Best Book Shops
Booktopia
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Terrible service. Receive email saying order placed then two weeks later find out it’s cancelled. Appalling service.
Magshop 🏆 2026
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Easy and straightforward when renewing my subscription for the Australian Women's Weekly..
Angus & Robertson
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DON'T BUY FROM THEM - They're a disaster now. I don't know what's happened to them, but my last two orders have been a complete mess. And thinking… Read more
about it, previous orders weren't great either so service had been deteriorating for a while. My Christmas order didn't arrive in time for Christmas despite being ordered on 11 December and being mostly "in stock ships in 1-2 days". There was almost no communication about it, and when it did come the books came in separate packages days apart well into January. I should have learned my lesson then, but I thought benefit of the doubt, maybe it was a Christmas post or staffing issue. Sadly no, I ordered books on 25 February all "in stock ships in 1-2 days". I didn't get a confirmation email even though the money went through. It took them two days to reply to my message asking if the order had gone through (which it had) and TWO WEEKS LATER THEY HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN POSTED YET. They sent me a tracking number, but it's only been created, Australia Post hasn't received anything. No communication on reasons for the delay or updates. The website isn't accurate, they don't have stock, no one communicates.
Hi Sarah, Thank you for providing your… Read more (+2 replies)
isubscribe
I purchased a subscription to T: The New York Times Style Magazine in January. Unfortunately it has been removed from their offerings. After lodging a complaint, I received a full refund.
Campion Education
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I'm thankful my child's booklist is all catered for by Campion. They have reasonable prices and provide prompt delivery.
Fontaine Publishing Group
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Contacted Jason at Vivid Publishing regarding the publication of my first book and the process was seamless. Jason was very helpful and took the… Read more
complexity out of publishing a book. The options he gave me were great and very cost effective. I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was. Can thoroughly recommend team at Vivid Publishing.
World of Books (Wob)
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Don’t buy road maps from these people! I purchased 2 Italian road maps for a trip this month and they arrived, well used and shabby but also 20 years out of date. Useless!
Dymocks
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I emailed the store, given there was no phone number and knowing the store had the book we wanted gabrielle, put it aside and we collected this morning Very efficient all round but the store website needs to alter the phone number.
Brotherhood Books
Today I received a book collection I so wanted( to give to my great granddaughter ) I was blown away at the promptness, price and the excellent set of books. THANK YOU!!
StoryGifter
Son loved it and it was great quality, Have purchased multiple different gifts from this store and all have been great/high Quality.
Bionic Book Subscription
Such a beautiful subscription service! Loved been able to come home to a new book and not spend hours in the store trying to pick a new one to try.
Connor Court Publishing
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I get all my law books from Connor Court. Great prices and great value. Can take up to two weeks for delivery, but books are carefully wrapped and safely package. Quality service.
The Book Grocer
Delivery time was good, however, I was very dismayed and not at all happy when I picked up the order from the local LPO to find that the cardboard… Read more
package was not sealed at either end and that one of the two books ordered was falling out of one of the open ends. I'm assuming this was what caused damage to the base of the dust jacket of one of the books as the DJ was scrunched up and torn. The books were otherwise in good/reaonable condition for their age, (pub. 1990). One had a tight binding. the other evidence more usage. Would not chance buying a rare book from The Book Grocer.
Abbey's Bookshop
Disgraceful service I ordered a book after confirming with them it was available in Australia only to be told 2 weeks later they had not ordered it… Read more
and will now have to come from the supplier overseas , then after chasing 4 weeks later given a different excuse that the supplier shipped it but they cannot find where it is ? Obviously honesty is not part of their business buyer beware I will never buy off them again no wonder Amazon do so well Abby’s is joke really disappointing
Koorong
I am a Christian and follower of Christ. Today I went into Koorong Warners Bay. I was in there for at least 30 minutes. There were 2 workers in… Read more
store as far as I could see. A Manager who was talking with a man about how to get maximum profit from something and a girl who was humming along to worship when I checked out without interaction. WHAT HAS HAPPENNED TO KOORONG!!!!! I checked out with the older lady not even looking up and acknowledging me all the whilst while the young one was checking me out asking her about stickers etc. I spent $140!!! WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
I am always astounded to see that you allow Colin to show the disgusting state of his oven. It’s just disgusting!
