This is a gem of a place that I am really glad I stumbled on. At first sight it looks cluttered but once you start looking it is actually very well organized and the staff knows exactly where everything is and is very friendly and helpful. Went in for a quite browse and left with an armful of books for a very low price, which you just can't beat! If you're in the area definitely check this place out! read more

Went to the Nuart a few weeks ago & walked over to Sideshow & holy shit! It's gone!! But to not worry they just moved . Next time I come over the hill I look forward to checking out the new location. read more

When I walked by Sideshow last weekend with the boyfriend, it was closed. "Rare Books" the sign advertised. But more intriguingly.... "And Curiosities." I suddenly imagined the kind of tiny shop you'd expect from the Harry Potter world, crammed floor-to-ceiling with oddities and gadgets. It turns out that Sideshow actually isn't too far from that fantasy -- it's definitely tiny and most definitely crammed floor-to-ceiling with all sorts of vintage and rare books on an enormous range of topics. Books are shelved alphabetically and organized with hand-written labels. You'll find related gadgetry stuck in the shelves to perk up your imagination. My favorite was probably the semi-hidden, velvet-draped mini screen playing a black & white film in the movies section by the back wall. :) If you have any questions about authors or books, the owner is really knowledgeable and very friendly. I asked him about James Bond books and was shown a little collection of vintage paperbacks, a cabinet holding a few first editions!, and even some related souvenirs, such as a napkin from one of the locations in the movies. Prices are marked inside the cover of the book and are quite reasonable. The James Bond books I was looking at averaged about $3.50, although the owner offered one for $1.50 since it had a little tear. Wonderful place to stop in and spend a few hours. :) There aren't many places like this anymore... read more

Odd little place that was off the beaten path. Just a cool place that everyone should make a point of going to check out. A lot of film stuff, nice selection of random everything, planning my return visit as I type. Everything in this place feels like a relic I want to collect but we only have so much room and I'm not a hoarder, yet! read more

Came here after once again being disappointed with Alias on Sawtelle. What a hidden gem! Adorable bookstore with great finds and an owner, Tony, who knows his books. Killer inventory on the shelves, with more books in the back, and Tony knows every thing he has without needing to look things up. Old books, new books, and help with a smile. A book lover's paradise. Special shout out to Tony for his recommendations, and for keeping the bookstore business alive. I will *definitely* be back- over and over and over again! read more

Sideshow Books is great. The staff is cool, they have a parking lot and the book selection ranges from total weirdo adult stuff to high class behind glass and all the curious stuff in between. They have by far the biggest pulp novel selection on the West Coast and the owner only keeps them if they're in fine or better condition. The whole place is curated very nicely. Make a day of it. read more

I haven't had this lovely a bookstore experience since I was a child. The owner took the time to show me books I was looking for and he introduced me to new writers I might like. I arrived thinking I'd buy one author and left with two more. Thank you for keeping that serendipitous stacks experience alive in these times of Amazon Prime shipping. We will be back and often. read more

Omg My Favorite book store ever!! Its my new obsession. It's my Ali Baba cave of wonders. I walk in to look for a book and end up staying hours, just speaking to the staff and regulars( who are absolutely amazing, by the way). Conversion is great and everyone is quite knowledgeable. The book store itself is very charming. Its open until 11 pm!! many nights and has twinkle lights on the outside. It is on a small street though, which makes it hard to find, but when you do find it, its like a marvelous chance encounter. Its in a small little room packed with books ceiling high, though they are all well organized by genres. He has a great rare book section as well as a fantastic art section. I love the book copies he has. Most are in very good condition and many are earlier publishing's, which i love.( they have beautiful vintage covers rather that the artless new publishing's) It's a great place to discover new authors and books. His selections are great ( though not extensive), but the store carries many collectibles: super cool vintage magazines and old art exhibit pamphlets, comic books, vintage movie posters... You are sure run into many treasures.Many a times I have come across books that I have always wanted to buy but have never been able to find or afford. I also forgot to add the the prices are soo reasonable. As one of the posts spoke of earlier, the owner has shelves of books outside ( that are carefully wrapped like the books sold by the quaies in Paris) and a tin to put your money in. I believe this says a lot about the place. He trusts you enough to pay that dollar and place it into the tin. So many great used book stores are going out of business so please come support sideshow books! which is a gem you do not want to miss, especially for all you book lovers/browsers... read more

I LOVE this store. I felt like I walked in off of La Cienega and into a magical place. I could spend hours browsing here. What a pleasure to have this in the neighborhood. read more

Love this place! Great community events. This place has so much heart. It is a wonderful creative space and offers a unique book selection.

