Some places, some people, and some creatures have soul. A place that stops your tracks - you'll find all of that in this sweet little bookstore. A lovely selection of book, extremely thoughtful human, and officially our favorite cat spokes-creature out there. A delightful range of books and ideas for reading in this store right near Berkeley's campus. I hope you will visit. Places like this are so important to our community. read more

Lovely little bookshop. You can tell the owner is a gentle soul and Lyla the cat is definitely the queen. We didn't find the book we were looking for but it still was a joy to pop in. read more

This is such a cute bookstore! It's very small, and if you're in the mood to browse a curated collection of books or art--it's the place for you. read more

The bookstore itself was small, but had quite a few decent selections in terms of books. I personally enjoyed looking at the postcards and stickers available. The real star of the show was Lyla and her owner. Both are the sweetest and most charming and soothing individuals I have ever met. I would love to see Lyla again. I miss her already. read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Lyla - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Sleepy Cat Books is absolutely charming and peaceful, and the owner and his cat are wonderful. Dropped by on a whim on a Saturday evening and immediately fell in love with this place. There was no one else inside and it was quiet except for the soft sounds of birdsong that the owner was playing while his cat slept on the counter and he sat with her, petting her. There's a really great selection of new and used books here along with other neat odds and ends. I picked up a novel and a postcard of classic Japanese art, both of which were incredibly affordable. The owner was a very soft-spoken man and happily let me pet his cat when I asked if I could do so. She's a sweetheart and seemed completely in heaven, laying there sleeping. She woke up and looked at me as I pet her, then feel back asleep after a few more pets. The owner gave me a free bookmark with my purchase, which has a photo of his cat on the back. I thought that was a really nice touch. I'd be happy to come back and encourage you to give this place a visit. read more

Right when I walked in I was "greeted" by a very rude employee. Very unwelcoming! I love books and wanted to look around, but chose to take my business elsewhere. read more

The owner is the sweetest person ever! Such an amazing variety of books (new and used) and Lila is the sweetest kitty ever! Prices are very reasonable. He even threw in a freebie for me, which I really really appreciated!! I will absolutely be visiting again! read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Lila AKA the sweetest baby!! - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

I knew the previous iteration in Orinda. This bookstore is the labor of (intellectual) love of one person, the proprietor. And a hell of a cat. Get a bookmark and please return soon. read more

The cat was indeed very sleepy. There's a good selection of books, with a lot of recent releases in international fiction. I liked that there was a lot of Asian literature available here, like Han Kang's award-winning works! And, of course, I had to get a cat-related book :)) read more

See all

This is a cute little used bookstore with some new books as well, and a huge selection of postcards! I came in here to pick up a postcard for a school project, and left with a great book to gift to a friend of mine. I also got to see the gorgeous sleepy cat! A very enjoyable place to visit. read more

Amazing vibes and a lovely place to find books. Not a large selection, but well-curated.

We stopped by sleepy cat books on a whim while visiting the tennis team at UC Berkeley and it was awesome!! It's not big but the quality of the selection was really wonderful! We have a large collection of books at home so it's often difficult find gems we might not have. Sleepy Cat Books came through with a translation of The Cat Who Saved Books!! We met Lyla and purchased some ghibli prints. Highly recommend for a day out and about around Berkeley read more

such a cute and fun bookstore!! they had high quality used books and a wide selection. and the cat was so sleepy, plus the service was so amazing! The worker there was so kind and friendly, definitely recommend supporting this shop :) read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came near closing and was the only person in the store. The owner was nice even though the cat was sleeping. Very cute and fun to see the cat. read more

Cute little book store down the street from Moe's Books run by Lyla the cat & her owner, who are both soft-spoken. Had fun browsing thru the extensive postcard selection. read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love, love, love this bookstore on Telegraph Ave.! First- the name is everything AND if you're lucky (which you'll probably always be) get to meet Lyla! The friendliest, cutest (and sleepiest) cat you'll ever meet! Sleepy Cat Books has a ton of books for all sorts of book lovers! I won't even go over genre because you just have to walk in there. It's def a book lovers safe-haven. Books, posters, bookmarks. It's just really cute inside lol You can probably spend hours just walking from wall to wall, trying to figure out what you're next read will be. So if you're looking for a new book to read, check them out! They have an Instagram, too! read more

See all

Such a lovely place. It felt magical, like Kiki's delivery service or something out of practical magic. Golden beautiful light, bright, and a lovely cat and proprietor. I was able to look through the many fun postcards to send to some friends and pick up a book as well. Highly recommend!! read more

Love this bookstore! The owner is very kind and his cat is adorable. It felt very homey and cozy in there. Highly recommend!

