Books are magical things! They’ve carried people through a lot of long flights and travels, and they’re still a daily essential for many creatives. It’s no surprise that California has so many independent bookstores selling something special for all sorts of novel lovers. After one of my visits to Carmel, the storybook town of California, I started wondering how many unique bookstores there are across the state and what they might look like.

Now, I’ve visited enough that I’m proud to present book-lovers a list of the ten most unique bookstores in California! Most are centered around the Los Angeles area, though some are a little further off. I’d love to hear about other independent bookstores in California, so feel free to comment what you’d like to see on my Instagram. 

Contents hide
1 Unique Bookstores in California
1.1 Bart’s Books – Ojai
1.2 The Ripped Bodice – Los Angeles
1.3 The Last Bookstore – Los Angeles
1.4 Taschen – Beverly Hills
1.5 Lost Books – Montrose
1.6 Underground Books – Sacramento
1.7 Pilgrim’s Way Community Bookstore & Secret Garden – Carmel
1.8 Verbatim Books – San Diego
1.9 Henry Miller Memorial Library – Big Sur

Unique Bookstores in California

Bart’s Books – Ojai

Who doesn’t love a good book under the sun? Bart’s Books may be the best place for a nice afternoon read. It’s the biggest outdoor library in the world, and has been a home for creatives in the Ojai Valley since 1964. 

Inside the courtyard of Bart's Books in Ojai, the biggest outdoor bookstore.

Bart’s Books 

You can relax under banners and sunlight in an armchair while reading books from this massive library’s collection. There are over 130,000 books to choose from, new and used, so you’re bound to find something that catches your eye. Their antique book collection is especially fantastic. 

Bart’s is open every day from 10 AM to 6 PM, though it closes on December 18 this year for electrical checkups. 

Woman reading outside in Bart's Books, the biggest outdoor bookstore in the world.

Reading outdoors at Bart’s Books

The Ripped Bodice – Los Angeles

Do you know what the highest-selling book genre in the world is? Chances are you guessed romance–and you’d be right! Nothing turns pages faster than an exciting love story, and there’s no better place to look for one than The Ripped Bodice. 

 
 
 
 
 
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This cute bookstore is famous for being the first romance-only bookstore in California. It carefully categorizes these romance books by topic, themes, and popular tropes. Their fantastic listing allows anyone to find whatever niche they desire at that moment. They also host countless industry-defining events, like competitions and book announcements, all within their cute little store. 

The Ripped Bodice is open from 11 AM to 7 PM Monday to Friday. You can also find it open from 10 AM to 8 PM on Saturday, and 10 AM to 7 PM on Sunday. The bookstore is closed during national holidays.

The Last Bookstore – Los Angeles

Many book lovers grow up wishing they could get whisked away to some magical wonderland stuck between the pages of their fantasy novel. The Last Bookstore fulfills this promise with its unique interior and captivatingly massive collection of books. 

The Last Bookstore

It’s the largest indoor new and used bookstore in California, spanning over 22,000 square feet. Built inside the remains of a hundred-year-old bank, the Last Bookstore has a charmingly retro and fantastical appearance to it that highlights over 250,000 books hiding in its mazes.

The Last Bookstore is open from 11 AM to 8 PM every day and is only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Don’t forget to check out the magical book tunnels and art installations inside!

Taschen – Beverly Hills

Art and literature often go hand in hand, and nowhere else shows this better than the small but wondrous Taschen bookstore in Beverly Hills. 

Designed by Marc Newson and inspired by frescoes from the Sistine Chapel, this bookstore showcases eclectic artwork above the ceilings and bookshelves of its humble corridors. They specialize in visual art, design, and coffee-table book collections and have hosted numerous celebrity releases over the years.

Taschen is open from 10 AM to 6 PM Monday to Saturday and 12 PM to 5 PM on Sundays. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Lost Books – Montrose

Picture the perfect Sunday afternoon: a good book in one hand, a cup of coffee or tea in the other, a room full of potted plants and hanging vines and music humming out of a vinyl player.

Lost Books

This is the serene and lovely concept behind Lost Books, a sister to the Last Bookstore branch. Like its sister, Lost Books is one of the most unique bookstores in California, but it has a slightly different charm than the Last Bookstore.

This bookstore is decorated from floor to ceiling with colorful flowers and tropical plants, offering an amazing variety of used and new books on each shelf. Adding to its old-fashioned charm, it also has vintage vinyls for sale!

Lost Books is open from 11 AM to 9 PM Monday to Saturday, and 10 AM to 8 PM on Sundays. 

Underground Books – Sacramento

Underground Books is a brick-and-mortar store set in the heart of Oak Park. For decades, it’s been the area’s literary center and an important landmark for cultural studies and speeches. There’s no better place in California to read literature and works from people of color.

You can find Underground Books open from Monday to Saturday from 11 AM to 6 PM. They also open from 12 PM to 5 PM on Sundays. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Pilgrim’s Way Community Bookstore & Secret Garden – Carmel

Carmel has always been the storybook city of California, so it’s no surprise that the area has one of the most idyllic bookstores you’ll ever see. The Pilgrim’s Way Community Bookstore & Secret Garden is a little establishment tucked away between 5th and 6th Dolores Street. It’s been selling books to community members since 1969.

Pilgrim’s Way Community Bookstore

It’s most famous for the fairytale-like Secret Garden Passageway, a small corridor at the side of the bookstore with fountainheads, sculptures, flower bushes, and vine fences. The bookstore itself also has a distinctly charming aesthetic that you’ll only find in Carmel. I think that storybook setting is what makes it one of the most unique bookstores in California!

The Pilgrim’s Way Community Bookstore is open every day from 11:30 AM to 5 PM. 

Verbatim Books – San Diego

This stylish establishment is San Diego’s biggest secondhand bookstore, selling antique books and independent works in a chic, vintage style. 

Verbatim Books

You can tell Verbatim is owned and run by true literary enthusiasts as soon as you enter. The murals on the wall of famous novels, the portraits and pictures hanging in the corners, and the warm reading room make for a book lover’s dream space. The store also hosts a section full of works and chapbooks from native San Diego artists, along with over 300 other locally published authors. 

Verbatim Books is open from 10 AM to 6 PM on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 10 AM to 7 PM on Friday and Saturday. It’s also open from 12 PM to 6 PM on Tuesdays. 

Henry Miller Memorial Library – Big Sur

If you drive around Big Sur (and you should–it’s amazing), you’ll likely pass by the Henry Miller Memorial Library. Despite the name, this eclectic library in the middle of the woods actually does sell many of its books and is closer to a bookstore than a library.

 
 
 
 
 
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The Henry Miller Memorial Library is built around the old property of the famous local author, and it definitely shows. The library is relatively small but densely packed with books, vinyls, and posters from the author’s era, filled with soothing music and art that creates an intense feeling of nostalgia.

Whether you’re here to visit and read or pick up a few novel copies for a long road trip, you’ll definitely find something interesting in Henry Miller. The library is open from Wednesday to Sunday at 11 AM to 5 PM. 

A good book can take you to destinations far beyond what ordinary people can travel to. The art of reading teaches people to open their minds and really appreciate the world around them–and that makes travelling to new places all the more interesting. Which of these bookstores were your favorite?

Are you looking for more California travel inspiration? Check out The Best Insiders Roadtrip Travel Guide to Big Sur. 

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