Bookstores in San Francisco Bay Area (SF) List (rec.arts.books) (FAQ)
Evelyn C. Leeper
Last change:
Mon Jul 24 15:45:09 EDT 1995
Changes:
Meyer Boswell Books, Inc. (2141 Mission between 17th and 18th)
Other Change of Hobbit (2020 Shattuck Avenue at University Avenue)
Deletions:
Booksmart (7287 Coronado Drive, Cupertino)
Copies of this article may be obtained by anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu
under /pub/usenet/news.answers/books/stores/north-american/bay-area.Z. Or,
send email to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with "send
usenet/news.answers/books/stores/north-american/bay-area" in the body of the
message.
Sacramento and other California listings (outside of southern California)
can be found in the "Bookstores in Western North American Cities" list.
[Note 1: I collected these comments from a variety of people. I personally
have no knowledge of many of these places and take no responsibility if you
buy a book you don't enjoy. :-) Phone numbers and precise addresses can
be gotten by calling directory assistance for the appropriate city. Call
ahead for precise hours, as even when I list them they are subject to
change.]
[Note 2: I am cross-posting this to rec.arts.sf.written, but the bookstores
listed include *all* types of bookstores, so please don't tell me that a
particular store has a limited SF--science fiction--section unless I have
specifically claimed otherwise. All references to science fiction are
abbreviated SF for ease in electronic searching.]
SAN FRANCISCO:
(Thanks to Joseph Brenner, this is arranged geographically, roughly east to
west, or starting "Downtown" and moving outwards. If something is grossly
misplaced, please let me know, but it's difficult to order linearly a
two-dimensional map! The streets in the downtown area, running east to west
are Sansome, Montgomery, Kearney, Grant, Stockton, Powell, Mason, Taylor,
Jones, Leavenworth, Hyde, Larkin, Polk, and Van Ness. Running south to
north are Market, Turk, Eddy, Ellis, O'Farrell, Geary, Post, Sutter, Bush,
Pine, and California. Okay, Market is diagonal, but I had to start
somewhere.)
Chinatown:
Louie Bros Book Store (754 Washington near Grant). Chinese
language. Noted a Lotus 1-2-3 manual in the window.
Downtown:
William K. Stout Architectural Books (804 Montgomery,
415-391-6757). This is a beautiful bookstore on all facets
of architecture, including furniture. The books are stored
in a seemingly chaotic fashion, but the staff is helpful
and knowledgeable. Closed Sunday, open late Thursday.
City Lights (261 Broadway and Columbus, 415-362-8193,
http://town.hall.org/places/city_lights). The best
place for general literature. Famous beat era shop. Go
downstairs.
Alexander Book Co. (south of Market on Second Street downtown,
415-495-2992). Pleasant to hang out in, and carries a more
interesting selection of everything than many larger places.
It's hidden away behind Stacey's. (Stacey's is valuable but
really just a giant Waldenbooks in spirit. Alexander is
not--they will order *anything* from anyone if even just
suspected to be in print.) Mon-Fri 8:30AM-6PM, Sat
10AM-5PM.
Rand McNally (595 Market near 2nd, 415-777-3131). Huge selection of
maps and travel books.
Stacey's (581 Market near 2nd, 415-421-4687). It is remarkable for
technical books. Mon-Sat 8:30AM-7PM, Sun 11AM-5PM.
Tillman Place Bookshop (8 Tillman Place off Grant between Post and
Sutter, 415-392-4668). Was previously called Charlotte
Newbegin's Bookshop. Contrary to previous reports, they do
*not* specialize in Russian books (can someone help me out
on what bookstore the person might have been thinking of?)
and does not carry used books.
Argonaut Books (786 Sutter at the corner of Taylor, 415-474-6353).
Used.
Hunter's Books (151 Powell, 415-397-5955). A super-discounted
branch of Books Inc. Remainders and such.
International Corner (500 Sutter at Powell, 415-362-4812). Foreign-
Language vooks, mostly European languages.
The Bookstall (570 Sutter btwn Powell and Mason 415-362-6353).
Used. It has a general selection of books.
Albatross (166 Eddy btwn Mason and Taylor, 415-885-6501). Used.
Much more upscale than McDonalds, excellent selection. In a
very seedy area, but you are probably safe during the day.
Also a branch at 143 Clement at 3rd Avenue, 415-752-8611.
McDonalds (48 Turk, 415-673-2235). Used. You gotta see this place:
rickety shelves stacked to the rafters with old books and
magazines. The next quake is going to wipe this place out.
In a very seedy area, but you are probably safe during the
day. "Heavily advertised, but greatly overated. I do not
see how they could possibly have over one million
books/magazines/records, as they claim, and their material
seemed badly disorganized. In addition, Turk St. is an
alarming place to someone not familiar with that area (not
someplace to go after dark)." Another poster says "there
may be good stuff in there somewhere, but it's impossible
to find it. ... They have vast amounts of junk [and the]
near-total lack of organization makes it impossible to
search quickly even if you know exactly what you're looking
for, and browsing is tedious and unrewarding." Mon, Tue,
Thu 10AM-6PM, Wed, Fri, Sat 10:30 AM-6:45PM.
Foley Books (345 California, Plaza Level, 415-391-0622). "I've
bought quite a few books from Foley Books over the years at
its various locations. It is an outstanding bookstore with
discount prices! Although it is smaller than it used to be,
you can order books and still get the 20% discount."
Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM.
Civic Center:
European Books (925 Larkin a couple of blocks uphill/north
of Fantasy Etc., 415-474-0626). THE place to go for
European-language books. Mostly French, German, and
Spanish, but other languages as well. Mon-Fri 9:30AM-6PM,
Sat 9:30AM-5PM.
Fantasy Etc. (808 Larkin between Geary and O'Farrell, 415-441-7617).
SF and mysteries. The owner is quite knowledgeable.
A Clean Well-Lighted Place For Books at Opera Plaza (610 Van Ness
Ave between Golden Gate and Turk, 415-441-6670). A good
general selection of books, and a helpful staff. "Has one
of the most knowledgeable mystery buyers in the business,
Lorraine Petty. Customers should feel comfortable that she
won't steer them wrong. She also hosts, quarterly mystery
events in association with Sisters in Crime to which the
public is invited." "Only in San Francisco will you find a
bookstore where the children's section is next to the
lesbian and gay section." Sun-Thu 10AM-11PM,
Fri-Sat 10AM-12M.
San Francisco Opera Shop (2nd floor of the War Memorial Opera House,
Van Ness at Grove, 415-565-6414). Open every night an opera
is given; features opera-related items which are sometimes
hard to find elsewhere.
Acorn Books (740 Polk between Eddy and Ellis next-door to Sierra
Club HQ, 415-563-1736). Used. Everything over $15 is on
the computer. They also have printouts by topic. "Very
large collection of SF paperbacks. Some hardcover. Some
highly priced collectibles. A good selection of pulps in
average condition (AMAZING, ASTOUNDING, ANALOG, etc.).
There are a few other used book stores in the immediate
area, which I would recommend staying away from." "This has
one of the best selctions of out-of-print material I have
seen in SF/fantasy." Mon-Sat 10:30AM-8PM, Sun 12N-7PM.
Books & Company (1323 Polk near Bush, 415-441-2929). "This is a
cramped, low-ceilinged place, painted blood-red throughout,
with books overflowing every imaginable horizontal surface.