Cute book store on Telegraph less than 10min walk from UC Berkeley! The store is small but have a decent selection and the price is very good (compared to other bookstores) as other reviews mentioned. I was walking back from a nails appointment a decided to stop by since I've been wanting a copy of Dostoyevsky's White Nights and wanted to see if they had one. Everything was organized and therefore easy to find. It's quiet but comforting and upon checking out, Lyla appeared! She's friendly and will greet you but I was short on time so I couldn't take a picture or play with her (definitely ask for permission first!). Will be back to check out more books and see Lyla again! Also, the owner is soft spoken and is very sweet! read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Bookmark of sleeping Lyla! - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

OK first of all, there's actually a sleepy cat here! So cute and completely unbothered by all the bookworms coming through. I love this tiny, quiet little bookstore. Perfect for the true book lover, lots of popular books but also classics can be found up on the shelf. Really any kind of reader can find something in here, despite the size of this little gem! They also have cute little jukeboxes on top of the shelves, just adding even more charm to this super charming shop. I love browsing the titles found here. Sleepy Cat Books is the perfect local gem that everyone should visit and stop by soon! read more

See all

A small yet mighty bookstore. It has a great selection of books despite its petite size. They have a range of self help, fiction, philosophical, poetic, and nonfiction books to select from. The owner is very nice and he has a cute cat that you may pet with his permission. He also has used and new books to choose from. Their used books are cheap and the prices are fair. I usually leave with $20-$40 worth of books. The layout is reminiscent of a bookstore in a movie, and it's so cozy and welcoming. Definitely wished it was open when I was still a student. read more

Coziest atmosphere made even better by the lovely book-protector, Lyla the cat. Sometimes I walk by just to see her and say hi, she really makes my day. Owner is sweet and has excellent recommendations, he's always extremely helpful and will order a book if it's not in stock. I'be been buying my college books here for 4 years now and I'll definitely continue visiting after I graduate! read more

The best independent bookstore in Berkeley! I absolutely love coming here to pick up new reads and to see Lyla, of course! The owner and Lyla are the sweetest and the store is just so charming. My favorite thing is the bookmarks you get along with your books, as they feature Lyla! Always a pleasure visiting :) read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I prefer borrowing books from libraries whenever I can but for Sleepy Cat, I make an exception! This quaint, small bookstore is so peaceful and lovely. I come here if I want a day to myself to explore some new books! They also sell cute prints with ghibli characters, Harry Potter, etc. Lyla is the most beautiful cat I've ever seen! She's sleeping most of the time but I've been given permission by the owner (who is such a sweet man) to pet her and she's SO SOFT When you purchase a book you get a bookmark with Lyla sleeping on it, which is an added bonus :) The shop is small so they have a limited book selection- mostly literary novels and non fiction books. If you're looking for some more niche titles, you may not find them here. That being said, I believe they can order a book if it's unavailable for you to pick up in the future. read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Have always wanted to go here since I saw that a cat lives in bookstore! I'm a crazy cat lady, so I had to check it out. Came here on a quiet Monday afternoon, and there were a few people in the store. I came in with the intention to meet Lyla, but I also bought a new book! The owner is a very sweet and soft spoken man, and we shared stories of our cats with each other (I also have a cute white kitty). He was super helpful when it came to finding the book I wanted too. I recommend this place if you love books and love cats! read more

See all

Sleepy Cat Books was the highlight of my bookstore visits when I was in the Bay Area this past weekend. Great selection, fairly priced, and wonderful service. Loved the resident cat as well. I will definitely return next time I'm in the area! read more

The shopowners are very kind and there really is a white cat inside :) the prices are very good and selection is great!

