Bookstores in Christchurch
Bookstores reward the browsers. Christchurch, Canterbury has 32 mapped right now, and 1 of them deal in used books. That's 32 bookshops mapped around Christchurch, each with its own shelves and specialties. The used sections are where the real bargains hide.
This guide covers every bookstore we could verify in and around Christchurch (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Scorpio Books and Scorpio Books Next Door, plus Telling Tales: Scorpio Books' Children's Bookshop. If a bookshop's missing from Christchurch's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet.
The Christchurch bookstore lineup
32 mapped within about 40 km:
Scorpio Books
Bookstore0.1 km from Christchurch
Scorpio Books is Bookstore on 120 Hereford Street, Christchurch. Scorpio Books also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa, Su 10:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
120 Hereford Street, Christchurch, 8011
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa, Su 10:00-17:00
Phone: +64 3 379 2882
Scorpio Books Next Door
Bookstore0.1 km from Christchurch
Scorpio Books Next Door — Bookstore.
Telling Tales: Scorpio Books' Children's Bookshop
Bookstore0.1 km from Christchurch
Telling Tales: Scorpio Books' Children's Bookshop is Bookstore on 101-111 Cashel Street, Christchurch. Telling Tales: Scorpio Books' Children's Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa,Su,PH 10:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
101-111 Cashel Street, Christchurch, 8011
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa,Su,PH 10:00-17:00
Phone: +64 3 741 3309
Whitcoulls
Bookstore0.7 km from Christchurch
Whitcoulls — Bookstore.
Christian Superstore
Bookstore1.5 km from Christchurch
Christian Superstore is Bookstore. Christian Superstore also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-16:00
Reverie Booksellers
Bookstore2.1 km from Christchurch
Reverie Booksellers — Bookstore.
Steadfast Books
Used bookstore2.4 km from Christchurch
Steadfast Books is Used bookstore on 1/17 Wise Street, Christchurch. Steadfast Books also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:00-16:30; Sa-Su 10:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
1/17 Wise Street, Christchurch, 8024
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-16:30; Sa-Su 10:00-17:00
Phone: +64 3 381 0033
Parris & Jeanne
Bookstore2.4 km from Christchurch
Parris & Jeanne — Bookstore, found on 183 Papanui Road in Christchurch. Also worth knowing about Parris & Jeanne: it has a website with more detail.
183 Papanui Road, Christchurch, 8014
Whitcoulls
Bookstore2.5 km from Christchurch
Whitcoulls — Bookstore, found on 189 Papanui Road in Christchurch. Also worth knowing about Whitcoulls: it has a website with more detail.
189 Papanui Road, Christchurch, 8014
J Books
Bookstore2.7 km from Christchurch
J Books is Bookstore on 374a Ferry Road, Christchurch. J Books also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Tu 10:00-18:00; We-Su 09:00-18:00.
374a Ferry Road, Christchurch
Hours: Mo-Tu 10:00-18:00; We-Su 09:00-18:00
Book Barn on Ferry
Bookstore2.7 km from Christchurch
Book Barn on Ferry is Bookstore on 374 Ferry Road, Christchurch. Book Barn on Ferry also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 09:00-17:00.
374 Ferry Road, Christchurch
Hours: Mo-Su 09:00-17:00
King's Books & Stamps
Bookstore2.8 km from Christchurch
King's Books & Stamps is Bookstore.
Paper Plus
Bookstore3.0 km from Christchurch
Paper Plus — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Paper Plus: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 10:00-17:00.
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Whitcoulls
Bookstore3.0 km from Christchurch
Whitcoulls — Bookstore.
Paper Tree
Bookstore3.3 km from Christchurch
Paper Tree is Bookstore.
Whitcoulls
Bookstore3.7 km from Christchurch
Whitcoulls — Bookstore, found on The Palms Mall in Christchurch. Also worth knowing about Whitcoulls: the map lists its hours as Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 10:00-18:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
The Palms Mall, Christchurch, 8061
Hours: Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 10:00-18:00
Phone: +64 3 977 3570
University Book Shop
Bookstore4.5 km from Christchurch
University Book Shop is Bookstore on University Drive, Christchurch. University Book Shop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 08:30-17:00; Sa 10:00-15:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
University Drive, Christchurch, 8041
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-17:00; Sa 10:00-15:00
Phone: +64 3 364 2043
Smiths Bookshop
Bookstore4.5 km from Christchurch
Smiths Bookshop — Bookstore.