Classical music wafts through the air, as does the faintest
aroma of the Bookstore Cat's ... uh ... facilities. There
are oriental rugs on the floor, the better to cushion the
fall of all those precariously-perched books, and a rather
curmudgeonly appearing proprietor, who becomes an absolute
sweetheart with the slightest provocation. If you peek
behind the piles of current titles, you'll find all kinds of
used treasures on the shelves. And new titles are *heavily*
discounted--at least 40% off the list price! Its hours are
rather eccentric--something like Wednesday thru Saturday,
afternoons only, but don't quote me. [Sorry, too late!]
Anyway, the place is a bibliophile's (and ailurophile's
too--the Cat is perfect) paradise....
Around the World Books (1346 Polk, 415-474-5568). *Not* a travel
bookstore, but art and children's books, used. (May be some
new books as well; I'm working from the phone book listing.)
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art bookstore (Van Ness and
McAllister, near the Opera House, 415-863-2890). A great
selection of art and art-related books; also some
interesting children's books.
Richard Hilkert, Bookseller (333 Hayes, near the Performing Arts
Center, 415-863-3339). Has a large number of books on
architecture, as well as a large collection of books, new
and used, on design, the arts, collecting, gardening,
cooking, travel.... Carries new and used books, and has
book signings from time to time.
Drama Books (134 Ninth St, San Francisco CA 94103, two or three
blocks off Market, 415-255-0604).
U. S. Government Bookstore (Room 1023, Federal Building, 450 Golden
Gate Avenue, 415-252-5334). "Did you know that the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO) operates 24 bookstores
across the country? ...and that they have some of the most
>ahem< unusual and interesting things you'll find anywhere?"
Super Crown (1700 Van Ness). Standard discount superstore.
Marina:
Charlotte's Web (2278 Union, 415-441-4700). Children's bookstore.
Excellent selection of children's books along with tapes,
cards, art supplies and other good stuffcards, that children
and parents will enjoy. The staff is friendly,
knowledgeable, and helpful. Will do special orders for
items not in stock. Special features: monthly talks and
presentations by local authors and illustrators, story
hours, newsletter, and Joe the Dog.
Russian Hill Bookstore (2234 Polk, 415-929-0997). New (Spring '93)
used bookstore, specializing in religion, philosophy,
history, art and sports; also general subjects. Next door
to the Gateau Boutique which, though little-known, has some
of the best fancy pastries in San Francisco.
Blue Sky (down the street from Russian Hill). "I think [this]
is much better [than Russian Hill]."
Aaben (1546 California). Specializing in fiction, mystery, film,
SF, and counterculture.
Writer's Bookstore (2848 Webster, between Green & Union,
415-921-2620). A tiny store with new and used books.
Classical music on the radio, sports on TV! *All* new books
discounted up to 40-50% off cover-price!
Maritime Book Store (Hyde Street Pier near Fisherman's Wharf). A
very good selection of new maritime books. While there,
must visit the Balclutha, one of the few remaining
square-rigged Cape Horn sailing ships.
Mission (and Noe Valley):
Dog Eared Books (1173 Valencia, 415-282-1901). Medium-sized,
general-purpose used bookstore; mostly paperbacks.
Open Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM, Sun 12N-6PM.
Laissez-Faire Books (Howard Street, 415-541-9780). Some general
philosophy, but strong classical liberal flavor.
Lodestar (313 Noe at Market).
Freedom's Forum Books (1800 Market Street, 415-864-0952).
Capitalist. "Most bookstores carry plenty of socialist
books; how many carry the works of the Austrian economists
such as Ludwig Von Mises and F.A. Hayek? ... Anyone
wanting a balanced view of both socialism and capitalism
should patronize this store frequently." (People have
given me a variety of names for this store: Free Forum,
Freedom Forum's, etc. I called and the name listed is what
they said it was.)
Limelight Film & Theatre Bookstore (1803 Market, San Francisco CA
94103, 415-864-2265). The Limelight has more scripts, but
Drama Books also stocks used books, and more about the
history/techniques of theater.
Aardvark (237 Church at Market, 415-552-6733). Used to have
separate new and used stores; now the Church Street location
carries both new and used books.
Maelstrom Books (572 Valencia near 17th St, 415-863-9933).
Medium-sized place. "Looks good." "[Does] not look very
good. In fact, it looks dilapidated. It's dark, and the
books do not look in good condition. The selection is not
up to par with other stores in the neighborhood."
Forest Books (3080 16th St at Valencia, 415-863-2755). Largely used
books. Spacious, fluorescently lit place with subdued
classical music. Hours: 11 AM to 9 PM.
Builder's Booksource (300 Deharo St. at 16th, 415-575-3980).
Architecture, construction, landscape architecture,
engineering, interior design, etc. From coffee-table books
all the way to the AISC Steel Manual.... Also has a larger
store in Berkeley.
Abandoned Planet Bookstore (518 Valencia, next door to Valencia
Books, 415-626-2924). Medium-sized selection of used books,
mostly paperbacks. Specializing in arts and literature.
They don't have a large selection yet, but they have
obviously spent some money to make it look nice. Great
cushions to sit in the window corners. This may become a
nice place. (Was previously The Book Center.) Very low
prices. "Excellent steak burritos across the street, at
La Cumbre."
Adobe Book Shop (3166 16th west of Valencia, 415-864-3936). A
used-book store. "It doesn't look as nice as some of the
other stores, but it has a reasonable selection."
Old Wives' Tales (1009 Valencia at 21st, 415-821-4675). Feminist.
Modern Times Bookstore (888 Valencia near 20th Street, 415-282-9246;
next door to Cafe Beano at 878 Valencia). A good selection
of books along the lines of contemporary urban/liberal
thought; lots of political stuff. "I gather from the name
they think of themselves as an alternative to the more
backward-looking City Lights bookstore." "Finally a
bookstore that doesn't just have the tracts on Central-
American politics, but also books in Spanish."
Manzanita Used Books & Records (3686 20th St at Guerrero,
415-648-0957). Incredible, random cluttered collection of
books, comic books, records, whatever. Incense, light jazz
music, and many rooms which definitely exhibit a Tardis
effect. Almost a must-see. "Manzanita is, indeed, a
treat."
Carroll's Books (Church and 24th--Noe Valley, 415-647-3020). Used.
Jim Carroll was a buyer at Green Apple (see below) and has
excellent taste in used books. A large used bookstore with
a good selection, but most impressive for its funky living
room area with cool bird cages. "Small, but a great
atmosphere and selection.... I found a near-perfect
Riverside Shakespeare for $25." If you're in the area, check
out the Mission: Valencia Books, Maelstrom, etc.
San Francisco Mystery Bookstore (746 Diamond at 24th--Noe Valley,
415-224-1132). "Around since 1976. It's one of the oldest
mystery specialty stores and is owned by an icon in the
mystery world, Bruce Taylor. It has mystery reference, new
and used, signed collectibles." Wed-Sun 11:30AM-5:30 PM.
Phoenix Books & Records (3850 24th at Vicksburg--Noe Valley,
415-821-3477). Good general used books store. Has some
nifty chairs.
Cover to Cover Booksellers. (24th at Sanchez--Noe Valley,
415-282-8080). Smallish general bookstore. A neighborhood
place. Lots of kids books.
Small Press Traffic Literary Arts Center (3599 24th Street at
Guerrero, 415-285-8354). "SPT is a non-profit literary
arts center. The bookstore carries an extensive stock of
contemporary poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and literary
quarterlies. Many of these items are difficult to find
elsewhere. It sponsors reading series of new and
experimental writers, a multicultural reading series, and
writing workshops in poetry and prose. It's a gathering
place for poets and writers. SPT accepts mail orders and
credit cards. Hours are Noon to 6PM, Tuesday through
Saturday."
