Monday, 17 December 2018 / Published in Bookstores

Christmas at the Canberra Bookstores!

Public service announcement: You can now leave your Christmas shopping as late as you like – our plan below will keep you sane and your gift list sorted.
Confession time. We ADORE Christmas here at Tate House. Our Christmas trees are up, our author is spending more time on her Christmas newsletter to her readers than she is on her new series, and the rest of us are hanging out at our local favourites soaking up the wonderful Christmas atmosphere!
Harry Hartog and Paperchain are our favourite Canberra bookstores, and  a visit to these stores encapsulates all of the magic of this time of year- the bespoke carols playing, the Christmas decorations carefully put together or made by the staff and the new release books all shiny and ready for purchasing, plus reading guides to set you up for a long hot summer of devouring books.
Of course, all of this magic is down to the dedicated teams that run the stores as a hub for a community to grow around. They’re absolutely marvellous.
At Paperchain you can indulge in their stationary, calendars, diaries and assorted accoutrements at the counter. While you’re there check out the handmade Paperchain decorations (so cool!).
Further south at Harry Hartog, their range of non-book items has just exploded in time for Christmas (our pick here was a magnetic game travel set of checkers) and their usually welcoming display has been taken to the next level by the lights and decorations of the season.
As you already know, both these stores have an excellent selection of books and an incredible team of staff who can recommend the perfect book for any age category. And we reckon books are the absolute best gift to give anyone at Christmas.
We hope you enjoy your Christmas shopping as much as we did this year and don’t forget to treat yourself to something while you’re there.
Wishing you all a safe and merry Christmas for 2018!
The Tate House Team
Monday, 15 October 2018 / Published in Bookstores

Canty’s – the secondhand one in Fyshwick

Don’t you just adore the smell of books – especially treasured, secondhand or old books? Ever spent an afternoon immersing yourself in them, hunting through shelves and picking out things you never thought you’d find? Well, if you haven’t been to Canty’s – read on for our latest #awesomebookstore blog on this wonderful secondhand store in Fyshwick, Canberra.
Secondhand bookshops used to be a staple to any suburb or town. Bookshop owners would hunt for product to stock their shelves and it was often quite a challenge to find enough stock to keep up with demand. The crew at Canty’s bookstore in Fyshwick recall those days. They’ve weathered 26 years of the evolution of secondhand bookstore culture, explaining glibly that ‘just a few people bought something called a Kindle a few years ago’. This had an immediate and twofold effect — the demand for secondhand books dropped overall, but Canty’s supply simultaneously increased as other secondhand stores closed up, and Marie Kondo told us all to de clutter our lives, apartments and bookshelves.
Canty’s is a book lovers delight – every conceivable surface is covered in all kinds of books imaginable. The store is divided into separate rooms, making it quite the adventure as one charming and mysterious book-packed space gives way to another. Some serious time can (and should) be spent exploring the titles on the shelves here – especially as the volume of book stock available to the store has increased. Nothing but the cream is placed on the shelves.
The incredibly small and busy team behind the Canty’s name also purchase secondhand books for the store – all appraisals are by appointment so make sure you call ahead! We were amazed by their knowledge of their product, but most particularly their impressive skill in easily locating any book amongst the seemingly endless towers of pages on offer to meet a customer request  – here there is order, not chaos.
Like all good bookstores they do their bit to support the community around them, sponsoring select local school fetes and activities. But what really sets the store apart is the nostalgia and excitement that their unique stock conjures – the perfect setting for an adventure into the world of books the next time you need a literary escape. There is already a loyal Canty’s following, however their location in Fyshwick, a suburb not famous for its bookstores, means the store is still undiscovered by many long term Canberrans. We are pretty sure their secret won’t be safe for too much longer. All we can say is that it’s well worth the making the trip to explore and enjoy this treasure trove.
You can find more details on Canty’s at www.cantysbookshopfyshwick.com

 

P.S. If you’re a coffee drinker like Lisa, then you’ll be thrilled to know Canty’s is just around the corner from ONA Fyshwick
Friday, 05 October 2018 / Published in DH Excerpt

