Cancel

Open app

Search

Sleepy Cat Books

4.8 (92 reviews)
ModerateBookstores
Open 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM

Sleepy Cat Books Photos

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Sleepy Cat Books

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Lila AKA the sweetest baby!!
Apoorvi S.

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!

book!
Angel L.

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 :))

Alyssa H.

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 :)

Alice L.

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.

Rachel C.

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!

Bookmark of sleeping Lyla!
Diem N.

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!

Liz B.

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!

Abigael Osana T.

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 :)

See all

11 years ago

Very classy selection of books, and attractively displayed -- best used book store in the entire Lamorinda area!

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

The owner is very nice and the store has a large collection of books

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

I agree. Shop, Jeff and cats are SUPER ! -- Ahn

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

Page 3 of 3

Sleepy Cat Books Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Sleepy Cat Books

Are there 2 Bookstores,one in Orinda and the other in Berkeley with 2 different names?Sleepy town b00ks and Canettis,same owner and same kind of Books?

Thanks for asking! There is only one store: Sleepy Cat Books, located at 2509 Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley. Previously it was located in Orinda, and its original name was Canetti's Bookshop when it was founded in 2008.

View All 2 Questions

Review Highlights - Sleepy Cat Books

Lyla is of course an angel, but the owner is a very kind person and gave me some spot on recommendations.

Mentioned in 17 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Half Price Books

Half Price Books

4.0(373 reviews)
0.7 miDowntown Berkeley
$

Love this place. Come here all the time. The nice thing is that they have a network of them and…read moretheir inventory system is very good. You can order online of course; or go in the store and order them from another store which will ship over for free. I was able to find some (what I thought were) esoteric titles surprisingly. Staff are very friendly. Chairs here and there making it feel welcoming. Quite big and large selection. Very sad it's closing soon- grumble grumble landlord.... Hope it sprouts up somewhere else- not as if there aren't vacant retail properties ALL over the place. It's definitely an anchor to the block and the "arts district."

Save your time! Save your money!…read moreIt's time that they got what was coming. We came here and it was an absolute waste. Most of the stuff they have are packed up in the boxes that you can see in some of the pictures. You can also see they pulled a lot of stuff off the shelves and the prices are higher. I have a picture of two of the same books. One looks used. The other one looks new and one is 699 and the other one is 599. It isn't like one has a signature or anything. It's not special. It just cost more. The people who work there were kind of just hanging around in the back and not doing much. And they're already closed! I remember what the days when they were open until 10 11 o'clock at night but that was a long time ago back when they were relevant. I say it's karma because they didn't buy everybody's books. I have a picture of them saying they are no longer buying books. They don't buy books from Black people, full stop!And so. Bye!!! The problem they always said they had my books that my books are old. So why am I looking at a bookstore with nothing but old books. If they have separate pricing for Black people, they should just say that and suffered the consequences for that. This is a place I used to go to for all my books and I loved going there because I love getting a bargain, however, when I wanted to sell some books that's when things got funky. I find it interesting that I get more money from other places selling less books than I've ever gotten from them and I never did do my experiment where a white friend would walk in and sell my books so that I could see how much money she got. I bet she wouldn't have been told about how old her books are, which is hard to understand when the books are old as Methuselah! But, now they won't be my inspiration for purchasing off of Amazon, which is pretty much what they've become to me. I see a book in the store, look up the author and the book online, and if I can get it at my library or on Amazon, I will get it because I don't wanna waste money with people who say they buy books and don't buy them., full stop! Bye...

Photos
Half Price Books - Recent purchase of random selections.

Recent purchase of random selections.

Half Price Books - Ad Hoc@ Home + French Laundry set for $49.95 before tax!

Ad Hoc@ Home + French Laundry set for $49.95 before tax!

Half Price Books - Thomas Keller love: both for less than $50!

See all

Thomas Keller love: both for less than $50!

Clio's Bookstore and Bar - Partial reading area

Clio's Bookstore and Bar

4.0(121 reviews)
3.9 mi

I've been here a couple times, once for a community event and once to have drinks with a new friend…read more- both times did not disappoint! The vibe here is old skool intellectual lounge meets chic cocktail connoisseur. (Although I enjoyed a crisp glass of white wine during my second visit.) The literary selection in each room is vast and interesting. The seating is comfy. The staff are welcoming and fun. Moderately priced, Clio's is a must each month if you can swing it.

I have waited to write this review, but I'm seeing that other bipoc customers have had similar…read moreexperiences. I went to Clio's in the first 6 months of them opening and my partner and I have not been back. When I entered the space, I was excited to try something new- but it started when I went to order tea- I know now that the guy at the bar was the owner- I asked what kind of teas they had and he seemed annoyed at my question- like I was wasting his time. I had to ask again but then asked my partner who is white to deal with the rest of the ordering. We are a queer couple and both felt the vibes were hella off. Lots of white men in the space at that time. I also remember they didn't used to have any books by people of color. They had a "world" section of books though (lol) and throughout the rest of the place, a bunch of stuff written by white men. I feel like the stuff they have up now is a performative attempt to not appear what they actually are. I have not gone back since and don't recommend it

Photos
Clio's Bookstore and Bar - A Friday night at 10pm, busy and loud. Nice bartenders.

A Friday night at 10pm, busy and loud. Nice bartenders.

Clio's Bookstore and Bar - Blackberry sage shrub

Blackberry sage shrub

Clio's Bookstore and Bar - Interior

See all

Interior

Sleepy Cat Books - bookstores - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...