La Latina (2548 Mission between 21st and 22nd, 415-824-0327).
Spanish-language books.
Meyer Boswell Books, Inc. (2141 Mission between 17th and 18th,
third floor, 415-255-6400, FAX 415-255-6499,
http://www.toc.com/meyerbos/). "The only bookshop in the
English-speaking world specializing in antiquarian rare and
scholarly law exclusively. Its stock contains somewhat over
6,000 works." For electronic access to their catalogue,
connect to their Web site send an e-mail message to
rare-l...@netcom.com. In the subject field put the word
help, and likewise in the message field put the same word.
Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM.
Bolerium Books (2141 Mission between 17th and 18th, third floor).
Antiquarian. Specializes in social and radical movements,
such as labor, women's rights, and African-American
materials.
Tall Stories (2141 Mission between 17th and 18th, third floor).
Antiquarian. Literature, first editions, SF, and mystery
fiction. This shop is a cooperative of about 20 dealers.
La Moderna Poesia (2122 Mission, 415-861-6775).
Spanish-language books.
Castro:
A Different Light (489 Castro Street between 17th & 18th,
415-431-0891 or 800-343-4002). This is a branch of the
company that also has bookstores in West Hollywood and New
York City. They have close to 14,000 titles of interest to
lesbians, bisexuals and gay men, and occasionally carry a
few used books. They also have a large L/G/B newspaper and
magazine section, and sell videos, cards, T-shirts, buttons
and other good stuff, and also regularly schedule authors'
receptions and readings. Sun-Thu 10AM-11PM,
Fri-Sat 10AM-12M.
Crown Books (518 Castro near 18th Street, 415-552-5213). A typical
Crown bookstore, though with a fairly large "Gay Interest"
section in the back.
Books Etc. (538 Castro near 18th Street, 415-621-8631). A good
selection of (mostly) used books, notable for having a
fairly large "Gay Interest" section.
Lower Haight:
Diluvian (518 Haight near Filmore, 415-558-9035). Largely a used
bookstore, with a wide assortment oriented toward
hardcovers. Atmosphere is relaxed, spacious with a number
of easy chairs scattered around. They play classical music
in the background.
Naked Eye (533 Haight St near Filmore, 415-864-2985). Newstand and
video rental place. A weird magazine selection, with some
nice touches like "The Skeptical Inquirer" on display next
to the UFO magazines.
Comix Experience (305 Divisidero, 415-863-9258). A basic comic book
store, with a bit more open space than usual, for live
appearences by authors and artists.
Kinokuniya (shopping center at 1581 Webster, 415-567-7625). The
largest Japanese-language bookstore in San Francisco. They
also have books in English on Japan, translations into
English, Japanese language textbooks, many periodicals, etc.
They have a branch in San Jose (408-252-1300) and perhaps
elsewhere. Sun-Sat 10:30AM-7PM.
American Buddhist Bookstore (1710 Octavia, 415-776-7877). Buddhist
books, one assumes.
Upper Haight:
Saint Adrian Company (1334 Haight, near Central, 415-255-1490).
Small, but classy used bookstore. Atmosphere: has a small
leather couch on a Chinese carpet, with jazz music in the
background.
Bound Together, the Anarchist Collective Bookstore (1369 Haight near
Masonic, 415-431-8355). An odd collection of new and used
books, plus small press stuff. It has some strange
left-wing anarchist literature, but it also carries quite a
bit of other material, which might loosely be classified as
"weird": lesbian poets, Tesla Coils, early issues of
"REsearch," and so on. One poster wrote at length of his
dissatisfaction, especially concerning the staff, and
summarized as, "Rude staff possibly inclined toward petty,
knee-jerk self-gratification."
Forever After Books (1475 Haight near Ashbury, 415-431-8299).
Small, but with every available space packed with used
books. The staff is very agressively helpful, probably
because they know how hard it could be to find something
here. They carry all of the usual stuff, though in
particular I thought they had impressive collections of
old DIY/Engineering books and children's books.
Great Expectations (1520 Haight near Ashbury, 415-863-5515). Very
small place, but a surprisingly good collection of general
literature. Lots of T-shirts and things, largely on 60s
nostalgia themes, but there are also hints of the newer,
punkier Haight.
Comic Relief (1597 Haight near Clayton). Mostly comics. Carries
some other random things like THE ANARCHIST COOKBOOK.
The Booksmith (1644 Haight near Belvedere, 415-863-8688). Has a
table up front with a collection of excellent, quirky,
discount hardcovers and trade paperbacks. Recently (6/93)
started producing a set of "author trading cards" with a
photo on one side and information about his or her current
release and Booksmith appearances on the other; the first
group includes Jon Carroll, William Wegman, Terence McKenna,
Jullie Smith, Mary Bowen Hall, Susan Dunlap, and Linda
Grant. Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-6PM.
Richmond:
Green Apple Books (506 Clement, 415-387-2272). New and used.
"Remotely situated in the Richmond district under perpetual
fog and surrounded by a maelstrom of Russian tearooms,
Vietnamese restaurants and greengrocers, the Holy City Zoo,
Tevye's, and the greatest Armenian delicatessen--Haig's--
I've ever smelled." Go upstairs for used books. There are
a few other used bookstores within a block or two of there.
Albatross III (143 Clement near Second Avenue, 415-752-8611). Used.
This is the neighborhood of Green Apple and many
restaurants.
Canterbury Books (5301 Geary near 17th Avenue, 415-751-7770). Very
knowledgeable staff. Just one block from a 38 Geary bus
stop. "Highly recommended." Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 12N-7PM.
Znanije (5237 Geary, 415-752-7555). A Russian bookstore. ("It's
down towards Golden Gate park, not towards downtown. I
think the cross street is 16th.")
Sunset:
Ninth Avenue Books (1348 9th Ave between Irving and Judah,
415-665-2938).
Beard's Books (637 Kirkham near 8th Ave, 415-566-0507). Mostly used
books. A little bit of everything, but not a lot of
anything. High prices. A hard place to be enthusiastic
about, but it is open late (after midnight), and it's got a
cafe next door.
Comics & Comix (650 Irving and 700 Lombard). More entries in the
chain (smaller than Palo Alto's).
Books New & Used (345 Judah at 9th Ave). "Discount Medical,
Technical & Professional." Hours around 9 AM-6 PM, closed
Sunday.
Elsewhere (260 Judah and 8th Avenue, 415-661-2535). SF and
mysteries. "An excellent collection of collectibles. A
less than average selection of regular, used SF. Prices are
fairly high, but I always have been able to find a rare
book, in fine condition, that I haven't been to find
elsewhere." One person said it seems to be open only about
10 hours a week; another said it is open until 8 on
Wednesdays; yet another says Wednesday through Sunday 12-4.
BERKELEY/OAKLAND (Berkeley unless otherwise noted):
Afikomen (3042 Claremont, 510-655-1977, 510-655-3598). Judaica,
including gift items. Closes before sundown Friday and is
closed Saturday.
Avenue Books (2904 College Ave, 510-549-3532). Small but *very*
well-stocked. Offers many services including gift-wrapping,
UPS shipping (no service charge) and special orders
(including ones directly from the publisher--again no
service charge). Lots of friendly, knowledgeable staff. A
good old-fashioned neighborhood bookstore. Their SF
section is mostly a token one--but with Dark Carnival and
Other Change of Hobbit so close by, there's no need to have
an extensive one; excellent mystery section,
though! Open Mon-Sat 9:30AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-6PM.
