What a spectacular bookstore. I never knew what it felt like to be part of the majority, and how comfortable it would be to look around and see characters like me looking back at me while browsing for books. I also love all the craft and craft adjacent things they have. I've always wanted to try cross stitch, and now I have a new sampler to try out and a sticker which is amazing. read more

My go-to spot for books when I'm home in 'Dena! Octavia's Bookshelf has a curated selection of Black authors and stories, plus a free book corner and a cozy spot for reading. You can easily order books they don't have in stock. The store also has fun accessories, trinkets, and gifts--perfect for adults and kids. It's has a welcoming, community vibe. A superior alternative to Amazon and a wonderful way to support a local Black-owned business. read more

The owner was very helpful with her insights. First time here and this place was not overwhelming at all like many other bookstore. It is a very specific reads that will entice people to come here. Come see for a very good reason, times are changing in chaos, and for a minority, we need to empower ourselves from historical facts, not by social media feeds. This quaint place has more than books to offer, a corner to read and a free stand corner, and an açaí place next to it, you can't go wrong. This place is calling for you. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Part of proceeds go to helping family in need - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

A nice community bookstore nook with curated books and paraphernalia for adults and children and space to sit and chill with a small group read more

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My first time coming in here and it was life changing. I remember as a little girl never seeing representation in book stores. And if it did exist you had to search high and low to find books by Black authors/books that told Black stories. It hurt as a child never having that representation. But after today's stop at Octavia's Bookshelf, I can definitely say my inner child was healed. The employee working today was extremely helpful and kind. There's so many books to choose from here and the pricing is extremely fair! I purchased a few books, socks and also got a tote bag. I'll definitely come back. What an amazing experience to feel represented and seen. I've always loved books and reading but this store made the experience even better. Thank you! read more

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Nice little bookstore, staff was pleasant it was really cute. I wanted to give them 5 stars but the selection was lacking. She was out of a lot of books but did offer to order them. I would return. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

Such a cute bookstore in a cute, hip little corner. The shop is quite small but it has little sections detailing the categories of books it has. There was also a section of books for recent fire victims. If you're in the area for a coffee or brunch, def check it out! We found parking easily in the neighborhood. (Outdoor bathroom near Lavender and Honey.) read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I love this book store. Very cool aesthetic and awesome black literature for the young and old ! What can I say, it's something for everyone! I even love the accessories and book related trinkets and gifts. Always a great place for gifts to give back to small business ! read more

Such an incredible spot! The owners are genuinely lovely, the atmosphere is incredible, and the collection of books is stunning. A must-see for book lovers in the city. read more

Love this bookstore. Small but carries a lot of books. I believe in supporting small businesses and this is one place that carries the aura of helping its community. It is hard to find parking in the area but don't give up! The employee was super kind and helpful in answering my questions. I look forward to coming back. read more

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Came across this bookstore @octavias_bookshelf. It had miminalistic look and feel for a bookstore, but there were so many selections for all the different genres. Milan was so friendly and shared so many recommendations. She knew what she knew and all we needed was a cup of coffee to sit by the window. She was wonderful. Definitely a "need to go" rating. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Octavia's Bookshelf is an amazing bookstore or should I say community center? This space is designed to be a bookstore but adapts to the needs of the surrounding community. A year or so ago my book club needed a space to host a year end event, the owner allowed us to use an additional space they had to host. Currently, the Pasadena area has been through the devastation of the Eaton fires so Octavia's Bookshelf has warped into a free store where those affected can come by to grab necessities including clothes, food, shoes, towels, bedding, water, etc. It's truly a testament to the owners commitment to community. read more

What a lovely little book shop! In honor of Independent Bookstore day I decided to begin my crawl here. I loved the selection of minority authors they feature as well as the synopsis of the plots of the books... honestly it looked so inviting and bright inside. The stickers had me CTFU over in the corner. I think if you are looking for a specific book that isn't from a minority of POC author you may need to visit another bookstore if you want it right away. They also do not have a HUGE selection so be sure to call first. I found myself looking up the books they had in the store and adding them to my Goodreads list of TBR. In other words... I shall be back! Respectfully Reviewed. read more

