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    Read Books

    4.5 (76 reviews)
    InexpensiveBookstores
    Closed Closed

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    Perfection

    Walking into this place felt like home. I am so beyond happy to have stumbled upon this gem of a bookstore. Floor to ceiling stacks of used books, the musty smell of hundreds of thousands of pages among the shelves and a dog that keeps you company while shopping. Absolute perfection. This place is not for those who like clean, neat and tidy bookstores. This place is for those of us that love to dig for books, that love to find an old, treasured copy of a story that someone else spent time with. Thank God for bookstores like this. My new fave spot in LA!

    I can always find a special book from my youth at Read Books to recommend to my girl. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

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    1 month ago

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    19 days ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Great local bookstore that is surprising deep in various categories. Excellent convivial vibe. A blessing in Eagle Rock.

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    3 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    10 months ago

    Nicer staff big selection you always end up finding what you need even though it's a small store and the price is obviously are great

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    A grand swath of books, a good guy proprietor, most reasonable prices, a mighty fine book store in every way.

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    3 years ago

    Good collection of books and helpful staff, complete with a support dog! They also accept donations of used books.

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    5 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

    I love this place and anytime I visit I want to buy twenty books. The selection is great. Screw amazon and support this fine place.

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    8 years ago

    I love this and will be going back! I found that I'm a bookworm that realizes that I can't get enough reading! Now I found "Read Books"

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    9 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Read Books

    Review Highlights - Read Books

    Until Jeremy and Debbie opened Read Books about 12 years ago, I felt a book store was the one thing we lacked in ER.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    The Last Bookstore - Have a seat, it's quite warm. #heater

    The Last Bookstore

    4.5(2.7k reviews)
    6.5 miDowntown
    $$

    Walking into The Last Bookstore feels less like entering a shop and more like stepping into a…read moredifferent world. Housed inside a former bank, the space already carries this grand, historic energy that sets the tone before you even start browsing. What makes this place unforgettable is how it's designed to be explored, not rushed. There are cozy spots scattered throughout where you can sit and get lost in a book, but the real magic is upstairs. It opens into a maze of rooms, each with its own personality, filled with carefully arranged books that feel more like art than inventory. At times, it genuinely feels like you've wandered into a dream. One of the highlights is the famous tunnel of books, which adds to that surreal, almost cinematic experience. Everywhere you turn, books are used as decor in the most creative ways, and it creates this quiet moment where everything else fades out. Upstairs also holds one of my favorite parts, a row of art studios featuring work from local artists. Every piece feels intentional, unique, and thoughtfully placed. Right nearby, there's a small coffee shop surrounded by beautiful artwork, making it an easy place to pause and take it all in. This isn't a quick stop kind of place. Plan to spend a few hours here, wandering, discovering, and just enjoying the atmosphere. It's one of the most iconic bookstores I've ever been to, and it absolutely lives up to the reputation.

    from my experience, the last bookstore is one of those places that, if you've seen it on instagram,…read moreyou already know the one. it's definitely more of a destination than a practical bookstore you'd go to shop at. my instagram feed has seen a few cameos from friends and strangers who've visited, and after seeing it pop up a few times, a friend and i decided to stop by a little while back. that said, i wouldn't really recommend it if you're going in search of a specific book. it's less "grab a book and go" and more "wander and hope something finds you." everything feels pretty scattered, so if you are looking for something in particular, be ready to spend a good amount of time browsing. it does get unbelievably hot inside, especially when the weekend crowds pick up for photos in the iconic book tunnels, shelves, and art installations upstairs. it's definitely a unique shop, but it really leans more "experience" than "practical bookstore." it feels a bit like a bookstore where the real plot is the decor, and the books are almost supporting characters in their own store. i did find it funny how they call out shoplifters with signs outside the entrance though. i've been once, took my photos (bc duh), checked it off the list, and happily moved on.

    Photos
    The Last Bookstore - 2nd floor

    2nd floor

    The Last Bookstore - Book Photo Op

    Book Photo Op

    The Last Bookstore - Welcome to The Last Bookstore.

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    Welcome to The Last Bookstore.

    Books Kinokuniya

    Books Kinokuniya

    4.4(397 reviews)
    6.7 miDowntown
    $$

    When I travel, I can't resist popping into a new book store to see if they have anything…read moreinteresting. I can tell you that KinoKuniya is checked the "interesting" box. This store is all things Anime - Manga and more. It also puzzles, stationary, small character related collectibles, and a fairly extensive pen/fountain pen collection. The staff were very knowledgeable and helpful. Pricing was reasonable for DTLA. I would definitely visit this store again.

    Take a look, it's in a Kinokuniya Bookstore and this is one you definitely want to explore…read more Located at The Bloc in Downtown LA, Kinokuniya Bookstore - DTLA has an extensive collection of books, manga, magazines, posters, art, art supplies, novelty items, stationary, gifts, collectibles and more. Since its birth in Tokyo, Japan, during the age of the roaring 1920s to its overseas reach in the late 1960s - Kinokuniya has been gracing the world with emporiums of knowledge w/ some flare. I hadn't been to the Bloc in a minute, but making more of an effort to explore the city I was born in and our Downtown area, especially at social hubs like The Bloc. And I love some novelty items, art and tools for/of reading, even more so when it's very affordable. The Studio Ghibli is pretty nice as are various sections for music, history, spiritual and comic related things. Literally was whelmed with great finds, but decided to make my first trip (of many) in a leisure one to get familiar with the store. Great stationary. Great service and just great overall. Some of the isles can feel a little congested when there's an influx of foot traffic, put are still easy to navigate through as well as around. Kinokuniya has events, contests and updates on their website for their various locations. They also offer magazine subscriptions you can pick up in person. More incentive to stop inside for all the in-person bliss this book space has to offer. Open from 11AM to 8PM, seven days a week.

    Photos
    Books Kinokuniya
    Books Kinokuniya - A mini puzzle I bought at Kinokuniya (they have a bunch of different Ghibli puzzles)!

    A mini puzzle I bought at Kinokuniya (they have a bunch of different Ghibli puzzles)!

    Books Kinokuniya

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    The Library Store

    The Library Store

    4.7(48 reviews)
    6.4 miDowntown
    $$

    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 :)

    Photos
    The Library Store
    The Library Store - Reading Brings Us Together T-shirt

    Reading Brings Us Together T-shirt

    The Library Store - Print of Central Library and 72 branch libraries. Exclusive to The Library Store.

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    Print of Central Library and 72 branch libraries. Exclusive to The Library Store.

    Duranno Bookstore - Inside Store

    Duranno Bookstore

    4.1(7 reviews)
    6.8 miWilshire Center, Koreatown

    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.

    Photos
    Duranno Bookstore - Inside Store

    Inside Store

    Duranno Bookstore - Living Life

    Living Life

    Duranno Bookstore

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    Read Books - bookstores - Updated June 2026

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