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First Street Books

4.9 (22 reviews)

Services - First Street Books

Cards and stationery

First Street Books Cards & Stationery Photos

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Emma S.

First Street has been my "go to" bookstore for years now. Tucked behind what is now Guesthouse and sharing the parking lot with Half Day Cafe, it has that charming neighborhood feel. Woody, the owner, keeps a lovely staff of engaging people working for her and I always feel incredibly welcome within its walls. My bookshelves at home are overflowing, so I try to resist the urge to stack them any higher, but they've routinely been my first call when I'm looking to special order a tome for a friend and they always call me when it comes in and have it gift wrapped by the time I pick it up. Today's visit was prompted by one of my few remaining holiday traditions: card writing and they keep a wonderful selection of cards year round. For my holiday cards, I can always find an assortment of individual cards or boxed sets, with local options, imported, traditional or artistic. I usually enjoy hunting for an assortment of all the above to match my assortment of friends and loved ones. This time, in addition to Henrietta behind the counter (who always remembers to ask me about my boys and is sweet always), I met Nancy, an avid reader who engaged me with her candid opinions of current offerings - loves and hates. We briefly commiserated over my current challenge with reading Faulkner and an appreciation for nonfiction. It's the kind of place I feel protective of in an age of Amazon convenience and hurried transactions, a place that resonates with the comfort of a cup of tea and a good book...

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3 months ago

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5 months ago

Locally owned, sweet staff, and stocked with some of the most clever a cards and books available.

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1 year ago

Cutest small book store. Has a great selection of books and the staff is very friendly!

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7 months ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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9 years ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

Great card selection. Always happy to help with selection. My favorite card shop. Highly recommend.

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13 years ago

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4 years ago

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9 years ago

I love this place. On the day of I found TWO great Valentine's cards. I think I may get to my 47th anniversary in May after all!

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5 years ago

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6 years ago

Wonderful bookstore and card shop. I ONLY buy cards there. Also, good advice on books to read, based on what interests you.

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15 years ago

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16 years ago

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15 years ago

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16 years ago

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10 years ago

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9 years ago

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12 years ago

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15 years ago

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Book Passage - Interior - cafe

Book Passage

(170 reviews)

$$

I've been to Book Passage only twice now and had unpleasant experiences both times. Although it's…read morevery close to our home, I drive further to other independently owned small bookstores -solely because of the employees terrible attitudes here. It's sad because Book Passage has fantastic events, classes, speakers, and more. But the employees are SO useless and act like you're inconveniencing them when you ask for help to find things you'd like to buy. On my visit yesterday, I was shopping for some gifts for my former students and their parents (in SoCal). Naturally, this gift was to be special and I wanted to find the perfect thing for them. When I asked the woman (not sure of her name, but she has red hair in a long bob) where NorCal specific items were, she half motioned with her hand and said it was in the other building. When I went back to ask another question, she stared at me and then walked off. Another employee begrudgingly helped me. The two women working in the other building were deep in personal convo and looked SO annoyed when I asked about the gift items area. When I was rung up, there was no "thanks" or "have a good day", just silence. Wow, these ladies are so rude and such a buzzkill!! I debated leaving a review, but after I came to check other patrons experiences, I see this is their M.O and it should be a good warning to all that shop here.

Nice independent bookstore that's in 2 separate buildings. They get a lot of authors and speakers…read moreso it's a nice part of the community. I saw Anthony Bourdain on tour right after kitchen confidential was popular 20 years ago. They have a decent used book selection too

Town Books - Dog friendly!

Town Books

(11 reviews)

$

Town Books is one of those cozy little spots that makes you want to slow down and just browse for a…read morewhile. It is small but packed with a nice mix of used books and the prices are really easy on the wallet. I have found everything from fiction to memoirs and kids' books here. It is always a fun surprise what you will come across. The store is super clean and well organized which makes it easy to find what you want without feeling overwhelmed. I love that the books are sorted by genre because it just makes the whole experience more enjoyable. They have two entrances you can use to get inside. One from Pine Street and another from San Anselmo Avenue. Town Books is located in the Courtyard building at the end of the hall so it is easy to find once you know where to look. The people working there are absolutely lovely. They are so friendly and welcoming that you instantly feel comfortable walking in. They are always happy to chat or help if you are looking for recommendations and you can tell they genuinely enjoy being there. Also they appreciate book donations. They accept gently used books during open hours in limited quantities about three boxes or bags per household. They also accept DVDs and CDs in their original packaging. They do not accept cassette tapes, vinyl records, magazines, games or puzzles. The nice ladies toward me that all profits from the sales go straight to supporting the San Anselmo Library so shopping here feels really good. If you are ever in San Anselmo and want to spend some time with good books and great vibes this is definitely the place to check out.

The cutest book nook in town! Town Books has an amazing selection at affordable prices. It is fully…read morevolunteers who run the shop and all proceeds go to the San Anselmo library. Every time I am in San Anselmo I make sure to grab my next favorite read from here!

First Street Books - stationery - Updated May 2026

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