Kinokuniya's new Little Tokyo location is such a fun place to browse. My family and I ended up…read morespending far more time here than we expected because every section had something worth looking at and my son loooooved browsing every shelf (way more than his earlier day in the expo). The manga selection is fantastic. Of course there are always going to be a few series or volumes missing, but that's just the reality of limited shelf space. Even so, they still carry far more manga than just about any bookstore I've been to, so it's hard to complain. The stationery section is absolutely adorable. If you love Japanese pens, notebooks, stickers, washi tape, or cute desk accessories, you'll probably leave with more than you planned. I also really appreciated their selection of Japanese books translated into English. It wasn't just manga. There were novels, art books, language books, and other titles that are difficult to find elsewhere. I wish I had more space in my luggage! This store is a real gem in Little Tokyo and an easy stop whether you're a longtime anime and manga fan or just curious about Japanese books and stationery. Sorry for no pictures. My arms were full of too much manga.

Kinokuniya just reopened into a larger space on the corner of San Pedro and Judge John Aiso St in…read moreLittle Tokyo, LA. While it used to be on the second story of Weller Court, it is now on the street corner, directly outside of that shopping center. Came on the Sunday after July 4 and it was very busy, which wasn't a surprise, given that Anime Expo was finishing up down the street. Kinokuniya is loaded with manga, Japanese books, Japanese stationery, and random fun items. It's a fun store to find something; however, the costs are quite high. The cost is probably the reason that I don't buy things regularly from here; however, it is a favorite place to visit in Little Tokyo because they have so many fun things, their manga collection is quite extensive, and the pen selections are really nice.

Hennessey + Ingalls Bookstore is a one stop shop for some of the best selection of art and…read morearchitecture books. This spot is located in the Arts District of LA where street parking will be your best bet. Inside, they have a pretty spacious setup with a wide selection of books. Their books are organized really nicely with different categories ranging from Fine Arts, Art History, Graphic Design, Photography, Fashion, Cooking, Architecture, and more. All of the staff here are friendly and welcoming. You could definitely browse around and spend up 1-2 hours here!

Specialty bookstore for visual art books. Lots of cool coffee table style books with gorgeous…read morephotos of Googie coffee shops from the 50s, or all of Spielberg's movies chronologically, or local history in the LA basin (focused on architecture through the decades). Fun to browse for sure.

We loved walking into this little bookstore. I need to get a couple of cards so this was the…read moreperfect place to do it. It's in a space that houses a restaurant there's street parking. There's parking across the street. It's not a huge bookstore, but they really do have some nice artistic and noteworthy books and cards.

Bookstores are becoming rarer and rarer these days. This store is at the Hauser and Wirth museum…read more They have art books mostly and some old copies of famous books in the locked bookcase. Also some very cute souvenirs. I got a couple retro tea towels and The Hollywood History of Art book. The cashier ladies were very friendly and I will need to spend more time here to find more art books next time!

Ugh. I went in there hoping this location would have used Japanese books I could purchase…read more Nope. No luck. Just a bunch of figurines and other anime related memorabilia. Store smelled horrible too. Like a bunch of unwashed greasy hair. Hilarious I was literally the only Asian in there. Parking is nonexistent and it's just not worth the trip here unless you're one of those otaku.

Do not buy loose figures from here. After checking out for one loose figure, had to ask the cashier…read moreif there was any bag, paper wrap, or bubble wrap to protect the figure. There was nothing they could offer to protect the figure from damages during transport. No bag was even offered. Some of these figures are pricey.

Awesome cookbook only book store. It has a pretty vast collection for those of us that while are…read morenot Luddites, prefer a book now and then. Its in a small covered alleyway filled with other shops and parking can be a bear. On the other hand friendly, knowledgeable staff offset any inconvenience you may occur with the parking. Worth a stop if you like to cook and like books.

Fabulous service. The man working talked with me extensively about what I like to cook, what I'm…read morelooking for, and different cookbook's recipe styles. There is a large collection of books, good ones--not just fluff. I walked out with two books I'd never heard of that I look forward to reading and cooking! I can't say enough about how inspiring this store is. Well worth driving to. And there's a fab tea shop right next door. Thanks for your help!

Another very cute bookstore that's located in Los Angeles. It's fairly difficult to find street…read moreparking, especially on the weekends. I used the ParkSmarter app to reload my hourly fees for my car. Just a little hint if you're visiting from out of town. I didn't walk away with a purchase, because nothing truly peaked my interest. As an indie bookstore, you are offered a variety of items: cards, books, Knick knacks, magazines, and more. I think the best part of this bookstore is that they have a study area located in the back of it. Combined with the study area is a coffee shop that also sells beer. How cool is that! I was hesitant to sit at the bar since we were in a time crunch, but h would have loved to enjoy it. There were numerous patrons sitting around and having conversations and enjoying their beverages. The vibes eye very vintage yet hipster. Loved it entirely and I absolutely want to visit again !

My Stories Books & Cafe Diary:…read more Week 1 - I bought the Robert Crumb book of Blues, Country & Jazz Artists, had an espresso. The espresso was only $3.50. I wish it was served in a tiny porcelain cup. Week 2 - Bought a pack of Tarot cards and laughed at Keith Morris' memoirs - highly recommended. Bought an espresso, which was still served to me in a paper cup. Week 3 - Bought a collection of Anne Sexton's poetry. When will they film a biopic about her? She's totally movie material. I didn't know Vashti Bunyan wrote a book, holy cow. Couldn't slurp my espresso because all the chairs and tables were taken by campers, so I took my $3.50 espresso and hung out at the huge parking lot next to the patio.

I don't recommend this place at all. I went to Korea last year and came home with the first two…read moreHarry Potter books in Korean. While in Korea, I didn't know that Incheon Airport would have shipping boxes for excess luggage, so when I thought I would be limited by just the space I left for souvenirs and other gifts in my bags, I could've bought all seven Harry Potter books. As you can tell by the town I'm in, I'm in the Bay Area. Here in the Bay, we don't have a lot of Korean bookstores, and the one I could find here didn't really focus on fiction/fantasy books. I found this place after searching the internet for "Korean bookstores in LA/SoCal." I called and asked the staff if they had Harry Potter. They said they didn't, but they told me that if I found some store back in Korea that had what I was looking for, they told me to email them the link or something and then they would order the books for me. When I pointed out that by that logic, if I could find a book by myself and then pay for the store to mail the books directly to me, customs and all, then I'd just be doing their job. The employee told me to "take it or leave it," and they acted completely shocked that I did leave.

This is the Korean Christian bookstore. Very neat, very clean, good collection here. And so…read morepeaceful here. They have some cute stationary stuff here too as well as some English books. One book I was looking for wasn't here but the person quickly identified it and was able to ship to my address! Also Korean book covers are fire!! Typography and illustration is on another level. I appreciated it so much and was some good inspiration to me as a designer haha.