5 Bookstores in San Francisco Worth Visiting
This is my travel-themed segment
When I travel to a new city, one of the first things I do is seek out a bookstore. It’s always a good bet for a landmark because there’s usually other good stuff around it, like cute boutiques, coffee shops, bakeries, galleries– the stuff you go to a new city to check out. I also have a rule that I won’t (physically can’t) pass a bookstore without going in, so this always leads to some good browsing time. Couple this with my books-as-souvenirs trick, and it’s safe to say I’m adding at least 5-7 lbs to my luggage when I return.
I’ve recently found myself in San Francisco for work and personal reasons (weddings), so needless to say, I’ve found myself in some dope bookstores. There’s something fully intoxicated about entering a new bookstore and figuring out its vibe. Sure, there are overlaps between all bookstores, the main one being that they sell books. But there’s always a distinct personality to each one, which is part of what endears me so deeply about the bookstore experience. The other part is that I love books and could really just spend all day in a bookstore, picking up and putting down books I want to read, pointing out books I have read, and gasping over new releases. Sounds more tragic written out than it does in my head, but this is my truth.
For this installation of Point of Departure, I’m rounding up the bookstores I’ve been to recently in SF, complete with photo evidence! Also because I love adding photos to a newsletter, it makes me feel like
The Booksmith
I love The Booksmith. Big enough to feel like there is a wide variety of options, but small enough to feel purposefully curated. When you enter, there’s a spacious main room walled with books, interspersed with tables arranged artfully and accessibly, so you can see what you’re working with, titles-wise. There’s a back room for kids’ books and a side room for art magazines and MORE fiction. The fiction room is gorgeous and quiet, with floor-to-ceiling shelves, immaculately tiled floors, and benches for when you inevitably end up sitting down and reading what you’ve just plucked from the shelves.
I didn’t get any books here, but my husband did grab a copy of Apartamento magazine, and I took pics of a few books that I’ll be adding to my neverending TBR: Sluts: Anthology, edited by Michelle Tea and The Fran Lebowitz Reader, which contains her two best sellers, Metropolitan Life and Social Studies. Fran is That Bitch™️, and I am mortified to admit that I have yet to read any of her work. Hoping to redeem myself soon.
If you’re in The Haight, definitely stop in The Booksmith. Also, there are a ton of bomb vintage stores close by– don’t miss Wasteland, where I got a sweet pair of opening ceremony men’s track pants, or Indigo Vintage, where I got a Gucci fanny pack for a highway robbery. They have good shit, I’m telling you!!!!
Borderlands Books
I only took one picture of this place but it was because I was too engrossed in an amazing, insane convo with one of the employees to focus on aesthetics!!!!! This bookstore is exclusively for horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, which I find to be exceptional, given the landscape (i.e., bookstores can barely stay afloat nowadays). I also love that Borderlands serves as a literary outpost for freaks, geeks, weirdos, nerds, et.al. It’s also right across the street from The Booksmith, which is how we happened upon it.
Upon wandering in, I approached the very cool-seeming chick in tortoiseshell aviator frames at the register and asked her for “the scariest book” (cuz I’m nasty). Without missing a beat, she goes, “Do you want, like, spooky or fucked up?” Immediately speaking my language. I told her I wanted fucked up, and initially she suggested Tender is the Flesh (which I discussed in last week’s newsletter). I said I’d read it, and she recommended Exquisite Corpse, which I bought. I am SO fucking scared to read it, so I’m going to have to work up the courage before I get there.
We bonded over our formative experience of The Ring being the first scary movie we ever saw and how it traumatized us. She recommended The Cipher by Kathe Koja, which she said was very Ring-esque in its horror. We also shared our love for the Ari Aster joint, Midsommar, which she styled her wedding after– everyone wearing white on a farm in upstate New York, flower crowns, the works. No choice but to stan. She also has a horror book club. What I’m trying to say is I love that woman, I hope she’s doing well!!!! Borderlands staff is exceptional; you should def go for some freaky- ass recs!!!
Green Apple Books on the park
Man, this one is great; it might even be my favorite. It is a really funky spot, with cement floors and a sort of converted warehouse atmosphere, with eclectic displays, books stacked to the ceilings on top of shelves, and boxes of the latest shipments opened and waiting next to the register. Green Apple Books is a punk-rock/artsy scene with the latest titles, used books, creative and uber-specific recommendation sections, local zines, and fun merch. The flagship store was founded in 1967 by a 25-year-old (jealous), though I have yet to visit that one.
This location is right next to one of the many entrances to Golden Gate Park and is elevated by the fact that Tartine is across the street, so you can grab a pastry and a coffee after you browse. There’s also a stuff store (one of those random stores that sells a bunch of stuff but no real specific thing, you know what I mean?) nearby called Pepperjack, which is a fun spot to pop in.
City Lights Booksellers & Publishers
City Lights was originally a magazine, but in 1953, City Lights Booksellers officially became a small publisher and bookstore. They formerly were an all-paperback bookseller focusing on literature, arts, and progressive politics. City Lights has long been a hotspot for literary thinkers and an activist meeting place, which is why, in 2001, San Francisco named City Lights an official historic landmark. This was the first time a business (rather than a building) had received this distinction, and it was for "playing a seminal role in the literary and cultural development of San Francisco and the nation."
Today, City Lights is a cozy shop with narrow aisles winding between tightly packed shelves. You feel cocooned in books when you enter, and there is a hush when you step inside as everyone is doing some serious browsing. There are three floors of books – hardcovers, too – though they still maintain their focus on literature, cultural studies, world history, and politics. You can find almost anything here, from the latest release to obscure titles from tiny independent publishers. It’s a real, “for the readers, by the readers” kind of place.
Dog Eared Books
Saved the best for last. Well, maybe not the best– it’s impossible to choose, but this one was the first bookstore in SF I visited, and I was immediately captivated. It’s crammed with books in a cheerful, haphazard way, with shelves of new titles rubbing elbows with second-hand books. The place is basked in sunlight from its factory-style windows, its walls adorned with kooky local art. They have books from all genres but have maintained an emphasis on off-beat, small press, and local literature.
I picked up three books here– Whiteout by Michael Clune, Whorephobia by Lizzie Borden, and Bluebeard’s Castle by Anna Biller. The first two are required reading, and the last one sucked. You’re welcome. Anyways, Dog Eared rules. Definitely check out this joyful little nook on Valencia– there are great coffee shops and boutiques nearby, so it’s worth a stroll down the rest of the street!
Of course, there are tons of great bookstores in the city– these are just a few I’ve been to and liked. What are some of your favorites in SF? What should I hit next time I go? Have you been to any of these? LMK in the comments!
Books of the moment:
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📖 Currently reading: Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
📚Recently finished:
Worry by Alexandra Tanner: Funny, brutal satire. It's depressing because it’s a satire but feels completely real.
Deliver Me by Elle Nash: I’m an Elle Nash stan from way back, but this was not great. Disappointing because I think she’s a better writer than what was displayed in this book.
I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel: Far better than the cover would suggest. Some exceptional writing on emotion, self-destruction, internet obsessions, and the intersection of those things.
👉🏼You should read: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
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I have loved City Lights for ages, but just discovered Green Apple recently. Now I have a few more to try. Thanks!