The vendor from Bandung Books was at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center earlier this afternoon. I…read morewas at this venue to enjoy a celebration of two cultural gathering - Chinese Lunar New Year and Black History Month. I like the collection of books that were on display at this event. Even though I did not purchase any books, I am more than eager to stop by the business to browse and shop. Support this black owned business by giving back to the black community. It's nice to have two black owned bookstores in Oakland - northside (NSO) and eastside (ESO).

By far the best bookstore I've been too, with extensive anti-imperial reading and an extensive…read morePalestinian section and anything else I could want. It also had a gorgeous rare book section. The vibe was overall fantastic, thankful for this store in a continuously (negatively) censored world.

Date: 7/20/2025 Time: 3:20 PM 63° Cloudy…read more After Fentons, my sister and I decided to browse in Black Swan Books. This store reminds of Holmes Bookstore that used to be on 14th Street near the downtown Oakland area and Wilmot's Books at 478 Central Avenue in Alameda. Both these stores have been closed for several years. Black Swan Books reminds me of a nostalgic time of the 60's - a library of used books, antiques, record albums, 45's, collectibles, etc. Based on my observation, the owners were helpful with other customers. I wouldn't mind returning to look through their collection of record albums and 45's. Another thing I want to ask is whether or not they accept donation of cookbooks. Return visit? Yes.

A very good, very local bookstore located on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland!!!…read more Along with books, there are all kinds of collectibles in here, so although this store is small, you should spend some time really looking around in here, there's no telling what you might find! There was also a pretty good selection of vinyl records in here!! They greet you coming and going in this store, very friendly!!

Back on my annual pilgrimage. Got wonderful recs and bought a collection of essays by Ursula…read moreLeguin I am thrilled to have found. I am only sad that the other bookstore across the way has closed after 25 years. I love supporting small business.

Me and my Mrs. Have been increasing our reading time lately. Stumbled on this place, we were…read morelooking for book in picture. We found it!!!! They also have a huge variety of titles. Cool service and value as well. This is my kind of data centers lol. Definitely recommend

Dan has the best prices and and a superb selection of books ,postcards , pamplets and CDs along…read morewith thousands of books including fiction ,history and science . His selection of books on ships , trains and WW2 can not be beat.The best place in the Bay Area to find valuable gems . There is something for everyone at Dan's on 15th St ( plenty of parking) in the middle of Oakland's Cultural District

The best selection of books on war and the military in Oakland. Covers many wars historical and…read morecurrent, many countries armed forces. Both old and new editions. Great place to browse.

Date: 10/14/2023. Time:3:30 PM. 68°. Sunny…read more My sister and I were searching for Chinese wedding envelopes. This book store had plenty of red envelopes. We decided to go with the gold instead of the red envelopes. For six envelopes, the price was $3.50. We were in and out of there in less than five minutes. The only item we could not find was a Chinese wedding card. We figured the gold envelope (money enclosed) was good enough to give my nephew and his bride-to-be their wedding gift. I'm just glad that we did not spend a lot of time shopping for those envelopes in Oakland Chinatown.

Lisa and I LOVE bookstores! You never know what kind of treasures you'll find. Today we were lucky…read morewith quite a few treasures! Treasure #1, this owner sure is the sweetest. He's kind, helpful, and extremely polite. It was very easy communicating with him. He's not a pushy salesman either. We enjoyed taking our time to browse. Treasure #2, the variety of items will cater to all ages and interests. They even sell music here. Believe it or not, Obama's book was available! Until we purchased it and brought it home :) Treasure #3, if you're into traditional calligraphy, they have all kinds of brushes and paper. He can explain which brush suites your comfort or preference. Lots of fun! So glad we came across this treasure in Chinatown!

This were martha stewart meets burning man . Actually it's much better than the slop one would get…read morefrom Martha. This mag is inspired and fun. I want to do every project just about every issue. The hubby loves to make rockets, I love to make cowboy chic lamp shades! I especially like how the projects are rated by ease and time.

ReadyMade Magazine is Martha for the hipsters. The first issue I ever read was Issue 16. I…read morelearned how to make a picnic basket/table out of a wooden pallet, use twine and fire to convert a glass bottle into a bell jar, and discovered the rebar group and PARKing Day. The editor's letter made me laugh out loud and I just love the scale of difficulty of projects...it ranges from chimp (easiest) to handyperson complete with toolbelt (most dificult). And the Macgyver Challenge is not to be missed. There are two things that would make ReadyMade even better...1. if the magazine was published more often and 2. if the magazine had an online subscription option so I could read the magazine and save a few trees. Here is a fun little Threadheads episode about ReadyMade http://www.threadbanger.com/episode/THR_20070601 Update: Did they hear my plea to put the mag online? Well maybe. All the projects ever published are now available online.

Book/shop is now currently available online :) I will miss their location in old Oakland, which…read moreinjected culture, art, and rare lit finds. I always loved their print outs and have 2 hanging up in my apartment, particularly the one that compared an unread library to a wine cellar. The tea, that had leaves that smelled like book pages, was such a nice gift to give to friends. Please come back to Oakland.

This is the type of small business we need to ensure survives in Oakland. They are currently open…read moreand taking all covid related precautions. I hope they get the fan base they deserve. There are three parts to this space. Outside in front there is a good sized seating area with cacti and umbrellas for shade. The perfect place to read the new book you just bought. The majority of the inside of the brick building houses a gallery. Off to the left is a small shop selling books, art and some book accessories. The selection isn't large but it is carefully collected and well organized. Vintage bikes that have been restored for sale are sprinkled throughout. The whole place has a calm and inviting feel. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. If I lived closer this would be my hang out spot.

Nosh Berkeleyside is an interesting "online" local read…read more highlights: period stories re: Brennan, Hs Lordship, etc. (insightful, enlightening, entertaining), eatery reviews, restaurant openings/closings,... Nosh has few peers, as many contemporaries have cut back coverage of local eateries. (East Bay Express, S.F. Mag..) While others- Hoodline, Beyond the Creek, etc. have limited coverage. note: opening eatery info is sometimes imperfect. not the fault of the messenger but the original source.

The food articles are ok, but the politics are biased liberally woke bs. But, it's Berkeley so no…read moresurprise here.