By Carrie Bell
FROM: Trip Savvy

Reading probably isn’t the first form of entertainment most people associate with Los Angeles. But the city actually has a long history of fantastic independent bookstores. Bibliophiles in search of their new favorite will not have a hard time finding their happy ending in the stacks of general neighborhood gems—complete with shop cats, signed bestsellers, and coffee bars—or in shops that specialize in specific genres like horror, food/cooking, or romance. Start the search for what Henry David Thoreau called “the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations” at the 17 best bookshops around greater L.A.

01 The Last Bookstore

ADDRESS: 453 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

PHONE: +1 213-488-0599

WEB: Visit website

You might recognize The Last Bookstore from its Instafamous creative tunnel of books and other awe-inspiring sculptural design elements made of spines and pages. But in your tour of L.A., don’t stop here just for the pics. Housed within a century-old bank building, The Last Bookstore is a 22,000 square-foot literary wonderland. Among its quarter-million books, you’ll find the best used inventory in town, a giant assortment of graphic novels, and mint-condition vinyl records. Art and rare books are nestled into their own annex and the horror section is hidden in the antique vault.

Even more wondrous things like travel guides, tattered sci-fi, yarn, and enamel pins can be discovered amid the second-floor discount bins and local makers’ art studios and shops. Sink into loved leather furniture—which sits atop the raised platform used for author engagements—to flip through possible purchases and for unequaled people watching. Thumb’s up to their creative book clubs, which cover everything from feminism and Afrofuturism to dystopian literature (the “We’re All Gonna Die!” group). Read Rest of Article Here