday and Thursday, and an under four dollar price for new release movies on the same one dollar nights. We have found a couple of times in the past that their DVDs don't work properly, which is a frustration on the night as you either have to make a mad dash back to the video store for a replacement or wait until the next time you go in to rectify the matter. Never a problem with replacements or refunds though and the staff are always keen to set the problem right.