OK here is what you get when you come to Ophelia's Books: a three-story bookstore next to a record music store (shout out to Jive Records) AND has resident cats inside being all cute and silly as you shop around and browse. Oh, also super unique and adorable in the heart of Fremont. I came in looking for a popular book and I was so happy they had it in stock! My purchase was a new book but there were plenty of gently used books too. My eyes did so much wandering and reading on every single corner as I navigated through the store. When I realized there was a black handsome kitty cat getting settled in a cat bed on top of a bookshelf, I gushed and let him smell me before I gave him a pet (you know - pet rule is they gotta smell ya first). I want to say his name is Archive and I only heard one of the employees talking to him as they tended to the store and books. He was super sweet to me as I browsed the basement floor level of books. I bought a tote bag to bring back home to Texas with me too. The bookstore logo cat design is just super unique and is a great sturdy tote. I was able to place my records in there too so it is sizable for vinyl records too! Friendly service and kind recommendations based off of the book I purchased. Thank you for stocking me up for my plane ride back home. read more

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5/5 they have store cats. Haha but in all honestly, it's a fantastic used bookstore in the Fremont area. It looks small when you first enter, but it actually has three floors. There's even a cute sitting area in the children's section! The store is well organized and they have a large selection of books to choose from. The books are well priced for used books. Definitely stop in if you're walking around the Fremont area! And if you're nice, the cats might even let you pet them. :) read more

Discovered this place while walking around Fremont. I love small, local bookstores like this. They are my weakness and anytime I see one, it's a must that I go in. Ophelia's is uniquely situated as it is multi-level and kinda cramped inside. When walking around, know that you will literally rub shoulders with other patrons. I'm a cookbook collector, so that's the first section I always want to visit. The cookbooks are downstairs and to get there, you have to descend down the very steep, somewhat manufactured, spiral stairs. Watch your step as you could easily trip and wind up looking like a pretzel at the bottom of the stairs. The books selection is great and there are some absolute gems in there. I got 3 great cookbooks and my mom, who is a huge David Crosby fan, found his memoir. What's the best part about this place? They have a cat! He is all black and only one years old. He was raised in the store so he's used to being around strangers. I was delighted to see him downstairs, sleeping away on one of the shelves. I absolutely loved this gem of bookstore and plan to return. read more

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Yes yes yes. We visit here often, not only to pick up books, but also to meet Boris and Arkady. I hope I got their names right. It is a beautiful cozy bookstore in Fremont, and they have a really stunning collection from classics, to children's literature, to fantasy to almost every genre. read more

This bookstore looks deceivingly small from the outside, but it's actually a 3 storied, charming bookstore. They have a great selection of sci-fi, contemporary, mystery, horror to witchcraft. You can spend hours over here. They have gently used as well as new books. I have always gone home with one or more books every time I have stopped here! The kitties at the store are definitely the highlight! read more

There's nothing more Seattle than a three-story bookstore with two cats. I stumbled upon Ophelia's Books while dining at a nearby Thai restaurant. I have zero self-restraint when it comes to books, so I pretty much sprinted here post-meal. This rustic store has three floors and tall ceilings, all lined with gorgeous, gorgeous, books. There's a mix of new and used books, all merged into one space. As you can imagine, it smells glorious. If you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of one of their resident cats. I believe the male's name is Bruce, which is the cutest thing ever. There's a different vibe to each floor. The basement gives off grunge, with a number of shelves filled with fantasy and sci fi books. The upstairs is incredibly cozy, filled with both children and YA books. On the main floor, you'll find the remainder of the genres, as well as a number of fun bookish souvenirs. Insanely jealous of anyone who can join one of their advertised book clubs. read more

What an adorable little bookstore! It's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside! There's a basement and an upstairs little area as well! They have both used and new books at reasonable prices and so many cute little things here and there to browse. Would definitely come back again to browse their selection of books! read more

Ophelia's Books - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Our favorite bookstore in Seattle! This bookstore appears small from the outside, but you'll be surprised it has three levels! We found 2 of the cutest black cats downstairs, they LOVE the little toys and are so soft and playful. Here you will find a wonderful selection of books. If you're looking for cute little books and/or cute merchandise, you'll surely find them here! read more

