Matakana Village Books

Friendly and informed staff. I enjoy browsing with my two kids to find the next adventure to dive into or continue an existing one as part of a series. They are happy to order a book if it's not available.
Jan 4th, 2023

Nov 24th, 2022

Brilliant book shop, fantastic selection and knowledgeable staff.
Sep 12th, 2022

I am so happy with Matakana the help I received from Matakana book shop.I needed a craft book for a child's gift.Karen gently guided me (by phone) through some options.I felt safe with her manner.I chose something,paid ,and in minutes photo confirmation arrived on my phone,showing the gift, and wrapped parcel and courier receipt,and it was on its way to the recipient !
Aug 21st, 2022

I'm not sure we encountered the "Karen" mentioned in other recent reviews, but we had a brief and very unpleasant experience. I apologise in advance for the long-ish commentary here, which is partly applicable to Matakana Village Books but also applies to a certain mindset, and it specifically relates to a negative attitude held by some in this country to dogs- even those who are well-behaved, clean and friendly. First the specifics- it was in the middle of an epic windstorm on a Monday afternoon when we walked in to the lovely looking bookshop with our two small, clean, sweet and well-behaved dogs. In Matakana, things are either closed or close early on a Monday and there was no place to sit down for a coffee and take shelter from the wind. My wife and I LOVE books and we love independent bookshops and normally spend a lot of time and money when we pop in. So much nicer than buying online and frankly we feel that independent bookshops offer so much to a community in multiple ways. So we support them! Before advancing into the shop, I politely sought out a staff member and asked her if it would be okay for our dogs to accompany us. She scowled and replied, in a surly tone, "I'd rather they didn't". When it was clear I was shocked by her deadpan and frankly non-commercial answer (I may have been about to drop a grand on books, who knows?) She said, "I'll open the door and you can tie them up outside if you like". Did I mention it was a howling windstorm outside? And sorry but dog theft is a real thing. "Thanks but no thanks" I replied (politely) and we took our leave. This irritates the hell out of me on so many levels. This was definitely an 'own goal' because when a customer darkens your door way, (assuming they are polite and respectful) they should be regarded as an opportunity. I would have spent a couple hundred bucks in the store easily ( I always do in small bookshops) and probably would be writing a rave review and telling friends to visit. (We just love Matakana and almost everyone there). A smile would have gone a long way to temper my response if there really was a legitimate reason for excluding our dogs (Perhaps she is allergic, or maybe the lease with landlord forbids it, or whatever). Now on to the general bone I have to pick with the general 'anti-dog' attitude that seems to be rather common in parts of NZ.... Again, this is BAD BUSINESS. The vast majority of people who wish to bring bring dogs with them to a cafe, pub, hotel, shop etc are there to SPEND MONEY. They also, generally speaking, do not take ill-behaved dogs out with them as it is simply too much trouble. In Europe, including the UK, you can more often than not bring your dog to any place other than (quite understandably) a pharmacy, supermarket or healthcare clinic (although we did bring our dogs to the doctor's office in Greece on more than one occasion). When we did these things, we spent money and put it in the proprietors' pockets. This was money we otherwise would not have spent, because we would not leave our dogs at home for hours while we sat in a pub or cafe (we would have consumed our tasty beverages at home if we could not have brought the doggies). There is nothing nicer than a roaring fire with a lovely dog warming herself next to it to create an inviting and homey atmosphere. The fact that so many in New Zealand seem to view dogs as farm animals who should remain in the 'back forty' is beyond me and smacks of a by gone era. Before anyone tells me to 'like it or leave it': I love NZ but hope very much that it catches up with the rest of the civilised world very soon. NZ has far more going for it than against it. People are awesome. But on this topic there is room for improvement. (PS- on a brighter note, we have encountered a number of 'progressive' businesses, pubs, shops and cafes') that have welcomed us and our dogs happily. Many in Parnell in particular open their doors and hearts. The old Sawmill Cafe near Matakana is also wonderful. Hope this spreads.
Sep 16th, 2022