…an excerpt from DarkSkull Hall

…Night had fallen by the time they approached DarkSkull Hall. Alyx was almost asleep against the chest of the warrior at her back, hanging on to the saddle with exhausted fingers. Her entire focus was on the horse before them, step after step, the steady rhythm rocking her into a doze.
The trees lining the road seemed to press in on them, shadowy and sinister. Alyx would have been uneasy if she’d been able to summon enough energy to think about it, but in her current state of exhaustion, she wondered if she’d ever feel energized again. The sucking sounds of the horses’ hooves on the muddy road were unnaturally loud in the silence since the rain had stopped.
Then, just like that, they rounded a corner and were confronted with a stunning sight.
The road ahead of them led onto a bridge stretching across a deep gorge. Wooden support struts crisscrossed down from the bridge to the valley floor, disappearing into darkness. Moonlight shone down on the deserted bridge, which had to be wide enough for at least six carriages travelling abreast. At the other end of the bridge stood a pair of gates and beyond them was darkness.
The gorge stretched away to the left and right, encircling a row of hills. Looking more closely, Alyx caught the glimmer of moonlight reflecting off water far below.
“Where to from here?” Finn wondered.
Ladan kicked his horse ahead, going to investigate the bridge more closely. Tijer joined him, and they had a whispered conversation that Alyx couldn’t quite catch.
“This is your stop, I believe,” Dashan said, reining his horse to a halt beside her. “And here is where we leave you.”
Alyx swung her head towards him. “You’re going to leave us here?”
“I’m sorry, Alyx.” Concern softened his voice. It had been days since their fight, and Alyx was far too tired to be angry with him anymore. It seemed he felt the same way. “We got you safely to DarkSkull, but we can’t stay. Those are the rules.”
“I know,” she managed around the sudden lump in her throat. The despair she’d been feeling for days deepened at the thought that the one remaining familiar person in her life was also about to leave. With a helping hand from the warrior behind her, she slid down from the saddle. He rode away without a word but Dashan kicked his horse closer.
“If it’s any consolation, it means I won’t be around to infuriate you anymore.”
“Sure, I’m feeling better already.” She fiercely fought back tears.
Uncharacteristic compassion flashed in Dashan’s brown eyes, almost undoing her. She looked away, trying to prevent the tears welling in her eyes from falling.
Abruptly, he reached down, pulling her roughly into his arms. “You be strong, Alyx. I know you can do this. Remember who you are, and have faith in yourself.”
Her fingers gripped the rough weave of his shirt and she nodded against his chest. He smelled of damp and soil, yet he felt warm and strong.
He pulled away then, looking almost embarrassed. “That was for Cayr. He would have wanted me to.”
“Thanks, Dash.”
Not far off, Finn and Dawn dismounted too, both looking lost and alone on the dark road. Dashan waved a goodbye to both of them, which they returned dispiritedly. He then leaned down, touched Alyx’s shoulder and dropped a warm kiss on her forehead.
“That one is from me.”
And with that he was gone, kicking his horse into a gallop and heading back the way they’d come.
“Goodbye, Lady Egalion,” Tijer pulled up his horse beside her. “Lord-Mage Casovar gave us firm instructions not to proceed any further than the bridge, but Lord Ladan has assured me he’ll see you safely through to DarkSkull.”
“Thank you for everything, Lieutenant,” she said sincerely. “I hope to see you all again back in Alistriem.”
He tipped his hat. “We hope the same thing, Lady Egalion. Good luck.”
Tijer urged his horse after Dashan and the other Bluecoats fell in after him, each with a wave or a smile for Alyx and the twins as they passed. The Madman’s men, insubstantial as shadows, raced down the road after them.
Silently, Alyx and the twins turned and followed Ladan, who had already stepped out onto the bridge. The rough stone rasped under her boots and a strong wind whipped around her, ruffling her skirts and hair. They walked down the middle, steering clear of the edges and the enormous drop below.
Eventually they reached the gates on the other side. Lichen crawled over the iron surface, and some of the bars were a deep red with rust. Two enormous trees stood on either side of the gates, their branches hanging almost to the ground, whispering to each other in the breeze.
Alyx couldn’t make out anything beyond the gates except the shadowy outline of the hills. A shiver wracked her, as much because of her damp clothes as the eerie atmosphere.
Something in her felt drawn to this place. It held an air of mystery and quiet power, like nothing she’d ever felt before. Deep down, she tensed at the feeling, unsure whether the instinct was something to be feared or welcomed.
Finn rubbed his hands together and blew on his fingers. “I hope they have warm beds in there.”
“How do we get in?” Dawn walked over to peer through the bars of the gates.
Alyx did the same, grimacing as she touched slimy moss on the iron. Recoiling, she glanced up at a bell hidden amongst the leaves of the left tree. Looking back down, she met Dawn and Finn’s fearful looks.
Ladan looked at the three of them contemptuously and reached up to pull the bell hard. Alyx and the twins startled as the bell pealed much louder than expected, sending a nearby flock of ravens flapping into the air in alarm. For a few seconds, the echoes of the bell through the hills competed with the thudding of her heart in her chest.
Then, a loud screeching broke the silence.
Alyx and the twins scrambled backwards as the gates slowly swung open, the horrifying screeching only growing louder. In under a minute, they stood open, the shadows beyond beckoning.
Ladan strode inside without another word, leaving them standing there looking at each other. Tired, hungry, and cold, Alyx simply straightened her shoulders and walked after him. The twins followed behind. They continued along the road, which took them straight ahead and through a canyon that had been etched out of the hillside.
They kept walking, the summit of the valley wall towering over them on each side. At one point, Alyx glanced up and swore she could see two shadowy figures standing at the top of the eastern valley wall, staring down at them. When she rubbed at her tired eyes and looked back though, they’d gone.
It felt like they walked forever, but eventually they reached the other end of the gorge, where the road began winding steadily downwards into a wide valley.
DarkSkull Hall became visible down below them, a massive, hulking shape in the blackness. Tiny flickers of light indicated torch-lit rooms, but there weren’t many of those at this late hour. The main hall sat in the centre of the valley, at the top of a wide lake which glimmered in the moonlight. The school’s grounds fell away on all sides, and Alyx could just make out the shadows of other smaller buildings in the distance.
“It doesn’t look very welcoming, does it?” Dawn said.
Another shiver skittered down Alyx’s spine. “No, it doesn’t.”
A bobbing lantern light appeared on the road below, making its way towards them. Alyx tried to quell her nerves and look calm as the light resolved into a person holding a lantern. It wasn’t long before a woman stood before them. Short and slightly stooped, her grey hair was tied back sharply in a bun.
“What do you want?”
To be continued….