Barnes & Noble (on Shattuck in Berkeley). "The Berkeley store is
quite large without the crowding which often occurs between
rows of bookcases. They even put out some benches around a
fountain in the center of the store. The magazine selection
is huge. I found "Car Design and Technology," a British
magazine. It was the latest issue (flown in, according to
the sticker), and still only cost a few dollars." The one
in Jack London Square (see below) is supposedly twice the
size.
Barnes & Noble (Jack London Square, Oakland). About twice the size
of the one in downtown Berkeley. One poster writes, "But
seriously, why would you go to B&N when you have Cody's
right there?" Another replies, "Well, let's see ... Barnes &
Nobles prices are better, for one thing, since they discount
everything. Also, their selection is better. I suppose
it's more romantic to support Cody's, but some of us can't
afford to be that romantic."
Bibliomania (San Pablo between 15th and 16th, 510-835-5733). A very
nice used bookstore, among the Bay Area's finest. Very
attractive--varnished pine shelves, books arranged
alphabetically by author within each section, dustjackets
protected with mylar sleeves. Fiction, poetry,
Californiana, general titles.
Big Bad Book Sale (2349 Shattuck Ave). New books greatly reduced,
with very little order to the chaos.
Black Oak Books (1491 Shattuck Ave, 510-486-0698). I think you
either love it or hate it. One poster says, "They have a
good mix of new and used and their used selection includes
particularly good mythology/folklore and cookbook sections.
Their women's section is quite good and they have one of the
better humor sections I've run across (e.g., that's where I
picked up Sally Swain's GREAT HOUSEWIFES OF ART)." But
another claims, "Black Oak Books is all shuck and jive.
Lots of new Politically Correct stuff up front, but slim
pickins for used goods in the back." "Good selection, but
very pricey." Sun-Sat 10AM-10PM.
Boadecia's Books (398 Colusa, Kensington, 510-559-9184).
Lesbian/gay/bisexual books, women's authors.
Builder's Booksource (1817 4th, 510-845-6874). Architecture,
construction, landscape architecture, engineering, interior
design, etc. From coffee-table books all the way to the
AISC Steel Manual.... Also has a smaller store in San
Francisco.
Cartesian (2445 Dwight Way). Small, good quality, scholarly.
Cody's (2454 Telegraph at Haste, 510-845-7852). "One of the two
stores in the Bay area I hold up as the definition of the
term 'bookstore.' (The other is Kepler's in Menlo Park.)"
A very large selection of just about everything
(foreign-language books on Dwight just west of Telegraph).
"Cody's is the only book store in the Bay Area with a
significant selection of books on various subjects that
interest me (including Judaica, system dynamics and
whitewater maps). It is true that it isn't as good as it
was when Fred Cody was alive ... but it's still a damn good
store." Re the Judaica, Cody's claims it carries "the
world's largest selection of Passover books and related
items, including 200 Haggadahs, many of them rare and
out-of-print" [PW, 8/16/93]. The cafe that had been added
was replaced by a magazine/journal/newspaper area. ("This
part of Cody's now sells the usual range of foreign and
domestic magazines, art journals, literary rags, newspapers,
etc.--the sort of stuff that Dave's (also in Berkeley) was
once so good at.") There is even a book about Cody's:
CODY'S BOOKS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BERKELEY BOOKSTORE,
1956-1977, by Pat and Fred Cody (released Oct 1992 and still
on display at Cody's; it was described in an article in the
8/3/92 issue of PW). Will ship worldwide. Sun-Thu
9:15AM-9:45PM, Fri-Sat 9:15AM-10:45PM.
Dark Carnival (3086 Claremont, 510-654-READ [510-654-7323]). "An
unbelievably fantastic book store. Simply the best.
Nirvana. The volume, quality, thoughtfulness and variety
are overwhelming. Tucked away in every nook are displays of
sub-genres which are impossible to pass by. Their table and
bookcase of signed books beats many stores entire selections
of SF. I've even had recognizable authors serve me from
behind the counter. The store is too large to browse fully
in one visit. Large collection of hardcovers, including
some limited editions. Large non-fiction section. Frequent
signings, readings and parties. Many imports. And much,
much more!" Recently [9/94] moved to this new location.
Dave's Smoke Shop (2444 Durant). In the indoor shopping passage
between Durant and Channing Way just west of Telegraph; same
mini-mall as Revolution Books). The periodical selection in
there used to be amazing. They even had Pravda
(untranslated). However, they have recently changed
ownership and the selection has become somewhat smaller.
Whether this is a permanent change is anyone's guess.
De Lauers (1310 Broadway, Oakland, about 3 blocks away from Holmes
Bookstore, 510-451-6157). "This place is open 24 hours a
day, and has the widest selection of newspapers and
magazines that I've *ever* seen in one place."
Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore (1385 Shattuck Ave, 510-843-3533
1-800-675-5500, EAS...@aol.com). Specializes in travel
books, including guidebooks, travel literature, natural
history and field guides, overseas employment, outdoor
adventure guides, family travel, gay and lesbian travel,
language learning aids, ethnic and cultural awareness
guides. Complete selection of international maps. Does
book searches, has in-store readings and slides shows. Also
supplies luggage and travel accessories.
Gaia (1400 Shattuck Ave, 510-548-4172). "Ecological and Spiritual
Resources for an Awakening World." A primary resource for
the East Bay women's spirituality community. Books, music,
sacred arts." Wonderful atmosphere.
Gull Book and Print Gallery (1551 San Pablo, 510-836-9142). A
consortium of a dozen or so used booksellers. Well worth a
visit, although the place has seen better days. Eclectic
collections of uneven quality. Strong on fishing titles and
1940s porno paperbacks.
Half-Price Books (2525 Telegraph between Dwight and Parker). "This
bookstore is abominably organized. The only time I ever go
in is when I'm waiting for a table at the Ethiopian
restaurant next door." Open Sun-Sat 10AM-10PM.
Liberty Tree (134 98th Ave in Oakland). Not just libertarian but
also general civil liberties and` history books.
Mama Bear's (6536 Telegraph at 66th, Oakland). Feminist
bookstore/coffeehouse. Limited selection. There's a better
feminist bookstore in San Francisco called Old Wives' Tales.
Marcus Books (Fillmore near Sutter, Oakland). African and Black
history and issues. Also supposedly has a branch in San
Francisco.
Mr. Mopps' Children's Bookshop (1405 Martin Luther King Jr. Way)
Moe's (2476 Telegraph between Haste and Dwight, 510-849-2087;
moes...@delphi.com, http://moesbooks.com/moe.htm). Five
floors of mostly used books. Around for over 25 years, they
are one of the largest bookstores of their kind. (Their old
store can be seen briefly in THE GRADUATE). Has a variety
of services. Will do book searches through their email
address. More Moe's, located on the fourth floor, is an art
and antiquarian shop. One poster writes, "My favorite
bookstore and probably the best bookstore on the face of
this earth. Okay, okay, that may be an exaggeration
(especially since I haven't been to New York). However, how
many used bookstores do you know that charge 1/2 of the
cover price for *all* paperbacks--including the old 25- or
35-cent paperbacks!" (Although another poster calls them
"very pricey" on hardbacks.) Will ship worldwide.
