Map: 70 independent bookstores in Southern California

Bookstores, there are never enough.

But Southern California has a rich array of independent bookstores. Whether in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside or San Bernardino counties, you can often find a shop — though it helps to have a map. And when you factor in Santa Barbara to the north and San Diego to the south, there are 70+ bookstores and counting — new and used, adult and children’s, general interest and spooky scary — to visit.

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And that’s not even counting the Barnes & Noble establishments around the Southland. (Literally, we didn’t count them. But they are there if you need one.)

So it seemed like a good idea to create a treasure map to share the bounty spread across the Southern California landscape, including book shops like Bel Canto Books, Black Cat Fables, Chevalier’s Books, Cellar Door Bookstore, Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore, Octavia’s Bookshelf, Once Upon a Time, and more.

Plus, because we’re always hopping onto the freeway somewhere, we included stores like Chaucer’s Books in Santa Barbara, Bart’s Books in Ojai and Godmothers in Summerland to the north. And to the south, there’s Mysterious Galaxy and Warwick’s in San Diego.

Originally Published: November 19, 2024 at 7:30 AM PST