Constant Reader is a true village bookshop. For owner Jay Lansdown, that means being able to “read the community” so that his shelves are packed with the kind of books locals want to see.

He bought the store from original owner Peter Kirby in 2012 when he was still an employee (the only way a good bookshop changes hands, according to Lansdown), and since then he’s opened a second Constant Reader in Mosman. But the Crows Nest store is the one that set the bar high. It stocks a large and eclectic range of titles, plus the usual book-related paraphernalia you’d expect from an independent bookseller.

Constant Reader also lays claim to the longest continuing author event in Sydney, in partnership with the Stanton Library in North Sydney. But Lansdown is quick to point out that he and the staff are passionate booksellers first and foremost. It’s why the shop is a must-visit when you’re on the north side of the Bridge.