Lamplight Books

Bibliophiles should make a beeline for Lamplight Books, an elegant bookstore situated along Parnell’s main strip. It’s fair to say there isn’t a shopping experience quite comparable to stepping into this expertly curated Auckland store. 

The set-up itself is everything you’d want out of a bookstore, offering thoughtful displays and sky-high shelving, serene light-filled interiors and an overall sense of calm.  

The idea for Lamplight was born out of the pandemic. With all their plans up in the air, founders Melanie and Courtney thought “why not open a store?” Lucky for us, they followed through with that thought, and Lamplight Books opened its doors in 2021. 

The offering is focused on curating literature, art and culture reads, so we can promise you’re in good hands here. The team has both done time at Unity Books over the past few years, while Melanie holds a Master of Creative Writing and Courtney also works for a publishing house. There aren’t two better people to help you choose your next page-turner. 

In terms of the range, you’ll find a beautiful selection of art, architecture, design and Te Ao Māori to peruse. We particularly love the section that reflects the creatives,  architects and designers of Parnell—a true celebration of the surrounding suburb. 

There’s also fiction spanning, modern fiction, poetry to fantasy and crime. The People and their Journey’s section is full of interesting biographies and memoirs. Foodies are covered with cookbooks, while there are even options on natural history, science, life and death, philosophy and more. Park the small people in the cozy children’s section. Lots, lots more.