This bookstore is what dreams are made of…read more Serendipity books on San Juan Island is hands down my favorite bookstore. Not only does it have small town flare, but it also has the largest assortment of used books that I've personally seen. The store sits inside a small house on the main strip of San Juan Island. It looks tiny from the outside, but, oh wow, does it hold entire worlds inside. There's a multitude of rooms all themed after each genre. You'll find everything from cookbooks, history, fantasy, young adult, sci-fi, history, fiction, self help, and autobiographies. Like other reviewers have mentioned you might have to do a bit of digging, as most of the books are stacked since they do not have the space on the shelves. Something else to note is that they do not allow food and drink inside, but they do have the cutest fireplace for you to place your hot coffee or tea on to keep it warm. Highly recommend checking out this spot when you're on San Juan Island, and be sure to stop by next-door to pick up a homie style lunch.

Wow! I'm glad I stumbled upon this cute book shop - serendipity, indeed! I did find a lot of…read moredifferent genres, so it's worth exploring. Personally, I was looking for the science fiction / fantasy section, and yep, I found one of interest! It was perfect. Others were stopping by and were couples. Unfortunately due to scheduled travel times, I could not spend unmarked amounts of time getting lost and wandering amongst the tomes. I will have to stumble my way back sometime in the future!

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...

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.

Great place lady that works there was very helpful and i was able to find what i was looking for…read moreand they also give you free hand made bagds

Best for: discounts on new cookbooks…read more Huge space, lots of books and yet... their selection seems small. I can't usually find what I'm looking for, new or used. Shelves are a bit too close together for browsing. More signs indicating genre and letter of alphabet would be nice. As for browsing.. I wish they had displays and handwritten reviews, tables highlighting new releases by genres, etc. Their new releases shelves are shockingly small and oddly placed upstairs. What a great space! It just needs help with the browsing experience.

Forget Munro's Book on Government St., this is where it's at. Honestly the outside is not…read moreremarkable at all, as the mini strip mall and immediate surroundings are deceiving. The inside is way different being bright, spacious and airy...and best of all 2 floors with an elevator and escalator. While there is a lot to look at as a casual browser, the kids/toddler book section was pretty impressive. There was a large variety and some quality items were even on clearance markdowns which I could never recall seeing at any bookstore in my lifetime. The currency conversion works out in with U.S. dollars too. Overall I think it's worth a tourist stop if visiting in town.

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!

Always friendly staff with a good selection of books in the store, and they will gladly order in…read moreanything you may want. Their prices are good, especially for an independent bookstore, and their loyalty program even helps with that. The store itself is cozy without being too cluttered, and there is always something new to see. The website is also very useful and well-done, and ordering books through it is easy. This is a great local store, and I'm happy to support it!

I shop here pretty frequently, and I have to say that the staff at Volume One are pretty great…read more It's clear that they've been working together for a long time and they work well together. If the shop is out of stock of something I want they can order it in from the mainland in a few days, and they always call to let me know as soon as my order is in. They have a large selection of kids books, so I love bringing my littles in and watching their eyes light up.

A cozy little bookstore to browse around leisurely on a cold morning. Staff was very friendly &…read morehelpful. Introduced me to a small Vermont local artist named Beth Mueller, super cute!

Amazing books and staff, with a drop-in book club, espresso bar, fine art prints, and baked goods!…read moreAn old fashioned jewel.

Great store! I was visiting Victoria and the sign attracted my attention! The cozy cat and…read moreChronicles of Crime! What can sound better for the crime lover who is traveling! Books are reasonably priced and huge selection sorted by by country, gender of detective and even includes section with cat/dogs assisting sleuth. I got few books. The sales person man is really helpful.

From the owner: New used and rare books, photos, postcards and booklets. Historical Letters and documents related…read moreto BC. Always looking to buy vintage photos from Vancouver Island relating to old homesteads and business history as well as railway and logging. Signed Emily Carr books or unique items. Nautical and Exploration. We also Appraise libraries and private collections. Buying and selling rare books since 1991.