O'Neil Book Co. (1150 Sixth Street, one block north of Gilman,
510-527-9855). Great selection of remaindered books. "I
was told about this by one of the proprietors of The Other
Change Of Hobbit, who thinks most highly of it."
Other Change of Hobbit (2020 Shattuck Avenue at University Avenue,
510-848-0413; ocho...@hopf.dnai.com,
http://www.dnai.com:80/~ochobbit/). "An excellent selection
of new SF, paperback and hardcover. Plus, there's a decent
selection of used SF, some used pulps, with an occasional
outstanding collectible under the glass case in the back.
Occasional signings." You can send them your want list and
they will get back to you as things come in. They ship
worldwide. They also supposedly have a "special account"
where if you give them $500, you then use that to buy books
at a 20% off discount, plus no shipping or tax."
Pegasus Books (1855 Solano, 510-525-6888).
Pendragon Books (5560 College Avenue, Oakland, 510-652-6259).
Pegasus and Pendragon are owned by the same management.
Both of them stock primarily used books, remaindered books
and recent releases.
Revolution Bookstore (2425 Channing Way). In a mini-mall between
Durant and Channing Way off Telegraph; underneath building
on west side of Telegraph--the same mall as Dave's Smoke
Shop.
Serendipity (1201 University Ave one block east of San Pablo,
510-841-7455). A
warehouse full of first editions and rare books. Used
books. "One of the Bay Area's finest, but they know books
and there are few bargains there. Also worth a visit just
to admire some very fine woodworking in their bookcases and
cabinets." "I have yet to find anything of any interest to
me in Serendipity Books."
Shakespeare and Company (2499 Telegraph). Diverse store. Open
Shambhala (2482 Telegraph next to Moe's). Excellent source for
books on Eastern religion and other forms of mysticism. New
books.
University Press Bookstore (across from the intermural athletic
center, 2430 Bancroft).
Walden Pond (3316 Grand Avenue between Lake Park and Mandana,
Oakland. Distinct from Waldenbooks, a used and new
bookstore. They have a particularly good selection of
international writers (in translation) and radical
literature and magazines.
OTHER:
Sausalito:
Armchair Sailor Bookstore (42 Caledonia, 415-332-7505 or
800-332-3347). This is a specialty bookstore for maritime
books, mostly for sailboats. New and used books. Selection
is good, with travel books, cruise guides, boat design
books, and novels. Videos can be rented ($3/day), including
by mail. Charts are available. Imported yachting
magazines. Mon-Sat 9AM-6PM, Sun 12N-5PM.
Corte Madera:
Book Passage (51 Tamal Vista Blvd, 415-927-0960). Written up in the
9/21/92 issue of PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. Over 9000 sq. ft. of
books, including a 3200-sq.ft. section devoted to mystery
and SF and a rare and used book department. "Book Passage's
great strength is its travel section. It was the only place
in the Bay Area where I was able to locate a guide to
freighter travel." The store also carries titles in French,
Spanish, and German, and has a cafe in the back. In an
attempt to fill the gap left by cutbacks in the California
library system, they have recently (6/93) started a (pay)
lending library of books, audiocassettes, and travel
videocassettes. (Corte Madera is in Marin County, across
the Golden Gate Bridge.)
Dan F. Webb Books (1535 San Pablo, 510-444-4572). Mostly military
and aviation titles, some general stock. Be sure to haggle
over the prices. Tue, Thu, Sat 11AM-4PM.
Mill Valley:
Books (10 Locust, 415-389-6612). Small, friendly, interesting
selection.
Walnut Creek:
Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore (1617 Locust, 510-947-6660 or
1-800-675-5500, EAS...@aol.com). Specializes in travel
books, including guidebooks, travel literature, natural
history and field guides, overseas employment, outdoor
adventure guides, family travel, gay and lesbian travel,
language learning aids, ethnic and cultural awareness
guides. Complete selection of international maps. Does
book searches, has in-store readings and slides shows. Also
supplies luggage and travel accessories.
Napa:
? (1405 Second Ave). Small used bookstore. "Aside from a small
offering of collectibles, what is most on display is
paperbacks. There's a nice espresso cafe across the street.
A possible stop for those otherwise exploring the wine
country."
Sonoma:
Apex Books (526 Broadway). An interesting store for specialists
in cinema, fantasy and the fanciful. Looking for the likes
of Philip K. Dick? Lots of smiles.
Chanticleer Books (552 Broadway, 707-996-5364). "This 'bouquiniste'
had a good selection in most categories, with reasonable
prices, and we went away, happy, with some books."
Plaza Books (40 West Spain, 707-996-8474). More of the Antiquarian
(as opposed to "used") variety. Worth the visit, just in
case that treasure you were looking for is hiding there.
Alameda:
Kevin Patrick (2170 Encinal). Somewhat cluttered used book store,
a bit disorganized, varied selection.
Larkspur:
A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books (2417 Larkspur Landing Circle,
Larkspur, 415-461-0171). "It's in Marin County, across the
"street" from the Larkspur Ferry terminal. It's a popular,
comfortable place. My favorite in Marin county!"
San Mateo:
Lee's Comics (2222 S El Camino Real, 415-571-1489). Has a
comprehensive selection of new comics, back issues, books,
graphic novels, adult, and alternative comics. "The only
full service, fully stocked comic store in between San
Francisco and Palo Alto." Open seven days a week 10AM-9PM.
Belmont:
Full Circle Books (1148B El Camino Real). A bright, cheerful New
Age store, with a broad selection of new and used books.
Titles range from psychological to the Occult. The store
also carries incense, crystals and jewelry.
Menlo Park:
East West Books (1170 El Camino, 415-325-5709). "A complete New Age
book shop, with sections on herbalism, metaphysics,
aromatherapy, shamanism, inner healing.... Also cards,
incense, crystals, gongs, and other Aquarian doodads. This
is the sort of thing that people who like this sort of thing
will like." Mon-Thu, Sat 10AM-9PM, Fri 10AM-5:30PM,
Sun 1PM-5:30PM.
Kepler's (1010 El Camino Real, 415-324-4321). "One of the two
stores in the Bay area I hold up as the definition of the
term 'bookstore.'" Special emphasis on alternative and
progressive titles. Has regular in-person programs, often
featuring important authors. "They recently opened a
separate discount book section, big, but not as good as
Books Inc. (in my opinion)." Sun-Sat 11AM-7PM.
Wessex (558 Santa Cruz half-block off El Camino, 415-321-1333). A
truly delightful place. They have a large selection of used
books in wonderful condition and at good prices. They seem
to have a little bit of everything although the SF and
mystery sections are somewhat limited. The best used
bookstore on the peninsula. Their other claim to fame:
Classical, Jazz and Blues used records. Wonderful place!
Across the street from Kepler's. Open Friday and Saturday
until 9PM, and Sunday afternoons.
Palo Alto:
Bell's (536 Emerson, 415-323-7822). Used. In terms of selection
good. Great for book collectors. "Unfortunately much of
their stock is out of reach on high shelves, which can be
frustrating. They also shelve their fiction books in three
layers, so you have to create little temporary piles on the
floor as you mine for books. Great place!" People used to
complain that they often changed the price on the book when
you bring it up to the register (so that for a book marked
$3 they might say, "Sorry, that's $7.50 now"), but someone
recently reported that they had stopped doing this because
it pissed off too many customers. Closed Sundays.
Bob and Bob (151 Forest Ave, 415-329-9050). Judaica. Closed
Saturdays.
Books Inc. (Stanford Shopping Center, 415-321-0600). New books.
