Lovely place to pop in, quite popular when we visited but the wait was not too long and the staff…read morewere friendly and quick. Coffee was tasty and reasonably priced. Plenty of seating options, and a whole wall of books to read. We didn't stay very long but it was pretty cozy, i recommend this as a place to visit when in the area

This coffee shop was the highlight of our recent trip to Chemainus. The owner and her right hand…read morewere so friendly and personable that they added to our experience. We had the iced Americano and a muffin and we would go back for both everyday if we could. I wish I could try all the baked goods as I am sure they are all equally delicious. They are made from ingredients from the owners farm so are super fresh. But alas we are from Phoenix, Arizona so it will be a year before we can return. If you are nearby do stop by! You will not be disappointed, I can assure you! The books, produce and lovely flowers for sale were an added bonus.

It is a small space but the proprietor (we were assuming she was there today) was really friendly…read moreand sweet and has a delightful curated collection. She is an avid reader like my teenage daughter bookworm and knew exactly the books my daughter loves and had some good ones for her to get enraptured in next. I loved the local gifts as well and picked up a nice honey balm along with some stickers. (I was admiring the embroidery kits as well but not the best with those unfortunately). Really sweet spot and looking forward to making this a regular part of our future visits!

Lovely find while visiting Squamish for the first time. Great selection of books and other items…read more(gifts, post cards, stickers) in a small space. Very friendly and welcoming employee (great customer service). Reasonable prices

MacLeod's Books is a used book store that has been around forever (50 years according to an article…read morea couple of years ago). The store is crammed with piles of books and it looks like a disorganized mess. I've always wondered how they have survived, but there are always people in the store whenever I have gone in, so business must be steady. I first started reading Stephen King over 30 years ago, and have been reading his books on and off for the last three decades. I have recently gotten back into regularly reading his books, and I have decided to read the books I had never read before (for example, I recently finished reading 'Salem's Lot and The Shining), as well as re-read the books I have read, some of which I have only read once, 25 to 30 years ago (such as The Green Mile and his collection, Different Seasons). One of the first few Stephen King books I read 30 years ago was The Bachman Books. For those of you who don't know, early on in his career, Stephen King published five novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman: Rage (1977), The Long walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), The Running Man (1982), and Thinner (1984). After it was discovered that Richard Bachman was Stephen King, the first four novels were published as a collection in 1985 known as "The Bachman Books". Rage is about a high school shooting, and King has asked that it no longer be published. Therefore The Bachman Books has become a collector's item, and King fans are always on the lookout for a copy in a used bookstore. In November 2024, I came very close to getting a copy. There is a local bookstore that sells used and new books, and I went to their website to see what Stephen King books they had in stock. I was surprised to discover that they had a copy of The Bachman Books on sale for $11! I ordered it, but ten minutes later the store called saying that unfortunately they had just sold the book that morning, after having had it in stock for several years. So close. For months, every so often, I would pop into MacLeod's Books when I was passing by, hoping to find that elusive copy of The Bachman Books. Despite never finding it (but one can hope!), MacLeod's has one of the best Stephen King collections. Their stock is always changing from one week to the next, so even if I had just been in the previous week, it was worth stopping in again. Sometimes there wasn't anything I was interested in, and sometimes I would walk out with a book or two. I've purchased several Stephen King books from MacLeod's over the past few months. A couple of weeks ago, I was running errands after work and was debating whether or not to stop in, as I would have to go a few blocks out of my way and I had been in about a week and a half prior. But I thought to myself, "What if this is the day they finally have it, and I decide not to go?" After carefully examining the Stephen King stock to be sure I didn't miss anything, I looked at the small pile of assorted books near the Stephen King section, and under several books I spied a familiar red spine. I HAD FOUND IT! I picked up the book and the store owner came up to me and said, "Hold on, I haven't priced these yet, I am in the process of putting out this new stock." I said, "I really really want this...." And he said, "It's a collector's item." Concerned, I responded, "I know... I'll pay you... $50..." He said, "Hmmm.... well, it IS a collector's item.... I'll sell it to you for... $15." Yes, only $15! I couldn't believe it! The store owner knew how valuable this book was and knew I was willing to pay $50, but he only charged me $15 (as opposed to $5 to $10 that he normally charges for pocket books). I finally have a copy of The Bachman Books! [Yelp collections: Libraries and Bookstores]

After having spoken to manager/owner of the store about what books they might like - I was in the…read moreprocess of downsizing - I carefully culled my books for them, brought them to a very busy intersection downtown Vancouver, where he met me with a trolley and boxes. He quickly went through my boxes of books, taking what he wanted, which was most of them, and paid me then and there. Pretty easy. When I told my son, who now lives in Britain, he said, 'well, they are the best secondhand store in the Vancouver area. I've been there many times.' My husband told me that when he was hunting for books on "The Raj' a few years ago, he was led right to them in the store. So all round, a winner, I'd say.

