What a wonderful local bookstore near Stinson Beach! I always make it a point to pick up a new book whenever we have a beach day. From the moment we walked in, we were warmly welcomed and made to feel right at home. The staff was incredibly friendly and offered so many thoughtful recommendations, making it difficult to choose just one book. Of course, I ended up leaving with a great book along with several unique items from the store. Everything was reasonably priced, and I felt like I received great value for everything I purchased. There's something special about supporting local bookstores and small businesses that help bring a community to life. If you're spending time in the area, I highly recommend stopping by. Whether you're looking for your next great read, a thoughtful gift, or simply want to browse and enjoy the cozy atmosphere, this bookstore is well worth a visit. I'm already looking forward to returning on my next trip to Stinson Beach. read more

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I'm honestly shocked that people give this bookstore any high marks. I've been frequently visiting Stinson beach, and this bookstore for over 30 years now. Not sure if the bookstore has been around for all 30 but let's be safe and say it's been there for the last 10 at least. (1) is no one seeing the mountains of filth piling up in all the corners and at the counter, and behind the counter? It's like they do not pay for trash service and every single visit I make there are large stacks of garbage (boxes, papers, wrappers, plastics, crumpled packaging) in almost every open space. (2) most of the time, a large portion of the shelving is empty or messy or disorganized. Like you asked your toddler to go clean up. (3) nothing about this store is ADA friendly or accessible. It feels like one bad second would send this place up in flames or crumple to the ground. Shelving looks crooked, unstable, deteriorating, likely unmounted to a wall in event of an earthquake but I DID NOT test that theory. Additionally, boxes of books litter all walkways. You can't move around people. (4) it smells. Bad. Of old books. Rotting wood. Black mold. Possibly old rodents that decomposed years ago behind the walls. (5) the selection of books is mediocre at best. I think some of the piles of boxes filled with books are donations that they never bother to go through. It's clear the books also push only one agenda, which is fine because it's freedom of business ownership and it's nothing I object to however I grew up being taught that libraries and bookstores are places for all knowledge and ideas to be heard, even if you disagree with it. So, it's telling when bookstores only showcase one ideology. It means you won't get unbiased dialogue and you won't be challenged to grow deeper in your beliefs, rather it says they don't trust customers/readers to have intelligent or independent thoughts so they must shield them from challenging ideas or differing view points. There is ZERO charm to this place, and it's been that way since I started visiting it years ago. I fully believe that people give it high ratings because it's a bookstore in a tiny beach town but there is no pride in ownership, and you can't convince me otherwise by the amount of hoarding at the counter, behind the counter, in the aisles, in the corners and all the places in between. read more

Beautiful little bookstore next to the beach. Charming, wooden, low ceilings. The folks who work here are extremely lovely, including the gentleman wearing the green pointed cap who looked a bit like a gnome (and we mean that as a compliment). Hours are limited, so call in advance plan accordingly. They have relatively limited inventory, but very fun to browse. There is also a spare room in the back where you can find cards, tote bags, and gifts for friends. Highly recommend. read more

What a wonderful little book shop, perfect to get a couple of puzzles while trapped indoors in the rain. Very nice shop keeper, helped with information on the best routes out of town once the storm lifts. Thank you! read more

Such a great bookstore! It is bigger than it looked and very well kept. The woman who worked there was very sweet. There was many options but I chose The girl on the train. I enjoyed reading in on the beach. The beach is walking distance from the bookstore. read more

Love this bookstore, my favorite bookstore that I will go out of my way to visit. Great selection, lots of beach time reading and great nature and travel sections. Bring the kids, plenty for them, too. Owner is a delight. read more

This bookstore is a true gem - a wooden floored warren of bookshelves stocked with an excellent eye toward timely, local and informative topics. Right by the front door there are guides, maps and local history, as well as local flora/fauna. If you go all the way to the back past the children's section, there is the old lady section - that's right: LINENS! The big surprise in this bookstore is that they stock loads of amazing kitchen & table linens at very reasonable prices. I never seem to be able to pass this store by without going in and spending $50-100 on books and a nice table cloth that I am afraid to use because I am sure my cats will attempt magic tricks with it. Staff are super helpful and friendly. Linens are restocked periodically so you can always ask and return to find that perfect napkins & table cloth set to go with your new cookbooks and birding books. read more

This is my favorite book shop for so many reasons. If you are ever passing through town you must pay it a visit and pickup something special. There is something in here for everyone, which is part of its magic. Also that it feels like a little escape from the outside where time seems to slow down. It's incredibly well curated and Bonnie gives the best recommendations if your not sure what you're searching for. They also have a very sweet selection of toys, vintage looking tool boxes, binoculars, a whole variety of things that have become some of our kids favorites. In the very back is a lovely selection of gifts and beautiful home goods, making this the perfect stop for a needed gift, if not just a treat for yourself. You can tell this place has had a lot of love and heart poured into it over the years. read more

