Whitcoulls Queenstown

About Whitcoulls Queenstown

Whitcoulls Queenstown, at Shop A-05 in the Central Shopping Centre on Grant Road, is the Queenstown home of one of New Zealand's best-known booksellers. It is the kind of store where you can drop in for the newest thriller, walk out with a picture book you remember from childhood, and end up browsing a cookbook or a romantasy series you hadn't planned on. The shelves cover the full range of what the chain does well: new releases and pre-orders, a strong children's section, fiction across every genre, and the curated lists — the Whitcoulls Top 100, the Kids Top 50, Whitcoulls Recommends and Joan's Picks — that generations of New Zealand readers have used to decide what to read next.

Beyond the bestsellers, the store stocks deeply categorised sections: children's books from early learning to young adult, cookbooks from baking to New Zealand cooking, biography and true stories, business, history and military, Maoritanga, mind body spirit, humour, crafts and hobbies, and more. Fans of special editions are well catered for, with collector's and deluxe editions of popular series alongside pre-orders for the next big titles in fantasy and romance. Whether you are a Queenstown local after a specific title or a visitor looking for something to read by the lake, this branch brings the country's favourite book recommendations to the centre of town.

Whitcoulls Queenstown: Curated Books, Bestsellers and Collector's Editions in the Central Shopping Centre

Tucked into Shop A-05 of the Central Shopping Centre on Grant Road, Whitcoulls Queenstown is the local outpost of a name that generations of New Zealanders associate with buying books. For Queenstown locals it is the convenient stop for the next book on the list; for visitors it is a chance to pick up holiday reading, a New Zealand cookbook or a gift that isn't another fridge magnet.

What sets the store apart is the sheer breadth of what is on offer. The new-release tables carry the latest from authors like James Patterson and Laure Eve, alongside homegrown titles such as Jon Toogood's *Home Again* and T-hema Baker's *One Day a Taniwha*. Pre-orders let readers lock in the next big thing before it lands — think limited deluxe editions of Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean series or the next Sarah J. Maas trade paperbacks.

Curated by people who actually read

Anyone who has stood paralysed in front of a bookshelf will appreciate Whitcoulls' famous curated lists. The **Whitcoulls Top 100** is the booksellers' annual ranking of the titles customers and staff love most — currently led by *Fourth Wing*, *A Court of Thorns & Roses* and *Project Hail Mary*. It is as close to a national reading consensus as New Zealand gets.

For younger readers there is the **Kids Top 50**, where Hairy Maclary still rubs shoulders with Dog Man and Harry Potter — a handy shortlist for birthday presents and school-holiday reading. **Whitcoulls Recommends** and **Joan's Picks** go a step further, offering a more personal shortlist of books the team genuinely rates, from Robert Harris's *Agrippa* to Ann Patchett's *Whistler*.

A shelf for every kind of reader

Beyond the headline lists, the store's categories run deep. Children's books span picture books, early learning, activity books and educational material. Fiction is sorted by genre, from crime and thriller to graphic novels and horror. The romantasy boom gets its own dedicated section, reflecting how central series like ACOTAR and Throne of Glass have become to the store's trade.

Non-fiction readers are equally covered: cookbooks with dedicated New Zealand cooking and baking shelves, biography and true stories, business and finance, history and military, computing, home and garden, humour, and Maoritanga with titles on Maori history, language and art. It is the kind of range that rewards an unhurried browse.

Special editions worth hunting for

Collectors and superfans have reasons to visit too. The special editions range includes a 15th anniversary edition of *Divergent*, a collector's edition of Cassandra Clare's *City of Heavenly Fire*, and deluxe editions of BookTok favourites like Rachel Reid's *Heated Rivalry*. The BookTok selection keeps the store current with viral hits from Carissa Broadbent, Chloe Gong and James Islington — the titles dominating reading communities online right now.

The Queenstown experience

There is something fitting about a bookstore in a town built on stories of adventure. Whitcoulls Queenstown works for the quick, purposeful visit — you know the title, you grab it, you go — and equally for the slow browse when the weather turns and the mountains disappear behind cloud. Staff can point you toward whatever the current Top 100 says the country is reading, or steer you off the beaten track entirely.

Whether you are topping up the kids' bookshelf, chasing the next romantasy release, or after a curated recommendation you can trust, this branch puts one of New Zealand's most-loved book recommendations engines right in the middle of Queenstown Central.

