The Best New Bookstores in LA are Curated, Specific, and Personal

Discover a new favorite book, join a book club, and maybe even do some karaoke at the new wave of LA bookshops.

A pair of old age ago , the fabled Powell ’s Books in Portland released aperfumedesigned to evoke the smell of a bookstore . The perfume has notation of Sir Henry Joseph Wood , reddish blue , and the lovely and unusually precise give-and-take biblichor , the particular fragrance of old books . The reality of the scent is what it is — mostly fresh and floral — but more important is the imaging it conjures . The best bookstores are both cozy and mysterious , familiar and surprising , with endless potential for discovery .

Los Angeles has a riches of independent book vender , include beloved bequest shops like The Last Bookstore , The Iliad , and Chevalier ’s . But a new waving of bookstores has been growing over the last few class , shops that shun the traditional one - of - everything mind-set to focus on specificity , curation , and head of panorama . There are bookstall with themes , bookstall that double as event space , bookstore that reflect their neighborhoods , bookstores that take inspiration from a specific individual — whether that ’s the store owner , a historical public figure , or a little bit of both — and so many more .

Like the niche - ification of the internet and the culture at big , these new and new - ish bookstores offer a space to discover book of account , ideas , and position led by an expert , the kind of thing that you may never have found on your own . They can also be a safe harbor for double-dyed nerdiness , a place to dive deep into your favorite family or movement . To help you on your manner , we ’ve put together a list of some of the best new bookstores in LA , with a focus on curated store with their own specific perspectives .

Ziby’s Bookshop

Photo by Innis Casey Photography, courtesy of Zibby’s Bookshop

Octavia’s Bookshelf

PasadenaPasadena is a famously book - well-disposed city , with bookstore royal house in the strain of legendary Vroman ’s and its ownliterary confederation . Now it has one of the most exciting new bookstore too . Octavia ’s Bookshelf is owner Nikki High ’s protection to the science fiction master Octavia E. Butler , who was a Pasadena native herself . The name of the shop class provide a clue into High ’s inspiration , claim she ideate Butler would have had on her shelf , with a focus on BIPOC author . The shopfront is small , but the solicitation is impeccably curated and the space is cozy and welcoming for readers of all background .

North Figueroa Bookshop

Highland ParkVertical integration can be a beautiful matter , especially when it allows self-governing creators more control over their products . The new North Figueroa Bookshop is a shining example of the construct , a shopfront built on a collaboration between two publishing firm , Rare BirdandUnnamed Press . North Fig boast title from those presses , of course , admit lots of coin literary fabrication and memoir , but it also have a curated collection of other books . They ’ve made it a point of vehemence to serve the pauperization of the local Highland Park , Glassell Park , Cypress Park , and Eagle Rock biotic community — there ’s quite a little of fable from fellow self-governing publisher , other general pursuit title with a focus on California history and literature , and sight of Spanish - language books .

Zibby’s Bookshop

Santa MonicaSpeaking of vertical integration , there ’s another novel aggregate newspaper publisher and bookstore on the other side of Ithiel Town . Zibby ’s Bookshop is the inspiration of Zibby Owens , Sherri Puzey , and Diana Tramontano , and it ’s the forcible home ofZibby Books , a literary press that releases one feature book a month . That system is designed so that each book gets the full attention and imagination of the mechanical press . Owens is an author , podcaster , andbook - fluencer , and she has become something of a illume - world mogul with a magazine , podcast web , issue business organization , and an education political platform too . The shop class has a unequaled separate system of rules , build around a feeling for each leger — in store many of the ledge are labeled by interest or personality type , like “ For the foodie , ” or “ For the pappa culture lover . ” On their webshop , you may graze for books that make you cry , escape , laugh , lust , or tremble . There are recommendations from Owens and the stave , sections for local authors , folk drama , and book that have just been optioned . If this all seems a short overwhelming , you should plausibly avoid the discussion section dedicated to books that make you anxious .

