Grub Street

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with the Grub St Bookshop, but its one of those places where you take the good with the bad and actions speak louder than words as, for all of its faults, I keep going in there and buying books!
THE GOOD: The shop has a fairly good travel section with fairly reasonable prices — particularly for Lonely Planet guides. It also has a fairly good sportstars biography section and an ok section on nature/​wildlife books. The boxes out the front also contain some bargains. The atmosphere in there is also quite nice — its a real «bookshops bookshop» in the old tradition. It is also open quite late which is nice.
THE BAD: Some of the staff can be particularly rude at times — although others are always very very nice. Sometimes the books can be too expensive and there doesnt seem to be much consistency in the pricing. While I like the old style atmosphere it can sometimes feel a bit disorganised — although most second hand bookshops can feel a bit like that so I shouldnt be too harsh.
OVERALL: Overall there is more good than bad in this shop and lets face it, I keep going in there and buying more books, so they must be doing something right!

I’m gonna buck the trend here and suggest that Grub Street Books is an inferior second hand book store for the following two reasons:
The staff here have been flat out rude to me on a number of occasions and seem more concerned with preventing you from shoplifting than actually helping in any way. They demand, not ask but demand, you leave your bag at the counter while browsing and for me that just creates this negative energy type situation that nobody wants while cruising a book shop.
And…
Their books are overpriced (as expected in this location). I was seeking out a copy of ‘The Slap’ by Christos Tsiolkas (it was for an assignment, OK) and they had it here but basically wanted the jacket price despite the fact it was a fucking paper back and in a clearly used state. The book was not clearly priced and the staff member seemed to pluck a random price from the air. I ended up grabbing said book for half their price at a nearby book shop.
If you’re serious about quality and reasonably priced second hand reading material, you’ll do better in the area.

Grub Street BookShop is Quaint little bookshop with a wide spread range of books.
Located on the bustling Brunswick Street, you’ll stroll past Grub and find some books out the front in boxes (A tad trustworthy if you ask me!). When you enter the store, you’ll encounter some awkward cosy isles packed choca-​block with books.
The thing that i love about Grub is that they stock random, quirky and interesting items. The books are so reasonably priced its ridiculous.
The sections are divided by small plaque cards but if you cant find something, the staff are happy to help you out in finding something that meets your criteria.

It’s like walking in to an older other world when you pass the entranceway at Grub Street books. I feel like I might run into an old mystic or if I lever the right book a magical doorway will open up before me.
There are floor to ceiling long wooden shelves densely populated with a huge range of second-​hand books. The floor holds box after box of the over-​flowing stock. On first look I was a little overwhelmed by the arrangement and didn’t really know what to look for as I personally like it when I can, at least occasionally, see the front of a book. I hate walking around a bookstore with my head tilted 45 degrees trying to read titles.
This is a second-​hand bookstore with a difference though, they care dearly about the titles they display. There are little paper tags that pop out at you heralding the subject of the section. A specialised store that focuses on art — particularly from Australia, also culture, history, philosophy, poetry and more.
It is easily tempting to spend your wage here as the range and topics are fantastic. I went in with a query about Australian poetry and the guy behind the counter was straight on to helping me, and actually over indulged me with information.

Grub Street is a book shop as they used to make them.
A warren of second hand treasures that will ensure hours spent hunting for THAT book. You know the one? The obscure novel you didn’t know you needed? That hard to find biography. A well loved classic perhaps? And while you look you will no doubt collect quite a few more random titles. Don’t worry though, you would be hard pressed to spent all your rent here.
Its location on Brunswick Street is perfectly situated so that after your visit you can take all of your new found literary friends out to a café or bar to get better acquainted.

Grub Street books is the kind of bookshop that inspires you to buy a million old books, most which you’ve never heard of, and sit in a quiet room and read for hours.
This quiet little store on Brunswick St, although curiously named Grub Street books, is chock-​a-​block full of old, secondhand books. Astrology to adventure, sexuality to semiotics — no matter what your interest Grub Street will have a book on it.
You feel like you could lose yourself in the books there are so many, they tower above you and are piled below you — careful where you’re standing, you might walk right in to a stack.
The staff are friendly and helpful but do enjoy their peace and quiet, and the prices of the books are very reasonable. You could walk out with 10 books for $ 20.
A great little bookshop for those that love that old book smell.