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I got to visit Octavia's on my 40th birthday, at the end of November (2024). Everyone in the shop (those who work there and those were were shopping) were all very nice. A small but cozy space with friendly and helpful staff. If you are looking for a recommendation, the books sellers are more than happy to help you out. A selection of knock knacks as well! read more

I came here for a Reading Rhythms event last month and completely fell in love with the space. This indie book store offers so much diversity! Mainly stories by black authors, but also by Latinx, Palestinian and authors of other backgrounds. So much history here! read more

Today I landed at Octavia' Bookshelf. It's a cozy indie book shop with gorgeous natural light and welcoming feel. I inched my way around the store with my mom to make sure that nothing was unattended. We saw newly designed covers, classic favorites, and a ton of new titles that I am sure could fit somewhere in my house. I loved the book categories, play area for kids by the window & children's corner, as well as seating next to the tarot display. (Bet I could sit down with tea & snacks, and begin writing my next great work!) All I needed was a cup of tea, snacks, and they probably would have had to drag me out. The Octavia section held her numerous titles, whose cover art was so captivating, I didn't get a picture to capture them all. I purchased two books and an enamel pin for $59, which felt fair - not everyone can price items like that jungle company and remain in business. Hopefully I'll visit again soon when my schedule aligns with their future programming. read more

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A real gem on the east side. I've been a few times and there's always a great selection of books. You'd be hard pressed to find a similar catalogue at Barnes & Noble or other bookstores. Whoever is at the front will have tons of recommendations if you need. Most recently, I ordered Black Meme through them. With all the chaos of the Eaton fires, Octavia's focused their efforts on the community and understandably the book got lost before I was able to pick it up. Even after that, there was a bit of a wait to get the order. They actually delivered the book to me and included a bag and notepad to make it right. I really appreciate them going out of their way to me feel like a valued local customer. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Book, notepad, totebag all from Octavia's - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

Lovely store. Never knew it was here. Can't wait to visit again with friends. They also ordered a few books for me as well

Octavia's Bookshelf is a wonderfully curated, if small collection. Don't leave without a copy of Parable of the Sower!

Lovely and welcoming space (they recently moved next door so it's a bit bigger!) I have called in to order books and it's easy to pick up. Today we stopped by for a kids storytime and cookie decorating activity. They gave little gifts to the kids in addition to cookies and cupcakes - very generous and patient with the children. This is a great place to pick up a gift as they offer free gift wrapping and have many unique items related to books and BIPOC authors and artists. The staff is always friendly. Recommend! read more

Really wonderful little shop. They unfortunately didn't have exactly what I came for but the service was wonderful and I will be checking in periodically as I was told their non-fiction selection is rotated from time to time. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf has a fantastic selection of books and gift items! The shop features fascinating titles in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, memoir, history, cookbooks, self-help books, children's books, and more -- written by BIPOC writers. In the children's book section, there is a cute little story nook with seating for young kids. I find a delicious new book to devour on every visit, and it is a wonderful spot to shop for gifts for friends and family. There is a well-curated selection of witty greeting cards for all occasions, stickers, magnets, socks, jewelry, and really amazing scented candles -- like the vivid, sweet fragrance of "Pack The Court With Black Women," a lovely sea salt and orchid scent. The witty and personable staff are great at book recommendations, and also fun to chat with about reading. They also offer a creative way to get a book recommendation, called "Blind Date with a Book" -- you purchase a book recommended by staff that is wrapped in brown paper, and before purchasing you only see a few words related to its theme (e.g. "story of love, family, and forgiveness set in New York and the Dominican Republic"). Octavia's Bookshelf supports local writers! Their author talks featuring adult fiction, YA graphic novels, and children's books are engaging community events that are a great way to meet other readers and get a behind-the-scenes look at the writing and worldbuilding of some amazing stories. There is a cart of "clearance" merchandise-- a great value for some fun gift items. Making reading accessible to everyone, ask the staff to guide you to the "free" book shelf. On top of all that, Octavia's Bookshelf partners with The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens and with the La Pintoresca Branch of the Pasadena Library system to host a monthly Octavia Butler Sci-Fi Book Club, reading books by Octavia Butler and other science fiction writers of color. (More info on the "Events" page of the Pasadena Libraries website.) read more

