Kallista Books

One thing that hasn't changed since when I started this blog in 2010 and when I revised it a few weeks ago is that the gorgeous Kallista Books in the Dandenong Ranges is still going strong.

There are a few reasons I can suggest for why this bookshop has survived while others have failed. The building itself is distinctive - it began life as a dairy in the 1930s. Inside, the shop has a cosy vibe that makes you want to settle in and browse. And the owner, Willie, is friendly, helpful, and hugely knowledgeable about books.

The bookshop boasts an extensive children's collection, plus shelves full of Australian history, including Dandenong Ranges history. There are gardening books, the classics, crime, and lots of quirky titles as well, including, when I visited, an old Foy and Gibson catalogue.

Willie knows his prices, so while the books aren't cheap, they also aren't excessive. And the quality of his stock is excellent.

There's book-related furniture and a particularly delightful and unusual rotating bookcase to be found within the shop as well.

Kallista Books is open on Saturdays and Sundays (follow the signs from the village roundabout). If there's a particular title you're looking for, ask, as not all of Willie's stock is on display (hard though that may be to believe, with so many books).

Other places to visit in Kallista include Grant's Picnic Ground, which has walking trails and birdlife, and the Kallista Tea Rooms, if you're looking for somewhere for coffee or lunch.

Tyabb Packing House

If you're into antiques as well as antiquarian books, then Tyabb Packing House is the place to go!

We've been making annual visits for years now and it's always a great day out. Tyabb Packing House is a massive old shed, crammed with antiques, memorabilia, and books. Shelves and shelves and shelves of books.

In the children's section, there are some books behind glass that are very expensive. Way too expensive. In fact, the same copy of Fardingdales by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer has been priced at $300 for at least three years now.

However, there are bargains still to be found, and over the years I've picked up a few girlsown titles quite cheaply, including a 'Dimsie' book and a couple of Tim Kennemores. When I visited the other day, there were a few Malcolm Saville paperbacks on the shelves, including Treasure at Amorys and Home to Witchend.

Whatever genre you collect, you're likely to find something here. There's a great crime fiction, an extensive sports section, travel books, cookbooks, politics, religion... You name it, they've got it.

My other favourite areas of the shed are the sporting memorabilia section, right at the other end from the children's books, and the old furniture section, which often has old writing desks and printers' chests.

If you're hungry, check out the Rattling Red Cafe (an old train carriage) just outside - the scones are delicious. There are more antiques and curiosities to be found in the 'village' shops next to the Packing House.

Bookshops in Belgrave

When I first started this blog, Through the Looking Glass was a brand new second-hand bookshop in Belgrave run by a mother and daughter.

Although the mother and daughter have long moved on, pleasingly the shop is still there, now run by its third owner. Apparently its first birthday under the current owners was celebrated last week.

It's a small, but well-stocked bookshop with a great vibe. The man behind the counter when I visited told me that the new owners want it to be a community hub as well as a bookshop. Evidence of this is that they gave free books to children who visited the bookshop last week, as part of Australia's Book Week celebrations.

Through the Looking Glass has a diverse range of books, and the children's section includes traditional favourites like Alan Garner and Enid Blyton as well as novels by more recent popular writers like Philip Reeve and Rick Riordan. There's a nice little nook with cushions where kids can curl up and read, and a Harry Potter uniform was on display when I visited.

Through the Looking Glass is at the roundabout end of Burwood Highway. At the other end of town, next to the Cameo Cinema, is the Book Barn, a modern bookshop that also stocks art supplies. This is well worth a visit if it's contemporary books you're after and their children's section is very strong.

Non-literary things to do locally include a ride on Puffing Billy, just down from Through the Looking Glass. There are lots of eateries along Burwood Highway, and if you want to watch a movie, the cinema is great too.

Yarra Cottage Books

Just as Warrandyte is one of my favourite places in Victoria, so too Yarra Cottage Bookshop, in its main street, is one of my favourite bookshops.

I've been visiting this bookshop for years now, mainly because it has a great children's section at the back. I've stumbled across a good many GO titles here down the years, and several years ago, my son was delighted to find a box full of old copies of the Beano.

Last year, I found a copy of a play I'd been searching for for a long time - John Misto's The Shoehorn Sonata. And it has a good crime fiction section too, as you enter the shop.

Something I noticed when checking out the children's section today was that there are a lot of more recent titles on sale - series by authors like Robert Muchamore and Garth Nix that were popular about ten years ago and can still be found in modern bookshops.

There are still some old titles there, though, as can be seen from my photograph.

If you're visiting with children, there's a great playground just down from the bookshop. And right next door is a bakery that's well worth a visit. Watch out for magpies trying to steal your pies and cakes!

'Worth a browse' revived!

Last week, I was googling trying to find out whether a particular second-hand bookshop still existed - and this old blog showed up on the first page of entries!

I'd pretty much forgotten about it. Like so many other blogs, it was one I started with enthusiasm, but abandoned when life got in the way. At the time I was busy with work and family, and didn't really have much time for going out exploring and discovering bookshops. But last week I found myself re-reading the entries, and thinking, "This was actually a great idea for a blog." So, after a few false attempts, I managed to work out the username and password and this morning got back in.

It's been nine years since I last posted. Those nine years have seen many changes. The nine-year-old son I mentioned in some posts is now 18 and in his final year of school. There have been changes in publishing and the book trade down the years too. So many second-hand bookshops in Victoria have come and gone.

Anyway, a big change for our family was that my husband retired last year. Because I'm freelance and can be flexible about when I work, we do go out exploring a fair bit, so I end up visiting a few bookshops. So I thought I'd revive 'Worth a browse', see how it goes. I hope readers will find my recommendations useful should they find themselves in the areas where the bookshops are located.

Mountains of Books Book Fair

If you're in the Dandenongs this weekend, definitely drop in on the Mountains of Books Book Fair at Ferny Creek. I went earlier this afternoon and there are lots of great stalls, including Babyboomer Books all the way from South Australia. Joan, who used to run The Old Bakery Bookshop at Warrandyte, has a stall there too, and it was good to see her again. Jilly Bookworm's chilren's book stall has loads of lovely hardbacks by authors like Elinor M Brent-Dyer, Enid Blyton, Lorna Hill, Lucy Maud Montgomery etc. Local bookshops with stalls there include Kallista Books, Rainy Day Books and Wormhole Books. Oh, and there's a great sausage sizzle outside the hall.

Book fair this weekend

I haven't updated this blog for ages ... but then, I haven't visited any bookshops for ages. Work, family and a long, cold and wet winter have all conspired to prevent me from going on any bookshop jaunts.

But, for anyone who might still check this blog occasionally, I thought I'd mention that the Mountains of Books book fair takes place at Ferny Creek in the Dandenong Ranges this weekend. More info here. Be there or be the proverbial! :)