QBD bookstores are survivors. Its great to see that in the decimation of book retailers this…read morelocally owned chain has been able to swim in though the torrents of the GFC and the digitisation of literature. It's a small store with a healthy selection of novels. It stocks generally popular fiction in most genres. The staff are really friendly and there are always sales going on and it's a place I visit when I'm at Chermside to see what new releases are in.

The best and worst thing you could ever give me is a Folio books voucher…read more I will be elated for days greedily thinking about all the books I have had my eye on, but when the time comes to pick the one book that gets to come home with me I start to panic. Will it be the limited edition Graphic Novel? the book on the history of Swiss Design? the vintage tattoo encyclopedia? the hilarious cat flip-up book?? Of course Folio books has such offerings and a whole load more. It's shelves are groaning with fat glossy art books on show and a large range of fiction to boot. to make matters worse for my wallet, I have recently discovered their online store (+ $9 postage anywhere in australia!) Goodbye money! Hello GREAT RAILWAY MAPS OF THE WORLD (Mark Ovenden, 2010)

If you walk near Albert Street or you're a QUT student, you'll no doubt have fallen across Folio…read moreBooks, but have you gone inside? This guy is just a place with wall-to-wall books on everything from design to art, fashion, food, photography, poetry, design, and just about every topic that's ever been written about. They also have a pretty sweet collection of fiction and some truly fantastic journals and diaries bound to look like antique books. So good. The trouble is picking a section in which to start browsing, because you get turned around and dazed with so many book and category choices. A kind of strange thing that stands out about Folio Books for me is that everything is shiny and new. I like a little bit of history to my books but this isn't an antique store, I must remind myself, so I shouldn't be too judgmental. This place has a ridiculously extensive range of books to delight and inspire.

It's hard to walk by a book store that has a 'Vampire' genre right next to their 'Sci fi' section…read more I understand that book publishers have oversaturated the market with vampire stories but it's playing into their hands when we acknowledge it's a genre. Next I would like to see a section specifically for books under the category 'Fallen angel with brooding werewolf best friend'. Once I got over my facetiousness, I did actually manage to find some good books in here. These books are cheap - there are some great hard cover kids books under $10. They may not stock as wide a range as Dymocks so you may be annoyed if you come in here for a specific book. In these situations, what I like to do is browse the shelves and pick any book based on its jacket description and the opening line of the story. It may not be the book you came in for but you may discover a new favourite book.

Yet another book store having what seems to be a neverending sale. It's hard to come to terms with…read morethe idea that people just don't buy books anymore. They download them instead. We've traded in the smell of books, the satisfying feeling of turning a fresh page, building libraries in our loungerooms, and lending our latest great read to friends all so we can experience tired, scratchy eyes caused from staring at a screen for too many hours at the wrong angle, the irritating repetition of scrolling down or clicking 'Next', and getting rid of our books. I will not conform to the future! Despite my obvious heartbreak over the demise of tangible literature, I do enjoy a good book sale. I don't believe the sale at Book Stars will ever end. The store is filled to the rim with books, and they are all at least half price. You can also get your hands on stuff that is vaguely related to books, like acrylic paint, photo frames, calendars and keyrings. It has the vibe of a $2 shop. They have your ever trendy orange penquin books on sale for $8.95 (I know, only a $1 off, but still!), and a killer range of recipe books. The stock doesn't look at all depleted as it should be with a sale of this scale on. If you're looking for a cheap book or gift, come here first. You'll find most of what you'd find at Dymocks or some other such store for at least half the price.

Spotted this used bookstore while on a tour, stopped by after the tour to take a look. They've…read moremanaged to pack in a lot of books in a small space. Books are in great to excellent condition condition. Prices are marked in pencil on the first white page. Most books are $10. Want a bargain? Look for the suitcase with $5 books. Staff is friendly and helpful. They take cash or card. I only had a small backpack with me so could only purchase one book but would have bought more if I had a bigger bag. Will come back next time I'm in town.

This was another one of those great second-hand bookshops that I accidentally stumbled across while…read moreout exploring. Actually, this place is pretty cool, and really does have that musty feel of second-hand books lining the walls. They have a pretty decent selection as well, though it can be a bit difficult for me to find a book that I am interested in these days. Still, it's a second-hand bookshop, so I'll be giving it points for that.

