This is my favorite bookstore, and I don't even live in the area, but it is a must visit every time…read moreI'm visiting. Gary has the best book recommendations! He has little notes around the bookstore to guide you in the right direction if you are unsure of what to read. The selection is so vast, but if need be, Gary is able to order you a book or at least let you know when the book will be back in stock. The kids section is also so cute. There is a little sectioned off area for the kids that has books at the eye level of children and there are so many options from fun kids books to fun, educational books. And so many pens, stickers, and doodles kids (and kids at heart) also love. There are both new and used books in this bookstore, which is amazing because there are so many recent books that you can get at a deal and the quality is still fantastic! This place is truly a gem and I love to visit, and I already look forward to visiting again.

What a wonderful little bookshop in Santa Cruz. This bookstore is absolutely adorable with a good…read moreselection of recent and backlist books. I love the name and the logo too.

I am so happy every time I see a bookstore. It is nice to see Barnes & Noble where I used to spend…read moreimmeasurable hours before they became a rare sighting. Great helpful staff and I bought a few books here.

Drove all the way down here for my best friends wedding last month, the barista working was a very…read morepale blonde, I think her name was Ruth? She made me the best oat milk flat white I've ever had, with the little dot on the top being a heart. She really made my day and entertained my screaming children, and I've been thinking about her since. If heaven has a starbucks, I just know that she'll be my barista.

This place is so cute! It reminds me of Powells Books in Portland. Its open and full of little…read morenooks and has fun recommendations and stands. You can spend the whole day looking around and exploring. It also has tons of fun stationary, or kitchen decor things, like the fun stuff for your home or office, not necessarily the stuff you need, but the stuff thats going to make you smile (so, the things you need). I also loved that there were two doors. I know that is silly, but I liked that you can park in the back, walk in, go shopping, then walk out the front and you're now in downtown. It is a bit overwhelming, but, super cute and I would recommend any age stopping by for something you'd like.

This bookshop is one of the stores I *must* stop into when I'm downtown. It calls my name! It has…read morea huuuge variety of books -- the usual suspects, but also some interesting subjects that are very à la Santa Cruz, like LGBTQ themes, and then there are the huge number of gift items as well as a UCSC section, which is always fun to look through. The staff is lukewarm-friendly, but overall I find them talking amongst each other behind the register like they're at a Sunday backyard BBQ, so if I have a question, I am disrupting their conversation. They'll help me out but they aren't too happy about it. That's how it feels anyway. I wish there was a self-price scanner and a way to find books more easily, so it takes out the need for customer service. All in all, the Santa Cruz Bookstore is a place you can easily spend an hour or longer to kill time or to meander after dinner. It's really fun, and is a perfect place for the loner types who don't like people talking to them... because usually staff won't approach you here on their own. (See? This can be a positive!)

We are from San Diego county. We go to the store whenever we go to visit relatives in Alameda and…read moreSacramento counties. This store is a treasure trove, and the staff are wonderfully kind and knowledgeable. If you bring your own tote, you'll make their lives easier!

The Friends of the Capitola Library Bookstore is located in the Capitola mall. This bookstore is a…read moregreat place to pickup pre-owned books, CDs, DVDs, and other media. There is a wide variety of offerings of mainstream as well as obscure subjects. Books are grouped by subject matter and interests and are well laid out. From classical art to crafts, from English literature to foreign language editions, from outdoor gardening to interior remodeling, the bookstore's offerings are plentiful and diverse. Most books and media looked in excellent condition. At the time of our visit, prices were $1 for most paperbacks, $2 for hardcover editions, $1 for CDs, and $2 for DVDs. This family-friendly bookstore has something for all ages. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. All proceeds benefit the Capitola Library.

Very friendly small business with a wide selection of books, some toys and games, and a few odds…read moreand ends that were interesting (tumbled rocks by the cash register, pens in the shape of wrenches, etc). I will be back. We need more businesses like this one in the Morgan Hill-Gilroy area.

I was in Morgan Hill to meet up with some friends recently.  I was early to the event, so I had…read moretime to check out BookSmart before they closed on a Saturday.  Nestled in a busy shopping center, there's plenty of parking in the lot (even though it was a busy weekend afternoon/evening).   While the store isn't the largest, there are plenty of books adorning the walls and lining the shelves in the middle aisles.  There are plenty of the normal best sellers available, but also plenty of treasured finds.  Though I only spent 20 minutes in browsing the stacks, I stumbled upon an independently published sports book as well as 2 childrens books I haven't found elsewhere, all of which will make great holiday gifts.   Coincidentally, the day I visited was also BookSmart's 30th anniversary party!  They had complimentary glasses of champaign as well as a photo booth for their regular customers (both of which I politely declined).  It's great to see an independent bookstore thriving in this community.  The next time I'm in the area, I will stop by and take more time to check out the inventory!

