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.

What do you buy for the person who has everything? Something fun, interesting or ridiculous;…read moresomething they've never seen before. Hard To Find Bookstore is the place to go for the person who has everything - spend enough time in amongst the weird little nooks and crannies and you're bound to find something for that awkward person who requires a gift. Ohe of my most lovely memories of Hard To Find Bookstore was a Christmas morning, when the small family of academics I was sharing breakfast with handed out presents. All three of them had bought each other gifts from Hard To Find, and all were so appreciative of their gifts. Some of the books still had their HTF price tags pencilled inside but nobody cared - gift-giving isn't always about how much it costs, but how much it means. And to these bookworms, the gifts were priceless.

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.

I first stepped through Chapter's door about two years back when the weather was really bad and I…read morehad a 30 wait for the bus, it seemed like a good time to try it out. I think I was the youngest in there by 30 years that day but tea is not just for old people. I also didn't let the romance novels put me off, I had my own reading material anyway. Chapter is little but the shelves are crammed with an incredible range of teas, I had mango paradise, often I go for Granny's Garden, I like the fruity ones. Down the back of the store is all the tea paraphernalia, if you're serious about your tea drinking and want all the right tea gear, you'll find it here. A nice little shop/cafe and the lady who owns it is really nice, Chapter is a pleasurable place to sit over a pot of tea and the black board outside often has funny tea related quotes which is a nice touch.

Amazing experience! I live in the USA but was told I could order signed Nalini Singh books from…read morethem. I reached out to Frances who was more than happy to help me out! I was able to order 4 signed and personalized books for my sister with shipping to the USA. It made my sister so happy to get signed books from an author she's been a long time fan of and Frances was incredible and so friendly throughout the entire process!

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.

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.

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.

I love giving books as presents and Novel is definitely top the list when a gift-giving occasion…read morerolls around. It's been on Jervois Road for what seems like forever and has the most wonderful range of glossy coffee table books. Of course, they stock fiction too and in my experience have always been happy to make recommendations if you get stuck. I know kindles are supposedly cool these days but for me, you can beat a good ol' fashioned paperback! If you're lucky you may even run into the store dog - a wee Sheltie. He's not the friendliest of pups but I reckon that adds to his charm!

Novel is a good place to extend your reading repertoire - the owner is very knowledgeable about…read moregood reads especially if you want to vary from the usual David Baldacchi or Lee Child offering. In addition there is a very wide range of "coffee table" books that will satisfy ones craving for the best in interior design, fashion, music or Photography. A definite must for the bookophile (if that's a word!)

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!