My experience, arriving at the last bookstore in DTLA was one of the best experience of my solo…read moretrip in LA. Before you walk in, you are to check your bag with Lee. There's a sign that says it when you walk in and the person checking your bags will let you in and give you a numbered as binder clip. There is so many photo apps in this bookstore. It almost feels like you have to be there half a day and just sit down and enjoy everything they have to offer to read. I went to the poetry section right away, and I thought ' aw man there isn't much,' but I still got to find a book to purchase. I then had to use the bathroom, which didn't have any toilet paper in any stalls. But managed to use the seater paper. Hey whatever works. I was surprised to see that they have merchandise for sale of all kinds of T-shirts and blouses and sweaters. The value for these books are not too expensive, but there is so much to see and if you find the right thing, that's what paying for them buy it. I was also very happy to listen to music of my favorite artist being played. They had several music from Natalia Laforga to Chicano Batman many Spanish songs playing.. The universe truly brought me to this place because I've been wanting a T-shirt for a very long time, and I stumbled upon it without even looking for it.

l've been here several times already and I'm always amazed that a place like this even exists. It's…read moresuch a unique store, and I've picked up books, coffee, and other merchandise on various visits all at good price. Even when I'm not looking to buy anything, it's still worth coming just to explore. The place is unlike anything else. It's also a perfect spot for anyone creating content for a social media travel page. Upstairs you'll find an art gallery and several other shops, while downstairs has old vinyl records and CDs. If you love that classic old bookstore smell, this place has it in full. Personally it's not my favorite, but definitely worth noting for those who do. The main downsides are parking and crowds. Finding a spot by car can be a challenge, and the store draws a good number of tourists so it can get pretty packed. If you're not a fan of crowds, just keep that in mind before you go.

4.5/5 I rounded up…read morebecause the new location is SO nice and feels massive, but I do miss the packed aisles from the other location in Arcadia. I does feel a bit too spaced out and I wish the shelves were a bit higher. I can understand the shelves being low as a way to deter theft, but maybe towards the center of the store they could be higher. I came a few days after the grand opening and it was packed. Plenty of selection, but the prices of books once again were a bit too much compared to other places. Love the store, worth visiting if you're in the little tokyo area.

A massive, nostalgic slice of Japan in Little Tokyo~~~ If…read moreyou remember the old Kinokuniya location, prepare to be blown away. This new space is absolutely massive and beautifully spread out! Walking inside instantly triggered so much nostalgia for the cute little bookstores and stationary shops I visited when I was in Japan. Everything is so neatly arranged and wrapped. They have an incredible selection of books in both English and Japanese. Seriously, they have everything you can think of: manga, magazines, cookbooks, adorable plushies, stationery, and T-shirts. When we went, they even had some amazing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure artwork on the wall and tons of Pokémon merch. My friend and I stopped by right after the anime convention ended, and the place was packed. Because it gets so busy, they have a strict "no drinks" policy, resulting in a hilariously massive pile of boba and coffees left at the front entrance. The employees seemed overwhelmed & nobody greeted us. My only real critique: Prepare yourself for the price tags. Everything is extremely overpriced. I saw a pretty basic black T-shirt featuring a famous Japanese artist's work going for $60. I get that it's specialty import stuff, but it's definitely an investment! Tip: It's a fantastic place to visit, but if you want to actually browse the Studio Ghibli or anime sections without fighting a crowd, try to come during the week!

Hennessey + Ingalls Bookstore is a one stop shop for some of the best selection of art and…read morearchitecture books. This spot is located in the Arts District of LA where street parking will be your best bet. Inside, they have a pretty spacious setup with a wide selection of books. Their books are organized really nicely with different categories ranging from Fine Arts, Art History, Graphic Design, Photography, Fashion, Cooking, Architecture, and more. All of the staff here are friendly and welcoming. You could definitely browse around and spend up 1-2 hours here!

Great for artsy and not so fancy bike, in arts district so def design focused and Art. Super nice…read morestaff & open air type store.

We loved walking into this little bookstore. I need to get a couple of cards so this was the…read moreperfect place to do it. It's in a space that houses a restaurant there's street parking. There's parking across the street. It's not a huge bookstore, but they really do have some nice artistic and noteworthy books and cards.

Bookstores are becoming rarer and rarer these days. This store is at the Hauser and Wirth museum…read more They have art books mostly and some old copies of famous books in the locked bookcase. Also some very cute souvenirs. I got a couple retro tea towels and The Hollywood History of Art book. The cashier ladies were very friendly and I will need to spend more time here to find more art books next time!

I was in Little Tokyo a few days ago just looking around different stores trying to find a specific…read moremanga. I came here looking and I found it!!

It's a Bookoff in name, sure they have figurines and books, but... that's it. It smells bad in here…read morefor some reason and like someone smoked multiple packs of cigarettes. I've been here 3 times while I was in Little Tokyo, but I've yet to find reasonable prices and I literally saw a used book listed for a dollar more than new... What? Everything in this store seems overpriced and the selection isn't great. You're better off going to Kinokuniya down the street especially when a used book is listed for new pricing. Employees don't seem helpful or care that they're there. Just not a great location... It's Little Tokyo, you NEED to have Japanese language manga here...

