Our Updated Guide to Vancouver’s Best Bookstores, Mapped – Scout Magazine

Irrespective of the time of 12 months, there are few pastimes extra satisfying or self-indulgent than studying. Nonetheless, now that Vancouver’s wet season has settled in, we’re wanting ahead to the excuse for some guilt-free shut-in time spent catching up on our studying checklist (it’s lengthy) and escaping into the comforting, aromatic firm of books, books, books!

As soon as once more, we’ve compiled our checklist of favorite native bookstores (and some low key non-bookstore ‘bookstores’) to make use of as a information for all of your vacation gift-giving wants, and/or for filling your private library cabinets over the months forward…

Banyen is rather more than a e book store – it’s additionally a wellness emporium, a West 4th cornerstone, and a time portal to Kitsilano’s hippy heyday. The 52-year-old neighbourhood establishment is a one-stopper for all of your self-awareness and therapeutic wants, from printed matter to ritualistic instruments like crystals, beads, chimes, incense and extra.

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Recognizing (and celebrating) the truth that their neighborhood is made up of an eclectic cross-section of readers, the all the time welcoming and educated workforce at Canterbury Tales on The Drive work exhausting to match their prospects with the right e book.

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Books for human beings of all ages – from delivery to grownup – may be discovered at Collage Collage. A go to to this vibrant little Principal Avenue store is all the time a pleasure.

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Native and impartial, Kerrisdale’s Hager Books curates a number of new books in a big selection of topic areas together with artwork, images, fiction, memoir, biography, journey, psychology, historical past, cookbooks and gardening.

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Along with their well-travelled cellular e book truck (the primary of its form in Vancouver), Indigenous-owned and community-minded Iron Dog Books additionally has an East Van brick-and-mortar location, the place they’ve been been bringing individuals collectively by way of a shared love of books since 2019.

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With two areas, Kidsbooks is a high notch useful resource for each stage of the reading-with-kids journey. From drool-proof board books and basic bedtime tales to graphic novels, chapter books and puzzles, this place has mother and father coated.

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In operation since 1985, Kestrel supplies an incredible number of used, uncommon and out-of-print books in a large number of topic areas. As they put it: “From Archie Comics to Medieval Manuscripts, there’s a amassing area for any funds and any age”.

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Little Sister’s is the place for horny publications and equipment for your entire rainbow of readers and their pleasures. Inarguably a significant member of the Vancouver neighborhood, fulfill your wants by in search of out this West Finish establishment at their prime location on the Davie St. strip.

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This perky little Principal Avenue store will not be your typical comedian e book retailer. Lucky’s is the place to go for graphic novels and native indie comedian artists, plus a small assortment of non-fiction and youngsters’s books. A go to right here is all the time a vibrant expertise!

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Well-known for its position within the 1984 fantasy movie, The NeverEnding Story, legendary icon Macleod’s Books epitomizes the secondhand bookstore expertise: suppose cabinets overflowing with classic and preloved titles, a great deal of character and a dense aroma of outdated and beloved paper.

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A completely woman- and Indigenous-owned enterprise, Chinatown e book store Massy Books is an enormous time supporter of underrepresented authors and impartial press publications, in addition to local people artists. Massy Arts Society’s gallery area (situated a number of blocks northwest at 23 Pender St.) commonly hosts poetry readings, e book launches, and discussions.

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Sniff out this candy little nook of books, co-owned by Kim Koch and Rob Clarke, once you’re on the lookout for one thing particular. We took an curiosity in < a href=”https://paperhound.ca/” rel=”noopener” goal=”_blank”>The Paper Hound Bookshop instantly after recognizing their whippet model mascot painted on the papered up home windows again in 2013, and it continues to be one in all our favorite Vancouver spots for brand spanking new, used and uncommon books. The used books cabinets are organized into some intelligent niches and the brand new e book choice consists of some exhausting to seek out publishers.

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Now with over 20 years of bookish enterprise behind them since opening their Principal Avenue flagship, Pulp Fiction Books’ three areas (Mount Nice, Kitsilano and Business Drive) are collectively residence to tens of 1000’s of titles, together with a considerate stock of recent books and cabinets of used volumes which are continuously being picked over and added to (thoughts your self whereas navigating the piles of incoming and to-be-sorted books if you wish to keep away from a disastrous Jenga-like incident). Should you spot one thing within the window that it’s important to have, don’t wait to grab it up!

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Vancouver’s long-running useful resource for psychological well being books covers the complete spectrum of points, together with every little thing from illustrated kids’s books to academic texts, and memoirs. Odin Books opened doorways to its spacious Broadway location (at Principal Avenue) in 2019.

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“Canada’s Oldest Bookstore”, the People’s Co-Op, may be discovered on Business Drive, on the block between Kitchener and Charles streets. You’ll discover new and used titles alike lining the cabinets of this humble, member-owned native and nationwide landmark.

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An artwork and design ahead bookstore situated throughout the Libby Leshgold Gallery at Emily Carr College, Read Books is a spot to get misplaced and impressed.

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Though they relocated to Business Drive in 2014, Spartacus has been East Vancouver’s headquarters for socially aware and progressive publications because the early 70s. The nonprofit group, which is solely volunteer-run, has additionally traditionally been the spot for different activist actions together with jail letter writing, accordion circles and different conferences for the radically minded.

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You’ll discover every little thing from worldwide and translated fiction to native authors and works from impartial publishers on the cabinets at this little Granville Island e book store, open since summer season 2020. Along with their in depth library, Upstart & Crow is a neighborhood hub for readers: their area commonly hosts occasions like e book launches, creator signings, and the latest boozy/bookish ‘Prime Shelf’ soiree; whereas plans for a ‘Present in Translation’ e book membership, a literary subscription service, and rotating ‘Storytellers in Residence’ program are all at the moment within the works. Actually an area for and run by book- and literature-lovers!

Not Bookstores

For skateboard-related publications starting from illustrated kids’s books to slick espresso desk tomes and cult/area of interest zines, look no additional than Principal Avenue’s Antisocial Skateboard Shop. Belief the peeps who reside and breathe skateboarding to hone in on solely the very best of what’s obtainable on the market.

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Since opening in November 2021, the e book and journal choice at Mucker Next Door (the retail extension of Dachi restaurant) has been tantalizing our bookish appetites with their number of edgy and cultish culinary magazines, and different must-reads for food- and wine-lovers.

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Chances are you’ll not have realized, however 51 Powell Street – aka the third and latest, ‘Objects’ oriented retail area in Neighbour’s trifecta of Gastown areas – can be residence to a good little Print part. Suppose slick, innovative, prime quality and extremely curated design and artwork books, Worldwide magazines, and classic publications, in addition to Neighbour Guide Membership titles really useful by a powerful circle of the store’s artist, author and designer buddies.

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Greater than a furnishings store, Vancouver Special can be Mount Nice’s go-to spot for area of interest artwork, movie, vogue and design publications, together with spectacular espresso desk tomes, particular editions, journey guides, magazines and quintessential Vancouver-related publications.

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Did we miss somebody? When you’ve got a favorite bookstore that you simply suppose ought to have been included on this checklist, however wasn’t, please remark beneath or ship your suggestion to michelle [at] scoutmagazine.ca