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Super cute store! Popped in while waiting on the bus. They have a decent selection relative to what I expected looking at the outside. There's a loft and a basement area and they maximize the space. Helpful and kind staff - I plan to come back some time to browse more thoroughly. Seemed reasonable in price for used and new options. read more

Ophelia's Books - Exterior - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We were impressed with the variety and curation; often used bookstores have a lot of crippy crap but these shelves were filled with great options. The space was cozy and had three levels to peruse. Most of the used books we picked up were $8-12 for paperback and $12-20 for hardback. The shopkeeper was so kind and also gave us a tote for our purchases. Hopefully we can wander the aisles again soon. read more

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First time going here and it was an awesome experience! The shop owner is so kind. It's a classic representation of what a book store should be, complete with the two cutest, fluffiest store kitties. They have a great variety of books and the general energy of the store is very happy, whimsical, and just a wonderful place to be in. I was also able to get a great photo of one of the cats and wanted to share it! read more

Ophelia's Books - One of the kitties. - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I was looking for a good used book store since moving to town and I loved it at Ophelia's Books! I thought it was very cozy, organized, and it contains a great selection of books with great prices! They have 3 floors of books which I was not expecting since it looks small from the outside. Employees are very helpful too if there's something specific you are looking for! read more

Ophelia's Books - cool spiral staircase! - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Fun vibes, a couple cats, promoting small authors/artists, and friendly staff. Always an enjoyable stop on my walk

I loved this bookstore!! The books are all used books which I love (sustainable!). It is also incredibly ORGANIZED, which does wonders when looking in a used bookstore. Most of the ones I've been to it's hard to find books when they are all mixed together. They have an upstairs kids section AND a downstairs room with sci-fi and more. They also had a nice collection of books of interest like photography, art books, graphic novels, and many vintage books. There's a lot to love packed into this place. PLUS the price was good! (for used books). read more

Used book selection 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Amazing used book store. Mostly sells used books but offers some new copies of books. Has a good variety of current best sellers and older used books. read more

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I love stumbling into bookshops and this was a fun place to explore. Ophelia's Books is located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. With three floors of books, one can find themselves spending a ton of time exploring here. Books are well organized and decently priced. Really loved the spiral staircase that leads to the basement. Cozy, independent bookshops like these will always hold a special place in my heart. 5/5. read more

Ophelia's Books - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What lovely selection & knowledgeable staff! My heart beats for bookstores like this one.

When one imagines a cozy, local used bookstore, this is what they imagine. I can totally see this place in a movie or any number of small towns across the country. This is not only a great space, it is full of interesting and unusual books. My only complaint here is the book prices. I didn't see anything less than $6, even the fairly beat-up looking kids fare. read more

This is my favorite bookstore in Washington. The woman who runs it is so friendly and kind! The shop itself is cozy and feels like a hidden gem. It's a hipster book-lover's dream. The prices are good, too. Highly recommend checking this place out. read more

Ophelia's Books - My favorite book, The Catcher in the Rye, bought from Ophelia's Books. - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Wow! I've been to tons of books stores and gotten buried in the shelves of resale book shops before . . . but not much compares to the wealth of selection and hard to find titles that Ophelia's has to offer! Located right in the heart of Fremont, this little gem of a shop is one of a kind and one certainly that needs to be on your personal best seller list! They have three levels of reading delights for you to peruse and get lost in. The upper loft is dedicated to young adult readers - while the main level and downstairs has the adult books (classic literature, new titles, history, mystery, true crime, science fiction, non fiction, sports, etc.). My wife and I easily spent an hour there yesterday and could've just pulled up a chair and a warm beverage and spent the whole day there! Friendly staff and a friendly kitty will help you feel welcome. Definitely one of my new favorite book stores! Great selection . . . great prices . . . a win-win for everyone! read more

very nice and so many books! Employees were super nice and asked if we needed help finding anything. A warm place to look around during a cold and rainy day! read more