Awesome cookbook only book store. It has a pretty vast collection for those of us that while are…read morenot Luddites, prefer a book now and then. Its in a small covered alleyway filled with other shops and parking can be a bear. On the other hand friendly, knowledgeable staff offset any inconvenience you may occur with the parking. Worth a stop if you like to cook and like books.

Fabulous service. The man working talked with me extensively about what I like to cook, what I'm…read morelooking for, and different cookbook's recipe styles. There is a large collection of books, good ones--not just fluff. I walked out with two books I'd never heard of that I look forward to reading and cooking! I can't say enough about how inspiring this store is. Well worth driving to. And there's a fab tea shop right next door. Thanks for your help!

Another very cute bookstore that's located in Los Angeles. It's fairly difficult to find street…read moreparking, especially on the weekends. I used the ParkSmarter app to reload my hourly fees for my car. Just a little hint if you're visiting from out of town. I didn't walk away with a purchase, because nothing truly peaked my interest. As an indie bookstore, you are offered a variety of items: cards, books, Knick knacks, magazines, and more. I think the best part of this bookstore is that they have a study area located in the back of it. Combined with the study area is a coffee shop that also sells beer. How cool is that! I was hesitant to sit at the bar since we were in a time crunch, but h would have loved to enjoy it. There were numerous patrons sitting around and having conversations and enjoying their beverages. The vibes eye very vintage yet hipster. Loved it entirely and I absolutely want to visit again !

My Stories Books & Cafe Diary:…read more Week 1 - I bought the Robert Crumb book of Blues, Country & Jazz Artists, had an espresso. The espresso was only $3.50. I wish it was served in a tiny porcelain cup. Week 2 - Bought a pack of Tarot cards and laughed at Keith Morris' memoirs - highly recommended. Bought an espresso, which was still served to me in a paper cup. Week 3 - Bought a collection of Anne Sexton's poetry. When will they film a biopic about her? She's totally movie material. I didn't know Vashti Bunyan wrote a book, holy cow. Couldn't slurp my espresso because all the chairs and tables were taken by campers, so I took my $3.50 espresso and hung out at the huge parking lot next to the patio.

TRENDY LITTLE STORE w/ GREAT FINDS! Central Library's "The Library Store" is a current,…read morewell-stocked gift shop with buzzy reads and stylish merch. I loved seeing their pocket-sized collection from their genre-specific books to celebrity finds. I spotted a Chappel Roan book among other favorites. Additionally, they had a selection of Heated Rivalry novels and other fan-favorites. I definitely see myself coming here more often, too bad my booklist is currently full. My Mom and I got a few items (a small version of Macbeth, socks, mug, etc.). Staff were pretty polite but a little awkward, I think they're on high-alert for shoplifters. The store was neat and tidy. Lighting was dim and the store wasn't packed. As this is a gift shop in LA, library-specific merch is slightly pricy. However, the quality of the goods are great. If you're entering through the backside of the library go straight down the entrance hallway a bit and turn to your right. The Library Store is hard to miss!

I felt like a kid walking into a candy store while visiting this charming and well curated gift…read morestore in historic LA Central Library! When I heard the greeting, I said "im definitely walking out of here with a gift or two," I got four! And, why not? It feels good to support the Library and get something special too :)

Great selection of new and used books in this pocket sized space. Mostly books on art or made by…read moreartists but tons of other great things too. Totally scored on my visit!

I don't recommend this place at all. I went to Korea last year and came home with the first two…read moreHarry Potter books in Korean. While in Korea, I didn't know that Incheon Airport would have shipping boxes for excess luggage, so when I thought I would be limited by just the space I left for souvenirs and other gifts in my bags, I could've bought all seven Harry Potter books. As you can tell by the town I'm in, I'm in the Bay Area. Here in the Bay, we don't have a lot of Korean bookstores, and the one I could find here didn't really focus on fiction/fantasy books. I found this place after searching the internet for "Korean bookstores in LA/SoCal." I called and asked the staff if they had Harry Potter. They said they didn't, but they told me that if I found some store back in Korea that had what I was looking for, they told me to email them the link or something and then they would order the books for me. When I pointed out that by that logic, if I could find a book by myself and then pay for the store to mail the books directly to me, customs and all, then I'd just be doing their job. The employee told me to "take it or leave it," and they acted completely shocked that I did leave.

This is the Korean Christian bookstore. Very neat, very clean, good collection here. And so…read morepeaceful here. They have some cute stationary stuff here too as well as some English books. One book I was looking for wasn't here but the person quickly identified it and was able to ship to my address! Also Korean book covers are fire!! Typography and illustration is on another level. I appreciated it so much and was some good inspiration to me as a designer haha.