The North Bay Bohemian has experienced a decline in quality. Maybe it was when they prematurely…read moredeclared Hillary Clinton victor in the presidential race. They no longer do CD reviews (or rarely)... and pretty much, the only useful section is for current events, like knowing when the Suscol Intertribal Pow-Wow, the Blessing of the Olives, or SoCo Vegfest is held, complete with admission prices&location. Their events calendar is valuable. They now treat winery&restaurant reviews as optional (because TripAdvisor, OpenTable&Yelp do it as well?) which is too bad, since they had their own distinct perspective. As far as free, local papers are concerned, Portland's Willamette Week is substantial&superior. I used to avidly read the North Bay Bohemian weekly. I made sure to get a copy. Now I'm indifferent.

I want to give a thumbs-up for the Bohemian. Its reviews of movies and films are funky and often…read moreoriginal, they are the only ones attempting some modest investigative journalism (recently about the almost $500,000 missing from the Petaluma city coffers and hidden somewhere within a construction company?), their Open Mic contributions reflect the community spirit, and even the letters to the editor are entertaining. Special issues (about wine, beer, Fall Lit, etc.) are always worth a leisurely read with a good strong cuppa. The Bohemian shouldn't be compared to the Press Democrat, which is run-of-the-mill predictable, homespun (if you like that kind of gossipy familiarity and name dropping), and just a pale shadow of a copy of the NY Times. And the Bohemian is free. It's worth supporting, this lovable oddity.

For hometown newspapers, this is pretty good. They're a little rough around the edges sometimes,…read morebut that's sort of endearing in a local paper. They've got a good variety of information on nightlife, high school sports, town politics, and local farmers, artists, festivals, and misc. I love the "Toolin' Around Town" feature that profiles cool long-time Petalumans - gives an interesting piece of history and place, and makes me happy to live here.

This is a really good little local paper. A little secret: it's owned by the New York Times, but…read morethe down-home feel is very cool and they always profile interesting local folks.

I recently found this location and have been trying to spread the word about how great they are!…read moreThere is a lady at the front desk with long hair that was incredibly helpful. They are very knowledgeable and follow up regarding your questions at a very reasonable time frame. I truly suggest going to them for paper needs! They have amazing prices as well.

The only place in town to get a great variety of paper for all your printing needs. The staff is…read morevery friendly and helpful.

The Sonoma County Gazette is a helpful, free, local paper. If you want to know about an array of…read morecommunity events, this is the paper to consult. They often highlight local businesses, post their hours&locations- even reviews and recipes. They discuss local issues from the wildfires, to legal cannabis, homelessness, you name it. It's much thicker&less pretentious than the North Bay Bohemian. There are editorials based on specific communities, highlighting their concerns- Penngrove, Cotati, Sebastopol, Geyserville, Graton, Camp Meeker, Cazadero, Jenner- you name it. You get a sense of Sonoma County's diversity. The Sonoma County focuses primarily on "West County" (essentially, communities west of 101, tho they have Cotati&Penngrove) It's thick, colorful, with personable editorials, comprehensive calendars of local events. The only downside is that it's monthly rather than weekly. A great way to catch up on local events, activities, dining and shopping.

This is truly a community newspaper, whereas the unbohemian has just turned into an ad rag. The…read moreGazette is about 4 times as thick as the unboho, but only comes out monthly. Sure there's ads in here too, but at least there's some substance to it. We always find more things we want to do in 1 issue of the Gazette than we ever do in 4 issues of the noboho. I think that the Gazette is a much better reflection of all the communities in sonoma county than the boho is. Besides the events, we really enjoy the editorials too.

Everyone who works here is delightful. This shop may looks small from the outside but you can find…read moremost art supplies here at reasonable prices. They also have some really cool novelty items, local artist made cards, and unique craft gifts you won't find in big box stores. Really cool puzzles and beautiful build it style advent calendars for holidays. Definitely worth stopping here first before trekking out of town to Joann or Michael's.

They are so supportive and have a great line of the best quality paints and craft supplies.read more

Amazing collection of books, CD's and art pens too! Plus,…read morekid's books and hubby found my perfect birthday gift upstairs

Wandered in one day, and came out with a few books I didn't need to buy, but am current loving. It…read moreis a small space, but filled with books I hadn't seen before. These aren't books you'd normally see in a larger bookstore. But books that staff recommends, from new authors, or just seem fun. I enjoyed looking at the titles, reading the blurbs, and making sure it was right for me prior to purchase. Will need to go back again when I'm in the neighborhood.

In a nutshell, what this festival IS:…read more 1. Truly about books. This festival is at least half entertainment with readings and author panels, and then half exhibitors who sell their own books or are publishers or anyone connected with writing. It isn't a lot of people selling arts and crafts. 2. Uniquely supportive of independent booksellers. Unlike other huge book fests, it doesn't have B&N or Borders behind it. This gives it a unique flair, honoring the author's voice. 3. For the family. It includes a Children's tent and a Teen/Young Adult area. And then all the genres: poetry, nonfiction, mystery... 4. Grassroots. Perhaps this goes along with supporting independent booksellers, but it's more than that. The Sonoma County Library, the Santa Rosa Arts Council, and a lot of local organizations stand behind it. It was created by local librarians, educaters, and other do-gooder book-lovers who are local and actively develop it every year. 5. Free. They have some fundraising events (this and local sponsors pay for the event). The festival itself is open to everyone for free. What else can you get for free these days? Alas, if parking were too. (Speaking of parking, it's a good idea to plan before coming; 7,000 people come to the event so good parking involves good planning!) The Sonoma County Book Festival is on a Saturday in September. For this year it is Sept 20th.

St. Eugene's Cathedral Books&Gifts is an unlikely place to find inspiring gifts. For one thing, the…read moregift shop is challenging to find... though there are interesting sights along the way such as a statuary depiction of Our Lady of Fatima with the children&their sheep. The signage can be confusing. Once you avoid the reserved parking spots, it can be a relatively easy walk. St. Eugene's Cathedral Books&Gifts has a surprisingly large variety of books for its tiny space. They have several booklets of novenas, and an extensive DVD selection. Service is friendly&helpful. What it lacks in space (and easy directions) it makes up for a great selection and amiable people! A cute little nook in Santa Rosa.