Christian Value Books
Bookstore4.6 km from Christchurch
Christian Value Books — Bookstore, found on 21A Main North Road in Christchurch. Also worth knowing about Christian Value Books: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
21A Main North Road, Christchurch, 8053
Phone: +64 3 352 1123
Whitcoulls
Bookstore4.9 km from Christchurch
Whitcoulls — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Whitcoulls: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Phone: +64 3 977 3568
Paper Plus
Bookstore5.9 km from Christchurch
Paper Plus — Bookstore, found on 1005 Ferry Road in Christchurch. Also worth knowing about Paper Plus: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 08:30-17:30; Sa 09:00-18:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
1005 Ferry Road, Christchurch, 8023
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-17:30; Sa 09:00-18:00
Phone: +64 3 384 2063
Books Plus
Bookstore6.2 km from Christchurch
Books Plus is Bookstore. Books Plus also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as We-Sa 10:00-16:00.
Hours: We-Sa 10:00-16:00
Dove Bookshop
Bookstore6.2 km from Christchurch
Dove Bookshop is Bookstore. Dove Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:00-16:30; Sa 10:00-16:00.
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-16:30; Sa 10:00-16:00
Bishopdale Books and Post
Bookstore6.2 km from Christchurch
Bishopdale Books and Post — Bookstore.
Piccadilly Bookshop Limited
Bookstore6.8 km from Christchurch
Piccadilly Bookshop Limited is Bookstore on 210 Withells Road, Christchurch. Piccadilly Bookshop Limited also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00; Sa 08:15-17:00; Su 10:00-16:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
210 Withells Road, Christchurch, 8042
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00; Sa 08:15-17:00; Su 10:00-16:00
Phone: +64 3 358 4835
Paper Plus
Bookstore7.9 km from Christchurch
Paper Plus — Bookstore, found on 72 Brighton Mall in Christchurch. Also worth knowing about Paper Plus: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
72 Brighton Mall, Christchurch, 8061
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-17:00
Phone: +64 3 388 1809
Whitcoulls
Bookstore9.1 km from Christchurch
Whitcoulls — Bookstore.
Paper Plus
Bookstore9.2 km from Christchurch
Paper Plus — Bookstore.
London St Books
Bookstore10.3 km from Christchurch
London St Books is Bookstore.
Leslie's Bookshop
Bookstore10.4 km from Christchurch
Leslie's Bookshop is Bookstore on 29b London Street, Lyttelton.
29b London Street, Lyttelton, 8082
Whitcoulls
Bookstore25.6 km from Christchurch
Whitcoulls — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Whitcoulls: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 10:00-17:00.
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 10:00-17:00
North Canterbury Books
Bookstore25.7 km from Christchurch
North Canterbury Books — Bookstore.
What the map tells us about bookstores in Christchurch
15 of the 32 list their opening hours on the map, which is genuinely useful — bookshops keep civilised hours, so the listed ones are usually reliable.
13 have websites listed. Worth a look for events — readings and signings get announced there first.
The Christchurch bookstore crawl
The efficient Christchurch bookstore crawl strings these together: Scorpio Books on 120 Hereford Street, Scorpio Books Next Door, Telling Tales: Scorpio Books' Children's Bookshop on 101-111 Cashel Street, Whitcoulls, Christian Superstore, Reverie Booksellers, Steadfast Books on 1/17 Wise Street, and Parris & Jeanne on 183 Papanui Road — 32 stops, one logical order. 24 more are listed below.
Bookstore tips for Christchurch
Browsing in Christchurch? A little strategy helps:
- Check the staff picks shelf first at Scorpio Books. It's the fastest read of a shop's personality. If the picks excite you, the rest of the store will too.
- Bring a tote bag at Scorpio Books Next Door. Bookshops and tote bags are a natural pair. You'll need it — nobody leaves with the one book they came for.
- Kids' sections are goldmines. Even without kids. The picture-book art alone is worth the browse, and the middle-grade shelves hold genuine classics.
- Visit during author events. Readings and signings are usually free and turn a bookshop into the best evening out in town.
Good to know
We searched about 40 km around Christchurch — that covers the town itself plus the surrounding communities you'd reasonably drive to. Listings come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by local volunteers, so a brand-new bookstore in Christchurch can take a while to appear. Spotted a closure among the 32, or a bookstore we missed entirely? The map is the source of truth here — one OpenStreetMap edit corrects it for everyone.
We don't list prices — they change constantly and vary by edition. What we list is the where: real shops, verified by real mappers, in alphabetical order with no favourites.
If you run one of the 32 listed here and something's wrong — a closure, a move, new hours — the fix is the same: update the shop on OpenStreetMap and the correction flows through to this page on the next daily refresh.
Bookstore listings for Christchurch: 32 mapped from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos from Wikimedia Commons contributors; individual photo credits appear in captions. Listing data was last refreshed automatically — verify hours before visiting.