Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday --- 10 Favorite Indie Bookstores I've Visited Since I've Started Blogging


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

I love visiting indie bookstores and have visited several over the years. It's very difficult to narrow down a top ten list of favorite indie bookstore because every one of them is special in its own unique way. Click on the links below to read my review of each indie bookstore I have visited.

The Last Bookstore in downtown, Los Angeles, California

Fabulous bookstore with many discount books, records, various events, and coffee/tea bar!

Bart's Books in Ojai, California

Fabulous indoor and outdoor bookstore the winds and meanders in various nooks and crannies. I love this place!

Alexander Book Company in San Francisco, California

Fabulous three story bookstore in downtown San Francisco that is an easy walk from the Montgomery Bart Station. 

The Book Mark Paperback Book Exchange in Escondido, California

Large used bookstore in downtown Escondido. 


Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, California

Fabulous bookstore in bookstore with large interior and great selection of books on hand for purchase.

Bookshop Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, California

Another lovely bookstore filled with new, used, and bargain priced new books.

Chaucer's Books in Santa Barbara, California

One of my favorite bookstores in Santa Barbara. They have nice author signing events.

Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego, California

I love specialty bookstores and the Mysterious Galaxy specializes in mysterious, science fiction, and horror books. They also have plenty of author signing events as well as some amazing looking t-shirts for sale.

FOL Used Bookstore in Carpinteria, California

I've bought more used books here that I can recall. I love this bookstore and its location within Carpinteria. This bookstore id run by a group of friendly volunteers. Lots of used books, audiobooks, etc. are on hand.

Vedanta Bookstore in Santa Barbara, California

This is an out of the way bookstore located in the beautiful hills of Santa Barbara. Want to get away from the rat race, enjoy nature, and visit a specialty bookstore?? Then the Vedanta Bookstore in Santa Barbara is for you!

28 comments:

  1. OOoh nice topic! So many awesome indie stories by you. There are so few in my hometown area. At least in the safer parts of town.

    Here's my Tuesday Post

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. I love indie bookstores and wanted to add all of the ones I've visited since the start of 2012 to my list, but would have way to many....

      Unfortunately, not all of the bookstores I've listed are currently close to me as I chose to pick bookstores located throughout the state from Southern California to Northern California!

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  2. Wow! I wish there were so many indie bookstores somewhere near me. The one closest to me closed a year or so ago. :/ Now I would have to drive far for an indie bookstore. So sad that so many are closing down.

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    1. As I mentioned in my previous reply, not all of the above bookstores are close to me. I chose to pick bookstores located throughout the state from Southern California to Northern California! I'm from Southern California, so highlighted a lot of my favorite bookstores from there as well.

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  3. Wow! This is such a great topic! I loved reading about these bookstores. If I'm ever in California, I'll have to make sure to visit some of these. Happy Tuesday!

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    1. Happy Tuesday to you too!! I could have added another 10 bookstores to the list easily, but then it wouldn't have been a Top Ten post!!

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  4. ooo fun topic!! I wish our area had more indie bookstores. My TTT

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  5. This is an awesome topic. Did these indie bookstores also sell books by indie authors?
    My ttt
    http://hauntedgravebooks.blogspot.com/2016/01/top-ten-tuesday-books-where-i-like-bad.html

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    1. I know one of them does for sure, but not sure about the rest of them. Happy reading!!

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  6. Great list! I'm so jealous. Stupid Texas doesn't have many indie book stores and that makes me sad. I really need to visit California soon just to get some book shopping done. Lol

    -Jamie therebelliousreader

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    1. Come on over for a visit to California for some book shopping!! Happy reading!!

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  7. Interesting topic! It's sad to see independent bookstores dwindling in my city. This makes me want to visit California! I remember spending loads of money at City Lights bookstore years ago on my first visit to San Francisco.

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    1. I've been to City Lights too... And although, I think this a lovely bookstore... I didn't have a stellar experience there.

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  8. I really liked your post. It's a pity that I live in Spain, but if I have the chance to go to California, I'll definitely visit these bookstores :)

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    1. Happy reading and thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog!!

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  9. Nothing better than a good bookstore! I would love to go to Mysterious Galaxy, would probably spend the whole day there! And Vedanta sounds great too- along w/ the surrounding area. And used bookstores- yes please. What a great list.

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    1. Thank you for visiting my book blog. Happy reading!!

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  10. The Last Bookstore is a really cool place. I would love to go the Mysterious Galaxy. Maybe next time I'm in SD. Sound pretty cool!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment. Happy reading and I hope you make it to the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore!

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  11. Excellent topic! In this day and age (where e-readers make shopping easy) and online book stores have such great deals it's easy to forget about the basic pleasure of standing in a book store. To ease my Kindle-guilt, I make a point of buying books by Australian authors in Australian independent bookstores.

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    1. That's wonderful that you support Australian authors and Australian indie bookstores!

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  12. I love that you've visited so many independent book stores! We have several here on the East Coast, and I always make a point to visit lots of them when I'm on vacation too.

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    1. Have to love indie bookstores, they make it fun to visit bookstores!

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  13. There's one near me called Bookaneers that I still haven't been to because it's about an hour away in a direction that I never go! Other than that I don't even know of any! All my local used books stores closed down years ago and I have to drive an hour just to get to a B&N! I'll have to do a search and find some in my state. I'm super curious now.

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    1. Funny, but there is a used bookstore in Thousand Oaks, California called Bookaneer that I've visited and loved! It almost made my TTT post this week.

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  14. This was a really good topic to pick for this week! I absolutely love Indie bookstores and try to visit them as often as I can.

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    1. Thanks for the compliment!! Happy reading to you in 2016... And have fun visiting indie bookstores this year!

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