Melbourne Trip Away…

I have just returned from a trip down to Melbourne. It was my first time. I was with my mother and sister for the duration and together we criss-crossed the state searching high and low for new and exciting books…. oh, and we did a few other things like see the 12 Apostles and went on the Eureka Skydeck. But the best part of the whole trip, other than the chocolate and ice-cream factory, had to be going into new and different bookshops and seeing what they had.

First bookshop – Books for Cooks just outside of Queen Victoria Markets.

I had heard about this shop when I was watching a holiday program on television a long time ago and have never forgotten about it and since seeing it, I wanted to go. I seeked it out and headed straight to it. And my god what an amazing shop. You won’t find anything other than cooking books and the like, so don’t go in there looking for a romance or fiction novel. If you like cooking or anything about food, then you must seek out this book shop and it is in a great location because it is right beside the Queen Victoria Markets, a foodie galore. I brought one book – Playing with Fire by Gordon Ramsey.

Second bookshop – Readings Carlton and Readings Kids on Lygon Street.

This shop was recommended to me by a few of my online followers, so I wanted to check it out to see what all the fuss was about. From the Queen Victoria Markets, on foot, we set out to find the shop. Not knowing where it was exactly, it was further than imaginable. But we eventually got there, and there were two shops right beside each other. Winning. Walking into the first shop was like stepping back in time. There was every kind of book, to every kind of music and DVD within the four walls. The amount of stock and variety of stock was amazing. But then you cross the tiny street and you are into a new shop. The kids side and it is like walking into the future. There were so many kids and young adult books, it was like I had died and gone to heaven. Oh, and the shops are surrounded by great Italian shops and cafes that you could spend a whole day there without complaint. I brought one book – Wanderlost by Jen Malone.

 

Third bookshop – Dymocks Melbourne, smack bang in the middle of the city.

This shop was also recommended to me by my online followers, but it is kind of hard not to miss when you are in the city of Melbourne. It takes up a whole ground level. You must get on an escalator to get down to the books. It is amazing. I don’t know how long we were in there for, but it wasn’t long enough because I didn’t get to see everything in there. And what else was great about the shop was that it was full. Like I mean, can’t look at books, struggling to walk around the shop because of the amount of people in the shop and the purchase line was very long too. I love seeing bookshops full. I am going back for more in this shop one day. Oh, and there is a café in there too. My sister brought me four books – A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard, It’s Not Me It’s You by Stephanie Kate Strohm, Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini and The Witch’s Tears by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.

Fourth bookshop – Dymocks Chadstone, shopping centre.

Another great bookshop in Melbourne, Chadstone specifically. What a massive shopping centre that was. But I am glad I found it because I was able to find two bookshops in there. I didn’t buy a book in this shop though.

Fifth bookshop – Robinsons Bookshop, Chadstone shopping centre.

This independent and quirky bookshop put a pep in my step. It’s been a while since finding an independent bookshop. This one is special because not only did it have kids running the place, there is a comic book section, specialty section and even a blind date section in the shop. The bookshelves in the place are so nice, you know when you find great bookshelves, well this place was wall to wall with great looking, jealous worthy bookshelves and was filled to the brim. I’m going back for more one day. I got one book and one comic book – Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles and a Harley Quinn comic book.

Sixth bookshop – The Book Grocer, Bourke Street.

I found this shop by mistake when in Melbourne. I was looking for a comic book shop but found this one first. And there were sale signs and $10 book signs all over the front window and which book nerd out there can resist a book sale? I know I can’t. Well I walked in, lost my sister and mother and walked out empty handed.

Seventh bookshop (comic books) – All Star Comics, Melbourne.

If you like comic books, then you must come to this shop. It is massive, I mean to levels worthy of comic books lining the walls. It is divided up nicely so you can find exactly what you are looking for or just wander from bracket to bracket. There are even kid’s comic books in there too. Oh, and toys and figurines. I brought five comic books – all Green Arrow.

Eighth bookshop – Big W, Melbourne City.

A late-night trip allowed me to stroll into Big W late at night in the middle of the city. I found a great book section in there. It is much better than the Big W book section I have near home. I also found the last book of a trilogy I needed to compete the series. Thank god for Big W’s out there for last minute find. I brought one book – Fire Walker by Josephine Angelini.

8 book shops, with 1 comic book shop and two airport shops within 5 days has not only made me extremely happy and content, it has also messed up my TBR pile and has made it a lot bigger. Now I must work out which book I am going to read first. And I can’t buy any more books, for this month, at least.

Melbourne you were a blast, thanks for having me. Next time, there are many more different bookshops to check out. I can’t wait.

♥ GWAP.