BAY AREA

Books Inc.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS
booksinc.net

Calling itself “the West’s oldest independent bookseller,” Books Inc. is a San Francisco and South Bay favorite, with three stores in the city and several on the Peninsula. Featuring a wide range of books — which include children’s selections, cookbooks and Jewish titles — the stores regularly host readings.

SAN FRANCISCO

Green Apple Books

(415) 387-2272  •  greenapplebooks.com

Green Apple Books in San Francisco was founded in 1967 and has grown ten times from its original 750 square feet and now has two locations. With a huge selection of new and used books, magazines and music, the store hosts its own authors’ nights and book fairs and also outside events.

EAST BAY

Pegasus Books

VARIOUS LOCATIONS
pegasusbookstore.com

With two stores in Berkeley and one in Oakland, Pegasus offers new and used books and accepts used books for cash or trade. Special events include author appearances, a monthly reading series and live jazz.

SOUTH BAY/PENINSULA

Kepler’s Books

MENLO PARK
(650) 324-4321  •  keplers.com

Launched in Menlo Park in 1955, Kepler’s calls itself “an intellectual and cultural hub for the Peninsula,” hosting a full calendar of author events and book club meetings. The formerly family-owned institution, a leader in the paperback revolution, reinvented itself several years ago, with a for-profit bookstore that supports a nonprofit organization offering cultural and educational programming.

NORTH BAY

Book Passage

CORTE MADERA
(415) 927-0960  •  bookpassage.com

Marin winner Book Passage, which also has a store in San Francisco’s Ferry Building, not only features a wide selection of books, including top-selling fiction and travel guides, it also hosts hundreds of author events, as well as writing and language classes, literary salons and annual conferences.

View all of the Readers’ Choice 2018 Listings