Melbourne's five top bookshops

MICHELLE CHENG

Nerds! Book Worms! Cat Lovers! While Kindles and e-readers are gradually growing in popularity, I still can’t resist the page turning allure of a good old fashioned book. So feast your eyes on this round up of Melbourne’s finest book purveyors:

1.       The Paperback Bookshop (60 Bourke St, next to Pellegrini’s, http://paperbackbooks.com.au/)

Replete with sexy, bespectacled staffers, The Paperback Bookshop is a little hole in the wall which is open until 11:30 pm on Fridays on Saturdays, making it a great place to browse before meeting friends for weekend drinks across the road.

Feature Book: ‘Foreign Soil’ by Maxine Beneba Clarke

2.       Embiggen Books (197-203 Little Lonsdale St, http://www.embiggenbooks.com/)

The floor to ceiling mahogany bookcases of Embiggen Books immediately bring to mind a vast eighteenth century library. The selection of books is tightly curated, with a strong collection of tomes which span from philosophy, history and the natural sciences. Sadly, this store is closing at the end of the year, which I hope is not a sign of things to come for the paper publishing industry.

Featured Book: ‘The Idea of Justice’ by Amartya Sen

3.       Hill of Content (86  Bourke St, Melbourne, http://www.hillofcontentbookshop.com/)

Hill of Content is fronted by a huge, gorgeous window display of EVERY BOOK IN THE WORLD. Featuring a range of international and local content, they even stock the work of self-published authors out of Melbourne.

Featured Book: ‘Future Proofing Australia’ by Senator Brett Mason and Daniel Wood 

4.       Hares & Hyenas (63 Johnston St, Fitzroy, http://www.hares-hyenas.com.au/)

Specialising in Queer books, magazines, entertainment and ticket sales, Hares and Hyenas also runs a bunch of readings and events.

Featured Book: ‘Beyond Priscilla: One Gay Man, One Gay Truck, One Big Idea’ by Daniel Witthaus

5.       Metropolis (Level 3, Curtin House, 252 Swanston St, http://metropolisbookshop.com.au/)

You’ll have to work dem glutes to climb up to the third floor, but it’s well worth the climb to check out Metropolis’ selection of large format art, fashion and photography works. There’s a great selection of vintage postcards and fiction. Plus, you can enjoy your purchases over a drink at the Rooftop bar, a couple of stories up.

Featured Book: ‘Be In a Treehouse’ by Pete Nelson