Make sure you support your favourite independent bookstore this Love Your Bookshop Day on the Saturday 8 October – read on to see our top local bookshop recommendations on and around the Gold Coast.
Bookstores are more than just brick and mortar – they are filled to the brim with information and the possibility of magic. While chains like Dymocks or Books Etc are great for getting the latest titles, there is simply something unparalleled in the experience independent bookstores provide. Not to mention second-hand or used bookshops!
The smells, the quiet, the palpable possibility – all of this combined within a space that encourages getting lost, and you’ve got yourself the perfect afternoon.
The advent of online book delivery services and an increasing amount of book subscription boxes means that this experience is lost for many. Love Your Bookshop Day is an annual celebration of everything local bookshops do from fostering expert staff and curating fabulous ranges, creating events, to celebrating authors, readers, and the books we all cherish. This Saturday 8 October, we are encouraging you to support your favourite local indie bookstores by buying their titles, asking for their recommendations, subscribing to their newsletters, or following their social media accounts.
Follow your heart to your local bookstore and join us in advocating for the power of words!
Here are our favourite local bookstores on the Gold Coast
Book Face
Book Face is the only independent bookstore on the Gold Coast that isn’t second-hand – therefore, it probably needs no introduction. But in case you haven’t been, it’s an atmospheric indie store selling everything from classics to new releases and specialised titles, as well as bookish gifts and other endearing, local products. Located in Pacific Fair shopping centre, it’s even got a cafe to enjoy your freshly bought books with a side of caffeine. There is truly something for everyone here!
Address: Pacific Fair Shopping Centre Shop 1622 Cnr Sunshine and, Hooker Blvd, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Bundle O’ Books
This quaint little second-hand bookstore is tucked away between Rockleigh Cafe and Lucky’s Estate Jewellery on Griffith Street in Coolangatta. You are bound to find some hidden gems on the shelves – the experience made all the more endearing by the fact that it’s all run on paper by the loveliest staff! If you want to try something new, then this spot is for you. Grab a book and head down to the beach – it doesn’t get much better than that.
TOP TIP: Bundle O’ Books takes cash only, so make sure you head in prepared!
Address: 116 Griffith St, Coolangatta QLD 4225
Big B Books
Big B Books in Burleigh brings beautiful bounties – in the form of second-hand books! It is an independent, new and used book exchange that has been operating in Burleigh Heads since the late 1970s. Pretty impressive if you ask us! With a carefully curated range of books, you are sure to find a worthy companion for a Burleigh brunch.
Address: Big 'B' Arcade, 16/50 James St, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220
Here are our favourite local bookstores around the Gold Coast
Bin Chicken Books
Bin Chicken Books was started by Sophia as an environmentally conscious, virtual second-hand business, but it quickly outgrew its original webpage and developed into a beautiful store in New Farm, Brisbane. Its selection focuses on intersectional, diverse children's and adult literature from Australia and across the globe.
As the website states: “We firmly believe that One Chook’s Trash is Another Chook’s Treasure. We want to save as many books as we can from landfill and make reading excellent literature accessible for everyone.” Sign us up!
Address: Shop A/701 Brunswick St, New Farm QLD 4005
Avid Reader
Award winning bookstore Avid Reader opened in 1997 in Brisbane and has been providing exceptional new titles both in fiction and non-fiction ever since. Currently located in West End, it’s the perfect spot to spend hours perusing a great selection of titles, or to score the newest releases hot off the press.
Avid Reader was named Australian Bookshop of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards last year, and we have every confidence that you won’t regret visiting.
Address: 193 Boundary St, West End QLD 4101
Boardwalk Books
Boardwalk Books is a well-loved Kingscliff institution filled to the brim with a wide selection of adult, YA, and children’s titles. Passionate about books, Boardwalk Books’ staff promise to track down and order anything not found within their store, making a visit all the more worthwhile! Located in charming Kingscliff in northern NSW, this store welcomes all lovers of literature to come and explore their unique range of books.
Address: 88 Marine Parade, Kingscliff NSW 2487
