BEST BOOKS (NEW): Ariel Booksellers

You know that friend of yours who always has at least three Booker prize-winners nonchalantly strewn across his bedroom floor? The one you kind of suspect is doing it on purpose and who, let’s be honest here, probably has an attic filled with well-thumbed Harry Potter paperbacks? Well, that friend probably shops at Ariel. Not that pretention is the name of the game here: it’s simply that, with its beautiful selection of coffee table books and impressive range of literature, Ariel is the kind of place that could inspire even the most staunchly lowbrow reader to burn the Dan Brown omnibus. You’ll thank us when your next dinner party rolls around. (Sophie Tarr)

42 Oxford St, Paddington and 103 George St, Sydney. 9332 4581 and 9241 5622, www.arielbooks.com.au