My Favorite Bookstores!

I suppose it’s safe to assume that most of us book lovers are big lovers of bookstores (if not to buy, then just to browse and appreciate). I have a lot of indie stores that I love, and wanted to share them with you! Some of these places I’ve been to many times, and others just once. When I travel, I try to visit a bookstore in whatever city I happen to be in. I like to keep a list in Google Maps that shows me all of the bookstores I’ve been to, it’s a really fun way of keeping track and seeing everything spread out on the globe.

Green Apple Books (San Francisco, California, USA)

This is probably my favorite indie bookstore. My mom grew up in San Francisco and my grandfather still lives in the same house, which is less than a 10 minute walk from this bookstore. My family and I have been going to this bookstore since I was super young, and I love it. They actually have two store fronts that are almost right next to each other, so they have a big selection of both new and used books.

Dark Carnival Bookstore (Berkeley, California, USA)

This is a bookstore that is just for fantasy, science fiction, and mystery books!!! How amazing is that? Naturally this would be one of my favorite stores as scifi and fantasy are my two favorite genres. I lived in Berkeley while I did my bachelor’s degree, so I got to visit this place quite a few times. Inside is STUFFED to the brim with books! Even going up the stairs to the second floor, there are stacks on books on each step and shelves along the wall of the staircase.

The Last Bookstore (Los Angeles, California, USA)

I grew up in the LA area but never visited The Last Bookstore until I had moved and was almost done with college. I love all the artwork that they’ve done with the books, I think that’s what makes this place special. You can see the book arch and circle here, among other things. There’s so much more that I couldn’t show in just a few photos though. It’s also very close to Grand Central Market LA which has a ton of good food.

Strand Book Store (New York, New York, USA)

I now live about an hour’s train ride from New York City, so naturally I made it a mission for the first time I visited NYC to go to the Strand Book Store. It’s famous for having “18 miles of books”. And though you can clearly tell from the photos here that there are a lot of books, the photos really do not do it justice. There are 3 huge floors I believe, and on the top floor there is a rare book room which is really neat. They host a lot of author talks/signings as well. I met V.E. Schwab here so it’s got a special place in my heart. Later this month I’m also going to see Leigh Bardugo here so I’m super excited!

The Monkey’s Paw (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

In summer of 2017 a few friends and I decided to take a road trip through Canada! Sadly Shari and my schedules didn’t work out so we couldn’t meet up, but next time we will. Anyway, this is a quirky little bookstore in Toronto that we stopped at. My absolute favorite part of this store (besides the awesome name) is that it has a BOOK VENDING MACHINE! You put in a two dollar coin and out comes a random book! One of the ones I got was a coffee table book on Canadian television haha. I also got some vintage Penguin classics here. I’d love to go again when I get a chance to go back to Toronto.

Black Squirrel Books & Espresso Bar (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

We also stopped in Ottawa on our road trip through Canada, and we visited this bookstore + cafe combo. The day we went was a gloomy rainy day, so it was really nice to stop in a get a hot drink and be in a really cozy place. On the ground floor is the cafe and main part of the bookstore, and then down in the basement there are even more books. As you can see, there are books everywhere in the cafe area! I don’t think I got anything here, but my friend (and roommate) got a nice book of nature poetry.

Shakespeare & Company (Paris, France)

Aaaand we’re ending with a classic. I’m sure everyone has heard of Shakespeare & Company in Paris. I went in the summer of 2016 when on a vacation with my family. Photos aren’t allowed inside, but it was beautiful! The best part is that it’s so close to Notre Dame, so you can sit on the street outside the shop and look over at the cathedral (and also go visit, obviously). I wish I had bought a book there as a souvenir! I guess I’ll just have to go back 🙂

I definitely recommend going to visit all of these bookstores if you are in any of these cities! What are your favs that I must visit? I’m always looking for an excuse to travel 🙂