I really dig this shop. Spiral staircase down to the historical and fantasy tomes ... and bunnies, for some reason. A cat that doesn't mind the affection of bibliophiles. A loft for the children's section. And hundreds of bound, paper friends to be bought and brought home or read on a sunny day in the park. Some of them new, others an old dog just waiting for another master. To me, small, indie shops like this will always have a leg up on Amazon. They've often got a really diverse selection of obscure reads and this one's got the friendly staff and neat and cozy, little corners to tuck yourself away in for a bit. read more

Ophelia's Books - Shop kitty there to answer all your questions ... and play with string. - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This bookstore is awesome; like a mini Powell's bookstore! The prices there are pretty fair and they have a great selection of books. At first, I thought the store was really small because the main and top floors looked very compact. The set up made me feel a bit claustrophobic. I asked the guy working there to refer me to the cook book section and he pointed to this really narrow stairway that wrapped around to the basement level. Make sure you don't wear high heels because you might trip and injure yourself. At the basement level, there is surprisingly a lot of room filled with bookshelves. Everything is pretty organized where you can easily find the genre that you're looking for. I enjoyed coming here and walked away buying four (in very good condition) books. Great bookstore!! read more

Ophelia's is a bookstore where I stop by every day on my lunch break, just to check what's there. Both the owner and her employee (both named Lisa) are extremely friendly, and good about learning the customers' preferences. Named for the original (now long gone) store cat, Ophelia's remains cat-friendly with two cheerful felines -- Oliver and Claudia -- who reign over the store. With two floors (connected by a somewhat nerve-wracking spiral staircase) and a loft, there are tons of used books to just browse through. It, along with B. Brown and Associates a few blocks away, is one of my two favorite used bookstores in the city. And unlike B. Brown (which specializes in science fiction and fantasy), Ophelia's covers pretty much any topic you can think of. So, why does Ophelia's get a five-star review from me? Because they are unsurpassed in my experience at finding difficult-to-get books, from overseas releases on to out-of-print editions of Folio Society tomes. And as I said, the staff are astonishingly good at knowing what the regulars will want. Frequently, I'll walk in and discover that a few new books have come in and already been put on the hold shelf for me, without my having asked... and sure enough, they're a book I find interesting and pick up. Sure, it's not the University Bookstore; you'll not find the latest release. On the other hand, how many other stores do you know where you'll stumble across some interesting fantasy novel, a reference on Victorian scandals with actual contemporary newspaper articles, /and/ a 1930's edition of Newton's Principia Mathematica all in the same visit? And with a welcoming atmosphere and tons of nooks and crannies to get lost in, it's a book-browser's dream. read more

Ophelia's Books - Oliver (left) and Claudia (right) gaze out at the world outside the bookshop. - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is such a wonderful and cute little bookstore! It's quite small, but they pack a lot inside. There's a fun little third floor with a balcony overlooking the main floor, and then a spiral staircase leading downstairs. The team that works there is super wonderful and talkative, and their Covid precautions are fantastic! I strongly recommend checking this place out if you're looking for a thoughtful little book for yourself or someone else read more

Amazing spot with a large selection of books. Reasonable prices and such a nice staff. Cute interior that made this very worth the pit stop! Will definitely be back. read more

I missed the pets but they've gone to a better place. Nice place to check out and hang out. Low key atmosphere. Reminiscent of the old times. Great staff(or owner?) she's cool. read more

Called to see if they had a few books I was looking for. She had two out of the three I was looking for. My book was pulled to side and picked up the next day, really cute place, nicely organized, fairly priced! read more

Small but great selection. Found a couple Wendell Berry books I've been on the hunt for. There is a good mix of old and new books. Apparently the bunnies aren't there anymore though. read more

My local favorite--good prices, good selection, good customer service. I love the spiral staircase.