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Lovely space, lovely collection, lovely owner. Octavia Butler is one of my favorite writers. Let's support Altadena!

Beautiful local bookstore that has the latest BIPOC releases. They also host author book panels, and the merch is super cute!! read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We went here right after the Altadena fires, and the place was closed, but we were so impressed with the fact that they had turned their shop into a resource center for the local community. What a great example of how businesses should run! I can't wait to go back and spend a ton of money in the near future. Looks like an amazing place. read more

A small but mighty bookstore that is definitely curated with intention and love! I've been so excited to visit Octavia's Bookshelf since I've heard about them opening, and was finally able to visit recently with a friend. We had the best time browsing all of the books written by diverse authors and the bookish trinkets such as stickers and tote bags. 100% would recommend visiting! I can't wait to visit again myself. *Parking: there's a parking lot located behind the store. It is shared with Millie's Cafe and Lavendar & Honey so it can get pretty busy. If it's full, there seems to be ample street parking. read more

So excited about Octavia's Bookshelf coming to Pasadena! It's filling a gap that's been sorely missed by highlighting BIPOC authors. With window art that says, "Welcome booklover, you are among friends," this little venue is bound to create a community beyond its walls. The store is filled to the brim with titles from, of course, its namesake Octavia Butler among others, cute plushies, greeting cards, and other great gift items. There's a cozy area by the window you can tuck away with a book or just soak in the literary ambiance. Definitely drop by! It'll be a great way to discover amazing authors who have not been otherwise championed. read more

I've been meaning to checkout this bookstore ever since it opened, I came across it on social media. I finally was able to go today. (I live in the San Fernando Valley so it's a bit of a drive for me) The shop is so cute! I loved the book selection! So many diverse authors and genres. (Some graphic novels and comics available too!) It was a little busy while I was there so I didn't spend as much time there as I would've liked but I will definitely be coming back soon. I purchased a copy of All About Love and Life Doesn't Frighten Me, poetry by Maya Angelou and art by Basquiat. The Basquiat feature really grabbed me. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I appreciate this bookstore soooo much! They have a great selection of what the RED call "w*o*k*e" books and items for adults and children. I have found some great children's books and tools to use with my therapy clients. I'm so happy this store exists for all my ALLY I friends and that it is a safe place for marginalized communities to hang, shop and support. The store is beautiful and has good energy. They also have some tarot and oracle cards, which is my jam. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I have been looking forward to coming here after my friend posted his book was for sale here. I live overseas so it was on my list while back home. The lady I spoke with was so lovely and passionate talking about a variety of topics with myself and other customers, it was so heartwarming! I am supporting small business wherever possible so avoided Amazon and I'm so very glad I did. Prices are super reasonable too. I highly recommend this beautiful spot. I love the community events they offer too, I wish I could attend! read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Shop front - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Absolutely love this store. The first thing I really appreciate is how many events there are. It's so important for bookstores build community and Octavia's bookstore does that with excellence. Additionally, the stores is both charming and welcoming with small touches like cleverly labeled section signs, great staff and wonderful sections. All the things you'll never be able to get from an amazon book order. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf hosted CSArts's Creative Writers students for open mic. Our first time at the bookstore and it was a treat. It's located in a nice classic building. Theres a wide collection of books by African-American authors, candles, bags, stickers, and knick knacks. I bought a book by Angela Davis. I highly recommend a visit to Octavia's Bookshelf. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf is significant in Pasadena for several reasons. It's the only Black-owned independent bookstore in the city. It serves as a community hub, providing resources, support, and a sense of belonging. During the Eaton Fire, it became a vital relief center, and it continues to host events and programs that celebrate Black culture and literature. And it has a Knitting Group once a week! read more