This is one of the best bookstores off all-times. There are really quite a lot of fine bookstores in L.A. now after a drought of some years when Dutton's, Midnight Special and many used bookstores on the Westside shut down. But Sideshow is an original. Their pulp/crime section is my favorite and a good part of my pulp library has been purchased there. There are also many other creative sections, if you are looking for lesbian exploitation, black power or books that became films. The fiction lit section is swell. Books are somewhat piled, though organized, in a small, curious space like the bookstores of yore. Put at least a half hour's worth of coins in your meter for exploring. Almost every book in the store is priced and there are a lot of titles you will find here, which are difficult to find elsewhere. The owner has recommended several books that I've loved and even recommends books that he doesn't have for sale, which I have purchased at other stores. read more

Helpful staff and really cool atmosphere. Retro, retro, retro. It's not a big place (which is great) and it's packed with comic books, 50's movie posters, sci-fi, and lots of other sub-categories. If you are tired of the bland, check this place out. read more

Lovely little indie bookstore. I found the perfect gifts and a couple for myself. Great vibe.

I stumbled on this store by chance the other night when I was parking for a show at the Nuart. Covered in Christmas lights, it's a bright little gem on an otherwise dark street, and is exactly the way a used bookstore should be -- packed with books piled at precarious angles, well organized enough that you can find what you're looking for, but not so well organized that you can't stumble on things you hadn't know you wanted (at one point I looked up and saw a shelf just marked "PIRATES"!) There are plenty of other little surprises around the shop, like a tiny TV tucked into a corner bookcase playing old movies, and section labels that made me laugh, like a collection of vintage porn magazines marked "I just read them for the articles..." I picked up a few reasonably priced signed first editions and a few other impulse buys, and had a great time while I searched the stacks! read more

Very eclectic selection. The layout is very cozy and intimate. Standing room only so don't think of trying to sit down anywhere.

Gorgeous little gem. I absolutely adore bookstores and this one is one of my new favorites. It is hidden in a small street right off of Santa Monica. The staff/owner was great and were beyond helpful. I found a book I've been wanting to read, and will definitely be back again. Please support bookstores since they are dying and it'd be a shame to lose this one. :) read more

Wonderful place! This is a real gem and honestly I can't believe I haven't stopped by in the past 3 years I've been in Westwood. It's conveniently located close to Sawtelle, so I'll be stopping by whenever I'm around there in the future. The staff were incredibly helpful and were able to find a few of the books I was looking for in no time - they didn't have 2 other books, but took down my contact info and said they would let me know if they stocked them again or were able to hunt down the copies. I really was amazed by how courteous and helpful the staff were and will definitely be stopping by again soon! read more

Great book store. Packed to the ceiling with weird and wild books, and not just books but curiosities also! I got a good deal on a Ken Kesey book (cheaper than Amazon and no shipping fee) and a rare James M. Cain novel. read more

This is a great environment for discovering books on film, music and other aspects of popular culture. The fiction collection is equally impressive, with an emphasis on noir, science fiction, camp, etc. The proprietor is an avid reader, film enthusiast and music connoisseur who shares his many interests with you. You should also check out the legacy hi-fi collection, posters, pictures and other examples of sublime memorabilia all under the same roof. read more

Friendly and loaded. Mystery, art, comics, classics, artifacts. Call ahead and bring cash. You can hardly take two steps into a store like this without finding something you want. read more

SIDESHOW BOOKS: the very best bookstore to buy previously-owned publications - hardcover books, magazines, paperbacks, younameit! The store is clean, well- lit, cleverly arranged and well-organized, owner Tony is the nicest fellow you'll ever buy a book from, and it has a great selection of all kinds of books - from spy fiction to literary classics. And they will actually buy your books! It's around the corner from the NuArt Theatre, freeway close, and open late! read more

Had to come write a review after seeing this place... AMAZING! Besides having a great selection of new and old books, rare magazines and vintage comic books it was welcoming and strange. It has something for everyone. If you are a book lover you must check it out. I've been checking out all the book stores in LA and this is BY FAR the best in los angeles! read more

Big selection of books. So many titles to choose from. Loved it! I would recommend this bookstore to anyone!

