The Paperback

I hope internet shopping never kills off places like this. The Paperback is such a charming place with a lot of character. The store might be small but they pack in a lot of books into the space. With towering shelves and narrow isles, it’s certainly not for the claustrophobic! The selection leans more towards serious literature and non-​fiction rather than trashy best sellers.

Some people have suggested that we are going to see the end of the traditional bookshop, but this place is still around (though I don’t know for how long). Sure, you may be able to pick up books cheaper at Dymoks, but what you don’t get is that old bookstore charm that this place offers, and I must say that I prefer to wander around the cramped and crowded shelves browsing at the many books in a place like this any day. While it may not be a second-​hand bookshop, you can still find some pretty interesting title here, though expect to spend a lot to time simply browsing the titles. Oh, as the name suggests, they only sell paperback books, which is also pretty cool.

A great little shop located on Bourke street in Melbourne. A great little stop on any day to just relax and find another adventure to get lost in. With a huge selection of books for young and old, there is something for everyone.

for such a small shop, they have an excellent selection, esp fiction
very friendly & helpful staff — they’ve always offered to order if they don’t have it
get something good (easy) and nip round the back for a glass of wine @ von haus

This was the second bookshop found in Melbourne listed under BuzzFeed’s «17 Spectacular Bookshops In Australia To See Before You Die.» And wow, I can see why.
This place is stuffed to the brim with books piled on top of each other every single place you look. I myself love bookshops like this one. It’s like the mentality behind it is that, if you have the space, it should be filled with books! It’s stuffed with plenty of reading material. Being about the size of one room, there are so many corners, crevices and shelves devoted to reading material.
They have a decent Australian section, Fiction, Travel, Cooking, Biographies; there’s just so much to catch your eye. This shop has been open since the 1960’s and is open late! It’s the perfect bookshop, crammed into a intimate space, it’s got character.

Walking past this peeling, decrepit old building you could be forgiven for imagining for a moment that perhaps Bernard Black (of BBC’s Black Books fame) works in this funny little hole in the wall.
Alas, looks can be deceiving and you will not get yelled at by a chain smoking alcoholic in this store (you know, if that is your thing) as it’s really quite lovely inside.
Tiny and cramped, books fill every inch of this little store, with a single clerk on hand to help if needed. It’s the kind of place that will immediately fill you in with choice anxiety. If you are here to just browse and not sure what you’re after, locating something could be a challenge without assistance because of how tightly packed in everything is. That said, there is such an enormous collection that it’s very likely you’ll walk out with something you didn’t know you wanted until you saw it.
The children’s collection is impressively large, as is the array of hobby and fancy cook books (Huxtable for dinner anyone?).
One thing I adore about this place, aside from being so ridiculously Melbourne, is how late it’s open. Walking by on a cold wintery night, this book store is a gorgeous way to escape the cold and rowdiness of Melbourne’s evenings. Late nights at The Paperback feel like a setting for a meet cute… hmmm clearly I watch too much TV and don’t read enough books — something I hope to change after my first book purchase in a while this week!

Great small bookstore (with small being the operative word) that somehow manages to carry an impressive collection. A mix of quality recent releases and excellent new and used «classic» books. Nice staff, too.

My favourite bookshop in Melbourne and one of the best looking shop fronts in the land, the Paperback has everything but space. It’s miniscule and what space there is, is devoted to stacks and stacks of books. And rightfully so too.
Space being an issue, it’s quite amazing that I’ve never felt squashed or cramped or in a rush to leave this shop once I’ve found my way in. Au contraire. It’s a wonderful place to spend some quiet time perusing the shelves to find a book for yourself or a gift for someone. The staff are pretty helpful too in case you can’t find the book you’re after.
I used to work just round the corner from the Paperback and one of my fave things to do was finish work on a Friday, head straight to the Paperback for some peaceful unwinding, then meet friends for drinks somewhere in the city. I don’t miss working there, but I do miss my Friday Paperback ritual.

How could you say anything but good about a proudly independent book shop right in the heart of the high falutin’ end of town. The Paperback is the jewel in the upper Bourke Street crown and is one of my favourite book stores in town.
They have a great selection here, and though the store is limited size-​wise, they stack the product to the rafters — it’s a bit of a tardis. And even though it’s not one of those ‘browse before you buy’ places, those people who insist on reading novels in book shops just piss me off anyway. These days there’s that much information available at your fingertips, it’s pretty easy to be well informed before you get to the fucking book shop is it not?
They have knowledgeable and affable staff here and the couple of recommendations they’ve given me have been ace. They also have a large range of coffee table stuff (great for gifts), cards and curios. Get in there!

Ooh, isn’t the Paperback so verrrry Melbourne. I like it! A book there by A S Byatt, published by Melbourne publisher Text, a retelling of the old Norse myth of Ragnarok. I didn’t even know that it existed. And there’s a whole range of other interesting books which I’ve not seen before, along with a tasty selection of clever children’s books.
Admittedly, the store’s small enough that you can browse through all of it in about fifteen minutes, but I do think that everything there is worth browsing through.

The cracked and dry paint that threatens the legibility of the store’s sign says it all: this place has been around for decades. And you couldn’t ask for much more when it comes to good advice on books and some rare finds.
I’ve personally only purchased cookbooks from here because they’re so delightfully presented throughout the store. I find this place offers a really unique range of books to suit any reader.
The crowded and cluttered space, interrupted by a beautiful spiral staircase, instantly eases the mind after a busy day of work. It’s the perfect place to buy a gift, or you can just mosey around to attain that exclusive sense of culture.

If there’s one thing I like in a book store, it’s the feeling that you could get lost inside it. The Paperback is that kind of book store.
Practically overflowing, the closet-​sized store is a mini maze of narrow aisles, each punctuated by tables stacked with more books so that you have to hold your elbows in to make sure you don’t knock them over. And for all that, it isn’t at all difficult to find titles or be visually led to discovering interesting new releases — the shelves are extremely well organised by genre and the staff clearly have a knack for displays because I usually end up with five books in my hand and have to choose which I want the most.
You also get the pleasure of knowing you’re supporting an independent bookshop that’s been keeping Melbourne reading since the 60s.