Los Angeles, known for sunny days at the beach and skateboarding legends, not to mention endless hours of driving. Los Angeles is also home to some of the best book stores in the country and here is a sampler of them:
1. The Last Bookstore
Los Angeles’s answer to New York’s The Strand, The Last Bookstore is a huge, two floor building, where the first floor houses much of the collection, it also has a wing for music lovers (they have great records) and an attached store for rare and art books. The top floor is home to arts and crafts stores, as well as a huge science fiction, mystery section and more in what is called “The Mezzanine above the Last.” You will spend hours on both floors, and with great prices, stock up on great picks.
2. Skylight Books
To get here from Silverlake, you need to cross Shakespare Bridge, it does not get more literary than that. Once at Skylight though, you know you have found everything you ever wanted from an independent bookstore. With friendly staff and a friendly cat, you can spend lots of time browsing the shelves, though not as big as The Last Bookstore, they have a great curated selection, which is bound to interest you.
.JPG)
3. Beyond Baroque
When you walk into Beyond Baroque, you know you are in a poet’s dream bookstore. Though they have books that span genre, poetry is clearly at the heart of this bookstore. Only open limited hours, this store is worth making your way out for, great prices on used and new items, and selections that are not housed in other bookstores. Plus events that are sure to make any book lover happy.
4. Small World Books
To end our tour let’s go to the beach, specifically the Venice boardwalk where Small World Books exists. For being on the boardwalk, this bookstore has one of the best selections in Los Angeles. All new books, they house both best sellers and small independent titles, which range from beach reads to theory to poetry. A wonderful selection that is a must check out if you make it to Venice.
5. Stories
To try to cover all the neighborhoods, we have Stories in Echo Park. Stories is great because they not only have a great, albeit small, collection of new and used material, but because they have a cafe as well, where you can go to work or read the book you newly purchased. Sometimes smaller bookstores have a charm in opening your eyes to new authors you might not have checked out.
6. Counterpoint Books
Right next to Upright Citizen’s Brigade HQ, stands Counterpoint Books a used book lovers dream. Great prices, great selection and a rare book collection next store to browse. There is a charm when you walk in here, as if this is how a used bookstore should be.
7. Eso Won Books
Eso Won Books is a bookstore that focuses on race relations, history, politics and more genres that go deeper than your average bookstore. Eso Won Books is a black owned bookstore with an extremely knowledgeable staff, and they have a wonderful selection that focuses on this knowledge, what more reason needed to support?
Of course LA has many more bookstores that could fill multiple blog entries. What are some of your favorites not listed here?
YouTube Channel: inselvideo
Featured image via W
h/t Laist
