Ebooks are plentiful but bookstores are rare and wonderful and they serve as important cultural hubs. Support your local bookstores in Victoria and beyond!
Bookstores (Victoria BC & Area) *
Shiny New Books
- Bolen Books (one of the biggest indie bookstores in Canada)
- Munro’s Books (rated one of the best bookstores in world)
- Russell Books (new & used books; 2 downtown stores)
- Chapters Indigo Canada (books & gifts downtown; 3 floors)
- Tanner’s Books (Sidney)
- Ivy’s Books (Oak Bay)
- Legends Comics & Books (downtown)
- Crown Publications (Province of BC publications)
- Royal BC Museum Bookstore (BC books plus large gift shop)
Lovely Used Books
- Chronicles of Crime (mystery, noir, vintage, rare)
- Sorensen’s Books (new, used, rare, history, art, ephemera)
- Renaissance Books (art, modern 1st editions, BC history & more)
- Camas Books (community justice; books, events & more)
- Cavity Curiosity Shop & The Vorpal Gnome
- James Bay Coffee & Books (used books nestled in a coffeeshop)
- Bring & Buy Books (1241 Esquimalt Rd. 250-382-1241; no website)
- Pages Books (Brentwood Bay)
- Dragonfly Books (Western Communities)
- Penelope’s Book Stop (Western Communities)
- Sidney Booktown (Sidney bookstores directory)
- Haunted Bookshop (oldest on Vancouver Island)
- The Reading Room (Sooke)
- Well Read Books (Sooke)
- Galeano Books (profiled in UK Guardian)
Rare, Collectable & Beautiful Books
Book Binding
- Period Fine Bindings (Oak Bay)
- Meadland Books (Brentwood Bay)
- Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild
- Guild of Book Workers
- Book Arts Organizations
Local bookstores – extra
- 4 Favourite Bookstores in Victoria (Victoria Driftwood blog)
- Vancouver Island Bookstores & Bookbinders
- BC independent bookstores – Tyee
Little Free (Street) Libraries
- Map of Victoria & Area’s Little Free Libraries
- Esquimalt Neighbourhood Little Free Libraries
- Saanich & Esquimalt Little Free Street Libraries (photos)
Unique Vancouver Bookstores
- Banyen Books (Kitsilano)
- Odin Books (Broadway)
- McLeod’s Books (Pender downtown)
- Paperbound Book Shop (near McLeod’s)
- Criterion Books (near McLeod’s)
- Spartacus Books (Commercial Drive)
- Pulp Fiction Books (3 locations)
- People’s Co-op Bookstore (Commercial Drive)
- 4 Lesser known bookstores – Vancouver
Bookstores as Community & Literary Hubs
- New York – Housing Works Book Store
- Paris – Shakespeare & Company
- Toronto – Typebooks
- Best Independent Bookstores in the World (Guardian)
*(Not a complete list.)
Know of a bookstore that should be listed? Send an email.