City Lights is one of my favorite bookstores in San Francisco. There's something about wandering…read morethrough it that makes me feel like a kid again. With every twist and turn, another staircase or room appears, filled with books and entirely new worlds to discover. It always brings me back to the days I spent with my grandmother at our old library. We would sit together on the stairs and read to each other, completely content to spend hours surrounded by books. I think that's part of why City Lights feels so special to me--it brings back that same sense of curiosity, comfort, and excitement I felt with her. I rarely come here looking for one specific thing. The fun is wandering the shelves until a cover, title, or completely unexpected book catches my attention. Somehow I always leave with another story I can't wait to disappear into. There are bookstores you go to simply to buy a book, and then there are bookstores you experience. City Lights is the latter. It's a little piece of San Francisco that I hope never changes.

One of the neatest bookstores in the US. The Poetry room upstairs is wonderful. So much fun…read morehistory here to learn about. And this bookstores has some amazing staff book recommendations with little tags on the bookshelf telling you why they loved that book so much; found some great new finds that way. Dont forget to get your books stamped with their bookstores stamp on the way out!

Heard a lot of good things about Dog Eared Books so I decided to stop by. There's many options…read moreinside that I could spend a lot of time just looking at everything they have to offer! I ended up getting a small notebook and a couple postcards. The staff was nice and I'd definitely recommend this spot if you're in the area!

While visiting the city of San Francisco came across Dog Eared Books and decided to stop in to see…read morewhat they had to offer. The bookstore was small and pretty busy with customers reading and selecting books to purchase. I walked around the bookstore to see what would catch my eye and they had so many good books to choose from. Walked over to their clearance section and found two books that peaked my interest. Ended up purchasing, the portrait of Dorian Grey and animal farm. They we're both a steel at a discounted price. These two books were on my list of books that I've been wanting to read, and now they have been added to my personal library. The employees here are welcoming and friendly. They are also very busy, keeping the store while organized and appealing to the eye.

Super cute interesting finds, pretty pricey. Such as $25 for a small cloth tote or $35 for a normal…read moresize shopping tote Calendars, toys, plushes, and oh books of course. A lot of people go for the items more so than books

This is a long-established Japanese bookstore that has been around since I first came to the United…read moreStates over 20 years ago. My grandmother and my aunt both loved this place. They spoke Japanese and received a Japanese education, so this bookstore always held a special meaning for them. The store carries a wide selection of Japanese books, magazines, Reader's Digest (Japanese edition), and manga. It also offers many adorable Japanese-style plush toys, collectibles, and accessories. You'll often see American teenagers who are passionate about Japanese anime and manga browsing here, which gives the bookstore a lively and welcoming atmosphere. I highly recommend this bookstore to anyone who loves Japanese culture, anime, manga, or simply wants to experience a little piece of Japan. 一家很老的日式書店，我20年前來美國就有的書店了，我奶奶和我大姑姑生前就很喜歡這家書店，尤其她們都會講日文也接受日本教育。這家書店也很多日本的雜誌、包括讀者文摘和日本的漫畫，這家還有很多很可愛亞洲風格的玩偶和飾品。平常有很多愛好日式動漫的美國青少年會光顧這家書店，我強力推薦給喜歡日本文化的各位。

Goat bookstore. Go get your books here. No other bookstore comes close!…read more All the people are great and their recommendations and displays are super helpful if you're going in without a plan.

If your idea of a good time is an afternoon spent rambling around in a 5000-plus foot maze among…read morethe books, then Green Apple Books is for you. What I love here are the carefully curated staff selections that are found everywhere. There are always unexpected finds and books you'd never unearth online all housed in this labyrinth of a store. The tables of discounted and used books upstairs are worth a browse. The atmosphere is welcoming, dusty, and this old Victorian house is perfect for wandering. One of my favorite Sunday rituals: browsing until I find something unexpected, and then heading down Clement for dim sum, some thrifting, maybe a Kamei treasure, a strawberry crepe, and some Asian groceries. A Green Apple visit makes the outing complete. San Francisco still has a few good remaining bookstores, and the selection hidden in the winding nooks and crannies at Green Apple, keep it near the top of my list.