This is a book lovers dream store. There are stacks of books of every genre. The owner is…read moreincredibly knowledgeable and helpful. He easily connects with customers, helping people find what they need. If I lived closer, I'd be here weekly!

So deceptive from the outside. Before walking in, I assumed the interior would be as unassuming As…read morethe outside! I was clearly very wrong. Beautiful build in bookcases and shelves. Really engaging and helpful staff, many nook to bury your Nose in silence! We came and spent about 1.5 hours just being at peace with the stillness this place has to offer!

How do they do it?! Do the literary hounds of SSI simply have better taste then most? And take…read morebetter, much more gentle care of their books? Does the gulf island air make them give up their mint condition hard copies freely? Whatever Black Sheep Books is putting in the water - continue on, continue on. My guess is there is more then SSI generosity in the mix but that doesn't change the fact that this is perhaps my favorite used book store. Period. Why? Well first off, their staff picks section is a gold mine. Seriously. Every time I poke my head in the door I could easily take the entire four shelves of staff picks happily home with me. Second - they are organizational wizards. Their expansive fiction section is alphabetized to perfection, poetry is broken down by region, photography by subject, hobbies by... well hobbies. This two story building is a prime example of the right way to use a label maker. Thirdly - they have an excellent eye for rare and eccentric oldies. I will be honest, I am not the most astute when it comes to limited edition novellas but the section front and centre when you walk through the door boasts everything from full edition encyclopedias, to hard cover, leather bound copies of Gatsby, and on occasion, 50's smut... hellooo peek of a garter! Behave you! It's a playground of eye candy and definitely worth the shuffle through. Lastly, the prices are fantastic. Sure, the aren't the rock bottom prices you can find at some used book haunts but for the quality and condition of the books, it can't be beat - a hard copy version of the complete Maus series? $20. Most novels - big or small - $6-8. Plus, if there's something specific you seek they are absolutely excellent with making note and calling you... even if you happen to live in a completely different city. This place is aces. Book worms take note and pop in when you run away to the island...

Sea & Summit is one of the loveliest bookstores I've ever visited. It's beautiful and wonderfully…read moreorganized while everything within the store is perfectly curated. The selection of books is interesting and diverse and is complemented by a wide range of bookish gifts and accessories. This is a great destination whether you're looking for a new book or a present for a loved one.

In my opinion, this is the best bookstore on central Vancouver Island. Excellent customer service…read moreand an impressive inventory. Also, their website is well constructed and easy to navigate, which makes it easy to check their inventory or order books online.

Very small bookstore with a limited variety of genres. The featured books were the most…read moreinteresting. There's a lot of classic literature, and some displayed in an enclosed bookcase. Any bookstore is a good stop.

Such a cute little place, love browsing their shelves. They have a good collection of classic texts!read more

When the book I was interested in wasn't available at the Indigo store at Granville at Robson, the…read morestaff there looked it up in their database and advised me that this Coles bookstore had it in stock there, so I ventured off to Bentall Center on Burrard to check it out. Unfortunately, this was on the weekend. This Coles bookstore is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. I've not heard of retail stores that were closed on weekends! Honestly, that's really inconvenient for a lot of people! And it closes at 5pm on weekdays, FYI. Anyhow, I ventured back again during the week and I was very impressed with this store (despite its abbreviated hours of operation). The selection of books was quite good (considering the store itself is not large), and there are some good prices to be had (especially on classics. They were offering three classic literature books for $10 when I was there). Most impressive was the staff: there was an engaging lady and a man working when I visited and both couldn't have been more pleasant or helpful. I could have chatted with them much longer, about books and Vancouver and the States (we just moved here from Seattle) and more, but I arrived at the store at 4:30pm and, well, there wasn't much time before they closed for browsing and lengthy chatting. But they were super nice and very knowledgeable about new publications and where I could find certain books in print and recommendations for me to find Stanley Park trail maps, etc. I also liked how they have a reward program and card, as I am a book junkie and plan on doing lots of business here and at Indigo.

Convenient small bookstore in the underground Bentall mall network downtown. Great for some lunch…read morehour book/magazine browsing, or grabbing a decent last minute gift for that office holiday gift exchange you forgot about!

Great selection of books and great ambience , this store is always a pleasant visit .., also has a…read morenice selection of journals , cards , and notebooks , we love a mountain small village bookstore , highly recommend a visit

As far as I can tell - this is the only book store in Whistler…read more Stopped in to find a book to read at night - reading helps me fall asleep. Was looking for the first book in the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind entitled "Wizard's First Rule." I was skeptical that such a small book store would have it - but lo and behold - they did have one copy! So I snagged that - along with a couple of other books I was not planning on buying. One on the development challenges around building the community of Whistler; and a second book on Bears of the area. The young lady who assisted me was very nice and helpful. Cool little book store! Check them out while in Whistler for your reading needs!