Bookshop Crawl (Adelaide City edition, Day 2)

One day is not enough for a bookshop crawl in Adelaide City. On this second day (check here for the first day, in case you've missed it), I’m starting at the city’s famous Central Market. I’ll more than likely get distracted with the bread, cheeses, sausages, sweets, fruits, and vegetables but I need to remind myself again that I’m on a mission!

I’ll give myself 30 minutes of wander and then go to see Barry at Central Market Books. Barry and I like talking about books we’re reading, and this has made me return to work late not a few times.  

Central Market Books

Adelaide Central Market, H1 (Eastern Roadway opposite Standom Smallgoods

Adelaide, SA 5000

https://adelaidecentralmarket.com.au/traders/central-market-books/

While there are several scrumptious options for lunch at the Central Market, I’ll have to head to Waymouth Street to check on Booknook & Bean. The café has a small collection of secondhand books that you can take home and an Honesty Box where you can put in a donation. Funds go to an organisation which offers micro loans in developing countries to help alleviate poverty. Now you know why you must absolutely drop in here.

 

Booknook and Bean

Topham Mall 18, 52-54 Waymouth Street

Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.facebook.com/booknookandbean

 

I’ll meander next to Imprints, a jewel of a bookshop in Hindley Street. A few months ago, buzz has gone around that the owners of the store, after 40 years, have decided to place the store on the market. If you're interested in owning a fully operational bookshop as you don't have the time to build one from scratch, this could be your opportunity!

Imprints

107 Hindley Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

https://imprints.com.au/

 

Then off to O’Connell’s Bookshop, a sprawling secondhand bookshop. This shop used to be in Hindley Street when I first started dropping by in 2009, enthralled with Graham Greene. The bookshop has since moved a little further down to Bank Street. There was a point I was going crazy because I couldn’t get my Masters of Rome by Colleen McCullough collection in a uniform size. Today, I love gazing at my complete hardbound set, many thanks to Ben. Established in 1957, I will say with absolute certainty that you will not leave this bookshop emptyhanded.

O’Connell’s Bookshop

19 Bank Street (14b Station Arcade), Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.abebooks.com/oconnells-bookshop-adelaide/1403738/sf

The last bookstore for this bookshop crawl will be Page &Turner at the Myer Center. It also sells entertainment media. The bookshop is sectioned so it caters to readers of varied interests. My favourite spot is the children’s section with comfortable seating. The Enid Blytons transport me to a time when I put up a Secret Seven group with pals in fourth grade. I made badges and had members memorise a password. While I remember the top-secret password (commander-in-chief-private-first-class-sergeant-billy-goat-legs), I cannot recall now from which book I picked up that clause. These days, me and my son’s favourite password is, “marcus-vipsanius-agrippa”. Mark closes late on Fridays so this may be a good day to schedule your second book crawl day.

Page & Turner

Level 2, Myer Centre, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.pageandturner.com.au/page-and-turner-adelaide-secondhand-bookshop/

I’ll celebrate the end of the two-day Adelaide City bookshop crawl with a toast at the Bibliotheca Bar and Book Exchange (by this time, I am hoping friends have joined me along the way). It’s got books, book-themed cocktails, and the ambience is pitch-perfect for book afficionados. And I this I must say: I’m not a big fan of toasties, but Bibliotheca’s toasties have made me a convert.

 

Bibiliotheca Bar and Book Exchange

1/27 Gresham St., Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.bibliothecabar.com/

A gentle reminder when you plan your bookshop crawl. Most of these establishments are closed on Sundays and Mondays so best to work around Tuesday to Saturday.

Until the next bookshop crawl!

Bookshop Crawl (Adelaide City edition, Day 1)

I've been wistfully thinking lately how I must make time to walk around the city without haste, visit my favourite bookshops, read, sip coffee. I have drawn up my route, punctuated with caffeine. 

I’ll start the day with a fortifying brunch and get into a book mood at Coffylosophy. Established ten years ago, the cafe offers a wonderful array of meals and beverages. Harsh and team are gregarious and friendly, but I’ll make a big effort to extricate myself from their company. Today, I’m on a mission!

Coffylosophy

198A Hutt Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.coffylosophy.com.au/

After that satisfying brunch, I’ll walk along Hutt Street. The first stop is Oxfam Books, which has a collection of well categorised second-hand books. I’m aware it is too easy here to get caught up in conversations with volunteers. I recall one time listening to a fascinating exchange at the checkout counter about Cicero and his beloved daughter Tullia who predeceased him. Apparently, Shakespeare’s oft quoted line “To be or not to be” originally came from one of Cicero’s letters to Atticus.

Oxfam Books

Suites 2-3/81-89 Hutt Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.oxfambookshop.au/

Thereafter, I’ll head to New Morning Books in Frome Street. John is wonderful and can be especially helpful with finding those missing books in a collection.  I vividly remember my joy when I finally tracked down and completed my Alexander by Valerio Massimo Manfredi set.