Okay, I have a bit of an embarrassing confession to make: I'm deathly scared of metal, spiral staircases. Reason being that as a young (and quite handsome) lad, I was involved in a horrible accident with such a treacherous entity while vacationing off the coast of Northern California. It was a blustery day, with the army of white caps storming over the ocean waves outside. Game night it is! My four year-old brother (who is also my twin, which would thus make me four years of age as well, in case your mind was lapsing on the concept of a "twin") and I teamed up against our parents for a sure-to-win victory over whatever game was chosen. Now, we were almost set: hot chocolate w/ mallows = made, board game = setup, blanket = ...wait! I needed my blanket! Surely I couldn't win outside the warmth of that lovely stretch of fabric! So upstairs I ran, bounding up the spiral staircase like a damn wallaby on a mission. Grabbed Mr Blankie and off I went. Everything was going swimmingly during my descent, but my fatal mistake occurred around step number nine - roughly half way through. Being the amateur-spiral-staircase-descender that I was, I neglected to keep a tight grasp on my blanket. A corner spilled out of the (not so) ironclad grasp of my hands, falling directly in the path of my thunderous footie pajamas. Murphy's Law took hold and... BAM! David's forehead, say hello to metal railing. Metal railing, this is David's forehead. The volume of tears greatly outnumbered the amount of blood - but that didn't stop the fear from being embedded in my heart and soul FOREVER. I refused to sleep upstairs - where all the beds had been located - residing in a makeshift bedroom on the first floor, just so I wouldn't have to encounter that pile of twisted steel and death appeal during the remainder of the trip. Even an oneirologist-in-training would have found my brain filled with evil staircase thoughts that evening! Since that day, I never set foot on a spiral stair case again - until Ophelia's Books came into my life. I won't lie, the sight of such a stair case frightened me a bit. Years had passed since my little/big incident and thankfully, spiral staircases are fairly non-existent in modern architecture, so I've never had to worry much. But the time has come for me to grab hold of my fear, take it out to a nice seafood dinner, and NEVER call it again. So I did. Ophelia's is the kind of book store I like - complete with the requisite old book smell, multiple cats and well... books. Lots of books. All of which were reasonably priced, too! Fantastic cook books, fiction galore, humorous books, historical books, books with pages/words/pictures, piano books, naughty books (with pictures!), old books with that fun gold edging and a binding larger than my Grandma's bunion, books for only a buck (specifically: a dollar, not a male deer), and even just your normal paperbacks. Even if you have climacophobia, don't let that scare you from stepping into (pun intended) Ohpelia's Books and taking a gander at the treasures within. read more

Ophelia's Books is a gem of a used bookstore. From the outside it looks small and potentially disorganized, as small used bookstores tend to be. Step inside, however, and you'll realize that your initial impression was completely wrong. They've got a loft with young adult books, a coffee table and a couch for reading - couches in used bookstores are essential, in my opinion. They've got the main floor for fiction and literature and they've got the basement (reached by a tightly wound spiral staircase) packed full of perfectly organized nonfiction. It seems that not a title is out of place in this shop, despite the frequent visitors and the resident cat. (To be the fair the cat isn't the mayhem-causing type - even if you try to pet it, it will mostly ignore you.) Many used bookstores in Seattle are going out of business it seems but I'll keep spending my book money at Ophelia's and hope that this particular store can survive! read more

This is how a used bookstore should be like. There are a lot of books here, but a lot of books you want to read. Some used bookstores have a bunch of crap but I always seem to find something I want to read here. They always seem to have a couple Terry Southern books which are kind of hard to find. And the people who work here are pretty nice and helpful. Big plus being right next to Jive Time records so I can rock and read! Zipzap Zubidy Bop! read more

Long before I reached puberty (incidentally, also long before The Internets) and discovered that The Story of O was not simply the book after the Story of N and before the Story of P, but in fact a very grownup tale about sadomasochism, I had--I swear--a children's book called The Story of O. Maybe it was The History of O. Or the Something of O, but at any rate, it was a book about a world in which the government was so strict it banned more and more people from using said letter--until only the (Yelp?) elite were allowed to write, speak, or read "O". This of course caused all kinds of confusion among the people, who had a hell of a time trying to count down three tw ne and tell time at a quarter to nn. And thank gd this was pre-internets, because when stuck for extra letters, they couldn't even Gggle it. Think of the hardships. Calamity ensued. WTF does this have to do with Ophelia's? Because there was, and I remember this line in particular, a young girl so unfortunate as to be named Ophelia Oliver. O, Feelya Liver. I never knew thee. but I felt your angst. I was a very angsty six. I'd like to think poor Ophelia escaped from the pages of that O story one day and made it to Ophelia's, where she curls up unseen on some cozy top shelf in the linguistics section, pets the cat, and plots her revenge. She sells good books at good prices and she saved Number 9 Dream special for me so I could eat it in the cafe next door. I mean read. Or do I mean eat? May never knO. read more