Kinokuniya
I asked if they would open preorders for a limited edition boxset (Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, go read it) and they emailed twice to say yes,… Read more
soon, and then another email to notify me on the day it actually appeared on their site. They answered all of my emails within 24 hours with accurate information and dates. The boxset was published in America but it arrived at Kino after a mere week. It took only two days for them to sort through inventory and ready it for dispatch, and a day and a bit for AusPost to deliver it interstate. Efficient!
The packaging was very good: a sturdy box, and my bubble-wrapped boxset nestled in packing paper. There was another layer of bubble wrap on the top + a piece of cardboard. Not a scratch or dent on my precious.
Their prices are higher than competition. When I factored in shipping though, it turned out about the same. Kino has free shipping for orders over $50, so I recommend bulk-buying to take advantage of it. If you regularly buy books, their membership gives a discount and they have sales for members on top of that as well.
Readings.com.au
Bought a book today at Brunswick St bookstore Very happy experience Didn’t have second book I was after Went on to Readings Carlton Very different… Read more
experience Store not busy Woman behind counter told me quite rudely to get in a line There wasn’t one Belatedly said she could then serve me I didn’t purchase the book Many good experiences Dymocks and other outlets Very unsatisfactory Readings not the first time I’ve seen arrogance and rudeness
QBD
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Would be zero starts if I could. They use TGE. As soon as I realised, I contacted them to cancel the order which I was told had been done. The… Read more
following day they said nope, sent it anyway. I have not received my parcel, TGE doesn't know where it is and QBD are doing nothing to help. They do not care about customers once they have your money
Boomerang Books
Ordered books, they never came – I have waited 3 weeks for books that were “in stock” and were supposed to arrive within 7-10 days. When I looked up my order on the website, it… Read more
showed that my order was “awaiting stock”… However when I checked whether the books were still on sale in their store, the sales page shows the books as being “in stock” and that they would take 7-10 days to get to my location.
I have had no communication from Boomerang books regarding this, so I have asked for my money back…
Biblio.com
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Will never use this company again, after I placed the order they asked for another 50$ US for extra shipping charges, I cancelled the order.
Almia
We made an Almia book for our 2.5 year old daughter, Mia, and she LOVED it! And so did we! When she saw herself on the book, wearing her favourite… Read more
dress and all, she gave this great big smile =D The story captured her personality so well, energetic, outgoing, loves dancing.. it even portrayed her teaching a little 'turtle' friend how to dance, and Mia danced along to it while reading the book haha. Would 100% recommend this as a gift to be read with your own kids, or as a gift to grandparents!
Bad customer service – I am shocked by the lack of customer service skills and care by the owner of Collins Book Store in Bunbury, very negative, cold sarcastic and rude… Read more
style of communicating took me by surprise. Clearly not looking to make any money. Suspecting he is on the spectrum I guess I am looking for a possibility his brain is wired differently therefore his behavior can be understood.
Harry Hartog
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Received a Harry Hartog Subscription for Christmas and absolutely loved it. The books were incredible, so well chosen, and so thoughtful, interesting… Read more
and meaningful. The books were beautifully wrapped with lovely cards and they gave us an extra book for free! Would definitely recommend, great gift and a lovely store.
Berkelouw Books
Best place to find a new or second hand book – We love going to the Paddington or Hornsby store. We love finding new books and we often find ourselves coming home with a new file of books. They have such a great range and the staff are always friendly.
Audible
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They’ve changed their subscription model so the Standard plan no longer provides monthly credits. Instead, you’re expected to choose a title each… Read more
month, and as soon as you cancel your subscription, you lose access to your library. Previously, you received a monthly credit, used it to purchase a book, and kept that book permanently.
I’ve been paying for the past three months, wondering why no credits were appearing in my account, only to discover they’d fundamentally changed the service. This feels like a deliberate downgrade in value for subscribers.
What was once a great app has become a money-grab. Long-term customers are paying the same while receiving significantly less, and the changes haven’t been communicated clearly enough.