Whoever is running this bookstore's selection is a book curator! They have great taste! A nice mix…read moreof local reads and interesting niche books.

Just loved this charming and delightful spot! Enjoyed a Delicious peqch matcha latte and spiced…read morechocolate donut. Tasteful selection of books and gifts. Lovely aesthetic inside, beautiful garden in the back. Very kid-friendly with several spaces for children to frolic. I saw a sign that they have storytime and a boba book night for older kids- plus more events. Packed on a Saturday morning, parking was a challenge, but worth the effort.

Can't give a bookstore less than 5 stars because bookstores are such a rarity these days. So much…read morecontent is now online that walking into a physical store with books is like sighting a dinosaur. Especially so when it's not a used bookstore. Books Inc in its different locations host readings from different authors, so that's pretty cool. Not related to this store, but related to author readings, I met several famous authors when I used to attend readings. I don't do so much now because I dislike crowds. This bookstore is next to a Peets Coffee. So you can also enjoy some coffee after your purchase.

Back when it was independent bookstore I really liked when they had cheap books for sale and the SF…read morechildren books are great, but I don't mind it being absorbed by Barnes & Noble since I can use my membership here BUT The service makes me feel like I am being judged on my race and my clothing so when I'm just trying killing time looking at they have in store I feel very uncomfortable like I'm being watched everywhere I go in the store and all the times I've gone I've never been greeted.

We visited for the first time and we loved it. Great book store. It's clean and well organized and…read morehas a great selection.

One of the best book stores in SF! If you're looking for anything fantasy/sci fi/ horror related,…read morethis is the place to go. Amazing selection and even better recommendations (I can't remember the number of times my finance and I have stopped in and chatted with the staff about new releases and recommendations). They also occasionally have events (like the Onyx Storm release party this week)!

This bookstore has been open since 1976 for a reason! The selection of books it's modern and also,…read morecurated. The store ambience and decoration invites you to take your time and enjoy your visit. The staff is friendly and happy to make suggestions. It's priced fairly. There is something special about the place. The selection, the decoration, the layout you name it. I always spend a bit more than I expected, with no regrets, as I always come back.

Located right on Haight Street, The Booksmith is a great bookstore. When you walk into the space,…read moreyou're overwhelmed by all the great titls that they have and are offering. This space is broken up into two main rooms. There's the room you enter when you come in off the street, and then there's the secondary room over to the left. Both are filled with a great collection of literature and/or nonfiction. The focus of this bookstore is really on literature. Though they, of course, have other subjects, as well. This being said, they have a great collection of fiction and poetry. It's really very-very vast. So, if you're in The Haight, and you want to grab a great piece of reading material, this may be your place to go.

This place has an really interesting and curated selection of books, zines, and a few other cool…read moreunexpected things like records and typewriters. They have some neat art and music events from time to time in a good size space in the back. It's a great place and fun thing to have in the neighborhood.

Medicine for Nightmares is all you want in a bookstore. The proprietors are quite knowledgeable,…read moreand dedicated to building an artful community. The books are mostly a high brow selection with a lefty intellectual bent. Browsing is a pleasure. Buying some book-friends and cozying up with them will get you through the night.

I really appreciated the help I received at Christopher's Books. The staff made the entire process…read moreremarkably easy and went to great lengths to source several rare books for me, including titles from a small press that aren't typically distributed in the U.S. They handled everything with care, knowledge, and impressive efficiency, keeping me informed throughout the process. I'm grateful for their time and expertise, and I look forward to coming back.

The sweetest bookstore on a quiet corner of Potrero Hill, sandwiched between pizza joints, cafés,…read moreand good places to sit and read. The proprietor is lovely and generous with her time, and will point you to whatever kinds of books you are looking for. She will even make recommendations depending upon your literary appetite. They are open into the evening and even on July 4!! Who doesn't love a great neighborhood bookstore?? support local everyone!!