I was able to find several independent bookstores in Vancouver, many of them somewhere between downtown and Gas Town. The Paper Hound caught my attention and I was able to enjoy a nice period of time looking through their well curated stacks and listening to the owner explain various literary choices to other customers. A lot of TLC has gone into this bookstore and it shows. My most pleasant surprise was a cabinet containing various broadsheets. I went through it drawer by drawer, before finally settling on a French and English version of an old letter written by Ernest Hemingway featuring a Canadian opinion and a entertaining writing style. I'd love to come back and look for more treasures like this. read more

Very small bookstore with a limited variety of genres. The featured books were the most interesting. There's a lot of classic literature, and some displayed in an enclosed bookcase. Any bookstore is a good stop. read more

See all

Such a cute little place, love browsing their shelves. They have a good collection of classic texts!

THE PAPER HOUND is simply one of the best bookstores in our fine city of Vancouver . The two owners of the store are brilliant-minded respectively and delightfully friendly. They equally embody resourcefulness (with variegated nuances, of course), vast book industry knowledge, dark-but-witty humour and fabulous patience with the myriad questions personally directed their way. THE PAPER HOUND is a must to visit when on a travel excursion to Vancouver! read more

See all

A lovely used book store. Great selection and wonderfully named sections- tales of peril, getting high (drugs) and then above it was getting higher (astronomy). read more

I have been patronizing book stores for well over half a century and The Paper Hound is in my top five of favorites. Whoever is buying and curating the collection is reading my mind; I was able to find some excellent volumes on my first visit this morning and will return later in the week. The wonderful woman behind the counter, hearing I would be walking the city for much of the day, offered to hold my stack of books until I could return later. When I did, she had them ready to go in a PH tote bag. Charming in all ways. read more

the cutest little bookstore! ron greeted me as soon as i came in and was super helpful. it's so clean and merchandised very well. felt like i stepped into a secret spot just because it was small but perfect! the divination section was a little slim atm but i absolutely enjoyed coming here. cannot wait to come back! read more

The Paper Hound - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I called The Paper Hound to get a GC for a friend who had moved to Vancouver. I called and emailed a few bookstores with bizarre, and ultimately unsuccessful, results. So, The Paper Hound was an appreciated & efficient interaction. Kim answered my call and was professional, gracious and knowledgeable... and honestly, just genuinely nice. The whole interaction took 4 minutes and some of that was exchanging pleasantries. In addition, she explained that they could deliver to GC that day, via bicycle! Man, I miss Vancouver. It was a 10/10 experience and at this time with people freaked out, anxious and maybe even cranky, I was grateful for her assistance. read more

Super cute store with a mix of new and used books. We even picked up a tote bag with the logo on it, it's one of our favorite souvenirs from our trip. read more

Paper Hound is the newest addition to Vancouver's "book row" in Downtown, with MacLeod's, Albion, and Criterion all within a 2-block radius of each other. Paper Hound stocks used and rare books and a limited selection of new books from local presses. The owners (Kim Koch and Rod Clarke) met while working at MacLeod's many years ago. The selection is heavily curated in this small but welcoming space. The decor is hip but focused on books and paper arts. I didn't have much time to browse, but the staff member welcomed me, and left me to my own devices. The shelves are well-labelled, the store is well-lit, and there is a definite no clutter here! There's even a loveseat near the back. 3 stars mainly because I'm a fiction fiend but didn't see anything that jumped out at me. Huge poetry selection, and a lot of philosophy and obscure, whimsical, strange, bizarre, yet compelling books. Probably some rare gems to those who have the eye for it. read more

The Paper Hound - Logo - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This is a well-planned store. The books are obviously chosen carefully, as if the inventory was from the the owners' personal library. Many of the categories and publishers were gracefully arranged. Comfortable. Easy to browse. Displays done with care. Shop music was also carefully considered. read more

Love this lil book shop. Always remind folks to check this shop. Paperhound is filled with interesting and obscure titles, perfect for anyone who's looking for a book gift. Plenty of older local books on history of British Columbia. Very interesting sci-fi section with lots of cool vintage pulp fiction art. This place has a special place in my heart read more

This is a lovely space with friendly staff. I was really impressed with the selection here (part of the reason it gets five stars for me is that this book store had two long-out-of-print books I'd been looking for at other Vancouver used bookstores for almost a year). The area is also a nice walking neighbourhood. Grab a coffee at one of the quality coffee shops near by and peruse some great used books in a cosy space. read more

I remember the first time I tasted a donut at Honey's in North Van- it felt almost pre-destined. It felt like this donut was made to God's exacting donut specifications- it was a perfect moment. That is what this bookstore is like. It's a perfect donut, exactly perfect, right down to the chill, gentle, friendly person behind the counter (Rod). If you are the type of person who needs to be able to buy a venti triple whip mocha as you peruse the latest literary masterpiece from that guy who won season 14 of The Bachelorette then stay the fuck away- but if you read, love books and care about literature then go here- read more