That was my first time going there, I was greeted with respect and I took my time looking for what I needed. Will go back to this new place I found read more

After Barnes & Noble didn't have The Stepford Wives for a class assignment, I called several stores with the hopes that I would locate it. Slideshow was the only place that had it! The man who answered the phone was very helpful and was just as friendly in person. I look forward to coming back and browsing around! read more

Sideshow Books is one of the few remaining used book stores on the westside. I found it by accident one evening last year while I was making a food run to a nearby Mexican restaurant. It is a great place to check out all kinds of subjects from cinema, poetry, mystery, sci-fi, history, political, children's books, posters, pulp fiction, vinyl records and lots more. It has a great atmosphere when you walk in as it is a small quaint space. The people who work there are very knowledgeable and more than happy to guide you. They have great hours including open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. I keep finding all kind of neat material everytime I visit including a vintage sealed album, a book on Babe Ruth, a book on the history of art prints and lithography, a mystery detective book, and more. I recommend that anyone interested in a good value for books explore this great place. read more

very beautiful place :) i have a thing for objects that show a little wear from the previous owners (they've got character) and small cozy stores that somehow hold too much for any one person to discover. if you enjoy searching through stacks of books and other collectible objects for something that speaks to you, and you don't mind getting a little dust on your hands and knees, i think this is a bookstore that would really strike your fancy. every time i visit i love to rummage through the anonymous photo box. the first time i walked into the store my friend was able to find about five old black and white photos of young women all autographed to one man. made us wonder who he was and why he was so popular hahaha. it is also great fun to pull out mysterious things from underneath dark book cases (beware of old dead bugs and dust bunnies hahaha) and look at seemingly ancient knick-knacks and old comics. this bookstore is lovely and full of collected history. when you leave this place, i'm sure you'll leave with a story, whether it be a story bound in a book -or- an adventure story about how you uncovered the universe's secrets under some dust. read more

Sideshow Books is the kind of bookstore that used to be in plentiful supply in major cities around America. Sadly, the iPad and the Kindle and online behemoths like Amazon are destroying these great places. Sideshow has a great selection of pulp, cult, conspriacy, crime, true crime, sleaze and every other genre of book you might be looking for. Support this place and buy books the old fashioned way! One bit of non-literary advice - feed the meter out front. The fine is 56 bucks! read more

Just happened to be cruising down santa monica blvd and decided to make a turn on sawtelle when I saw the sign for this tiny bookstore. The name itself grabbed my attention and I felt compelled to pay them a visit. Walked in not necessarily looking for anything in particular but left with two or three new books to add to my collection. Really love this place. It may be small but it's loaded with tons of books in every category. read more

Charming, idiosyncratic, used bookstore with a well chosen selection of books you will want to read. Nice, helpful manager. It seems too good to be true - it's not a Wes Anderson movie set - it's real! And, it's open quite late so you can pop in after a movie at the Nuart which is a block away. So grateful. read more

really fantastic used bookstore. excellent collection and well organized. the kind of magical spot where you can come in looking for a book, find it for cheap, and then find 10 other excellent books, also for cheap, that you love. read more

This place is a hidden gem! I found both books I was looking for, even though this is a very small space. They seem to have one of everything! also lots of fun art / random stuff around. This is in my neighborhood, and I'll definitely be going back! read more

Sideshow is an overstuffed magical gem like a Ray Bradbury short story, bursting at the seams with pop cultural items- both high & low. Particularly love the M sections: Mystery, Music, Magazines. Mr. Jacobs & staff are delightful conversationalists & very helpful. My only regret is the store's not bigger! read more

This OUTRAGEOUSLY AMAZING store is filled with hard-to-find books and never-seen-before curiosities. They have filled such a small space with so much joy and awe, that one could spend several hours lost in another time and dimension. From rare books to curios and art, you will marvel at what you will find...FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY! Do yourself a favor and get lost in here for an hour. You'll thank me later. read more

Amazing bookstore, best in LA for oddities and friendly faces. Yelp has the hours wrong however, so call before you go. I know they are closed on Monday. read more

What they all said and more. Sideshow is a motherlode of the esoteric, weird and unusual books and ephemera. The prices are good and the owner is a lexicon of useless but highly entertaining information. (thats a compliment) As often as I go there its never boring as he seems to have a steady stream of new cool stuff. Definitely a must-stop next time you go to the Nuart, Cinefile or Sawtelle for dinner... and he open til midnight on Saturdays! read more