Mostly Books in Torrens Park, South Australia

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Telephone:	+61 8 8373 5190
Website:	mostlybooks.com.au
Address:	Mitcham Square 119 Belair Rd, Torrens Park, South Australia, 5062 Mitcham
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	320 ftStop 23 Princes Road - South side 340 ftStop 13 Belair Road - East side 410 ftStop 23 Princes Road - North side
Categories:	Bookstores

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Bussiness info

Accepted Cards	Credit, Debit
Parking	Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible	Yes

Dogs Allowed	Yes
Legal ID	'n/a'

Today

Today	9:00 am – 5:30 pm Closed now
Local time (Torrens Park)	08:45 Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Business hours

Monday	9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Thursday	9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday	9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday	11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We stock a wide range of books in a variety of departments, but are particularly good on fiction, cookbooks, art books and children’s books. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and product knowledge, and would be happy to recommend a book for you. We also run book clubs, writing groups, knitting groups and regular events with authors.

History

Established in 1977.

Mostly Books has existed in a number of incarnations, having famously been burnt down in 2004 when Mitcham Shopping Centre caught fire. It reopened shortly afterwards in the surviving part of the shopping centre and has remained there ever since.

The shop began in 1977 as a family business. Its original owner, Jacqueline Cookes, was a tireless advocate of local writers, and in 2013 was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the retail bookselling industry.

In 2010, Jacqueline Cookes sold the business to its current owner, Charmaine Power, a former Associate Professor at Flinders University, a lifelong bibliophile and a passionate believer in the importance of independent retail to local communities. The business has flourished under Charmaine’s leadership and continues to provide a hub for local residents, keen readers and aspiring writers of all ages.

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«They have the best salads ever. My go-to lunch when I’m at the bookshop. And their staff are fantastic.»

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Bookshops

Mostly Books says,

«Another fantastic Adelaide independent bookstore. Expect great product knowledge and excellent service!»

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5 reviews of Mostly Books

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Rebecca C.

Place rating: 4
Goodwood, Australia

Top Notch book store with personable staff, and interesting array of books and pleasant display cases. The selection of books consist of standard bestsellers, old school favourites and some unusual and intriguing novels and novellas. The non-fiction choice is quite good for a small shop those looking for biographies, self help, history and psychology driven books should be rather pleased for a place in the suburbs. The children’s selection is particularly excellent, reflective of the large amount of schools in the area.
A great little shop in the ‘burbs.

Brad J.

Place rating: 4
Adelaide, Australia

I like this place. In an age where book purchasing has become a fairly impersonal and sterile thing, this place seems to give this old activity a bit of life. The staff really know their stuff, and as Mario explained, they’re really big supporters of Australian writers.
I’ve grabbed a couple of books as gifts here just recently. The price was alright — not cheap, but not outrageous, either. The place is a fairly busy one, especially before Christmas.
I like this place quite a bit.

Mario P.

Place rating: 5
Australia

Imagine if a Twitter ‘tweet’ could be longer than 140 characters. Madness, you say? Nay, I retort, ’tis but Literature!
Common perception dictates that the novel is dying, crushed beneath the ever-rising popularity of film and gaming. And how should we respond to these claims? Well, if novels are on the way out, one should think we ought to buy a couple before we lose the opportunity! And where better than Mostly Books in Mitcham Square?
‘Australian Literature is in a very exciting place at the moment. Authors have finally begun to wear their Australianness with a subtlety and sophistication far removed from the deserts, kangaroos and snake-bites that once baffled international readers,’ says Samuel Williams, passionate employee of Mostly Books.
Of course, Mostly Books has your Dickens, your Austen, your King and your Stephanie Meyer, as does your typical bookstore, but where this independent establishment differs is in its passion for contemporary Australian writers. The store is sent proof copies of soon-to-be-published manuscripts, which all the workers are encouraged to read. Consequently, the staff is readily able to recognise, suggest and even, once the satisfied customer returns to the store, discuss at length a wide range of Australian fiction.
And after the demise of Borders and Angus and Robertson, you can’t beat that fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you’ve just helped support an independent bookstore and, subsequently, the publishing industry at large.

Kamini N.

Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia

I love suporting small bookstores, I think they’re great for the community as it creates jobs for the local community, they stock different book titles that you don’t normally see at the bigger stores and support local authors.
Mostly Books does just that. Every year, they support South Australian writers and have a Meet The Author session, followed by a Q & A. I think it’s a brilliant initiative in keeping the writing industry alive and most importantly raise the profile of our locally bred writers.
A Book Club is also held here, on the third and fourth Thursday of the month.
I like coming here to get inspiration from fashion and vintage books, cookbooks and also to pick up a Lego book from the one too many parties we attend.

Michelle J.

Place rating: 3
Adelaide, Australia

This is a fairly small bookstore, with not a huge range.
I tend to buy my books either from a department store or online these days, as it works out so much cheaper. I haven’t brought anything from here, but I have been in to browse through the new release books a few times.
It’s always pretty busy, and the staff seem friendly enough.
A good option if you don’t have a department store nearby and want a book fast.

Mostly Books

Torrens Park, Australia