Well, as I foreshadowed earlier, today was National Bookshop Day and that merits a little spending spree at my favourite indie bookshop, Benn’s Books in Bentleigh.
I bought
Ripley’s Believe it or Not! 2011 for the kids at school. They love this kind of nonsense and despite my best efforts believe every word of it.
Kerryn Goldsworthy’s Adelaide (because I’ve got another in the same series, which is Melbourne by Sophie Cunningham, because I love Adelaide, and because I’ve never read anything by Kerryn Goldsworthy except articles and reviews).
True North: The Story of Mary and Elizabeth Durack a biography by Brenda Niall because I love everything she’s written and it’s just been shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and I want to encourage her to write more books.
Watching the Climbers on the Mountain which is a reissued very early novel by the wonderful Alex Miller. I always find it fascinating to get to know an author’s mature style and then discover earlier work that shows how right the publisher was to give the author a start.
And Simon Mawer’s The Girl Who Fell from the Sky because I heard him talking about it on RN and as you know if you read my review, I loved The Glass Room.
I also bought a book voucher for my hairdresser because it’s her birthday this week and she shops at the same bookshop!
I love Benn’s Bookshop because they have my kind of books. History, art, biographies, travel, languages. Someone who loves books chooses them, displays them so that I can find them and I don’t have to sort through a lot of dross to find them. They sell pretty cards to go straight into the book-as-a-present parcel, they have a great children’s section, and they also have shelves and shelves of unusual cookery books. There’s also a generous set of bargain shelves and they’re not peculiar obscure books about arcane subjects, they’re nice books.
Benn’s Books is in Centre Road Bentleigh conveniently close to Cafe Venetto where you will often find me enjoying coffee while I read my new book!
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
Great post with what looks to be some great books. I was especially interested in the Adelaide & Melbourne books you mentioned. Are there more in this series? Amazon.co.uk markets the kindle edition at £11 which is a little pricy! May have to wait until I am your side of the pond so I can look at a copy!
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By: Julie Goucher on August 11, 2012
at 6:44 pm
Nice book haul! I only bought one book, but I did have a nice Harry Potter high tea at the local bookshop, where they plied us with champagne (and egg sandwiches, scones, etc) and recommended books to fill the Harry Potter shaped hole in our hearts. :)
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By: Tania on August 11, 2012
at 6:50 pm
Yes, they had a special event at Benn’s too…many places did which is a nice treat for all their loyal customers. Benn’s had the author who won the Prime Minister’s Award for YA was there in the morning, but having just started my Long Service Leave, I am still savouring being able to loaf in bed till late!
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By: Lisa Hill on August 11, 2012
at 10:49 pm
True North, looks another fabulous book. Sadly the kindle edition is nearly £22. I can understand the books being pricey to purchase a physical book, but the kindle editions are prohibitive.
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By: Julie Goucher on August 11, 2012
at 6:50 pm
Ouch, Julie, that *is* expensive, I think that works out at about $44 Aussie dollars. Oh well, you’ll just have to save up and come for a visit and then you can buy our books at local prices. That would be nice!
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By: Lisa Hill on August 11, 2012
at 10:47 pm
We have a visit at the end of September. buying at local prices sounds good, shame about the carrying home though!
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By: Julie Goucher on August 11, 2012
at 11:08 pm
Really? Where are you going to visit?
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By: Lisa Hill on August 11, 2012
at 11:11 pm
Initially I shall be in mid NSW visiting family, but I am meeting a cousin who lives in Melbourne and then we are making a journey to Geelong for a revisit to the cemetery where my Ellis ancestors are buried. I am also meeting up with some friends in Sydney just before we fly back at the end of October.
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By: Julie Goucher on August 12, 2012
at 12:31 am
Well, I know how busy such trips can be because time is always too short, but if you would like to meet up, we could have a coffee at Mr Tulks at the State library in the CBD – it’s a treasure trove for family historians as you probably know but there are always interesting exhibitions too, see http://exhibitions.slv.vic.gov.au/ You can email me privately at the email address right at the very bottom of the RHS menu to chat about it.
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By: Lisa Hill on August 12, 2012
at 8:54 am
Thanks Lisa, I would love to try and meet up. As soon as I have a more definitive plan will drop you an email.
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By: Julie Goucher on August 13, 2012
at 2:48 am
Great!
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By: Lisa Hill on August 13, 2012
at 2:56 am
Sounds like a successful spree. There is so much gloom about the death of the bookshop it’s been lovely to hear so much positive buzz about national bookshop day.
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By: annabelsmith on August 12, 2012
at 12:15 pm
I am convinced that bookshops will survive if they adapt. They need a strong online presence so that they can garner sales both ways, they need to be strategically placed to lure browsers in, and they need to offer what online stores cannot: a community of booklovers, author events, the opportunity to browse and a nice place nearby for coffee while we read our new books!
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By: Lisa Hill on August 13, 2012
at 2:12 am
Quite the haul there Lisa. I went to buy one book, and came away with a few more than I expected. Perhaps I should do a post too?
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By: Louise on August 12, 2012
at 9:51 pm
Oh yes, please do, I love to see what other people have been buying. (I’m such a stickybeak!)
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By: Lisa Hill on August 13, 2012
at 2:09 am
[…] about it until this week’s Monday Musings as it seems a worthy subject. However, Lisa of ANZLitlovers and Louise of A Strong Belief in Wicker did their posts in a more timely […]
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By: Monday musings on Australian literature: National Bookshop Day (Belated) « Whispering Gums on August 13, 2012
at 6:01 pm
Happy reading, Lisa.
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By: readinpleasure on August 15, 2012
at 8:04 pm
some great buys Lisa I try and support my local shop as much as I can ,all the best stu
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By: winstonsdad on August 17, 2012
at 1:42 am