I love this bookstore in Venice Beach. Something about the zines in the section by the front door and the fact that one of my favorite healing authors books was being displayed prominently when i walked around a corner (so i bought it) made it feel comforting and homey. The people who work there are really knowledgeable. If you're in Venice Beach and get a chance to stop by, check it out. It's the kind of bookstore that makes you want to slow down, wander, and maybe leave with something you didn't know you were looking for. read more

Who reviews a book store? Well me and 99 other people (at the time of review there was 99 haha). I came here on a terrible date several years ago, but because I love this book store so much, I make the trek here every now and again despite my initial encounter. If you're seriously allergic to cats, enter cautiously. They keep to themselves, but I know some people do have fierce cat allergies. Otherwise it's a lovely independent bookstore with recommendations guaranteed to get you out of a read slump. Definitely a fun way to escape the chaos of Venice beach for a few minutes while you stroll through the packed aisles teeming with books of all kinds. One of my favorite things to do and places to be in Venice! read more

This is a safe haven for those walking around Venice beach!!! When I saw the storefront sign, I got instantly excited and dragged my partner in! Hahaha The store is well organized. It's situated behind a restaurant. It is actually quite spacious and has a ton of great books of all genres. A ton of popular, recent books! Loved the environment and how it's a gem tucked away at the beach. read more

Small World Books - Bookstores Near Me - Venice, California

What a great shop! I am so glad we found this cute shop tucked away behind a cafe. They had a great selection. I also loved all the recommendations and books that were highlighted. I have a few books I always look for when I visit a bookstore but it's nice to have some recs from the store. read more

What an absolute gem. This store is tucked away right off the beach, lovingly curated, and guarded by the softest kitty around. We were truly impressed by the selection. It was vast, well organized, thoughtful, and unique. My husband immediately found a book he wanted and had never heard of, and we found one to bring our kids. I appreciated the work that someone clearly put into it. I also found the prices super reasonable for the area. We were winding down our day and somewhat rushed, but could have easily spent hours perusing. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Stopped in after Fleet Week musical festivities and a beer with lunch. Met cats Frannie and Malcolm, bought a biography of French actress Maria Schneider and a book of vintage Egyptian lavish night life. read more

Super convenient besides of restaurant, on the sidewalk , this charming and iconic bookstore you should go at least once. It's opened in 1976, an independent and eclectic bookstore, with different books, different types of the chains. Reasonable price, cool vibe, and nice service. Check out this place! After go to eat besides in the cafe with your book in your bag. read more

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Way back in the '90s, when I was a youngster, this place sold many copies of my zine (they were maybe $1.50 each). Strolling in today several decades later, it was very nice to see zines on the shelf closest to the door. There's also an amazingly large poetry section, so this is a store that clearly cares more about what they have on their shelves than what actually sells, because there is no way that poetry and zines are big sellers. But there is much more to their inventory: tables of recommended titles, a banned book section, tables of new fiction in both paperback and hardcover and a swell music-related section. There should be at least one well-rounded bookstore like this in every neighborhood in the city. read more

super cute bookstore for cat people!! great selection of books i bought a couple myself, place is nice and quiet for being behind a restaurant. prices are great compared to barnes and noble :) read more

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Really awesome bookstore. Very small and unassuming from the exterior but a wide selection of books inside. Staff had reviews and recommendations placed throughout the store. I definitely could have easily spent at least 30 minutes wandering and browsing if I didn't have people waiting for me. The staff were also very kind and helpful. (Also, I didn't see it until after we had eaten at the cafe next door but you can get a discount at the cafe if you buy above some threshold, I think it was $10, at the bookstore.) read more

Lovely bookstore. Support your local businesses. Right by the beach and all the books you ever want

There is something magical about walking the Venice boardwalk when most tourists have turned in for the evening. One such day after work, I decided to listen to the waves crash and adventure on a after sundown walk. As always, there are so many things to discover in Venice: it's the rabbit hole of many delights. The small world bookstore is one such place. Tucked away, adjacent to a restaurant you may even miss it if ya don't look closely. I'd say it's quickly becoming an evening walk favorite. They have a cozy lil section towards the back of the store where you can rest yr tush, pop open a book, and free yr mind. The feminist sociology section. Are ya kidding me, this is a girl's girl heaven. It's really a dream come true. I bought the vagina monologues bc somehow I lost this tried and true college staple of a read somewhere in my several residential moves since college. Also, there is a lil sweetheart of a black and white cat. He quickly will say hello politely and be on his merrry way. Really, Is there a better way to zen out on an evening: reading literature, petting a fur friend, and listening to crashing waves? Nope, not in my book. I visited today and there will be many days to follow. I've found a place finally that feels like home on the boardwalk. Where you can explore of the confines of yr mind, soul, and hey pretty art is fun also. read more