This small place looks tiny at first, but is actually a lot bigger than it seems as the next room extends back. Nice selection of books and I was especially impressed with the selection of bird books they had there. All kinds of bird books including novels and field guides. They even had a zen book called How to Untrain your Parrot which upon closer inspection had absolutely nothing to do with pet birds or so it appeared. If you want to relax on the beach, but forgot to bring something to read, this is the perfect place to hit. They had the cutest beaver (stuffed animal) in the back room for sale too. read more

One visit has made me a lifelong fan! From the outside it looks small and unimpressive. As soon as you walk in you'll be wowed by the length of the building. I was impressed by the quality of their collection. Lots of nature and books of local interest. Excellent children's' book section. Popular fiction section included many local authors. Non-fiction section includes an eclectic selection of books from birding to gardening to knitting to politics to biographies and more. I wish it was closer to us. Selection is at least 1000 times better than the giant Barnes and Noble near us. We definitely plan to return! read more

A dreamy small town bookstore with nothing small town about it! If you're looking for maps, trail guides and books on local lore, this is your place. But all the best sellers and obscure novelists are here, as well as non-fiction galore. Very nice staff, who also patiently give out directions and answer random tourist questions. 5 stars!! read more

I was hanging out in Stinson Beach for the weekend with a gaggle of girls. It was a bachelorette party for a great friend of mine. We were walking distance of the little "downtown" area of Stinson Beach, so we took some time one morning to check things out. Lo and behold, we see a little bookstore, and it's open! We all cross the street to check it out, and we end up stuck in there for so long that the rest of our group had already started walking back to the house! They have an amazing collection of art books, literature, and general fiction books that I drooled over. Not literally, of course! I bought two books that looked interesting, and also perused the amazing children's section in the back. It must be seen to be appreciated.... I wanted to buy everything! If you go to Stinson Beach for the day, or for the weekend, you should take a few minutes to check out this gem of a bookshop. It's worth the time. read more

Now remember you are in Stinson Beach.......the place ain't that big. So remember that when you walk into this bookstore because it is small, definitely not a barnes and noble or even a green apple. But for it's size it has a great selection and a ton of interesting stuff to look at. The woman that is usually there is very sweet and super nice and will help you with anything. They have toys in the back for the kids and cool "new age" stuff to relax you even more while you stay there. I love this place and go here every time I come to stinson beach. read more

Stinson Beach Books has been my favorite bookstore in West Marin since I moved out here 7 years ago. The collection constantly stays up-to-date- great novels, both classic and current, as well as wonderful non-fiction books which always pique my sense of curiosity. The other really impressive part of this bookstore is that there is an amazing children's book and toy store in the back, a hidden treasure that my little ones LOVE to visit. If this weren't enough, even farther back is a trove of beautiful linens and pottery. Stinson Beach Books is a little piece of heaven! read more

Cute bookstore, with a large collection for the size!

Great bookstore. Deceptively big: when you walk in, the place seems teeny, it's actually only moderately small. I found a great selection! There were so many books I wanted to read. Mostly fiction. I found a wonderful book to take with me on vacation to Lake Tahoe, which kept me occupied all week (thank you big book with small print!). Children's section in the back was fascinating. A couple of nice places to sit and read in corners. This is the same Stinson Beach Books also listed under "State Route 1 N Stinson Beach." The downtown is teeny. Thus: one bookstore. read more

This book store has more than just books. It's a super cute small town store with a lovely lady who works it. I could've spent hours in there. read more

Stinson Beach Books - Bookstores Near Me - Stinson Beach, California

Very well stocked tiny-town bookstore. The owner is a joy to talk to. We stop in and buy at least one book every time we pass through - everything from gifts for friends (an especially wonderful kid's selection), to classics, to the hot newcomer on the latest NYT list, and hard to find authors alike. Don't pass this shop by! read more

Every town needs a bookstore, however small it may be!! Upon entrance, the lovely smell of printed pages just draws you in. It is somewhat cramped in the bookstore, but as you keep walking in, the store just doesn't end! They have a nice selection of "best sellers" (and I agree - they are pretty on point!), many local books about Mount Tamalpais, many organic foods/gardening books - basically any trendy books for a little eco-friendly town can be found in this bookstore. They don't have sci-fi, but they have mystery, classic, nature, hobbies/crafts, and they also sell a limited selection of games, including Boggle, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Dominoes and some puzzles (1500 pieces is the cap, I believe). It's a very charming bookstore and the owner seems to be knowledgeable. Ask for book recommendations and you could be pleasantly surprised! read more

