Walked past here during a tour and circled back after the tour ended…read more Well laid out bookstore. Books are new condition but not necessarily new books. Prices are the same as the other bookstores. Didn't interact with staff and I browsed to see what they had. Love the large selection but prices a bit higher for me.

The best Bookstore in Brisbane !! If you want any book just ask the helpful staff will find it for…read moreyou !

"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.)

Clicking "Buy Now" on Amazon or Book Depository seems like the easiest way to have the latest best…read moreseller, adult colouring in book or animals giving high five thank you cards (yes, these are a thing and you can buy them at Mary Ryan's) in your hot little hands, but really, who wants to wait for them to arrive. We live in an age of instant gratification. And that, my friends, is what you get walking into Mary Ryan's in New Farm Village. Instant gratification from the well thought out books that line the shelves. Just the right mix of new, niche and even a grand selection for kids. As other Yelpers have noted, they know their target audience well with a brilliant range of travel, fashion, fiction and gift-items. Instant gratification that you can take your book home with you then and there. If you've timed your visit right you can then proceed to spend the afternoon, with a cup of tea, devouring your new book. Instant gratification that you've helped a local businesses. If we live in an era of instant gratification then this is the kind I want. Not the momentary rush of hitting "buy now" and waiting for it to arrive. Damon and his team have kept this little book shop humming when many haven't survived and I hope it stays that way.

It's pretty telling when a wee little chain like Mary Ryan's is still going strong when mega stores…read moresuch as Borders have closed. Mary Ryan's is really good at knowing their market. For instance the New Farm store is a great mix of food, travel, fiction and fantasy and I've ALWAYS found what I needed (or didn't quite know I needed but now need DESPERATELY) when I've visited. The staff are cool and very helpful, there's no judgement if you ask for the latest fantasy novel (we all have guilty secrets OK) and they now sell gourmet chocolates in store. Yes, gourmet chocolates. Way to buy my vote guys!

I am one of those people who have trouble turning the gas oven on,…read morelet alone being able to combine food stuffs to resemble a home cooked meal. ...Needless to say me and cookbooks don't get along. The ones I grew up with were always to damn smarmy for their own good. ("By now your Cherry Fondant should resemble MY photoshopped one on page 3.") Thankfully Scrumptious Reads is here to tempt me out of my food hibernation. This concept store in Southbank has already turned a few heads with its beautiful and unique shop display. The whole store is constructed with brown paper cups, but don't let the fragility fool you these shelves hold almighty tomes of foodie heaven. This is the perfect space to peruse all manner of cookbooks from Heston to Momofuku, the owner Julie is lovely and more than able to recommend the perfect book for any occasion. This concept store will last a while, but be sure to check them out before their move to more permanent Southbank lodgings.

What can I say? If you love to cook, love to browse, and love a good book then be prepared my…read morefriend....your credit card is about to start smoking! Scrumptious reads is a gorgeous little bookshop that specialises in all things food and booze related. I particularly loved their range of classics, well complemented by a range of cookbooks published from all around the world. There are books on food history, ingredients, cooking and cutting techniques, food cultures and spices. Hitting upon newly printed Elizabeth David classic hardbacks had my head spinning in delight.....how could I choose what to buy? Couple this range with foodie journals, books all things mixology & brewing, and food themed diaries, cards & nick nacks and it's easy to see how I almost needed a trolley on departure. Whilst you can surely find the books cheaper online what you don't get on the inter web is the awesome service, the ability to browse to your hearts content or someone prepared to hunt down that obscure book that you've been looking for forever. If you're a foodie in Brisbane you need to treat yourself and head over to scrumptious reads for an hour or too.....and don't forget to bring your wallet!

Strolling along Park Rd a friend and I came across this charming book store. The word charming is…read moremost often synonymous with smaller shops, but this respectably sized store somehow masters the concept while managing to offer plenty of merchandise. Meg Ryan would be proud. When you step inside you are greeted by shelves full of books of all genres, shapes and sizes, an internal coffee shop with a line of customers and a smattering of other bits and pieces such as quirky felt handbags and soft toys. We amused ourselves wandering about and picking up random books. We found some of the sections to be a bit oddly named - the 'recovery' section was full of diet books and the like, which struck us as a bit bizarre. There's a chance they were undergoing a bit of a restructure, but I didn't get that impression. I suppose someone in there just has a bit of a strange concept of dieting. Other than that, this is a great bookstore that I highly recommend.