There are quite a few good secondhand bookstores in Brisbane, but this one, this one's something…read morespecial. Boswell's has an extraordinary wealth of books on seemingly endless subjects. They have most categories covered, from the Classics to English Literature, to Australiana, to Fantasy, spanning into all assortments of DIY manuals. The pricing is a little unpredictable, but generally agreeable. I went in there to find picture books, and came across this very old, worn, hard cover book on wildflowers. Every page was filled with beautiful, intricate illustrations and poetic little descriptions. It was a mere 75c. There were other books, newer books, of which they had several copies which would all have been around the $15- $30 price range. Who knows how that works, but it just does. I love the atmosphere. It's half chaotic bookstore/ half family lounge room. I had to happily negotiate footsteps with a few children tummy side down, lounging in between the corridors today. The shelves just ask to be rummaged through. The owner, a lovely older gentlemen, who for some reason reminds me something of David Attenborough completes the scene. I find it hard to leave this place empty handed. It's perfect for finding that great little book treasure you'd never even thought of before. Today I walked out with an illustrated dictionary of Birds of Paradise. Hooray!

I am a fan of bookshops, I even quite like chain bookshops, but most of all I love old bookshops…read more Bookshops like Boswell's that feel like they've grown organically over the years, where the comforting smell of old books has soaked into the walls, where you'll find odd stacks and get lost in strange turns in the shelves and where you know that your best friend is the person behind the counter as without them you may never find what you're looking for. Boswell's does a great line in second hand books, particularly hard to find titles, and they also have a sideline going in coins and other collectables. I must admit that coins don't really rock me, but I do enjoy peering through dusty glass display cases and there are often lovely little pieces of jewellery and curious trinkets to find and lust over. Boswell's will also buy boxes of your old books from you, at a lower rate of course however it's better than giving them away (or, horror of horrors, throwing them out). It also means that you will feel a little bit more justified when you buy that limited edition boxed set....

Great location in downtown and easy to find. Store is well laid out but selection of books seem…read morelimited. I wandered around for a bit and wasn't approached by any sales clerks. Unlike in the US where they have someone positioned in the front and others walking around the floor. Pricing seems on par for Australia but much higher than what we'd pay in the States. Found a few books I would have loved to buy but even with the favorable exchange rate I can't justify spending hard bank prices for a paperback.

The worm has turned. For years, Dymocks cowered in the shadow cast by the golden tome Borders. Who…read morewould have foreseen Dymocks rising from the ashes of their enemy's burial ground? (NB: I'm taking literary license here. In reality, Dymocks sprung up diagonally across the road.) The re-vamped Dymocks on Albert Street is pretty popular these days. There are always people browsing the new releases or specials near the door. On the second level, books are arranged in categories such as art, computer, cook books and gardening. They have an impressive variety of specialist books, though it's hardly surprising given their shop space. Also, keep your eye out for book signings. Admittedly, the last time I went, it was Ray Martin signing his latest book 'Ray Martin's Favourites' but some of my favourite authors are bound to show up eventually.

"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.)

If you are lucky enough to be taking a course at uni where the textbook never changes from year to…read moreyear, then Secondhand Texts & Stationary is definitely a place to check out. You will find it next to the famous UQ Lolly Shop. Be warned that the popular books will go fast so try and get in early if you can. You can also sell your old textbooks to the shop. Other than that, the Stationary section of this store is impressive. I love stationary. There is something about colour-coding my books, post-its and pens with each subject that makes me feel as though I will be more productive. Sadly this tends to all fall apart after one week or so, but still, I cannot resist the urge to buy copious amounts of stationary at the start of each semester and Secondhand Books & Stationary is a fine place to do this.

Gone are the days secondhand was daggy. This spankingly great looking secondhand textbook shop is…read morewhat all secondhand shops should aspire to. Located in the Union complex of The University of Queensland, this place is the hub where students buy and sell old textbooks. You never have to buy new again... the books are in pretty good condition here and have obviously been well looked after... may be a condition of selling books to them I guess. Either way, it's a great place and should be your (yes i'm looking and pointing my firm finger at you the new UQ student) first point of call when you get your textbook list after you enrol for your courses online. It will save you or your parents money and you can also pick up all your stationary there at a reasonable price. Worth a check out if you're looking for specific texts in particular to subjects at university or you might get lucky with the other stuff.