This place is truly amazing! It's tucked away in a building almost like a super hero's facility in…read moredisguised cause unless you look up and actually read the business sign you could very well NOT notice this place even exists. But I guess that's how comic book hero's roll, incognito. I'm not even sure if the younger generation even appreciates comic books like I do, but growing up comics were NOT considered cool, I remember getting made fun of for reading them, those days are long gone because of the movies and now everyone loves them. I've been coming to Atlantis since I was in middle school, I'm well into my early 40's now and hope this place never closes, the owner Joe is always at the shop, willing to help or order something he doesn't have. Truly an amazing place, I hope it sticks around for decades to come. Because comics are part of history and the contents of the comics are basis of many of the blockbusters that we enjoy today, thank you very much for the hospitality!

I've been on a hunt for a specific back issue of Dr. Strange so whenever I see a comic book store,…read moreI need to swing in. I'm so glad we just happened to park in the large parking lot next to this store. It was a delight. The store is much larger than it appears from the outside. Mainly because there's a whole second half you might not realize is there until you come in. The selection here is wonderful and the lay out newer issues in a very easy to browse way. The back issues are in your traditional long box that you need to flip through, but they're all labeled in a way that makes it easy to narrow down your search. While they did not have the specific issue I was looking for, they happily went online and found an online retailer that had it for a reasonable price. That's great customer service that no other store has ever shown me (including my own local comic book shop where I've been a regular for 10+ years). Even when I told them they didn't have to do that they insisted and had a site for me within a minute or two. I really appreciated that. The two workers were so friendly and helpful. When I mentioned I was from Los Angeles they asked where my local store was & immediately knew it and had nice things to say about the owner. You could tell they really loved what they did and the comic book community as a whole. While I don't know how often I will be in the area, if I am ever even remotely close I will absolutely come by again. This is one of the best shopping experiences I've has at a CBS outside of my area.

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a phenomenal experience. Made a reservation for…read moredinner and my table was readyd upon arrival. Parking is available in the paid garage right across the street. Street parking was also available at $2.25/hour coins only (no credit cards). Bad Animal is located inside a used book store. The restaurant featured a bar, open kitchen, along with a dining room facing the bookstore. Service by the staff throughout the evening was fantastic! Started off with the artichoke and maitake crostini and it looked fantastic. The crostini wasn't super fresh and wasn't warm. I've had better crostinis in Paris. I do love the European portions at this restaurant so I can try more dishes! Moved on to the corn that the waitress highly suggested and it was very fragrant and tasty. Opted for the miso cod and it was excellent. This was served over a bed of rice which was decent. The rice was pretty fluffy and the miso glaze over the cod was a touch on the stronger side. The cod was cooked to perfection. Loved the side of cucumbers! Ended off the meal with the chocolate mousse which had a fantastic layer over foam and strawberries on top. Loved how it wasn't too sweet too! ~$90/head after tax and gratuity for dinner.

Such a cool and unique spot in Santa Cruz. The whole atmosphere is amazing -- having a restaurant…read moreand wine bar surrounded by books gives this place so much character and makes it feel completely different from anywhere else in the area. The food was great, the service was friendly, and you can tell a lot of thought goes into the menu and overall experience. I also loved being able to look around the bookstore before and after eating. It's the kind of place where you actually want to stay for a while instead of just eating and leaving. Definitely one of the most memorable places I've been to in Santa Cruz. Would absolutely come back. 5 stars!

Unfortunately, their website states that they have permanently closed their doors. I wish I had the…read moreopportunity to visit this bookstore before they closed, from the other reviews, it seemed like a special place.

This hidden gem of a bookstore is a great place to read, attend a workshop and stop by for a chat.read more

This was a really cool and unique stop while traveling up the Pacific Coast Highway. This bookstore…read moreis for sure unlike any other bookstore you have ever been to. Funky displays and writings, loads of books, an adorable pup, poetry, huge trees, places to sit outside. I didn't buy anything just stopped by to check it out and I'm glad I did. Worth a stop.

Please keep in mind that this is not an actual library, like your traditional one. It is a book…read morestore, which is different than most. The outside part of the place was very artsy and it is worth browsing around, as well as the inside of the place. Either way, be sure to stop here as you are traveling in the Big Sur region on the Pacific Coast Highway.