The Salt Eaters Bookshop

InglewoodInglewood native Asha Grant opened The Salt Eaters Bookshop in 2021 with a mission in head — to center stories with protagonists who are fatal young woman , woman , femme , and/or sexuality - nonconforming hoi polloi . Over the last yr and change that it ’s been open , it has also become a biotic community hub , a place for Inglewood locals and people from across townsfolk to drop in , to see what ’s new and to discover incredible works in the smuggled feminist custom . They also host regulareventslike readings , treatment , and company .

Lost Books

MontroseThankfully , legendary downtown bookshop The Last Bookstore ’s name is hyperbole , and owners Josh and Jenna Spencer have even proceed so far as to spread out a second shop , Lost script in Montrose . Instead of the technicolor whimsy of the Christian Bible tunnel at The Last Bookstore , Lost Books has a tunnel of plant that receive you into the store , which unfold in the summer of 2021 . They sell those plant life in gain to playscript , and coffee and vinyl radical too , which take a shit Lost rule book a lovely destination and a fun little surprise in the quaint foothill town just off the 2 freeway .

Stories Books & Cafe

Echo ParkOk , this one is fake the criteria a piffling — Stories has been undecided for almost 15 years . But over those twelvemonth the shop class has become a pillar of Echo Park community life , hosting Reading , discussions , and events , and their coffee bar board function as a de facto office for about half of the neighborhood on any pass on afternoon . After the tragic late overtaking of co - proprietor and Echo Park repair Alex Maslansky it seemed like the shop class ’s future tense was in doubt , but thankfully after a brief hiatus co - owner and Centennial State - founder Claudia Colodro and the staff were capable to ring together to reopen and keep the beloved cafe and bookstall going strong .

Page Against the Machine

Long BeachThe name alone produce it clear what you ’re get at Page Against the political machine — rotatory reformist books , with a collection centered on activistic literature , socially witting writing , and a whole lot of political history . The shop itself is little but the idea are grand , with fiction by author like Richard Wright , Colson Whitehead , and Albert Camus next to zines about gentrification and compendia of mushroom cloud variety . They alsohostregular indication and discussions .

Re/Arte Centro Literario

Boyle HeightsBoyle Heights has its own small but mighty combined bookshop , artwork gallery , forgather space , and small-scale press in Viva Padilla ’s Re / Arte . Padilla is a poet , translator , editor in chief , and conservator , and as a South Central LA native and the child of Mexican immigrants , she ’s rivet on Chicanx and Latinx art , lit , and societal literary criticism . Re / Arte ’s collection has a wide reach of books , from classic Latin American literature to modern essay and everything in between . Re / Arte is also now the headquarters forsin cesar , a literary diary that put out poetry , fable , and essays from Black and Brown author . There are always community of interests - focusedeventshappening too , from regular open mics and zine workshop to shoot screening and more .

The Book Jewel

WestchesterMost bookshop host events , but few host them with the regularity of The Book Jewel , the two- year - old independent bookstore in Westchester . Their calendar is so full with readings , several different Christian Bible clubs , signing , and meet and greets that there are sometimes multiple events on the same sidereal day . The shop class also hosts a net ton of family - focalise reading , with regular storytime on Sunday dayspring often followed by a public lecture with the writer . It ’s a great conniption for the relatively low - keystone ( but not exactlyquiet ) suburban neighborhood , and it ’s no conjunction that storytime lines up with the Westchester Farmers Market , which takes home right out front .

Reparations Club

West AdamsMost bookshop lean into snugness , aiming to be a hideaway for some muted contemplation or maybe a quick sotto voce chat — not so at Reparations Club , the lush and fashionable concept bookstall on Jefferson . Owner and founder Jazzi McGilbert and her staff have progress a beautiful and vibrant shop full of art from ignominious artists , including book but also records , candles , incense , clothing , and all sorts of fun thing to discover . There ’s a sodding seating expanse to sit down and hang out for a while , and they host a range of wild and fun events from readings to happy hours , gore discourse to karaoke nights and more .

Octavia’s Bookshelf