My parent's live around Milton and we frequently meet up here for a coffee and a catch up every…read moremonth or so. It's promising to see that some of the local, Australian, book chains are still going strong. Especially in time where hard copy novel sales have been in a steady decline. This Mary Ryan's, as mention above also has a little coffee shop inside that serves a great drop, provides some yummy toasted sandwiches and moorish deserts. Perhaps it's because of its locality, every time in at Mary Ryan's there's a good crowd, milling amongst the shelves that contain a popular selection of genre fiction and non-fiction literature. There's also a section dedicated to magazines and newspapers. The Milton store has a ABC feel to it because it also sells a selection of DVDs and CD, that I would say is more for the adult contemporary listener rather than the youth market. I would also suggest that more than often the clients of Mary Ryan's Milton are of the baby boomers and beyond. Non-the-less, if you're going to meet up with your family, this is a pretty good place to do it. If you can go on a weekday afternoon, it's a little quieter and is almost like a library.

If you love the smell of books and the feel of a paperback in your hand this is the place for you…read more Books are piled everywhere all the time but the owner Wendy knows exactly where to find just about any book in stock. Staff is friendly and up for a chat about your favorite books and Authors. You can order a title in if it's not in stock, or, if you have a kazillion books at home already you can bring some in because its a new/used bookstore that does 50/50 credit. Don't let reading be a lost art. Go, take your kids, find a new author and enjoy this diamond in the rough.

The Really Good Book Shop (TRGBS) totally lives up to it's name. Part new books, part book…read moreexchange, I guarantee you will be overwhelmed by the selection on offer. If you are claustrophobic, TRGBS, is not for you. Books are strewn up and down the aisles and it can be very difficult to move around when busy. I am always scared of knocking some books and bringing the place crashing down.The store itself is located in a terrible position, making it tricky to get to. I had to do a lap round to get into the cramped car park. The real selling point of TRGBS for me is the very generous exchange system. The friendly staff will give you half of what they can sell the book for as credit to your account. When you make a purchase you pay for half in cash and can use your credit for the other half. I hope that makes sense. Unfortunately this does not apply for new books. If you are an avid reader, I highly recommend paying a visit to the TRGBS.

I'm a bit of a greenie and if you are too, this is your one stop shop. Raw cakes/slices and…read morebrownies are lined in the cabinets of this gorgeous vintage scene. It is very close to the bus station and the Mater Hospital. It is surrounded by competitors but still produces the best darn coffee you'll ever taste. Malaney Dairy is used in all of their coffee, served to you in a bio-degradable cup! All ice coffee's and raw unsweetended cacao are bottled by the staff themselves. Most treats are made by the lovely Toni and all salads are her own glorious creations. Keep your eye out in store for upcoming events. Various gigs are held throughout the year for a small door charge (approx $10) with a yummy $8 dinner. There are so many good things going for Clarence Corner Bookshop. It continues to grow and flourish through the journey of the owners. Go in and say hi.

When you walk into Clarence Corner Book Shop, you could be forgiven for thinking it sells new…read morebooks, not second-hand. This is how orderly and neat the place is. They do sell some new books, particularly in the children's section where there are more new than old, but for the most part, the books in here are used. The other thing that hits you upon entering the store is the smell. Sharing almost half its floor space with a cafe, the scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the store. When I was in there, around 9.30am, I struggled to get to some book shelves because there were so many people milling around, waiting for their takeaways. It's obviously a popular place to buy coffee at the Gabba. A desk near the front of the store seats a very helpful lady, ready to assist people in the bookshop side of things. Books did seem a little pricey there, but it's well-organised and you'll find what you're looking for without too much hassle.

Absolute best place for anything TCG or TTRPG I loved going…read morethere as a kid and miss it so much

Fast Break sells everything game related - not the computer kind but role-playing, table top, board…read moregames and trading card games. They host weekly gaming sessions varying from WoW Trading Card games, Magic The Gathering, Pokemon and Yugio. They also sell figurines and other collectables. Everything a true geek could ever wish for. Buffy, Dr Who, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and more. This shop is a Brisbane institution and has been around for years.