This place has a special welcome like no other....came in for a short time and wanted a book to write in....the two who were at the counter had ideas right away this book is called WRECK THIS BOOK by keri Smith...my guy ended up joining me in this adventure...still not all the way through but excited to cut through all the layers of fun...thank you two so very much ...i loved your ideas and your place..cant wait to come back...This place is on the San Andreas Fault...it definetly has a special spark happening inside....Be sure and venture in...You never know what you'll find...E. read more

Stinson Beach Books is a really cute bookstore right next to the beach. The boy & I came here because I didn't have anything to read while tanning. I spent a good 30-45 minutes looking for a book, and I finally found one that I wanted. They're really small, but there's quite a large variety to choose from. I'm definitely going to be back next time I go to Stinson Beach! read more

I spent hours in this book store and left with several bags and a light wallet. The ladies behind the counter were fun and interactive. Good general selection, fun children's selection and just a nice place to get lost in for a few hours. read more

This is a great independent bookstore. We walked down on a cold day at the beach to pick up some reading materials. My husband had assumed it was just going to hold "beach" reads, but it had so much more. My son was excited because he thought it was a tiny shack of a building, but it just kept going and going in the back. He was also excited that not only did the store have some of his favorite books on display, they had the exact one he was looking for (Diary of a Wimpy Kid book 4). They also had a lot of games, beach toys and regular toys, gift cards, etc. I browsed through the adult fiction section and came away with something new. The woman at check out was very friendly. read more

Only book store on the San Andreas fault line! Went there twice. Staff was very helpful with explanations of their selection and also telling us a few things about the area and other shops. Prices are reasonable. read more

This bookstore is a true jem. They have wonderful selection of books, cards, cute toys and great linens and cookware. You could do one stop shopping. The owner was super helpful in helping. Wish you were on my side of the hill. Love this place! read more

Charming, surprising, friendly, tidy. I saw so many books there that I wanted to buy, but be sure to walk all the way to the back of the store for gifts, socks, cards, paper goods, toys and more. I stopped in there last weekend, and couldn't believe I'd never been in before. Going back this weekend. A great find! read more

Great indie bookstore! Owners have great taste in the books they offer and the store itself is such a charm for the town.

If you like old fashioned, homey atmosphere with a great selection of books, you will love this place. On a cold, wet winter day the cramped aisles teeming with books makes you want to stay all day. read more

Great little bookstore :) My daughter loves to browse bookstores and this is a perfect one for that. Has character!

Charming; surprisingly well stocked; friendly and informative woman at the front desk (owner?); bought far more than we intended to.

My wife and I loved this book store. Excellent selection of books for adults and kids. While we bought a few, we loved just browsing around feeling inspired. Also, the owner was super friendly and helpful (thanks for the hiking trail recommendation --it was amazing!). Looking forward to stopping by again soon. read more

Stinson Beach Bookstore is a gem. It has surprises around each bend, gorgeous art and nature books, a well stocked meditation section, deep contemporary offerings, a vast selection of cards, games, toys and children's books, chairs to plop in and a delightful new owner. She embodies the spirit of the increasingly rare, old fashioned and wonderful local, independent bookstore. Customer service is superb. We've been coming here for years, and are thrilled that the store is still alive and very well. read more

I needed to leave ... because I needed money to, oh eat. So very wonderful fun things! Books (found a great gardening book for a birthday present) and a Stinson Beach T shirt. COULD have bought placemats, more books and handfuls of greeting cards. Still may, I'm not leaving the area until tomorrow. Adorable and charming. read more

My husband and I get to Stinson Beach about six times a year. We always make it to the Stinson Beach Book Store. It is small in size but huge in the variety of books available. The owner knows her books and will direct you to what you want. She has classics, current titles and local authors. Also, many outstanding books and toys for kids. We love this place. read more

I was visiting California on vacation from West Virginia, and I always like to purchase books as souvenirs. I stopped in this book shop and the owner helped me pick out a book set in CA to make my souvenir more meaningful. I just finished the book (Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore) and it was a great recommendation and a great souvenir. This bookstore is well maintained with a great selection of books, as well as some other games and toys! Love it. Wish I could go back! read more

Maps, special greeting cards, puzzles, notebooks, latest paperbacks and hardcover editions, children's books and toys, household treasures, stationery, games: packed into the smallest space ever.Owner Annie Rand and her saleslady always there to give good advice and a kind word. You never go away without some particular Stinson item: baseball caps and t-shirts adorn the walls. It is a must go by place on the main drag w/front parking spaces. Don't miss it or it is your loss! read more