As a certified book lover I was excited to visit Octavia's Bookshelf on opening day and have patronized them several times since then: from children's books to unique birthday cards and quirky socks they have an amazing selection. Various authors have stopped by to do book signings or just to purchase books as fellow book lovers. For the less tech savvy crowd they are able to order books and call you for pickup - they graciously do so often for my 86 year of Godmother whenever she wants to add to her abundant children's book selection. Octavia's Bookshelf is a great addition to the Washington Village Pasadena shopping area. Street parking available on Hill Avenue north of Washington Blvd; or in the surface lot with entrance on Washington Blvd. Stopping in to grab a book, birthday card or book bag is a great way to shop local & support an amazing black woman owned business. See you in next time in the fiction aisle. read more

Octavia's Bookshelf - Bookstore Book bags - Bookstores Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place is such a gift. My 8 yr old son just finished his first book from Octavias' Bookshelf, called Future Heroes. The first words out of his mouth when we started reading were, "Look, it's another black superhero! Mom, let's name all the black superheroes." We could only name three Black Panther, Falcon, Spider-Man (Miles Morales). Thanks to Octavia's, we now have a 4th: Jarell. I love taking my kids here, knowing they can take any book off the shelf and see kids that look like them or their friends. read more

Findings books, that have diverse characters and storylines, is extremely important to me for my niece. When she was coming over to my house for her first sleepover I knew I wanted to give her a new book to make her night special. I got her a book that came with a fun song, and it was so pretty and featured mermaids so she really enjoyed it. They have a great variety of books! I wish there was also a way to recommend books to carry because I would have loved to see the "Lil Libros" collection on the bookshelf for her. It is smaller than I had anticipated and parking was a little difficult but overall we enjoyed our time! Note: My boyfriend finds it a priority to buy books only written by BIPOC authors which is why we came. We thought all the books here were exclusively written by BIPOC since their website tagline reads "Readers of all ages and backgrounds will have a wonderful time exploring our store of books written by BIPOC writers" so we were surprised when we got home and looked at the back of the book and saw a photo of an author that was not in fact a BIPOC author. We googled it to double confirm and confirmed they were in fact not BIPOC. The book itself features LGBTQ characters, which is great, but I think we needed that clarification on our part. read more

I was visiting Pasadena from the Bay Area. Planned ahead of time to drop by Octavia's Bookshelf while in town. So glad there is an independent black book store in Pasadena AND so happy to have been greeted by two lovely young black women, one being the proprietor. The books to choose from are diverse - fiction, nonfiction, poetry, cookbooks, etc. I bought a poetry book. I wish I had more time to browse. I highly recommend. I shall return. read more

Wonderful store, a space we truly needed in this community. The staff is welcoming and friendly. I truly appreciate the wide selection and variety of Black, Indigenous, Asian, and diverse array of authors. Having an independent bookstore in Pasadena/Altadena area is critical, and this space is more than a bookstore but also a community space where they offer workshops, host book panels, and offer resources to the community. read more

What a gem. The store and staff exceeded expectations. A small, but carefully curated and displayed space. I had only read "Kindred" and another book by O. Butler to read was purchased in addition to two mysteries by authors new to me. Excited to dig into my new books. read more

Heard about this place and decided to check it out with the fam. Absolutely loved it! Quite a cozy and welcoming feel. It was full of so many books I've read or have on my to-read list! It's nicely decorated and laid out by genre with cute themed signs overhead. They have a little bit of everything: memoirs, YA, children's, graphic novels, cookbooks, fiction, non-fiction, LGBTQ+, greeting cards & gifts! Everyone in the family got something from the 4 year old to the parents :) It was worth the trip from the South Bay! read more