South Bay / Central Coast Bookstores

Click on column headers to sort by name, city or type (new, used, or both). Click on a store name to visit that store’s website, or on a store’s address to get a Google map.

Name Address City Type Specialty
All Ears Audiobooks 1026 El Paseo De Saratoga
408-370-7003
San Jose Both An independent bookstore for people who love audiobooks. Specialty: audiobook rental
Bay Book Company Strawflower Shopping Center, 80 N. Cabrillo Hwy., Suite F (Intersection of Highways 1 & 92)
650-726-3488
Half Moon Bay New General: fiction, mystery, sci fiction, children’s
Voted the Coastside’s best bookstore since 1978
Bay Tree Bookstore - UC-Santa Cruz 1156 High St.
831-459-4544
Santa Cruz New
Bell’s Books 536 Emerson St.
650-323-7822
Palo Alto Both General: Horticulture, History, Literature
Providing New, Used, & Rare Books in all fields to the Bay Area for over 75 years
Bookworks 110 Rancho Del Mar
831-688-4554
Aptos New General: Children’s, Fiction, Psychology/Self Help
Books, gifts, and cards serving our community since 1976
Books Inc. in Palo Alto Town And Country Village, 855 El Camino Real #74
650-321-0600
Palo Alto New General: Fiction, Children’s, Cookbooks
Book clubs, author events and more
Books Inc. in Mountain View 301 Castro St.
650-428-1234
Mountain View New General: Fiction, Science Fiction, Cookbooks
Located in the heart of silicon valley
Books Inc. in Burlingame 1375 Burlingame Ave.
650-685-4911
Burlingame New General: Children’s, Cookbooks
Well-located, featuring high end customer service
Bookshop Santa Cruz 1520 Pacific Ave.
831-423-0900
Santa Cruz Both General: Children’s, Newstand
An independent, community bookstore, literary center, community resource and celebration of the written word
BookSmart 80 E. 2nd St.
408-778-6467
Morgan Hill New General: Children’s, Self Help, Bestsellers
Mind Fuel for all ages
Capitola Book Café 1475 41st Ave.
831-462-4415
Capitola Both General: Fiction, Children’s, Cards, Magazines and Newspapers
Where authors come to speak their minds
Crossroads Books 1935 Main St.
831-728-4139
Watsonville Both General: Fiction, Children’s, Books in Spanish for Children and Adults
Watsonville’s community bookstore
Coastside Books 432 B Main St.
650-726-5889
Half Moon Bay New General: Children’s, Art, Women
De Anza College Bookstore 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd.
408-864-8701
Cupertino Both
East West Bookshop 324 Castro St.
650-988-9800
Mountain View New Specialty: Body-Mind-Spirit and Self-Help
Dedicated to providing an uplifiting, peaceful environment to explore life’s most meaningful questions
Garlic City Books 7490 Monterey St.
408-842-2665
Gilroy Both Cafe opening soon.
Gateways Books & Gifts 1126 Soquel Ave.
831-429-9600
Santa Cruz New Specialty: Spiritual, Religious, Metaphysical
A whole world of inspiration. Other specialties include Alternative Health and Body/Mind/Spirit.
Harbor Books and Gallery 270 Capistrano Rd.
650-726-4241
Half Moon Bay New Specialty: Fiction, children’s, local interest
Hicklebee’s 1378 Lincoln Ave.
408-292-8880
San Jose New Specialty: Children’s books, toys and games for all ages with an expanded section for adults
Where Books Come Alive! Visit the Hicklebee’s Museum!
Ink Spell Books 500 Purissima St.
650-726-6571
Half Moon Bay Both
Kaleidoscope: The Parent Teacher Store 828 Bay Ave.
831-475-0210
Capitola New Specialty: Children’s Toys, Games, Educational Material
Kepler’s Books & Magazines 1010 El Camino Real
650-324-4321
Menlo Park New General: Fiction, Children’s, Gifts, Events
Established in 1955; a general trade book store specializing in literature, children’s, health, home and technology titles
Linden Tree Children’s Books 170 State St.
650-949-3390
Los Altos New Specialty: Children’s
Over 54,000 books, recordings, puppets, toys, cards, games
Logos Books & Records 1117 Pacific Ave.
831-427-5100
Santa Cruz Both Specialty: Used
One of the largest new, remainder and used book and music stores on the Central Coast
M is for Mystery...and More 86 E. Third Ave.
650-401-8077
San Mateo Both Specialty: Mysteries
Specialize in mystery & crime fiction + literary & popular fiction & nonfiction. New, used, collectible.
Mount Hermon Bookshop 36 Conference Dr.
831-430-1270
Mount Hermon New
Pilgrim’s Way Community Bookstore Dolores St. (btw. 5th & 6th)
831-624-4955
or 800-549-9922
Carmel-by-the-Sea New General: Carmel’s only full service bookstore with an adjoining Secret Garden Shop. Our mission is to educate, empower and inspire. Est. 1969.
The Reading Bug 785 Laurel St.
650-255-5050
San Carlos New Specialty: Children’s
A Children’s store with a selection of Grown-Up titles
River House Books 208 Crossroads Blvd.
831-626-2665
Carmel New General
Curious books for a beautiful mind
Sisterspirit Bookstore 938 The Alameda
408-293-9372
San Jose Both Specialty: Gay/Lesbian, Feminist
A non-profit, all volunteer women’s bookstore
Tree of Life Bookstore 1146 University Ave.
408-283-0221 ext. 29
San Jose New Specialty: Spirituality, Kriya Yoga, Interfaith Books and gifts
The Works 667 Lighthouse Ave.
831-372-2242
Pacific Grove New General: Eclectic selection of fiction & non-fiction, local interest, and children’s
Pacific Grove’s landmark bookseller