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A great selection of books and a couple of super cute store cats. I love that the employees have little notes and recommendations throughout the entire store. We had a great experience. read more

Love that this bookstore is still there! I used to frequent as a child when my Mom was having a Sunday funday at the Sidewalk cafe....its a magical memory. An escape amongst the madness of the Venice Beach boardwalk. It's charming, friendly and is one of the reasons I love books to this day....over 30 years later. read more

An incredible selection of books and kind staff! A wonderful hidden gem in the middle of Venice. read more

Small World Books - Bookstores Near Me - Venice, California

Nothing like having a real book in my hands. Although I have a Kindle, I prefer real books. When I saw the sign I had to go in. This bookstore is exactly what I hoped it would be. Lots of shelves with a wide variety of interesting books. Most of the books were organized by type. Even if your not looking for a book there is something about bookstores that are soothing. The guy working was super friendly. Located on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Covid friendly too. Masks required and hand sanitizer provided. read more

Walking along the Venice Beach storefronts and stalls, you see a lot of superfluous items sold. But hidden amongst it all you find some treasure. And that is "Small World Books". It covers a variety of subjects from biographies, non-fiction, political, etc. There are some great finds. We had a great time browsing through it all. They also have an important employee who I enjoyed meeting. His name is Malcolm. read more

Small World Books - Malcolm, the bookstore protector. - Bookstores Near Me - Venice, California

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Stopped in here on our beach walk. We left with several great books. Love the selection here as well as the helpful staff. Bonus for the cool cat walking around the store as well. read more

I appreciated the little note card recommendations staff wrote for many of the books! The staff were so knowledgeable and friendly. The variety and prices are worth the visit! read more

Absolutely my favorite bookstore in West LA. They're an independent bookstore with an extremely well-curated selection of books, especially translated books from foreign authors which I find it hard to find anywhere else . It's a hidden gem tucked away next to a restaurant. Staff is super nice and helpful, and I love a quiet time at the bookstore that I usually spend at least an hour here. Each time that I'm reluctant to go there is because the surrounding area is pretty touristy, and I'm usually stressed about finding parking there, but only once out of ten times was parking really difficult, I usually am able to find parking across the streets rather efficiently. Seriously just love coming here, you have my support! read more

Find this bookstore under the red awning of the Sidewalk Cafe. Wide selection, friendly management. A hidden gem! read more

What a cool book shop! Stopped in briefly while in town for a few days. I don't buy many new books so I didn't buy anything but they had a fabulous selection of new and some older books as well. I didn't see any used but may have missed them as I was only in for a few minutes. read more

I found a great book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez just browsing around. I finished the book on the beach that afternoon.

Hidden Gem..Oh sweet dichotomy of walking through the lively revelry of the attached but separate resto next door into a welcoming, quiet, cool, respite of one of the coolest selections of books, laid out in a highly intuitive manner so much so as you forget that you're damn near two hours into it of perusing, and what was supposed to be a 10 minute distraction from Solar Himself to pick up a book for the day, has turned into a pile of amalgamated books that you've been meaning to read but have put off because of adulting and such, that the Starbucks barista you meant to initially visit has nicely and unnecessarily reheated your brownie, and you forget to bifurcate your stream of conscious/searching into paletable, fragmented, normal sentences appropriate for Yelpers to understand, unlike this one Childlike, yet Honest, sentence of a review. Your Inner Child is welcome to play, peruse, and get lost in here. I lied, thats three sentences. Cheers foúr validated parking. Staff's dope af, high fivee. read more

Small World Books - My sewl. - Bookstores Near Me - Venice, California

I have walked by a little sign next to a restaurant on the Venice boardwalk that says bookstore. I barely noticed it. Finally a couple weeks ago I decided to walk in and see what was going on. It's a little strange because you walk by some tables of people eating. Then you walk into a nice size bookstore. With a wonderful store cat. She is actually very friendly and loves to be petted. I was very impressed with the quantity, and variety of books the store carries. I ended up buying three books as gifts. And did not spend a lot of money. Their price is very reasonable for this tourist area. The next time I am in the area I plan on returning. If you want to get out of the craziness of the boardwalk, this is the place to go. And the restaurant right next-door is always packed. I haven't eaten there but everyone says it's very good. read more

This is a delightful place to buy books. Considering Venice Beach has been ransacked by corporations, it warms my heart that this independent (to the best of my knowledge, at least) business still shines. This is especially important due to many out there turning their attention towards the technosphere as opposed to physical books -- which is very unfortunate. Thankfully, I have been able to pick up some superb reading selections at this shop. I would also recommend all different genres, as the quality of the books does not seem to be specific to any particular genre(s). read more

we may not always agree on What books to get, but we Always agree on Where to get them!....even though the sections have moved around the store, we were able to find a few to take home, and a couple to put on order... read more