BookLoop
Wow! Is this company for real I ordered and paid for a book over five weeks ago and have not had an update from them since the day I ordered despite… Read more
trying to contact them via their website site weekly. They just refuse to answer and are not contactable by phone. DO NOT order anything from. Book loop as they are a scam.
AbeBooks.com
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Sick and tired of ordering books through Abe only to be hit with extra shipping costs on top of ship costs already quoted. IF QUOTED A PRICE,IT… Read more
SHOULD BE BINDING. ABE SHOULD PAY THE DIFFERENCE IF WRONG. Also, there STILL is no option to pay via PayPal. Finally, you can't do reviews on bookseller performance like with ebay. Some are 10/10 but others are not so good.
That's Life!
No delivery received this week issue 19 Told it won't some next week 11th or 12th which means I am missing out on a week of both magazines. Not good enough. I am a subscriber of Take 5 & That's Life.
Country Style
I really like this magazine and decided to get a subscription because of the offer of a bonus pudding from Pudding Lane to take an up front… Read more
subscription. The transaction online was easy enough but was not specific about special codes to enter for the free pudding and I therefore missed out on this free pudding. Not that the pudding was that important, I was looking forward to it. It is about the lack of key information and perhaps a bit of ‘smoke and mirrors type fine print’. Be careful!
Online vs physical book shops
Visiting a book shop
Benefits of physical book shops
There are plenty of benefits of buying in-store if you value a positive customer experience, interacting with knowledgeable bibliophiles in the form of well-read staff, and being able to read the blurb and flick through the pages before placing your new book over the counter.
As a point of note, not all book retailers operate either solely online or in-store. For example, Dymocks and Collins bookshops allow you to buy online, if you prefer.
Buying books online
Benefits of online book stores
There are a growing number of online book retailers, both within the country and operating overseas and shipping to Australia. A few popular online bookshops include Booktopia, rated the number one bookshop on ProductReview.com.au, and Book Depository, based in the UK.
In a nutshell, online bookstores are usually cheaper than physical book shops. They can afford to be more competitive because they don’t have to factor in added costs like rent, utilities and staff wages.
If finding cheap books is what you prioritise, then buying online is probably the way to go. Just keep in mind that there's often a standard shipping rate. To ensure that the amount of money you save on cheaper books isn't cancelled out by paying delivery fees, it can help to order several books at a time.
Is it bad to buy books online?
Some background
A number of physical book stores have closed in recent years, because they simply cannot compete with online bookshops. In Sydney this includes the kids bookstore the Children’s Bookshop in Beecroft, Pages & Pages in Mosman and Lindfield Bookshop & Children’s Bookshop. Unfortunately, from a business perspective it’s cheaper to run an online store compared to a physical one.
The emergence and ongoing success of online bookstores can be a tricky subject for book lovers - especially the owners and staff of physical book shops.
Increasingly tough retail conditions and the fact that physical stores are continually losing customers to online book stores is a sore point. Sometimes readers step into a physical bookshop to browse the titles, then go back home to order their selections online. This behaviour is sometimes known as 'showrooming.'
The outcome
For some readers, the phenomenon in recent years of book store closures makes them loyal to only buying from brick and mortar book stores. For others, the book retailer that can offer the lowest price will always get their book money. Ultimately, this depends on you and your personal preference, as buying from a physical book store or online book shop is neither inherently good nor bad - it depends on a number of variables.
In one instance, you may need to buy a last minute birthday gift for a friend. You have the perfect book in mind - but need to buy it and wrap it before their birthday party at the end of the day. In this case, a physical book store is going to be the only type of store that can help you.
Or perhaps you'd rather shop in-store, but your local bookstore doesn't have particularly helpful or friendly customer service (it can happen!) In this case, you may feel absolutely no ethical obligation to support that book store instead of buying your books online. It really depends on the situation.
Interestingly, some book stores have adapted to changing consumer trends by switching to becoming solely online due to the increased financial viability. An example is Angus & Robertson, which became an online book shop in 2011 after 125 years of physical bookselling.
Chain bookstores vs Independent bookstores
Chain bookstores
Chain bookstores are usually large companies. They have a recognisable brand name that shows up in several locations throughout Australia. They are usually Australian bookshops, but some have their base overseas, such as Kinokuniya, based in Japan.