Great quaint little book store with a massive selection. Very well organized with options for anyone looking and nice staff as well!

My brother pointed out a book shop down in SF and wondered how they remain in business. "Doesn't online shops like Amazon just blow them out of the water?" "Not when you want a book RIGHT FRICKEN NOW." My book purchases are impulse buys. And they're always from little shops like Ophelia's. I don't mind used books one bit, and I like not having to sit around waiting for delivery. Especially since I never think about ordering books I want to read when I'm at home. I walked into this shop and one of the resident kitty cats decided I was worth talking to. This little gato followed me around for the next 20 minutes while I browsed, meowing at me and rubbing itself against my leg. How can I resist? I learned the secrets of scratching a kitty's ears and neck just the way they like long ago. How they know I know, I don't know, but they know. Maybe it's because I can meow at them in a manner that makes them think I'm a fellow feline. At least, the other humans in the store thought I was another cat in conversation with this mouthy mouser. I got a kick out of how the adult books are situated on a shelf above eye level along the entrance into the entry level shelves. I thought it was pretty funny how the upstairs loft, where all the childrens' books are located, has a low ceiling--too low for an adult like me, but the perfect height for a kid to browse. I recently have been looking for Isaac Asimov's Foundation series in different book stores around town. I read that them back in high school and remembered loving them. Ophelia's had almost all of them, located down a spiral staircase in their downstairs area. I made sure to buy them all. Along with several Heinlein books I've been meaning to read. They had an interesting 'true crime stories' section. Several titles in there that looked fascinating. I looked for a book called "Pimp" that I have been wanting to read, but alas, no luck. It's a used book store, though. Maybe next time. 10 books and $18 later, and I was out of there with enough material to keep me procrastinating finishing my work/taxes/yard/house-cleaning for a good two months. read more

Every bookstore is improved by the presence of a cat. Imagine my joy when, already enchanted by the spiral staircase and my complete solitude in the bowels of the store, I spotted a lovely little feline asleep on top of the shelves. Underneath her (him?) were shelves and shelves of plays, which are always a pain to find even in new bookstores. I browsed until I had to consider the fact that I'm a starving artist. When I brought my (very reasonably-priced) play anthologies to the counter, the clerk bantered with me about the picture of Ionesco on one of the covers. Even though a bookstore doesn't provide service the way a restaurant does, I always appreciate an effort to make customers feel welcome and at ease, especially if they have some knowledge of whatever subject the customer clearly finds interesting. I will certainly be back for the chat, in all senses. read more

cat cat cat cat cat cat cat come here cat I must bother you no don't run out the door! cat cat cat cat cat cat cat Bookstores should have staircases and cats. This bookstore has several of each. read more

I've been taking Ophelia Books for granted. It wasn't until I heard a false rumor of the store closing that I realized how special they are. Ophelia Books is where you go to be inspired by something unusual or to treasure hunt for out of print gems. I still have regrets about not buying some of the bat-sh** crazy vintage non-fiction I've unearthed in their lower depths. They also have a very respectable myth and religion section, not to mention a fun tucked-away "smut and drugs" shelf. Drop into Ophelia's and next time someone annoyingly asks you "watcha reading?"; they won't yawn when you answer. Prices range from cheapos on the bargain shelf to more spendy (but definitely worth it) one of a kind treasures. read more

Top notch customer service. I was greeted on my way in and asked if I needed anything, and not in a creepy way. They helped me find some vacation reading I was looking for and told me more about the books I was purchasing. Overall, terrific experience and I'll be back and I'm bringing my Bibliophile husband along! read more