"Neat an tidy" aren't the first words I think of when I envision a used bookshop, but here we are. It's a very friendly, curated space. The book selection is decent, but not impressive. The shop has personality and the section labels are cute. This isn't a deep dive location for hardcore book fiends, but it's a very pleasant casual shopping experience that is welcoming, not intimidating, and doesn't require an inhaler. read more

I found this place 'cause I accidentally made a wrong turn (got lost). I am not good with directions, however, when in downtown I realize that my inability to follow directions has served me well in finding gems in the city, this being one of them. Firstly I'm so glad that there is a mom and pop shop book store still standing while other's are closing. This is very comforting to me. I came in here with the intention of finding some old RS magazines for a project, however, walked out with a whole new inspiration and project idea. They didn't have what I was looking for, therefore, I re-focused and did another project. I found a mini dictionary and decided, in true Vancouver passive way, to highlight all the bad words I thought about a specific person and mail the dictionary to them. It was both cathartic and more creatively in your face. I bought some unicorn stickers to use as book marks to drive the point home. The lady at the til and owner of the book store was super friendly and awesome. I appreciated that she shared a laugh with me about my project. read more

Easily my favourite used books store in the city now since it opened several months ago. I've visited several times and always emerged with another rather interesting volume (and one that I couldn't find anywhere else, either). The store and its staff are something of the opposite of many used book stores I've haunted in my time. It's an immensely clean and well organized space. Bright, airy and well-curated in equal parts with classics and odd curiosities, the shop is all the more aesthetically pleasing and easy to browse for it. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I have yet to attend one of the readings they host, but they look pretty swell too. My only qualm: I'd love the sales tax to be included in their prices for nice even numbers when checking out! read more

Surprisingly they've only had 3 reviews on Yelp to date, I am glad to add my comments to that. We were passing by on the way back from the grand opening party of "Luke's general store", also visited "Blim", saw a crew filming for "Sealed, Signed, and Delivered" (supposed to be Denver) outside of this small used books store. SO and I decided to hop inside for a quick browse, we met the co-owner Rod, who is very friendly and free to share interesting tidbits about the trade and the various selections they carried. I first noticed the antique Cigarette dispenser machine on the wall (coming straight from another antique store "Luke's"), which now dispenses poetry according to Rod. Another wall decor that grabbed my attention is the life-sized Tintin's adventures' poster board, not that well known in the US, at least before the movie came out. I like the small intimate size of this place, SO found a few Bill Bryson, Kurt Vonnegut, and Richard Feynman books while I spotted Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Rabbit, and Anne of Green gables series in the children's section. I will come back for the perfectly unique gifts once I have a solid idea of what I am looking for! =) I am sure it would impress the friend/family I present it to. read more

The Paper Hound Bookshop at 344 W. Pender St. in downtown Vancouver, with its impressive Whippet icon, is the discriminating bibliophile's book store. As assorted Biblitzes over the years began shuffling off their mortal coil, we found ourselves the recipients of a number of book collections some fairly obscure to augment - some might say burden - our own overflowing book shelves. We always take the lot b/c books are always a gift though some are more sentimental than others. Three generations of us learned to imitate Cockney English courtesy my paternal grandmother's Dickens collection obtained while a girl at an expensive boarding school. Later on, summers were spent roaring at her P.G. Wodehouse paperbacks until these I eventually replaced with Steinbeck and the alcohol-fueled rants of the great Chas Bukowski. I continued collecting Buk's colorful paperbacks until I realized he wasn't kidding: Buk on his deathbed said he had a basement full of unpublished poems, which Black Sparrow continues dutifully to print posthumously at a rate of one or two a season. Quite a coup for his sculptress widow and daughter. In the last 15 years or so, the closure of several Vancouver book stores yielded some excellent bargains, which we were also obliged to shelter. A later-life decision to go back to school followed by offspring's university endeavors also increased the weight on our groaning, double-packed book shelves. On it went like middle-age spread until finally it became a matter of either moving to a bigger space or making the wrenching decision to let go the books. Real estate being what it is, we determined the latter, and we couldn't be happier. A charming and pleasant Kim Koch attended promptly with notebook to examine the Biblitz library. She then appeared the next day with cardboard cartons which she filled herself and then carted cheerfully away forever. Incredibly, the transaction involved no payment on our part - quite the reverse. We are amply compensated and happier still knowing that treasured old friends will continue to live on. read more

This store is the OCD twin sister of Macleod's across the street. Every single book here has its place in a beautifully structured whole. I particularly enjoy the display of classic penguin editions and homage to japonisme shelf. read more

Wow! This book store has such cool and amazing books from way back when! I loved the whole vibe of the place. Warm welcomes and great customer service. Will definitely be back. Also loved the opera music playing lightly in the background! read more

For booklovers around Vancouver, the Paperhound is a gift: - the collection of books is carefully selected and arranged - the owners are helpful and professional - the shop is full of treasures, but not so large it'll take you all day to find them. Elegant, tidy, whimsical, and always a pleasure to visit. If you love books, and you don't visit the Paperhound regularly, you're missing out. read more