Some chain bookstores are franchise-operated, such as Dymocks, while others are company owned, such as QBD The Bookshop.
Independent bookshops
Independent bookstores are standalone bookstores. They’re one-of-a-kind bookshops that aren’t controlled by a larger corporate structure, and are usually locally owned.
They’re often full of quirk and character. When you think of an independent bookshop, you might picture a bookseller with a calm smile and hipster glasses who reads Kafka, and casually impresses with their encyclopaedic knowledge of relatively unknown books.
The books you find in an independent bookstore often embrace diversity - culturally, linguistically, and historically. Catering to more than just mainstream likes, they're good for sourcing niche books for readers with specific interests.
Comparing the two - The similarities
While it’s likely that you’ve heard bibliophiles speaking passionately about the value of independent bookstores, both chain bookstores and independent bookshops have their merit.
It’s important and only fair to note that many chain bookstores are franchises, and so locally owned and often family-owned, too. Provided they're well managed, these chain bookstores are just as likely to be the favourite literary watering hole of locals as an independent bookshop is.
Both independent bookshops and chain bookstore are places where you can engage in the fun activity of browsing books. Whether it’s the calm, quiet atmosphere or the ability to flick through the pages at your leisure, for book lovers there's something undeniably magical about holding a potential new book in your hands and getting to know it.
Comparing the two - The differences
| Criteria | Independent bookstores | Chain bookstores |
| Range of books | Unique and extensive range of books beyond the bestsellers and new releases list . Can often have books on niche topics. | Mainly have titles from major publishers, but can special order books into the store at customer’s request |
| Authors stocked | Often buy from ‘indie’ or self-published authors, and smaller publishing houses | Sometimes buy from indie authors, at the store’s discretion |
| Feel-good factor | Help local economy as they’re often locally-owned small businesses | Also help the local economy when individual stores are franchises. Many are also family-owned businesses. |
| Community events | Often have plenty of community events, including: book signings, book clubs, poetry readings, reading groups, and storytime events for kids | Also have community events, but may not be as extensive as independent bookstores. Author talks and book signings can be common. |
| Store appearance | One-of-a-kind in terms of shop set-up, display, and stock selection | More consistent experience across stores, including consistent branding and storefront appearance. |
Is it better to buy new or used books?
Range of books
Buying second hand books can be a thrilling experience. When you walk into a second-hand book store, the element of surprise is high. It’s hard to predict what little gems you may find.
A used book store will have a higher number of older books than new book shops, which is more likely to stock older books if their popularity is ongoing. Second-hand book stores also have a wider selection of books that are no longer in print.
On the flipside, the cataloguing system in used book shops is not always as accurate as you’d find in a shop selling new books. Their shelving system may also be a little more chaotic than the orderly rows you'd encounter in a chain book store. As a result, if you’re looking for a specific title, it may be trickier to track down inside a second-hand bookshop.
Price
While used books are often cheaper than new books, this isn’t always the case.
There are certain independent bookshops that are entirely second-hand, but the sticker price on many of the books might surprise you. Perhaps it’s because the book is rarer, but high prices can be the norm, even on popular titles from major publishing houses.
Condition of books
It goes without saying that used books are pre-loved, so they won’t come in the pristine condition that new books are sold in. Sometimes a bit of age adds character to a book, and at the end of the day the contents inside are the same as if the book was brand new.
Environmentally friendliness
When you buy second-hand books, you’re essentially recycling a book. This doesn’t generate demand for new products, which saves paper as well as the energy associated with printing new books.
Do bookstores only sell books?
Some bookstores don’t just sell books, and their range expands into other merchandise. Most commonly, this includes audiobook CDs, novelty gifts, stationery and even sheet music. Kinokuniya is also known for being a manga and comic book store.
Wrapping up
Overall, where you choose to buy your books boils down to personal preference. Whether you buy new books or used books either in-store or online turns on what you prioritise most on your book buying journey.
These priorities can include: a low price, personable customer service, convenience, having a wide range of books to choose from, having your books available to read instantly, and having a sense of community with fellow book lovers.
Hi there, Thanks for taking the time to share your… Read more