The smooth feel of a glossy new cover. The flutter of pages under your fingers. Those moments when you read the blurb, pretending that you’re still deciding whether or not to buy, when you already know exactly where it will sit on your bookshelves. And don’t even get us started on the smell of a new book.

We get it. We really do. There is nothing quite like the feel of a new book in your hands.

August 19 marks the start of book week in Australia, and even though every week is book week for many of us, it’s at least seven days of everyone else joining in on the fun, too.

Start planning your week now with some of these shelf-fillingly-good bookshops around Australia.

Abbey’s Bookshop, Sydney

Abbey’s Bookshop is everything a bookstore should be. Not only can you find the latest bestsellers, but you can also find rare novels, back catalogues, and a seemingly infinite supply of fantasy novels. The staff are always on hand to have a yak about everything from popular works to obscure paperbacks, so be prepared to stay a while.

Kaleido Books & Gifts, Perth

After your next page turner? Need a little life advice? The Kaleido crew are happy to help you find what you’re looking for. They’re known as the friendliest little independent bookstore in Perth, and happily call themselves the ‘weird, quirky bookshop’ of the city. They aim to stock all sorts of books, so you’ll easily find a treasure (or seven) to take home to devour.

Alice’s Bookshop, Melbourne

What is it about second-hand books that makes them so mysterious and exciting? Those same words could be used to describe Alice’s, a Melbourne hideaway named for everyone’s favourite rabbit hole spelunker. Get lost among thousands of books and the stories they tell – this store knows what it is to be a bookworm.

Dillons Norwood Bookshop, Adelaide
Welcome to South Australia’s largest independent bookstore, where your imagination can run free (but you’d better keep an eye on your hands or you’ll end up with more books than you can carry). You will be able to find even the most niche and curious genres here, and the staff are hilariously competitive when it comes to sourcing hard-to-find books, so pop in during book week and put them to the test.

Paperchain Bookstore, Canberra

The staff at Paperchain Bookstore are experts in a range of topics as vast as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, and they specialise in topics from Young Adult to “Cute Cats”. Plus, this bookshop hosts regular events, so keep a close eye on their calendar of events for a book signing or reading by some of Australia’s great writers.

Mary Ryan’s Books, Music, and Coffee, Brisbane

You don’t really need much more than the name to convince you to make a visit. Even if that means getting on a plane, flying to Queensland, and catching the first taxi you see so you don’t spend another minute without this delicious trio of books, music and coffee in your life. And yes, the collection of books and the friendliness of the staff is everything you could want, do don’t bother packing a bag, just bring an empty one.