Has a good paperback selection. As of 7/93, had moved to
smaller quarters, reportedly due to rent hikes by the mall.
New location has much less of everything; the big tables of
deep discount hardcovers are essentially gone. Basically
indistinguishable from Waldenbooks now. One poster's
feeling is that within a year, this mall will have no
bookstores in continuous operation (see comments on Phileas
Fogg and Sports Central). Open 7 days a week.
Chimaera (University near High, 415-327-1122). Excellent mostly
used bookstore specializing in well-selected literary and
humanities titles. Also good selection of used records,
cassettes, and CDs, especially for classical, jazz, and
progressive rock.
Comics & Comix (403 California Ave). Good new and used comics
collection, some Frazetta-style "art" books, small humor and
gaming sections.
Future Fantasy (3705 El Camino, 415-855-9771; fut...@netcom.com,
http://www.commerce.digital.com./palo-alto/FutureFantasy/).
An excellent selection of new SF, fantasy, and mystery.
"Far and away my favorite bookstore for SF." Frequent
signings. New, larger location with parking lot. "They
have a great [Web] interface, including their complete
catalog, newsletter, some cover shots, and forms to
actually order stuff." Will ship worldwide. Open Monday
through Saturday.
Know Knew Books (415 California, 415-326-9355). A good spot for
used paperbacks, SF and general. A good selection of
hard-cover fiction and non-fiction as well. "My vote for
the best Bay Area used bookstore. Although Recycle Books
in San Jose, or Acorn Books in San Francisco may have
larger overall volumes, the SF selection in this store is
unbeatable. There is also a large, reasonably priced,
collectible section." "My vote for best, too. Not only is
the SF collection great, but the SF and fantasy first
editions collection is good; excellent collection of
series-format paperbacks. Reliable rumor: they're going to
open a branch, probably in the South Bay, in the near
future." Open 7 days a week.
Lee's Comics (3783 El Camino Real, 415-493-3957; 2222 S El Camino
Real, 415-571-1489). Has a wide selection of new and back
issue comics, books, graphic novels, alternative, and adult
comics. Lee's Comics was chosen "Best Selection Of Adult
Comics", and "Best Comic Book Store", by Metro Newspaper.
Open seven days a week 10AM-9PM.
Megabooks (444 University Avenue near Waverly, 415-326-4730). Good
general used bookstore which often has real bargains on
recent cook books.
Minerva Books (1027 Alma, 415-326-2006). Wide collection of books
dealing with the occult, astrology, Eastern religion, etc.
Phileas Fogg (Stanford Shopping Center, 415-327-1754). As of
7/1/93, this travel store has merged with Sports Central at
this location. They did not expand their shelf space,
however, so both collections have been cut. Local and West
Coast travel is still fairly good (but cut down from before
the merger); the folding map collection is still good, but
all of the non-travelogue, non-folding map stuff (on the
right-side shelves as one enters) is gone, replaced by
sports books. The staff was noticeably less friendly; there
was a television and VCR running some sports tape. "My
gut-level impression: will be out of business within one
year if the current format is retained."
Printers Inc. (310 California, 415-327-6500). Smaller than
Kepler's, but more personal, with a cafe in the bookstore
(a recent trend in bookstores). Though they have recently
expanded, the bookshop itself is as friendly and personal as
ever. The cafe is also larger but (as one poster says) "I'm
afraid, much less cosy and intimate than before. One
positive result of the expansion is that the cafe section no
longer closes during readings by authors and poets." Good
selection of foreign papers. The same poster writes, "My
favourite weekly ritual is to cycle from work to Printer's
Inc., pick up my reserved copy of the [Toronto] "Globe and
Mail," and peruse it over a cup of dark French roast coffee
with the buzz of conversation in the background. A very
pleasant and civilized way to spend an otherwise dull
Tuesday evening." Sun-Sat 10AM-11PM, though the newspaper
section may open earlier.
Renaissance Books (230 Hamilton near Emerson, 415-321-2846).
Another used bookstore, specially good for its huge
collection of very cheap popular fiction -- mysteries,
gothic, SF, etc. (Used to be Recycle Books.) "An
above-average, well-established store which has recently
been eclipsed by Book Buyers, one block away (see entry.)
Open 7 days.
Sports Central: The Ultimate Sports Bookstore (157 Stanford Shopping
Center, 415-327-7707). 7000 titles, as well as audio and
video tapes, and a few accessories, but no memorabilia or
used books. Thursday night lecture series. (Written up in
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, 10/5/92). (As of 7/1/93, merged with
Phileas Fogg (above) in the Phileas Fogg location. See that
entry for full details.)
Stacey's (291 University, 415-226-0681). Technical books.
Mon-Sat 9AM-9PM, Sun 12N-5PM.
Stanford University Bookstore (on the Stanford Campus,
415-329-1217). The largest bookstore in the Bay Area. It's
the most likely place to find a new book. Their inventory
is available on the network for people who have the right
accounts. There's also a branch at 135 University Avenue
(415-327-3680) in Palo Alto which specializes in technical
books and is open Mon-Fri 9:30AM-7PM, Sat 10AM-6PM.
Szwede Slavic Books (2233 El Camino, 415-327-5590). Good selection
of Polish books, among others.
Los Altos:
The Antiquarian Archive (379 State Street, 415-949-1593). Used
books. "The yuppie nightmare of downtown Los Altos is
redeemed only by the presence of the Antiquarian Archive, a
serious used book store." Fine Californiana, military,
nautical selections. Decent prices.
The Book Nest (366 Second Street, 415-948-4724). It takes up
several rooms in a regular house, but the selection is
second-rate.
Heintzelman's Bookstore (205 State Street, 415-941-1842). Packed to
the roof with a large selection of books. The owners were
friendly, helpful, and well-read.
Mountain View:
Tower Books (630 San Antonio at El Camino, 415-941-7300). Open
until midnight.
Book Barterers Exchange (2025 El Camino, 415-3747). Used books,
half price.
San Antonio Hobby Shop (San Antonio Shopping Center, 415-941-1278).
Amazing selection of new books on aircraft, trains and ships
(warships, mostly). They have many hard-to-find and
imported titles. One person claimed, "This store
have been bought out by the same people who own the gospel
bookstore in the Mall. It used to be a good general gaming
bookstore; all of the non-military gaming was purged after
the buyout," but another pointed out "San Antonio Hobby has
been owned by the same couple for *at least* 25 years. They
chose to alter their product line. It happened over *10
years* ago, when they dropped the Dungeons and Dragons
stuff. And yes, they *do* own the gospel bookstore nearby.
So what?" Closed Sunday; short hours the rest of the week.
Printers Inc. (301 Castro Street, 415-941-8500). Newly expanded,
but now more of a meat market in the evenings than the Palo
Alto store. The cafe is better run (than Palo Alto) for the
morning, on-the-way-to-work espresso, etc.
Mon-Sat 8AM-11PM, Sun 9AM-11PM.
The Book Buyers (315 Castro). A good general used book store. It
has a good SF section. (This used to be on Emerson in Palo
Alto, but the building was damaged by the '89 earthquake.)
Collected Works (223 Castro, next to La Poblanta). Used. Large
general fiction section, fair sized mystery and SF sections.
Large collection of general fiction firsts and signed firsts
in locked glass cases. Lots of open floor space; very
quiet, like a library. Clean to the point of feeling
antiseptic; not friendly or inviting, and the size of the
clientele shows it. But has Hemingway first editions on the
shelf, if that's what one's in to.
