In the good books: Adelaide bookstores

There’s nothing that satisfies the senses quite like delving into a good book. 

In an increasingly paperless world, bookshops have become a place to escape the everyday and connect with other literary lovers. Plan a day of bookshop hopping and celebrate what makes bookshops an essential city fixture.

Options can be overwhelming. Analysis paralysis is, as its name suggests, an inability to make a decision and finding yourself totally stuck. Now if we’re talking about career choices there might not be simple solution but for book choices, bookshops are the answer. A trusted recommendation goes a long way and when the entire available range is curated to perfection, you’ll be sure to find your perfect match.

Find an impeccably curated collection at Imprints Booksellers

The superhero movie franchises aren’t looking like they’re slowing down anytime soon. Before you consume the umpteenth instalment of Iron Man, pick up a comic book and get to know the nuances of the printed stories. Although a little artistic license can be essential for the screen, there’s art to storytelling in comics that captures moments of reflection and calm that is often missing in their film adaptions. It’s a trade of power for pace, so slow down the pace and meet the original Peter Parker.

Find a kick-ass range of comics and graphic novels at Gamma Ray Comics

If Notting Hill and You’ve Got Mail are anything to go by, bookshops are a hotbed of chance encounters and forged friendships. Starting a conversation in a bookshop is a genuine and not-creepy way to make a friend. Bookstores provide endless conversation topics right at your fingertips. Wise stores build these opportunities for connection into their business, be it through the staff or in-store events.

Find an excellent collection of book clubs at Dymocks

There’s a wealth of research that shows books + kids = good outcomes. It’s never too early to get started either. Children’s books challenge the imagination in a way that tv can’t. Kids can see themselves and the people they know in a book’s characters because they don’t have prescribed sounds, quirks and looks. They can fill those spaces and invent a narrative of their own that sits alongside the moral of the story. In fact—this all applies to grown-ups too!

Find a great range of children’s books at the Book Grocer

A fantastic strength of books is their ability to simultaneously appeal to a crowd and speak to a niche. Thanks to libraries and second-hand book stores, books can be accessed by anyone and everyone. Entertainment and education are a human right and it’s heart-warming to think books tick both these boxes! Whether you want to know how to make your own cheese, are finally getting around to reading Twilight or just have to read an immaculately bound first edition copy of Cat’s Cradle, bookshops have you covered.

Find rare and unusual books alongside a selection of bargains at Adelaide’s Pop-Up Bookshop

"Half the fun of books is acquiring them." It's hard to disagree that retail therapy plays a role in book shopping. Once that initial thrill has worn off, what's left needs to have great value. Obviously choosing a decent book is a good place to start but a bigger bonus is ensuring your money is going to a good cause. Do a little research to see which charities and community groups your bookshop is supporting.

Pick up a very reasonably priced book at the Oxfam Second Hand Bookshop to support Oxfam humanitarian projects.

Each year in early August you can often grab a glass of bubbly with a book at one of the Love Your Bookshop Day events across the country.