Signature items

• Whitcoulls Top 100
• Kids Top 50
• Whitcoulls Recommends
• Joan's Picks
• Special Editions & Pre-Orders
• BookTok Selection

Menu

BookTok

• Ashes of Thezmarr #03: Silver & Smoke — Helen Scheuerer viral fantasy series
• Crowns of Nyaxia #05: The Lion and the Deathless Dark — Carissa Broadbent BookTok favourite
• Runebreaker — Fantasy title from Mila Finch
• Scion — James Islington's latest
• Flesh & False Gods #03: Eyes of Kings — Chloe Gong series instalment

Pre-Orders

• Empyrean: Threshing Day — Limited Deluxe Edition — Rebecca Yarros limited deluxe pre-order
• ACOTAR #06: A Court of Splintered Harmony — Sarah J. Maas trade paperback pre-order
• ACOTAR #07: A Court of Forgotten Melody — Sarah J. Maas trade paperback pre-order
• Emily Wilde #04: Emily Wilde's History of Dark Faerie — Heather Fawcett series pre-order
• Bad Idea — Elle Kennedy pre-order

Kids Top 50

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — J.K. Rowling, ranked #1
• Dog Man — Dav Pilkey, ranked #2
• Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy — Lynley Dodd, ranked #3
• Wings of Fire #01: Dragonet Prophecy — Tui T. Sutherland, ranked #4
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid #01 — Jeff Kinney, ranked #5

Joan'S Picks

• Dying Days — Anthony Byrt, personally picked
• Rule of Lies — Jamison R. Firestone pick
• Daughters of the Sun and Moon — Lisa See curated title
• Whistler — Ann Patchett curated pick
• Stakes — Noelle McCarthy curated title

New Releases

• Home Again — New release from Jon Toogood
• Delusional — Latest thriller from James Patterson
• One Day a Taniwha — New release from T-hema Baker
• Cooking Thai — New Thai cookbook by Pim Techamuanvivit
• Alecto Gray Will Hunt You Down — New release from Laure Eve

Special Editions

• Divergent 15th Anniversary Edition — Veronica Roth anniversary edition
• The Mortal Instruments #06: City of Heavenly Fire Collector's Edition — Cassandra Clare collector's edition
• Starside Special Edition — Special edition from Alex Aster
• Heated Rivalry Deluxe Edition — Rachel Reid deluxe pre-order
• Better Than the Movies Collector's Edition — Lynn Painter collector's edition

Books By Category

• Children's Books — Picture books, activity books, early learning and more
• Fiction — Crime, romance, sci-fi & fantasy, classics, graphic novels
• Cookbooks — Baking, NZ cooking, vegan, budget and quick & easy cooking
• Young Adult — YA fiction, non-fiction and educational material
• Romantasy — Dedicated section for the romance-fantasy crossover boom
• Biography & True Stories — Biographies and true-life accounts
• Business — Management, economics, finance and industry titles
• History & Military — World history, military history and warfare titles
• Maoritanga — Maori art, history, language (Te Reo) and customs
• Mind, Body, Spirit — Healing, wellbeing and complementary therapy books

Whitcoulls Top 100

• Empyrean #01: Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros, ranked #1
• ACOTAR #01: A Court of Thorns & Roses — Sarah J. Maas, ranked #2
• Throne of Glass #0.5: The Assassin's Blade — Sarah J. Maas, ranked #3
• Project Hail Mary — Andy Weir, ranked #4
• The Hunger Games #01 — Suzanne Collins, ranked #5

Whitcoulls Recommends

• The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion #01 — Beth Brower staff-recommended pick
• Agrippa — Robert Harris recommended title
• The Governor — Lynda La Plante recommended pick
• The Four Wives of Windsor — Simon Vigar recommended read
• The Correspondent — Virginia Evans recommended title

Frequently asked questions

Where is Whitcoulls Queenstown located?

At Shop A-05, Central Shopping Centre, 19 Grant Rd, Queenstown Central, Queenstown.

Can I pre-order upcoming books?

Yes — the store takes pre-orders on upcoming releases, including limited deluxe editions like Empyrean: Threshing Day and the next Sarah J. Maas trade paperbacks.

What is the Whitcoulls Top 100?

It is the booksellers' annual curated ranking of the most-loved titles, currently topped by Fourth Wing, A Court of Thorns & Roses and Project Hail Mary.

Does the store have children's books?

Yes — there is a full children's section from picture books and early learning to activity books, and the Kids Top 50 highlights the country's most-loved children's titles.

What kinds of books are stocked?

A wide range: fiction across all genres, romantasy, young adult, cookbooks, biography, business, history, Maoritanga, mind body spirit, humour, crafts and more.

Are special or collector's editions available?

Yes — the special editions range includes anniversary, collector's and deluxe editions of popular series such as Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and Heated Rivalry.

Can I shop Whitcoulls online?

Yes — whitcoulls.co.nz offers online browsing and checkout for new releases, pre-orders and the curated lists.

Tips

• {"body":"If you're unsure what to read next, the Whitcoulls Top 100 is a reliable shortlist of what the country is actually enjoying.","title":"Start with the Top 100"}
• {"body":"Limited deluxe editions like Empyrean: Threshing Day sell fast — securing a pre-order means you won't miss out on launch day.","title":"Pre-order the big fantasy releases"}
• {"body":"Stuck for a children's birthday present? The Kids Top 50 lists proven favourites from Hairy Maclary to Dog Man and Wings of Fire.","title":"Use the Kids Top 50 for gifts"}
• {"body":"For trending fantasy and romance, the BookTok selection rounds up the viral titles from Carissa Broadbent, Chloe Gong and more.","title":"Check the BookTok table"}
• {"body":"The deep category sections — from New Zealand cookbooks to Maoritanga and military history — reward a slower wander through the store.","title":"Browse beyond bestsellers"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Full children's section plus the Kids Top 50 make it an easy family stop."}