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Friday, 28 September 2018 / Published in Bookstores

Cairns Books – the one in far north Queensland

Sunny Cairns in far north Queensland was not the place we thought we would stumble onto – or into – an amazing independent bookstore! We lucked out finding Cairns Books in the air-conditioned glory of the Cairns Shopping Centre. Independently owned and operated by a small but dedicated team, the store reflects the interests of its local customers with its well stocked local history and natural history sections, books on the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef and an expansive Indigenous books collection.
They even have charts to identify different kinds of fish – a unique and wonderfully locally-flavoured step removed from the usual non-book items on sale at indie stores in the southern states. Cairns Books focus on the local area and the interests of its community doesn’t detract from the broad selection of more mainstream titles available, so if you’re looking for the newest release or even a classic, don’t fear, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
The store has been up and running for 5 years, and has a strong outlook with the team in charge (who are all very youthful!) having many years experience between them running successful independent bookstores that contribute to their community (we were also given the golden tip of checking out Petrarchs Bookstore in Launceston – we’ve added it to our list!). Cairns Books helps stock local school libraries and hosts ‘the Readers Cup’ –  a competition for local school kids – in addtion to rallying the local community in supporting ‘regional’ schools and providing donations to a school in Papua New Guinea.
Customers are the absolute focus for the Cairns Books team. They endeavour to find the perfect book for their loyal local following – proudly taking the extra step in ordering in second hand books for their customers if a requested hardcopy is no longer in print! While the store is in the Cairns Shopping Centre, it exudes the welcoming, inclusive and genuine atmosphere unique to all good independent bookstores – a wonderful credit to its hardworking team.
Definitely add this gem to your list while on your next tropical far north Queensland getaway to find a unique holiday read and support another great independent store giving some character and community to the tourist town around it.
You can check out their website here: cairnsbooks.com.au
Monday, 24 September 2018 / Published in Bookstores

Harry Hartog – the one with a little extra magic

Ready yourselves for a post full of insane amounts of excitable and enthusiastic adjectives…. (full disclosure – Harry Hartog Woden might be our favourite)
These days we can carry thousands of books on our kindle/iPad/insertEdevicehere. So a bookstore needs to bring an extra ‘something’ to entice customers to leave the house and peruse the shelves of their heavier less e-friendly versions. Harry Hartogs in Woden does that in spades!!
Where do we start? With Harry’s incredible and frequently changing displays, or their wide range of book and non-book delights? And then there’s the incredibly welcoming atmosphere, no matter what age, shape or size you come in. It’s  impossible for any of us in the Tate House team to make a trip to Woden without popping in for a browse or to pick up the latest copy of uur favorite series (yep, we’re throwing in a shameless plug for the addictive Mage Chronicles series by Tate House’s own Lisa Cassidy!)
The staff at Harry Hartog are an instantly welcoming presence. All who enter are invited to share in the sense of curiosity and excitement that books and storytelling bring. This is no small feat as their customers range from the very small (with their little hands who want to touch everything and are welcomed to do so!) to the other end of the spectrum and their literary escape-seeking counterparts.
Harry Hartog’s experience is clear in their ability to recommend a book for all tastes and their sense of fun is abundant in their book launches and other community events – from murder mystery dinners to author meet and greets. And last but not least, Harry’s is extremely enthusiastic about supporting local authors – they welcomed Lisa with open arms right from her very first book. What more can you ask for from a bookstore?
If you’re in Woden, make sure you leave time to visit Harry Hartog and reignite the magic of escaping into the world of books!
You check them out on Facebook here: Harry Hartog
Check out our other Amazing Bookstore reviews here