Stopped by after having not shopped in stores in-person for a long time. And it is great to see Sleepy Cat Books is still there, and the Sleepy Cat is still there. I buy lots of books every year, and admittedly sometimes I buy from amazon and the like because I need things fast. But Sleepy Cat offers a curated experience that nowhere else compares. Sure, you can find this book a few dollars cheaper somewhere else, but there are many books that I didn't know I wanted and yet they are there, like hidden treasures. I walked out on a rare, hard-cover book called 'confessions from a PhD', signed by the author.... And, some books by Joyce Carol Oates. Decently priced (around $10 each). Great condition. Serene atmosphere. Good to have no one following me around and seeing the owner actually reading a book next to the sleepy cat. read more

Quiet and chill. It's a cute store to shop for books. I love Lyla!! (She's the sleepy cat in the bookstore) read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Lyla walking around inside Sleepy Cat Books. She is standing underneath a table. - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Great selection of books, great value, and super kind service. The kitty Lyla at the front desk was my favorite highlight of my experience here. read more

Loved coming across this charming little bookstore that lived up to its name! Very nice owner and good selection of books to browse. read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Window Display - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

This is a lovely bookstore and new to my neighborhood. Well displayed books and incredibly clean. Very good quality used books and there are two lovely cats there. Just great. I am going to try and sell some books here today so will update with that experience. Edit - sold some books there today and got a fair price for what were mostly contemporary fiction. I am very happy with the transaction. I would sell there again. I saw one of the cats moving around and one cat sleeping. Very fun! read more

The shop owner is SUPER kind. It's such a cute little shop and Lyla the cat is adorable!!! The $3 book selections out front are pretty cool and the selection inside the store are amazing!!! I got a little carried away with book shopping but no regrets!! Definitely coming back here again read more

See all

I just discovered Sleepy Cat Books on Telegraph near Dwight. The owner does have a very sweet, slumbering cat at the register. You can tell that everything about the shop is lovingly done, as though it had been a dream to someday open a small, neighborhood bookstore. It is just the kind of place one wants to give business to and forego Amazon and take care that it stays around. read more

Sleepy Cat is awesome! The vibe is peaceful and comfortable. The selection isn't huge but it's so well-curated you'll quickly find what you're looking for; this store does not have "shelf-filler" material. I found all my favorite books, and some new ones by my favorite authors. Plus, Lyla the cat is a kind and gentle kitty with a human to match! read more

Cute, small local book shop with an actual sleepy cat. I went in to look for a specific title, and while they didn't have it in they were more than willing to place an order for me to get the title as soon as possible. While this shop might not be as big or all encompassing as Moe's Books down the street, it's got a smaller and cozier vibe, and a cat! So be sure to give Sleepy Cat a look. read more

Wonderful bookstore with the two CUTEST cats, and kind owner. We came in and both cats were resting in their cat beds on the table in the back of the store. The owner introduced us to the cats (Oliver and Lyla) and answered all our questions about the cats and the books. I got to pet both cats, and they were both so soft and sleepy ended up buying a gently used book for ~$11, and will definitely come back for more books and pats :) read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Oliver and Lyla -- two sweet, sleepy cats - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Very reasonable pricing of books, wonderfully wide range of genres and topics, and fantastic staff picks. The owner has a very calming presence, and the shop's atmosphere is very relaxing. If I could give five stars to the sleepy cat herself, I would. Lyla is such a cutie. This is now my go to book shop. read more

The kindest and sweetest place at Berkeley. The atmosphere is so inviting and Jeff is such a kind business owner. Lyla is such a precious employee too ;) read more

Cute little bookstore with a perfect selection that is not too overwhelming. Jeff and his kitty Lyla (inspo for the name) are so sweet and if you're nice to them you can be added to their Polaroid wall dedicated to the Sleepy Cat herself. Thank you Jeff and Lyla for the experience !! read more

Sleepy Cat Books - Bookstores Near Me - Berkeley, California