Readings Bookstore has been an institution for my husband and I for many years.

Most recently, I bought a beautiful, gold leaf King James bible from them, illustrated by Gustave Dore. This purchase was very special, cost only $40, and goes to show that Readings really make an effort to procure rare and interesting books across many genres.

Readings also feature other interesting and beautiful items such as bookmarks, cards and paper samples, which make lovely gifts. I recently bought a little bookmark featuring a red fox, which went beautifully with a spiral-bound journal printed with owl wallpaper - I used both very happily as a blessings and prayer journal.

I only hope that Readings is such a specialised niche market that it is largely immune to the downturn in book buying that has hit the market since the introduction of electronic book readers such as Kindle. RMC Stamps Bookshop in Moonee Ponds has suffered due to this: may Readings long outrun such unfortunate circumstances.

Kind regards in Christ,
Naomi Chapman

and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ(Colossians 3:23-24)

Approximate cost: $40.00

I love going to bookstores and this is one of my favourites to which I have been coming to for years. It's a book lovers haven and I never walk away empty handed. The staff allow you to browse and assist if you need them to. This is the place to find anything from the new best seller or an old classic.

Approximate cost: $23.00

Readings is a book lovers delight which means for me it is always a wonderful adventure and exciting place to visit. There is great variety with the books, and I also enjoy looking through their dvd collection. In particular I was excited to find a dvd tv series that was new to me ( Inspector Alleyn Mysteries). There was another series I wanted to buy that wasn't on the shelves however a staff member spent considerable time searching after seeing mention that one copy was meant to be in the store. He was able to locate this and was then continued to be polite and friendly when I ended up purchasing the other series instead. Really nice place to just relax, browse and enjoy

Great bookstore which have a variety of books for sale.
I enjoy popping in and have a good look around, if I am looking for something in particular, staff are knowledgeable and helpful in assisting me.

I love this place. Its a great place to spend an hour browsing on a wintry Sunday afternoon. They have a huge selection and the atmosphere is really warm and fuzzy.

Cute little shop with a good variety of books covering most genres. They sell CDs as well. Can be rather cramped and difficult to move around during peak times. Friendly staff.

Sadly bookshops like this are becoming a rare commodity! I only wish it was bigger and quieter. I don't tend to last too long before getting fed up as its usually pretty crowded. But great range, great staff, great location

This is a special and quality place. Borders is across he road but my first port of call is always Readings due to the excellent service and the fact that they are a smaller and older established local store. Their range is wonderful and I'm a big fan.

this is one of the best bookstores in melbourne and it is worth visiting just for the experience. they also have a great collection of world music and collectable dvd box sets. ask them for gift cards and specials as they often have them.

Readings Carlton has a fabulous range of books. I am impressed with the huge depth of books on philosophy, aesthetics, art theory, cinema, politics and literary theory. Readings stores, particularly in Carlton, choose their staff carefully, and I have often struck amazing conversations on topics I am researching. Incredible to find staff who are working there part time while they finish theses on literary theory or aesthetics! The last time I tried to find stuff on Marxism I had one staff member flipping through a copy of the Grundrisse to help me with particular ideas. Now the Arts Bookshop is closed this is the best place in Melbourne for getting good books in a hurry or getting help. Cant recommend them highly enough.

Approximate cost: $varies