New Morning Books

155 Frome St., Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.facebook.com/NewMorningBooksBackPagesBooks/

 

By this time, I am ready for my second caffeine dose. Heading towards Grenfell Street, I’ll turn at Twin Street. It’s a narrow alley and I remind myself to walk slowly, so I don’t miss it. There’s takeaway coffee at Everything Brewtiful. Kevin making coffee is pure sunshine and I have started referring to him as my adopted son.

 

Everything Brewtiful

10 Twin St., Adelaide, SA 5000

Coffee takeaway and mini Danishes | Everything Brewtiful | Adelaide

 

A hop and skip away from the takeaway coffee shop is the iconic Adelaide Arcade. There are two shops here I must absolutely visit: Peter and Michael’s adorable Adelaide Comics Centre and Kate and Nick’s well-curated Orchard Bookshop.

Adelaide Comics Centre

Shop 6G Gay’s Arcade Adelaide Arcade, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.adelaidecomicscentre.com/

 

Orchard Bookshop

Shop 26, Adelaide Arcade, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000

https://orchardbookshop.com.au/contact-us/

 

By this time, I am ready for my pop fix, so I step out of the Adelaide Arcade and walk across to QBD. There are usually sales happening here of books, games, trinkets that I often end up purchasing random items for family and friends.

QBD Books Rundle Mall

138 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000

https://www.qbd.com.au/

 

And of course, there’s Dymocks, the leading bookseller in Australia. I was deeply perturbed when Dymocks in Adelaide closed in April 2021 following long-time franchisee Mandy Macky’s decision to retire. I trawled news regularly trying to find out where they were going to relocate. There was a rumour that Dymocks would open a temporary shop somewhere on Gawler Place. I remember walking up and down that street during my lunch breaks, despondent that I couldn't see any sign of a bookshop opening activity. Then they opened a popup shop at the Myer Centre. It was a gloomy location and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who kept annoying staff asking when and where they would set up a more permanent store. The wait was definitely worth it after Dymocks announced that it was opening at the Regent Theatre. What an absolute coup to relocate to this historical, light-filled, airy building! 

Dymocks

Regent Theatre, Level 1, Shop 45, Rundle Mall

Adelaide City, SA 5000

https://www.dymocks.com.au/stores/sa/dymocks-adelaide

 

Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of my day's labour. I’ll conclude the day with a late lunch at the Penguin-themed Script and Bean nestled within Dymocks. The café opened early this year, perfectly complementing (or more accurately, "completing") the bookstore.  It is delightful to listen to Ann and Stuart's serendipitous story of how they came to establish this charming cafe in the bookshop. 

 

Script and Bean

Regent Theatre, Level 1, Shope 45, Rundle Mall

Adelaide City, SA 5000

https://www.facebook.com/p/Script-Bean-61558090167474/

I head home for an evening-filled reading. In the morrow I shall continue with my bookshop crawl.

See: Bookshop Crawl (Adelaide City edition, Day 2)

Script and Bean at Dymocks

After two (very) long years, Dymocks at its iconic Regent Theatre location finally has a cafe in its premises. Situated in the heart of the city, Script and Bean offers a perfect venue for catch-ups and meetings. 

Now you know where to go looking for me. 

Script and Bean
Regent Arcade
Regent Theatre Level 1, Shop 45, 101/107 Rundle Mall
Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Phone: 0449 199 489

Mother's Day at the Nook

 If I Can Make My Boy Love Reading

(with apologies to Emily Dickinson)

If I can make my boy love reading,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching
Or cool one pain,
Or help one grinning chimp 
Unto his book habit without a bargain,
I shall not live in vain. 

The Nook 
The Nook | The book cafe in Welland, South Australia (thenookadelaide.com.au)
Shop 10, Welland Plaza
522 Port Rd, Welland, SA 5007
Open every day:
Mon-Sat: 8am - 4pm
Sun: 9am - 4pm

 

Dymocks at Sydney

We are in Sydney this Anzac Day weekend to see the Rameses exhibition at the Australian Museum. One can easily arrive at the conclusion that Ramses II was a master of spin way before the social media era. More than 3000 years after, we can still see and feel the reverberations of his media campaign.   He was victorious in all the wars he waged; he built colossal monuments. He was the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful ruler. So, he claimed. 

Viewing almost 200 ancient artifacts and a virtual reality show made us hungry.  We walked for about a kilometer and a half to the cafe at 428 George St. You do know where we're going with this little story, right?

Dymocks Sydney
Dymocks Cafe
424-430 George Street
Sydney, NSW Australia 2000
Dymocks - Dymocks Sydney bookstore in New South Wales (NSW)