Canberra bookshops we love

Posted on 14 March, 2020

Awful weather this weekend? It’s the perfect time to catch up on some reading.

Here are some of our favourite independent bookstores where you can do just that.

Note: Hours may have changed because of current COVID-related restrictions.

Check websites or call ahead before visiting, and make sure to practice social distancing when you do. 

Book Lore

Before you grab a bite to eat at Tilley’s Café, take a wander through the aisles of Book Lore and collect a second-hand bargain to ponder whilst you eat. Hours could be spent scouring shelves of their vast collection of locally sourced fiction and non-fiction books, arranged in categories ranging from art, music, science fiction, plants and arctic regions. They have pretty much everything.

Open 10 am—5.30 pm daily at 94 Wattle Street, Lyneham | facebook.com/booklorelyneham

Book Lovers Lane

Open Thursdays to Sundays, Lifeline Canberra’s Book Lovers Lane is a way for fans of the Book Fair to get their fix in a COVID-safe way, with stock rotated weekly to make sure there are fresh offerings every single weekend. Plus it’s a great way to support a vital local service. Read more about it here.

Open 10 am—4 pm Thursday and Friday, and 9 am—4 pm Saturday and Sunday inside Fyshwick Markets’ Niche Markets, 36 Mildura Street, Fyshwick | fyshwickmarkets.com.au/book-lovers-lane

Book Passion

Book Passion’s eclectic mix of titles spans a wealth of genres—fiction, non-fiction and children’s. All books are hand-selected with a focus on remaindered books, which means you can pick up a real bargain! A must-do distraction while doing the weekly groceries, or worth a trip itself!

Open 9 am – 5:30 pm Wednesday – Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm Sunday | Belconnen Fresh Food Markets, 1 Lathlain Street, Belconnen | bookpassion.com.au

Canty’s Bookshop

Canty’s Bookshop is a Canberra institution. Owned by Luke Canty, and established by his parents before him in 1992, the second-hand bookshop is said to be one of the best in Canberra and amongst the best in the country. A trip to Canty’s will yield something for everyone with their broad variety of fiction and non-fiction.

Open 10.30 am—5 pm daily | 4/59-61 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick | cantysbookshopfyshwick.com

The Curatoreum

The Curatoreum are a pair of independent book and gift stores located at the National Portrait Gallery and National Arboretum. A visit to one of their stores is the perfect way to finish a trip to either of these national institutions. With over 19,000 titles online and in-store, The Curatoreum is an institution in and of itself, as well as the greatest place to brush up on all things art, botany, design and photography.

Open 10 am—4 pm daily at King Edward Terrace, National Portrait Gallery and the National Arboretum | thecuratoreum.com

Down Memory Lane

Down Memory Lane in Fyshwick is a one-stop-shop for any local hipster into vintage books alongside jewellery, furniture and collectables. Specialising in rare books, you’re in for a journey through vintage books, magazines and journals. Finding these books amongst the emporium of vintage pieces is a little tricky but worth the browse.

Open Wednesday to Sunday 10 am—4.30 pm at 34 Geelong Street, Fyshwick | downmemorylane.net.au

Harry Hartog

Utterly charming, Harry Hartog’s bookshops are a booklover’s delight. The Westfield Woden store offers cosy respite from the retail bustle, while lovers of the palette of charcoal and wood will be overjoyed at the Brooklyn loft-style expanse of the independent bookseller’s newly-opened ANU space. With miles of new books, gifts and an entire upstairs level of second-hand volumes (as well as cosy nooks for reading and writing), it’s well worth the trip to campus.

Woden store: Open 9 am—5:30 pm Monday to Thursday, 9 am—9 pm Friday, 9 am—5 pm Saturday, 10 am—4 pm Sunday | Westfield Woden, Keltie Street, Woden | harryhartog.com.au

ANU store: Open 9 am—5.30 pm Monday to Friday, 10 am—5 pm Saturday, 11 am—4 pm Sunday at Kambri, ANU (drive to Kingsley Street in Acton and then follow the signs to Kambri’s underground parking) | harryhartog.com.au

Muse Canberra

Muse Canberra is a local hub for all things food, wine and books. It’s a meeting place for intellectuals, artists and wine-lovers alike, as a venue for conversation, ideas and indulgence, both literary and epicurean. It hosts a collection of new books in the sophisticated setting and is an ideal spot to socialise or just sit and read.

Open 6.30 am—10 pm weekdays, 7 am—10 pm Saturdays and 7 am—12 pm Sundays at 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston. musecanberra.com.au

National Library of Australia Bookshop

As the nation’s specialist Australian bookshop, the National Library of Australia (NLA) bookshop stocks an amazing range of Australian fiction, non-fiction and children’s literature titles, including the complete range of books produced by NLA Publishing. It also boasts a selection of gifts and merchandise sourced both locally and interstate, featuring the work of a range of Australian Artists.

Open daily from 9 am—5 pm except Good Friday and Christmas Day | National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Parkes | bookshop.nla.gov.au

Paperchain Bookstore

Paperchain Bookstore in Manuka is a sure bet for new and popular books, stocked with all the latest releases. If you get a little lost amongst the brilliant collection of old classics and new favourites, the friendly expert staff will guide you in the right direction or to an exciting new read.

Open 9 am—8 pm Sunday to Thursday, 9 am—9 pm Friday and Saturday at 34 Franklin Street, Manuka | paperchainbookstore.com.au

Robinsons Bookshop

This gorgeous little shop in Canberra Centre’s Monaro Mall is sure to entice book lovers of all ages. The warm, timber-clad interior is lined with fascinating titles—including children’s books to fiction and non-fiction titles—and it’s easy to get lost in your explorations. Next time you’re engaging in some retail therapy, be sure to stop in—chances are you’ll go home with at least one book.

Open 9 am—5:30 pm Monday to Thursday, 9 am—9 pm Friday, 9 am–5 pm Saturday, 10 am —4 pm Sunday | Canberra Centre, Bunda Street, Canberra City | robinsonsbooks.com.au

Feature image of Paperchain Bookstore by Hayley Jenkins.