I called last year (May 2020) to have a book ordered for my son's birthday. I am amazed to this day of the incredible, friendly and helpful service I received. The Paper Hound staff had the book in their store in only a couple of days. They also gift wrapped it because it was a birthday present, and then delivered it to my son's home in North Vancouver in lots of time for his birthday. This was a particularly perfect delivery. The book is about cycling and was delivered by bike all the way uphill to my son's North Vancouver home. A great card was included and it was also wrapped perfectly and beautifully. I was amazed and thrilled by the Paper Hound's amazing service! Just another reminder of why it is so important to support small local business!!! The service as nearly always better, more personal, and supports everything that makes our local areas interesting and a great place to spend time and our dollars! Thank you paper Hound! I LOVE you guys!! Why would anyone order from Amazon when this kind of local service awaits? Next trip to Vancouver, I need to visit in real and meet the amazing staff at this great shop. read more

I stopped in here immediately after having gone to MacLeod's, the other used bookstore around the corner. They are both worth checking out; they both have great selections of used books, and they are very different spaces. Where wandering through MacLeod's is a little like going through a maze (stepping over piles of books along the way) The Paper Hound is much tidier and easy to navigate. I think their inventory is a little smaller, but what's there is of very good quality. They have some really delightful hard-to-find titles. The decor is also charming and whimsical. A great little shop. read more

One of the, if not the, best bookstores in Vancouver BC. Their selection is eclectic and well-stocked, and I love the layout! Staff are friendly and well-read. I always try to come here when I'm visiting BC from Seattle. read more

While this is a smallish bookstore it really has a super interesting, very well curated collection of books for sale. You probably won't find all of the NYT best sellers here but you'll find some as well as other very interesting, lesser known books to discover. The person behind the counter let us wander and browse and skim. Since they buy used books they even have an interesting collection of bookmarks and photos people have left in their books. My husband and I spent a couple of hours here on a rainy day and left with a couple of books. I highly recommend this bookstore for those readers who want to discover a new title or author they had never heard of before. read more

They've got an amazing mix of contemporary Canadian writers and the classics, both new and old editions. Incredibly unpretentious, approachable staff, which feels good to say about an independent bookstore cause it's not always the norm. I want to read faster to have an excuse to buy something from here again. read more

New store that opened on W Pender, the staffs were friendly and treated their costumers with respect. Though there are not a lot of choice for books, I cab see that they are definitely working hard on acquiring more. Would come back in a few month to look again. read more

The Paper Hound is my favorite way to find gifts that are personal and unique to each of my loved ones. I also like to special order new books because personally, I love to drop by the shop and pick them up. There are always beautiful and curious displays to get lost in. read more

At last we've found a place to retire - a small corner of The Paper Hound - where a pallet could be made for us at a right angle to the philosophy section. I greatly regret not purchasing Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey, but I came away with a Peebles Classic "Kidnapped," the latest Paris Review, a completely adult version of Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, and a few Dorothy Sayers. If I lived in Vancouver, I'd attend every event the shop promotes. A place to breathe in the presence of a conscious mind. read more

Book lovers passing through Vancouver must stop here. You're guaranteed a unique find or three. Books are organized by category such as "wet adventure," "wanderlust" and "books with bears." read more

A lovely, cozy bookstore. It's not quite as large as MacLeod's (which is just down the street), but it's got a sweet charm to it, and (most importantly) a good selection of books. read more

I love this book store! Curated, organized, neat, and with some real gems laying about, Paper Hound is a great place for browsing or querying the knowledgeable clerk. I bought two used paperbacks there but could have bought dozens more. More organized than their down-the-street competitor, and much more friendly. read more

I always find something I want when I stop by. Much prefer the (relatively) organized layout of the Paperhound to that of the other used bookstores in the neighbourhood. read more

This place is such a treat. At first I thought it was too organized to be any good. Great selection ended up with a few selections I thought I would have to buy off eBay to get. read more

The Paper Hound - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The Paper Hound is a quaint little book shop with a friendly and welcoming proprietress , Kim. I brought my twins in with birthday money and they bought IQ 84 and Norwegian Wood. I was interested in the eclectic children's book selection. I didn't buy anything yet for myself but enjoyed the dimly lit, cozy atmosphere, of the space. It felt like a den but without the bourbon and taxidermy. read more

Bit disappointing! From the reviews I thought it would be a big store. Was ok and didn't find anything of interest. I don't think I would visit again. read more

Stopped in while strolling down Pender Street on vacation in Vancouver. This used bookstore is well curated, tastefully arranged (look for monochrome stacks of Penguin Classics throughout the store), and whimsical (small paper hounds abound). Although this store can't boast the largest selection of books, each volume in the store was well chosen and in good condition. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere enjoyable. Ruined me for the other bookstores in the area! read more

Not bad as far as used bookstores go. My issue is with the owners/staff. I found them to be super unfriendly and unapproachable, even though I've been there maybe a dozen times, towards me anyway, though they did seem nice to other customers. Could be they only like hipsters or they prefer people younger than fifty-five. I will not shop where I am made to feel unwelcome and I don't believe that I have done, said or conveyed anything to deserve this kind of snotty treatment. I've always done better in other bookstores and I will continue to do better in other bookstores. read more

Tiny and well organized. If you're looking for books on philosophy, engineering or mathematics, they have a charming collection of curiosities. read more