Complete Mystery (809-D Cuesta, 415-428-1447). Used mysteries and
SF. Good selection of recent books, but not easy to find in
its shopping center location. Open Wed-Mon 10AM-6PM.
Sunnyvale:
Books Inc. (Town and Country Center--next to Sunnyvale Town Center).
Computer Literacy Bookshops, Inc. (520 Lawrency Expwy 1/2 mile north
of 101). The original site of this mini-chain. See main
listing in San Jose section.
Los Gatos:
Curious Book Shoppe (198 W Main at N Santa Cruz, 408-354-5560).
Used.
Campbell:
Barnes & Noble (Hamilton and Bascom). Not as big as their
superstore in Santa Clara but definitely the best thing open
for miles, especially at night. Next to a Starbucks if you
need espresso with your reading.
Poor Pat's (1800 South Bascom Ave, 408-369-1800). Used.
Milpitas:
A Book Garden (1281 East Calaveras Boulevard, 408-262-9003). This
is a fine independent bookstore, with a knowledgeable and
helpful staff. It has recently expanded, and added a
cafe, featuring various coffees, espresso, and pastries,
croissants, and similar food. Open Mon-Fri 10AM-10PM;
Sat-Sun 10AM-6PM.
Borders (Interstate 880 and Route 237). Also has videos, CDs and a
coffee shop.
San Jose:
Barnes & Noble (Steven's Creek and San Tomas Expressways).
Fourth-largest bookstore in the United States. "64,000
square feet of pure sensory overload." "About the best
selection of new books around these parts, a cafe, very
helpful staff, but a bit of a chain-store feel. They claim
to be the fourth largest bookstore in the country, but based
on what?"
Books Inc. (420 Town & Country Village, 408-243-6262). New books.
A pretty good selection of SF. Better selection by far than
the Palo Alto branch, even before the move. No periodicals.
Computer Literacy Bookshops, Inc. (PO Box 641897, San Jose CA 95164;
2590 N 1st at Trimble, 408-435-5017, fax 408-435-1823;
e-mail ord...@clbooks.com, ser...@clbooks.com,
in...@clbooks.com, http://www.clbooks.com/). A very large
selection of technically oriented computer books and related
technical books (electrical engineering, mathematics).
Emphasis is definitely on books for computer-related
professionals--but a reasonable selection of user-oriented
tutorials also. A lot of invited guests; you can also get
announcements of those events via e-mail or reading
ba.seminars.
Yesterday's Paperbacks (Union Avenue near South Bascom Avenue,
408-559-6006). As the name implies, this is a used
paperback store. "Its most noteworthy aspect is the large
number of out-of-town (even foreign) newspapers and, to a
lesser extent, other periodicals they carry. I'd estimate
at least thirty different papers, usually only Sunday
editions for the more distant locations."
Recycle Books (138 East Santa Clara, 408-286-6275). They have a
pretty decent general selection. SF books are a strong
point, but philosophy books are a weak spot. "This is a
very large used book store. They have the best Bay Area
collection of used SF hardcovers. Very few collectibles,
though." Open 7 days.
Capitola:
Book-Cafe (41st Ave, next to the movie theater, 408-462-4415). New
books only. Good selection of magazines. Probably has the
best selection of audio books and literary magazines in the
Santa Cruz area. Also has a small coffee-shop inside.
Half Moon Bay:
Coastside Books (521 Main, 415-726-5889). "Not a large place--but
it does show a love of books, and it has a bookstore cat.
As the local newspaper said: 'The shop carries best-sellers,
but an individualistic streak dominates.'"
Ocean Books (500C Purissima, one block west of Kelly and Main,
dav...@oceanbks.com). Used. "A very literate selection,
and the store has oriental rugs, hardwood floors, a wood
stove ... it's quite cozy."
Santa Cruz:
Book Loft (Soquel Drive at Seabright, 408-429-1812).
Used books only.
Bookshop Santa Cruz (in the old St. George Hotel on the Pacific
Avenue [previously Pacific Garden Mall], 408-423-0900). A
Santa Cruz tradition. Very large magazine selection and
indoor/outdoor cafe.
Chimney Sweep Books (across from Caffe Pergolesi on Center Street).
A used bookshop, great for philosophy, religion, some rare
stuff too, but small.
Gateways (a block from Logos/Plaza in the old Great Outdoors
Outlet). A venerable Santa Cruz institution, with twice the
space of its old location and a small cafe. It is primarily
known for new-age, metaphysics, self-help, etc.
The Literary Guillotine (Union St, downtown). Recently opened
(6/93). Used books. They seem to tend more in the
direction of the scholarly than the popular, but they have a
pretty interesting selection of things.
Logos (has re-opened in a new building at its *old* location at
1117 Pacific Avenue [previously Pacific Garden Mall],
408-426-2106). Two full floors of books, used records, and
used CDs. Can be thought of as Santa Cruz's answer to Moe's
in Berkeley. "It is this bibliophile's opinion that Logos
has *the* best used book selection (in Santa Cruz, the
center of the Universe). You can get the same book (used)
here you can get in Capitola for 1/2 price (new)."
Plaza Books (on Pacific Ave. roughly across from the Palomar). New
books only. Plaza Books has the best tee-shirts, post-card
books, and greeting cards, by far beating out any of the
more "touristy" places.
Cupertino:
A Clean Well-Lighted Place For Books (The Oaks Shopping Center,
across Steven's Creek Boulevard from de Anza College and the
Flint Centre, 408-255-7600). Recently moved within the
shopping center. The new shop, though much bigger, is not
visible from the street. Sun-Thu 10AM-11PM, Fri-Sat
10AM-12M.
Computer Literacy Bookshops, Inc. (in the Apple R&D campus off of
280 & De Anza). Open to the public, better selection of
Apple-related books, smallest of the mini-chain. See the
main listing in the San Jose section.
Yesterday's Paperbacks (Union Avenue near South Bascom Avenue,
A Wrinkle in Time (19970 Homestead Road, 408-255-9406). New and
used SF, comics, videos, games, and collectibles.
San Leandro:
Roskie and Wallace Bookstore (14595 E 14th, 510-483-4163). "This is
a rather unique used book store. The prices are quite cheap
by Bay Area standards, the collection is huge, though not as
organized as some stores. In fact, it's kind of like a
cross between a bookstore and a rummage sale. It's not
usually a place to go looking for something specific, but
it's a browser's heaven--you're guaranteed to find
something unique, something you'd never even think of, let
alone find in another bookstore." Open Wed-Sat 10 AM to 4
PM.
Livermore:
Book Oasis (160 South K St, Livermore, 510-606-7876). "1,000 square
feet of used paperbacks and hardbacks at 1/2 to 2/3 of
original price, respectively. Owner is a tall man with
friendly eyes and a non-stop ranconteur. Classical music
plays non-stop at a volume low enough not to be obtrusive to
the browser. General subjects covered as well as the south
wall of the shop given over entirely to the romance genre.
Book searches offered, and free cookies available to all.
An unusual SF painting adorns the SF section and adds to the
friendly atmosphere." [I think this description is from the
owner.] Open Tue-Fri 10AM-6PM, Sat 10AM-5PM.
Concord:
Barnes & Noble (near where Willow Pass intersects I-680). Formerly
Bookstar, it has a noteworthy selection of new books.
San Rafael:
Books Revisited (1122 Fourth). A sizeable new and used bookstore.
"The associated coffee bar has yet to open [as of 3/95].
