Los Angeles is said to be a city that has everything, but its sheer magnitude also makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for. And when you want to find a used bookstore, you’re going to have to venture outside of Westwood no matter what. But the feeling of finding a vintage edition of your favorite classic for $5 will be worth it, I promise. Here are the top used bookstores in Los Angeles in an attempt to find the best (and also the most convenient). Happy reading!
““ Jennifer Bastien
To see a map of all of these stores, more photos, and hear two stories about the stores please click here.
Iliad Bookshop
www.iliadbooks.com
5400 Cahuenga Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
818-509-2665
The Iliad Bookshop stood out by far as the best bookstore I visited. It’s well-organized, with a whole room on fiction that separates dime novels from the more serious literature and fiction. The nice thing is that they have a combination of cheap, used copies of contemporary books as well as the fancy, old and rare books that make great gifts and collector’s items. The non-fiction collection is just as large, and at the front of each aisle the store offers staff recommendations and other small sub-sections of interest, which are very helpful for finding out about some cool book you haven’t heard of. The only bad part of the experience is that this little gem is buried in a somewhat random spot ““ you’re going to have to make a special trip to North Hollywood for it, but it’s well worth it. And it’s not as far as you think.
Counterpoint Records & Books
5911 Franklin Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-957-7965
Located in hipster Franklin Village, Counterpoint is like a smaller version of Amoeba but with books, too. They’ve got CDs, DVDs and records in addition to their assortment of fiction and non-fiction. The wall of fiction is pretty decent and good for browsing, but they seem to focus a little more on their music collection and do have some rare collectibles in that category. It could be said that they’ve got a little bit of everything, but not an extensive collection of anything. Surrounded by eclectic cafes and restaurants, it’s definitely a nice place to spend an afternoon.
Brand Bookshop
231 N. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91203
818-507-5943
This is another well-stocked bookstore, though it took me about 20 minutes to figure out where the fiction section was. They’ve got the hardbacks separated from the paperbacks, and non-English writers are separated out into various countries. The setup of the store makes it a little difficult to find what you’re looking for, or to just browse for something interesting, but if you go in knowing what you’re looking for, it’d be a good resource. It’s also a cute shop located on a main street in Glendale, which helps its appeal as a Valley destination.
Alias Books
1650 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-473-4442
As the closest used bookstore to UCLA ““ just on the other side of the freeway at Santa Monica and Sawtelle boulevards ““ this place is a little disappointing. Maybe the selection wouldn’t look so sparse if they put the books a little closer together (as it is, there’s about five books per shelf), but they really don’t have a lot of books. In its defense, it’s a classic little shop ““ exactly what you picture when you imagine a used bookstore, just with fewer books. Still, if you don’t want to venture too far out of Westwood and need a good read for $5, you can probably find something here. Just don’t go there looking for anything specific.
Caravan Bookstore
550 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90071
213-626-9944
If you’re looking for a rare book on California history, this is the spot. If you’re not, Caravan can still be enjoyed for its dusty old-fashioned decor and ambiance. In addition, it does have a very small “sale” section of non-rare books. But they focus largely on books by California authors and about California, and they do a good job of that. A tiny little place located on a one-way street in downtown Los Angeles with no parking, it can hardly be considered a destination on its own, but it’s a fun place to stop in and look at if you’re in the area.