19 fantastic Bay Area bookstores for bibliophiles to explore
The Bay Area is home to scores of bookstores. Here’s just a sampling of family owned or independent shops to explore.
Alibi Books: Vallejo’s indie bookstore, which stocks both used and new volumes, is open Monday-Saturday and the first Sunday of the month at 624 Marin St.; alibibookshop.com.
B Street Books: This decade-old San Mateo shop specializes in used, collectible and antiquarian books. Open Wednesday-Sunday at 301 S B St.; bstreetbooks.com.
Berkshire Books: Find used books, audiobooks, collectible music and videos at this Concord shop. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 3480 Clayton Road; berkshirebooks.com.
Books on B: This Hayward book shop offers new and used books, rare reads and special orders. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 1014 B St.; booksonb.com.
Books Inc.: Independently owned and operated, Books Inc. has 10 Bay Area locations in Campbell, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Alameda, Berkeley and San Francisco. Hours vary by location. Find details at booksinc.net.
Bookshop Santa Cruz: This large independent bookstore is a multigenerational family business that’s open daily at 1520 Pacific Ave.; bookshopsantacruz.com.
East Bay Booksellers: This Oakland neighborhood institution is open daily for in-store shopping and frontdoor pick-up at 5433 College Ave.; ebbooksellers.com.
Flashlight Books: This Walnut Creek indie is all about books for kids and teens. Open daily at 1537 N. Main St.; flashlightbooks.com.
Half Price Books: This 45-year-old, family-owned bookstore, known for its support of community groups and literacy programs, has locations in Berkeley, Concord, Fremont and Dublin. Hours vary. hpb.com/books
Hicklebee’s: Founded 41 years ago as a children’s bookstore, this San Jose shop has since expanded to adult offerings, too. Open Tuesday-Sunday at 1378 Lincoln Ave.; hicklebees.com.
Kepler’s Books: This Menlo Park mainstay offers literary events, a knowledgeable staff and every book genre. Open daily at 1010 El Camino Real, Suite 100; keplers.com.
Leigh’s Favorite Books: This Sunnyvale shop stocks 40,000 new and used books, as well as cards and gift items. Open Monday-Saturday at 121 S Murphy Ave.; www.leighsbooks.com.
Marcus Books: Named after political activist and author Marcus Garvey, this Oakland shop is the oldest independent Black bookstore in the nation. It was founded by Raye and Julian Richardson in 1960. Today it’s run by the founders’ children, Blanche Richardson, Bill Richardson and Karen Johnson. Open daily at 3900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way; www.marcusbooks.com.
Moe’s Books: This Berkeley landmark stocks new releases, but it’s known for its astounding collection of used books. Open daily at 2476 Telegraph Ave.; moesbooks.com.
Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts: New owners Eric and Jessica Green bring years of bookselling experience to this Berkeley shop. Open daily at 2904 College Ave.; mrsdalloways.com.
Orinda Books: This Orinda bookstore stocks a diverse range of books, from fiction to current affairs, art, poetry, science and travel. Open Monday-Saturday at 276 Village Square; orindabooks.com.
Pegasus Books: This neighborhood bookstore, with two locations in Berkeley and one in Oakland, hosts author and literary events. Hours vary by location. www.pegasusbookstore.com.
Rakestraw Books: This beloved Danville bookstore caters to book lovers of all ages and hosts a wide array of author events. Open daily at 3 Railroad Ave.; rakestrawbooks.com.
Reasonable Books: Betty and Rudy Winnacker’s cozy Lafayette bookstore is open Tuesday-Saturday at 3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite C; reasonable.online.
Opposite: A book about Audrey Hepburn sits on a shelf at the Rinconada Library in Palo Alto.