What will be interesting to bibliophiles is that this store
specializes in the Arts, with some literature but little or
no history, except for a small section on California. There
is also a section with the latest press. Obviously, the
owners are trying a new formula: coffee house, press and
used books. The prices of the latter are not of the bargain
variety."
Lifeways Books & Gifts (Lootens Place). New Age and occult.
Mandrake Bookshop (910 Lincoln Ave., 415-453-3484). *The* used
bookstore in Marin County. A large selection of quality
books. The owner, Hal Bertram, is worth chatting up--has
some additional goodies in the back room. Excellent prices.
Just two blocks from the bus plaza.
Open Secrets (C Street). Mainly eastern religion.
West Wind Books (1006 Tamalpais Ave., 415-456-6322). Used books.
A wonderful little bookshop with an excellent
general-purpose stock. Fine nautical section. Charming
proprietress. Good prices.
San Anselmo:
Heldford Book Gallery (310 San Anselmo Avenue, 415-456-8194,
BK.GA...@aol.com) Mostly out-of-print and rare.
"Delightful little pillowed alcove at the narrow end for
perusing (building narrows between two converging streets).
I only looked at the one case of children's books, which
were high-priced collectibles."
Michael Good (35 San Anselmo Avenue, 415-459-6092). Second floor
over doctor's office. Out-of-print and rare. "This place
resembles what I supposed rare bookstores would be like,
before I had ever visited any. Creaky floors, a feeling of
time and of Rembrandtian brownness, and a proprietor
frequently engrossed in his merchandise."
Oliver's (645 San Anselmo Ave, 415-454-4421). Largest of the three
places. "I wasn't there long enough to get the flavor of
it. I know they carry used and rare, but didn't even bother
to notice if they carry new."
(All three of these places are on the same street. By bus, take Golden
Gate Transit route 20 or 23 to San Anselmo. At the bus stop, go down
the little stairway between the two bus shelters, and you are on the
high-numbered end of the street.)
Pacifica:
Florey's. Forey's stocks a good supply of books, and Mrs. Florey is
very accomodating.
As for truly NORTHERN California, there is once again an excellent used
book store on the main drag in Ferndale (Ferndale Books?), which had
been closed because of damage from the 4/25/92 quakes. They also have
branches in Eureka (which has an excellent music selection) and in
Arcata. Eureka has another good store, located on the square with the
ugly modern fountain in the historic part of town. Arcata also has the
Tincan Mailman (at 10th and H, a couple of short blocks north of the
town square), a very pleasant used book store with a large selection and
skylights.
There is also Copperfields, a local chain in Cotati, Santa Rosa (4th
Street), Sebastapol (Main Street), and other locations (good selection
with no particular focus). The Sebastopol there are two stores next to
each other: Copperfield's (with a cafe) and Copperfield's Annex (which
has only used books). The Santa Rosa store includes a cafe and sells
mostly used books as well as tapes and CDs). Santa Rosa also has
Claire Light (Clairelight?) Books (women's books) and Treehorn (4th
Street) (excellent selection of used books with a good history section
with some pretty good prices on a lot of them, too). Most of the books
are in excellent shape. They don't have a very good selection of new
books, but that's not their main business. The staff is real friendly
and helpful, and they have books that collectors would be interested in
... had a small cache of collectible Philip K. Dick books, for
instance, they have a real nice selection of used SF books. There is
also a Books Inc. located in the Coddingtown Mall. They have a *huge*
collection of books, no used books, and the best selection of SF books
of anybody in the area.
Willits has The Book Juggler (a used bookstore with an excellent SF
collection).
============================================================================
Sonia Sachs (ssa...@moonlight.berkeley.edu) reports on the availability of
BROWSING THE BEST WEST COAST USED BOOK STORES: A SELECT GUIDE:
I have discovered a new and very thoughtful California travel
guide called BROWSING THE BEST WEST COAST USED BOOK STORES,
[subtitled A Series of Guides to The Foremost General Stock
Used and Out-of-Print Establishments in Los Angeles, Berkeley,
Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Sacramento &
Orange County]. This terrific little guide -- which is
actually a series of eight separate folio guides -- was
probably intended for visiting scholars and other bibliophiles,
but it will likely appeal to local residents as well because it
offers fresh views of well-known places. Four cities are
featured in the first series of guides -- Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Berkeley, and Seattle. A second series of four
guides -- due out later this year -- tours San Diego, Orange
County, Sacramento, and Portland, Oregon. Each guide begins
with introductory essays that expound, quite eloquently and at
some length, on the value of out-of-print bookstore browsing.
Readers are then offered tips on how to browse out-of-print
bookstores and simultaneously avoid big price tags. Would-be
hobbyists are shown how to develop and advance book
collections. Novice bibliophiles are given a glossary of terms
to explain different classifications of books -- rare, used,
out-of-print, first edition, etc. This is not just an ode to
bookstores. It is an ode to books. The travel aspect is the
guides' most exciting feature. Each guide contains an
insightful city essay and ten descriptive bookstore narratives
that go a long way toward situating the reader in the town he
or she is visiting. And who hasn't been looking for a new way
to explore a faraway city? Individually, these guides form a
strong argument that bookstore touring is the best way to learn
the physical and intellectual contours of any town. Taken
together, the guides are nothing less than a grand tour of
literary landmarks all along America's Pacific Coast. Maps, of
course, are included. The author of these guides is a West
Coast native and long-time bibliophile who is not affiliated
with any bookstore or bookstore association. Consequently, and
happily so, the narrative point-of-view is that of a bookbuyer
rather than a bookseller. In terms of style, each guide is
often as humorous as it is telling, and the author does not shy
away from pointed comments. "The Los Angeles metropolitan area
is surprisingly good used book store territory," begins the
city essay for the Los Angeles guide. "Admittedly, there is a
glut of shops that tend to feature first editions of Eddie
Fisher's autobiography, but sequestered between all these
hackneyed enterprises are some very reputable bookstores." The
guides, which read like booklets with a map as centerpiece,
sell for $6.00 each. For more information, write Browsing The
Best Publications, Box 7263, Berkeley, California 94707-0263,
USA.
There is also a book, THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BOOK FINDER, which sells for
$5.95 at the check-out registers of many of the stores. It covers more
geographic territory than this list, but doesn't have a whole lot more
information--it's basically a "Yellow Pages" sort of listing in which I'm
sure the bookstores buy space.
Anecedote from a reader:
"Had an interesting experience last night: I was having dinner at a
friend's house when he asked me if I had access to internet. This was
curious, indeed, as he is probably the most neo-Luddite younger person I
know, resistant to computer technology to the point of keeping business
records on scraps of paper beneath found paperweights and doing business
correspondence via penciled letters.
It turns out that the reason for this sudden interest is that someone
came into his store [which shall remain nameless here] in San Francisco,
and made a stunning $50.00 purchase on the basis of some recommended
bookstore list that you produced and posted on rec.arts.books. A captain
of industry he's not, so fifty big ones made about as big an impression
on him as a major bus wreck ("Don't mention the money," he says of this
message, "it sounds so crass."). Suddenly, this computer thing had
reality to him. He produced a scrap of paper with your net address on
it and requested that I thank you.
I just thought you might get as big a giggle out of this as I did."
============================================================================
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============================================================================
Evelyn C. Leeper | +1 908 957 2070 | Evelyn...@att.com
--
Evelyn C. Leeper | +1 908 957 2070 | Evelyn...@att.com
A good world needs knowledge, kindliness and courage; it does not need a
regretful hankering after the past, or a fettering of the free intelligence
by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. -- Bertrand Russell