Collins Booksellers store manager Michaelie Clark said the Liebig Street business had "been quite lucky" during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We've had a definite rise in sales this year," she said.

"We've been lucky enough to stay open all the way through the lockdowns, and we're incredibly grateful to our local community for giving so much support to our small business during that time.

"It has been wonderful to see people embracing literature with such enthusiasm and making a point of giving their patronage to little local shops like ours."

Ms Clark said online sales "really took off this year" as people stocked up on books, games and puzzles during strict restrictions which limited people's movement outside their homes.

"We've tried to make online shopping with us as personalised as possible, for those who have been unable to interact in person - we've had more people taking up our offer of free gift-wrapping and free home delivery than ever before, and we always include a very sincere message of thanks," she said.

Tourist season, which is in full swing, also has its benefits with people now stopping by for holiday reads and board games.

The store's biggest 2020 seller was Eddie Jaku's The Happiest Man on Earth.

"Eddie is a 100-year-old German-Australian who survived the Holocaust and has since been dedicated to finding joy and beauty in every day," Ms Clark said.

"It's an inspiring and uplifting memoir that has given a lot of hope and peace to people who have really struggled this year.

"Aside from that, a lot of our customers have been supporting not only their local bookstore, but also the hundreds of local books and products we promote, which has a great flow-on effect for our community."

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason: This novel tells the story of Martha, who is desperately trying to work out where she went wrong in life. It's so very funny and easy to read but with plenty of substance and emotion.

Untwisted by Paul Jennings: Our biggest local book of the year (of course). Quite a raw account of Paul's life that gives a lot of insight into his amazing stories. Particularly perfect for teachers and aspiring writers - as well as die-hard Round the Twist fans who want a snippet of what went on behind the scenes.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo: Last year's joint Booker winner (along with another favourite, Margaret Atwood's The Testaments) is a great summer read for those who like to read short pieces - it's essentially 12 incredible interlinked short stories spanning several generations of women.

The Survivors by Jane Harper: Plenty of Aussie crime-fiction lovers will be heading off to the cinema in the new year to see the film adaptation of Harper's first novel, The Dry. The Survivors is her fourth book, is set in a coastal town, and brings all the same tension and fast-paced mystery as her first.

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton: Set during World War II at the time of the Darwin bombing, this novel reads like a whimsical Aussie fairytale layered over a darker, murkier reality, but is ultimately uplifting. A very different story to Dalton's best-selling debut, Boy Swallows Universe, which was based on his own life, but still uniquely recognisable as his work.

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