Used Books Stores
A list of the coolest used books shops around.
Adobe Books
The Mission - San Francisco, CA United StatesWhen a local artist wanted to do an art installation by rearranging all the books in a bookstore by color, Adobe Books agreed and the result was magical. Can you imagine a corporate store ever agreeing to such a thing? The delightful bookstore...
Arundel
Mid City/Beverly - Los Angeles, CA United StatesDo you really need a 150,000 square foot mega-bookstore to have something for everybody? Arundel Books proves that you don't. The store stocks new, used and rare books but does so in way as to not artificially bulk up their shelves with any...
Arundel
Downtown - Seattle, WA United StatesDo you really need a 150,000 square foot mega-bookstore to have something for everybody? Arundel Books proves that you don't. The store stocks new, used and rare books but does so in way as to not artificially bulk up their shelves with any...
Black Oak Books
Gourmet Ghetto - Berkeley, CA United StatesIf you go to a bookstore to drink a caramel cinnamon super-moca-fraza-chino-mundo and peruse the magazine section then we just can't recommend Black Oak. It seems that the staff and clientele of Black Oak actually, shudder the thought, like...
Brattle Book Shop
Downtown - Boston, MA United StatesWhat would one of the oldest cities in America be without a nice used bookshop? Brattle Book Shop is not merely a nice shop, it is the oldest in the country, its proprietor Kenneth Glass an authority on antiquated books. Along with three levels...
Capitol Hill Books
Capitol Hill - Washington, DC United StatesDewey (think decimal system) would like have a coronary if he ever found his way to Capitol Hill Books. The cozy two-story house is overrun with books, with no nook left unfilled. The books are categorized using small scraps of paper, by...
Diesel
Rockridge - Oakland, CA United StatesFor those that are used to independent bookstores of the cramped and cluttered variety, Diesel is a breath of fresh air. The design conscious, fiercely independent bookstore stocks new and used books of all genres and is host to author readings,...
Diesel
Malibu - Malibu, CA United StatesFor those that are used to independent bookstores of the cramped and cluttered variety, Diesel is a breath of fresh air. The design conscious, fiercely independent bookstore stocks new and used books of all genres and is host to author readings, language classes and reading groups.
Dog Eared Books
The Mission - San Francisco, CA United StatesPhoenix, Dog Eared, and Red Hill Books represent a type of bookstore that's fast fading into extinction. They're big, lively, a bit messy and generally a good place to spend an hour or two. They're consummate hosts to a variety of...
Harvard Book Store
Harvard Square - Cambridge, MA United StatesWhen you open a book store across the street from the most heralded institution in American academics, it better be one damn fine shop. Fortunately, Harvard Book Store lives up to its high expectations. The store's high shelves stock a...
Housing Works Used Books Cafe
SoHo - New York, NY United StatesA used book store where all the books are donated and the proceeds go to charity, Housing Works Used Books Café is more posh than most for-profit book stores we've seen. Beautifully paneled in rich wood, the store carries thousands upon...
Idle Time Books
Adams Morgan - Washington, DC United StatesIdle Time Books is not the most extensive used book store you're going to find, but there's something about the cozy environs that draws you in and makes you want to linger. Its shelves are tightly packed but immaculately organized,...
Modern Times Bookstore
The Mission - San Francisco, CA United StatesBill O'Reilly's head would probably explode upon walking into Modern Times Bookstore and can we all agree that that's a good thing? The decades old bookshop fills it shelves with titles on globalization politics, sexuality and...
Moe's Books
Telegraph - Berkeley, CA United StatesWhile a grand old piece of history itself, Moe's Books is a great steward of literary history as well. The four-storied bookstore is full of new, used and rare books. The used book section is the draw here. Lose yourself in the 100,000 or...
Myopic Books
Wicker Park - Chicago, IL United StatesThere's something lovingly old school about how Myopic Books keeps its space. The several floors of used books. The people reading and drinking coffee on the upper floors. The obligatory store cat.
Phoenix Books
Noe Valley - San Francisco, CA United StatesPhoenix, Dog Eared, and Red Hill Books represent a type of bookstore that's fast fading into extinction. They're big, lively, a bit messy and generally a good place to spend an hour or two. They're consummate hosts to a variety of community reading, music and poetry events. And...
Powell's City of Books
Old Town/Chinatown - Portland, OR United StatesReader Suggested: This is the first place out-of-towners go after getting off the airport. Powell's is said to be the largest bookstore in the US, maybe in the world. It sells both new and used books, so one can find almost everything desired. Browsing is encouraged and they have a nice coffee shop.
Red Hill Books
Bernal Hill - San Francisco, CA United StatesPhoenix, Dog Eared, and Red Hill Books represent a type of bookstore that's fast fading into extinction. They're big, lively, a bit messy and generally a good place to spend an hour or two. They're consummate hosts to a variety of community reading, music and poetry events. And...
Second Story Books
Dupont Circle - Washington, DC United StatesSpecializing in rare and out-of-print titles, Second Story Books does not have that flea market feel of other used bookstores. Here, books past their prime are given their due TLC. Titles are meticulously organized and categorized, while truly...
Second Story Books
Rockville - Rockville, MD United StatesSpecializing in rare and out-of-print titles, Second Story Books does not have that flea market feel of other used bookstores. Here, books past their prime are given their due TLC. Titles are meticulously organized and categorized, while truly rare titles are under lock and key. The store is...
Elsewhere
Sites we dig
Sites
- Hint Mag
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- JC Report
- LA.com Shopping
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- Superfuture