I've been to Book Passage only twice now and had unpleasant experiences both times. Although it's…read morevery close to our home, I drive further to other independently owned small bookstores -solely because of the employees terrible attitudes here. It's sad because Book Passage has fantastic events, classes, speakers, and more. But the employees are SO useless and act like you're inconveniencing them when you ask for help to find things you'd like to buy. On my visit yesterday, I was shopping for some gifts for my former students and their parents (in SoCal). Naturally, this gift was to be special and I wanted to find the perfect thing for them. When I asked the woman (not sure of her name, but she has red hair in a long bob) where NorCal specific items were, she half motioned with her hand and said it was in the other building. When I went back to ask another question, she stared at me and then walked off. Another employee begrudgingly helped me. The two women working in the other building were deep in personal convo and looked SO annoyed when I asked about the gift items area. When I was rung up, there was no "thanks" or "have a good day", just silence. Wow, these ladies are so rude and such a buzzkill!! I debated leaving a review, but after I came to check other patrons experiences, I see this is their M.O and it should be a good warning to all that shop here.

Nice independent bookstore that's in 2 separate buildings. They get a lot of authors and speakers…read moreso it's a nice part of the community. I saw Anthony Bourdain on tour right after kitchen confidential was popular 20 years ago. They have a decent used book selection too

Great service; wonderful selection; welcoming enviornment!…read moreSince 1st Books is close to a Cafe, I can dine and read by just walking a few steps!

Such a cute store with an adorable aesthetic. Staff is so happy to be there and is great at helping…read moreyou find what you're looking for. Highly recommend.

A unique shop. Smell is a bit musty, mildew like, so if you…read moreare sensitive, take precautions. Not ADA accessible by any means. Shelves are very close together, making it impossible for wheelchair users to access the books

I have been going here for years now. This is one of my favorite places. When I say this place got…read moreme though high school when it came to the books I needed and now in college. It really is a great spot:)

Whoah, I was shocked by the collection at this little tiny bookstore…read more They sell used/donated books and the proceeds go to the local library. I've been to other bookstores that benefit local libraries, and normally the collection is so sad. I'm an avid fiction reader, and pretty picky, and in their fiction section they had tons of great books published in the last couple years that I have loved (for around $5 for most books) In the travel section I found a fairly recent guidebook for Montreal which will be awesome for our upcoming trip. My husband couldn't stop raving about the 4D? John Wick DVDs he found for cheap that he said would easily go for 10x the price on Amazon. We also found lots of cute books for our toddlers that were 2-3 dollars each. Overall, very small shop but some great finds!!

Such a well appointed book store with lovely finds! The woman who was helping us was so kind.read more

Town Books is one of those cozy little spots that makes you want to slow down and just browse for a…read morewhile. It is small but packed with a nice mix of used books and the prices are really easy on the wallet. I have found everything from fiction to memoirs and kids' books here. It is always a fun surprise what you will come across. The store is super clean and well organized which makes it easy to find what you want without feeling overwhelmed. I love that the books are sorted by genre because it just makes the whole experience more enjoyable. They have two entrances you can use to get inside. One from Pine Street and another from San Anselmo Avenue. Town Books is located in the Courtyard building at the end of the hall so it is easy to find once you know where to look. The people working there are absolutely lovely. They are so friendly and welcoming that you instantly feel comfortable walking in. They are always happy to chat or help if you are looking for recommendations and you can tell they genuinely enjoy being there. Also they appreciate book donations. They accept gently used books during open hours in limited quantities about three boxes or bags per household. They also accept DVDs and CDs in their original packaging. They do not accept cassette tapes, vinyl records, magazines, games or puzzles. The nice ladies toward me that all profits from the sales go straight to supporting the San Anselmo Library so shopping here feels really good. If you are ever in San Anselmo and want to spend some time with good books and great vibes this is definitely the place to check out.

The cutest book nook in town! Town Books has an amazing selection at affordable prices. It is fully…read morevolunteers who run the shop and all proceeds go to the San Anselmo library. Every time I am in San Anselmo I make sure to grab my next favorite read from here!

There are so many things I love, but quite high on the list are books, and birds. So, a bookstore…read morewhere ALL of the books are ABOUT birds??!! Yowza!! This is a small, darling little store filled with so many things for bird lovers. Sooooo many books, some puzzles, guides, games, stickers, art books, decor, and more. Prices are very reasonable. Good parking lot with wide spaces. The owners are very kind and passionate about birds, too. Definitely a gem of a shop!

Have bought several books and household bird-themed items from this business and have been very…read morehappy with the selection and service. When I order online they send everything quickly and items are nicely wrapped with personal touches. Really enjoy the monthly newsletter you can sign up for that gives recommendations and overviews of books as well as info about what's happening out in the community. Great shop -- super fortunate they have set up in the Bay Area!

Copperfield's Books is an awesome store/chain. In these Amazon, instant-gratification-centric…read moretimes, I love taking a slowed-down and more conscientious approach to buying books whenever possible. Yes, the prices will be higher than Amazon and other online retailers. If something is not in stock, you may have to wait for them to order it, but waiting and supporting a small local business feels worth it to me. Their employees have always been kind and helpful to me over the phone and in person. They have an excellent selection of books packed into their brick-and-mortar storefront, and on the rare occasion they don't have what I'm looking for, they're willing to order it. I've been particularly impressed with their graphic novel selection. I've had consistently good experiences here, at their Napa and Petaluma locations, too, so I've got to give them five out of five stars across the board.

We were in the area saw this bookstore and decided to check it out. It's a cute little bookstore it…read morehad a good selection. They had a kids area that was really cute. They also had birthday cards, mugs, book markers, tea plates. I purchased a really cute mug as a gift. Prices were reasonable and great selection. Definitely check this bookstore out if you're in the area.

This is honestly one of my favorite B&N locations in the Bay Area. I used to shop here quite often…read morewhen they had the larger location, but I notice that anytime I'm in the area and decide to peruse their selection, I always go home with something! Recently, I found the whole Dream Harbor series here, that I've been meaning to add to my collection for the holidays. And I also found the Windy City series, in all of it's glory, also in stock here! I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. I always have such good interactions with the booksellers here too. Check out at the register is always pleasant and easy, and I've even had one of the employees reach out to me about joining their monthly book club! They hold a meeting for their romance, fiction, and nonfiction (maybe?) picks of the month. So cool! Will hopefully be joining in on one of the book club meetings soon!

This Barnes and noble significantly downsized from their previous location in this mall. They used…read moreto have a cafe and a huge selection. Now it's a smaller store with more limited spaces and options. It's still a good bookstore and one that is left after many retailers closed. They have a great membership program that's free.