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Here's the thing: we've had a two-week back and forth LAist email about our favorite bookstores. Behind-the-scenes-planning-style. We've waxed poetic about the locations, the staff, the cats (with or without tails), the super-secret nooks and crannies of our best loved LA indies. Why did we email about this? Why were we making a list of favorite bookstores and checking it twice? Because we were going to do a nice little post on Indie Bookstores in L.A.
However: LA Weekly scooped us. Big time. They also used the word "bookish" which is, kind of, our word. Whatever.
Instead of wallowing in irritation (because let's face it, that's what we did yesterday), we realize it would be wrong of us to simply pretend it didn't happen. There are many excellent bookstores in LA and, well, you should check them out. LA Weekly highlights the heavy-hitters and a few newcomers that are well worth your time: Book Soup, Vroman's, Skylight Books, Dutton's, Family, Malibu Diesel and other neighborhood favorites.
We would add:
+ Acres of Books: a massive acre-long bookstore in Long Beach that's ideal for hunting book treasures both old and new...just bring a flashlight (really!)
+ Book Alley: a new, used, rare bookstore in Pasadena that has the perfect used-book atmosphere -- creaky but never creepy with great music and a Famima! right next door.
+ Hennesseey + Ingalls: a gorgeous bookstore with gorgeous books that cover all things art, architecture, design, fashion, and photography-related.
+ Samuel French: every play you've ever needed for that next audition, every script you've ever wanted to shoot.
+ Earth 2: best Sherman Oaks selection of comic books, graphic novels and the like.
+ Portrait of a Bookstore: a funky bookstore inside a funky cafe - a perfect marriage of funk!
+ Traveler's Bookcase: a great selection of travel memoirs and discounted travel books when the newest version comes out.
+ Every Picture Tells a Story: the art of illustration - books, art, fantasy, cartoon, you name it, they've got it.
+ Bodhi Tree Bookstore: yes, it's hippy-dippy, but if you're seeking a higher plane, this is the bookstore for you.
When all else fails and we simply cannot find that much-needed book at the indie bookstores scattered across our fair city, the Bookstar on Ventura in Studio City seems to have what we need every time. Not quite indie, not quite big box, but they always cure our fix.
What's your favorite LA Bookstore?
Note: Future LAist guides to bookish LA may include: libraries, neighborhood guides, book clubs, LA as character, local readings, bookstore profiles, author interviews, and other things of this nature. In case, you know, LA Weekly gets to it first.
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I'd call Bookstar a big box. It's a B. Dalton, owned by Barnes & Noble. Not remotely indie.
what about the illiad?....used to be the best location in town...right next to oddyssey video....even though they moved, they're still an awesome used bookstore....
Book Soup often infuriates me, though, because they never seem to have any of the books I'm looking for. And they do unfriendly things like leave an employee's recommendation card on the shelf for months after they've sold out of the book, making you want something and telling you that you can't have it all at the same time.
As for bookstores I feel positive about, there's The Cook's Library, next to Traveler's on 3rd, which includes every possible cookbook for every imaginable cuisine, plus fun and helpful staff. Book Castle's Movie World in Burbank is much fun as well, if digging through unlabeled stacks of old scripts, film magazines, and general-interest reads sounds like fun to you. Just remember to dose up on Benadryl before you go--it's moldy and dusty in there.
hc - totally with you on the bookstar being "big box" & not remotely indie...but because of its old-theater location, it doesn't feel quite as sterile as, say, your average Barnes & Noble...
Don't forget The Mystery Bookstore in Westwood! Great spot for mysteries, thrillers and all things suspense. They have a lot of author appearances, too. It's one of those places where the staff really knows what they're talking about.
Bookstar is... unassuming. It's store that has books in it. You get the impression that in about 8 hours you could convert it into a Crate and Barrel or Z-Gallery.
Duttons in North Hollywood. It's dirtier and more scruffy than its Brentwood sister but they certainly have some buried treasures amongst the dust.
LAX used to have a great little store in the back of Terminal 6 when I used to fly United. I think it was a British chain. They had some wild stuff. I went back a while ago... it's crap. I was told they used to have booksellers who actually did the ordering for the shop but I guess that was ages ago.
RIP Either Or Books and Midnight Special.
Seconded on that Either / Or RIP - best bookstore in the South Bay through the '80s. Got turned on to so many good books there! Their dog was tuff!
Also RIP: Alternative Groove Records, right next door.
I have always liked Arcana in Santa Monica. Good selection of art and architecture books.