Small World Books is a small bookstore on crazy Venice Beach Boardwalk. If you want to get away from everyone trying to sell you something and need some piece, this could be an OK respite. Just OK, because it's located right in front/next/near a restaurant so you'll still hear people talking while browsing their inventory. There are signs, so you'll be able to see it, entrance is to the left, a bit tricky. The books selection is very good, well updated, all the notable writers, last decent releases are on their shelves, alongside classics and paperbacks. The place does get pretty warm, no AC action in here, so I couldn't stay for that long inside, especially on a hot summer day. I love books, this isn't the perfect store to shop for books, linger for longer, not as peaceful as I'd like it to be, but I'm glad it's there. It brings some culture to the Venice Boardwalk! read more

Excellent little bookstore tucked away on the crazy waterfront becomes a great way to escape the hustle of Venice. Shelves are inviting as you walk in. Recent publications are available at first glance, and there are notes left by the staff for different reads and insight. Truly, this is a readers bookstore and a little gem in Venice. It was also very refreshing to see some lesser publishers and some local authors displayed. I was also pleasantly surprised to find a book about what Venice is all about in years past with an account of forgotten Beat Generation. read more

One of my favorite stops on the boardwalk! Located behind the cafe, it's easy to miss but this hole in the wall bookstore has a lot to offer! Current books, older reads and paper goods make this a fun and unique place to stop and pick up a new book for the beach. The staff is always friendly and I never feel like an inconvenience for being there, like some smaller shop owners make you feel. I love to support local bookstores and this one is definitely a stand out! read more

You'd miss this little gem if you didn't know it was there. Tucked back along the boardwalk along Venice Beach, we stumbled across this place on accident while strolling along. It's the quintessential little independently run bookstore, like you'd see in the movies. The staff are friendly but unobtrusive, and they allowed us to peruse in peace while we looked through their collection. You'll find various titles pulled out along the shelves with staff synopses and recommendations (we would up purchasing one based on this, and the recommendation note has become my new bookmark). They had a surprisingly good selection of children's books, and they also stocked some beautiful cards and small gift items. Best of all is the cat that follows you around and winks at you from atop the bookcases. Beach and a good book - it's a combination that's tough to beat. read more

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Very sweet second hand book store in Venice. Easily able to get lost in there. My advice - don't go in there looking for specific titles because you may not find them. Just enjoy finding something new to read by looking through the shelves! read more

This is my favorite bookstore ever. They have the best selection of books, mostly literary fiction. I come to Venice just to visit this bookstore and always spend a long time in there. Whenever I go, I buy a stack of books. read more

I absolutely loved this place! Even though it is not a big outlet bookstore, the shop is not small and holds a wide variety of selection. This is a great change of pace from the crowded beach outside. There are stools to sit and read for a while and they even have a beautiful bookstore cat that lays around and allows anyone to pet it. I believe the cashier mentioned it's name was Connan/Konnan? I greatly enjoyed finding this bookstore on my trip to Venice, I will definitely be returning. read more

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Of all the bookstores in my entire Metropolis of Angels, I frequent Small World Books the most. I just recently perused some female poets and authors before buying three postcards of women scientists and inventors for tiny precious nerd girls I might encounter. The owner still never complains when I walk in with (slightly) sandy feet. And, yes, they have male poets and writers, too, if anyone still reads them. read more

I was looking to buy a guidebook last minute for a trip and decided to go here rather than usual corporate bookmart in MDR. If not for the motorcycle, parking would have been an absolute nightmare so keep this in mind if you hope to drive on over. Small World books is a nice little mom-pop book store nestled in between touristy tshirt shops, tattoo parlors, and medical marijuana clinics. If you are at Venice Beach and need something different to do or just get bored from walking around you can come here. It is a quiet oasis in the midst of tourist & grunge mayhem. As a bonus you can get 10% off on the not-so-special looking burger/bar joint next store with a $10 book purchase. read more

With all the Venice Beach craziness swirling around outside, it was a wonderful surprise to happen upon this gem of a bookstore. Over the week and a half we'd been driving down the California coast, we'd been hitting every new and used bookstore we could find. I could not believe that my husband was able to find something there that he'd not seen elsewhere. You have to look hard to find this place, but it as a lovely respite. read more

Small World Books - Tucked back behind a cafe. - Bookstores Near Me - Venice, California

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Quiet refuge that reminds me of Shakespeare's Books in Paris. Mystical and a lovely small town community feel. Real Old world service and lots of fun unusual stuff. Fell in love with this place when visiting and going to a conference. read more

Charming little bookstore tucked away on the Venice boardwalk. So thankful to have found this hidden gem!

I always find a book there I like and they sell absolutely unique fun and artistic cards. Plus, it's close to the beach and paper smells so nice .... read more