Our Range
We are a small bookshop but have a large general range, as well as specialising in Tasmaniana, Literature, Poetry, and Children's Books. Our stock includes novels, coffee table books, travel guides, literary journals, reference books, picture books, commercial publications, self-published works, poetry chapbooks, and rare books.
We sell both new and secondhand books, as well as a small selection of CDs (audio books and local musicians' CDs) and stationary (cards, postcards, calendars, diaries, and notebooks - featuring a good selection of the Moleskine range).
If we don't have a book you're looking for, we are always happy to order it for you, as long as you have some details. (We're pretty good at sleuthing, but it's quite hard to find a book if all you know is that "it's a kind of greenish colour, and it might have the word "life" in the title"!) As long as it is in print, we can get you almost anything you need...
See below for more details of the sections into which our books are arranged. At each of these pages, you can find a general description of what sorts of books we stock in that section, as well as a few examples of books which are currently available to order online (usually new books, favourites, or sales).
(In addition to these sections listed below, we also have a small range of plays, gift books, humour, games/hobbies, sports/transport, self-help, business, fashion/craft, and health/parenting books. We also regularly have a sale table overflowing with assorted goodies!)
Antarctic
Hobart is only a boat-trip away from Antarctica (and on winter mornings you can tell!), and we have a good collection of pictorial, educational, and narrative books about our polar neighbour.
Adventure
We have a range of books about mountaineering, climbing, and polar exploration.
Architecture/Design
We have a range of both coffee table and practical architecture books, as well as books about interior decorating, graphic design, and building.
Art
As well as some practical guides, we have books on art history, photography, individual artists and art movements, and there are always some quirky art books that make the perfect gift for someone who's got everything!
Australian
Our Australian section contains Australian indigenous, social, environmental, and political history, as well as biography, pictorial books, and Australian current affairs.
Biography
The biography section is popular and there's always someone sitting in our comfy chair there, choosing a book to give them an insight into someone else's life. There are biographies and autobiographies of actors, writers, explorers, travellers, musicians, inventors, politicians, ordinary people, animals, and just about anyone else you can imagine!
Children's Books
We're very proud of our children's section. We have an excellent range, including board books, picture books, beginning readers' chapter books, young adult novels, non-fiction reference books, pop-up books, audio books, popular series, classics, poetry, and children's fantasy. We stock best sellers as well as more unusual books, and are always keen to help find something to excite young readers.
We supply books to schools, so we are very familiar with what children are reading and enjoying, and we keep up to date with current Children's Book Council awards nominees and winners. We regularly host visiting children's writers at events, and we offer a 10% discount to Playgroup Association members, and a 15% discount to teachers and librarians on all shop purchases.
Cooking
Visit our mouthwatering recipe book section, which includes general and specialist books (such as vegetarian or various cuisines). We also stock books about cooking, and a small range of wine/beverage guides and restaurant guides.
Current Affairs/Politics
Find all the latest in current affairs, or brush up on the classic social and political tomes.
Fiction
Our large fiction section includes popular latest releases, but we also have a particular focus on literary fiction. There are also sections for crime fiction and for fantasy and science fiction.
Gardening
Does your garden need some tender loving care? We have stories about gardens and gardeners to indulge in; reference books to enlighten; coffee table books to inspire; garden design books to guide; and a range of specialty books on Australian gardens, fruit and vegetable gardening, and various species.
History
The history section contains general history reference; histories of obscure and unexpected things; European and world histories; and biographies of various historical figures.
Literature/Books about Books
We love books about books, and keep a collection of books on reading, books on book design, and books on writers and writing. There are also collections of literary essays and biographies of important literary individuals.
Maritime
Our maritime collection includes "how-to" sailing books, knot books, maritime adventure and exploration narratives, and books about the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Military
In our military section we've got books on the various wars, and particularly a collection of Australian military history.
Music
Music books in this section include classical, jazz and blues, punk, and rock, with both general histories and biographies of particular performers. If you look closely you can guess who our favourite artists might be...
Nature/Wildlife
This section has both field guides and philosophical writings, as well as coffee table picture books.
Philosophy
Indulge in some serious existential questioning, or find great guides to that philosophical theory you've always intended to get a grasp on.
Poetry
We have a special interest in poetry, and stock collections of classical poetry as well as contemporary writers, both Australian and international.
Reference
Here is where you can find English and foreign dictionaries, thesauruses (what is another word for thesaurus?!); phrase books; books about words and language; atlases; dictionaries of quotations, etiquette, and various subjects; and reference books about writing, editing, and publishing.
Religion/Mythology
We have a small section of reference books about religion in general, and specific religions, as well as new age and mythology books.
Science
Our science section includes popular and general science, biographies of well-known figures like Charles Darwin, astronomy, and an environmental science section which always features new books on topics like climate change.
Secondhand
We're a member of the Hobart Antiquarian and Secondhand Booksellers association, and our secondhand section includes fiction, Australian art, biography, and especially rare and old Tasmanian books. We don't have our secondhand books catalogued on a computer, but we know what we've got!
Sustainability
This section combines gardening and architecture, and includes books on sustainable building and gardening, organic gardening, DIY building, and other environmentally conscious lifestyle choices.
Tasmaniana
One of our main specialties, our extensive Tasmanian section encompasses Tasmanian novels and poetry (by Tasmanians, and/or about Tasmania); general and specific Tasmanian history; Tasmanian travel and walking guides; independently published works; souvenir and gift pictorial books; and secondhand Tasmanian books.
Peter Timms's new book, In Search of Hobart
Travel
Our travel section includes pictorial and photographic travel books, and also travel guides (especially a large range of Lonely Planet and Eyewitness travel guides).