Bookstores are crucial hubs of culture staffed by people who truly care about books and readers. Yes, online book stores are here to stay. And yes, they offer a vital service, especially when shopping in person is impossible or difficult. However, if we don’t support local businesses, we could lose all they offer. Below is a list of Victoria area bookstores as well as other bookshops in southern British Columbia.
“Printed books are magical, and real bookshops keep that magic alive.”
–– Jen Campbell, The Bookshop Book
Bookstores – Victoria BC & Area
New Books
- Bolen Books – One of the biggest independent bookstores in Canada.
- Munro’s Books – One of the best bookstores in the world.
- Indigo Canada – National chain outlet of Chapters.
- Tanner’s Books – Quality new books, children’s, maps & magazines.
- Ivy’s Books – Cosy bookshop in Oak Bay.
- Legends Comics & Books – Named “Outstanding Comic Book Retailer”.
- Crown Publications – Province of BC publications.
- Royal BC Museum Gift Shop – Huge selection of BC books.
Note: Not all niche bookshops listed.
Main Greater Victoria bookstores for new books listed here.
Rare, Vintage and Used Books
- Period Fine Bindings – Very rare books & book binding – Oak Bay
- The Haunted Bookshop – Rare, collectible, vintage, ephemera – Sidney
- Russell Books – Rare, new, vintage, and more – Downtown Victoria
- Chronicles of Crime – Mystery – Downtown Victoria
- Sorensen’s Books – Rare, history, art, and more – Downtown Victoria
- Bastion Books – Art, history, vintage and more – Downtown Victoria
- Books & Shenanigans – Cook Street Village (NEW)
- Camas Books – Social & environmental justice – Victoria
- Cavity Curiosity Shop – Books, music, and “the strange” – Victoria
- Dragonfly Books – Popular used books – Westshore
- Medicine Wheel Bookstore – Langford (NEW)
- Smart Bookshop – New, used and popular books – Royal Oak Centre
- Abebooks.com – Huge used online book market, founded in 1996 in Victoria, BC. Owned by Amazon since 2008.
- Victoria Little Free Libraries – Greater Victoria, BC
Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Book Shops
- Well Read Books – Sooke
- Bucknucks Books – Cobble Hill
- Galiano Books – Galiano Island. See profile in The Guardian.
- Book Bonanza – Quadra Island
- Black Sheep Books – Salt Spring Island
- Thompson Rare Books – Hornby Island
- Beltane Books – Hornby Island
- Volume One Bookstore – Duncan
- Ten Old Books – Duncan
- Laughing Oyster Bookstore – Cumberland
- Boundless Books – Ladysmith
- Mermaid Tales Bookshop – Tofino
- Cosy Corner Books – Coombs
- Books4Brains – Comox
- Castaway Used Books – Comox
- Blue Heron Books – Comox
- Second Page Used Books – Courtenay
- Mulberry Bush Books – Qualicum & Parksville
- The Bookcase – Qualicum
- Fireside Books – Parksville
- Coho Books – Campbell River
- Vancouver Island Bookshops & Bookbinders
- Article with photos of Victoria Bookshops
Book Binding & Repair
- Period Fine Bindings (Oak Bay)
- Meadland Bindery (Brentwood Bay)
- Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists
- Guild of Book Workers
- Book Arts Organizations
Vancouver Bookstores
- Banyen Books
- Odin Books
- McLeod’s Books
- Albion Books
- Paper Hound Book Shop
- Spartacus Books
- Cross and Crows
- Kestrel Books
- Massy Books
- Iron Dog Books
- Pulp Fiction Books (3 locations)
- People’s Co-op Books
- Book Warehouse (new & discount)
- Hager Books
- Carson Books & Records
- Canterbury Tales
- White Dwarf Books & Dead Write Books
- KidsBooks
- Lucky’s Books & Comics
- Regional Assembly of Text
- Read Books (Emily Carr University)
- Upstart & Crow
- Lawrence Books (limited hours)
- Map of Vancouver Bookstores
“The Bookshop has a thousand books,
All colors, hues, and tinges,
And every cover is a door
That turns on magic hinges.”
–– Nancy Byrd Turner
Know of a bookstore that should be listed? Send an email.
Networks of independent bookstores
- IdieBound: (“Local first” network of indie bookstores)
- Bookshop.org (Local bookstores online)
Victoria Bookstores now Closed
- Penelope’s BookStop (closed 2020)
- Bring & Buy Books – Esquimalt – closed 2018
- Pages Books – Brentwood Bay – closed 2018
- Military Bookstore – moved into Beacon Books 2017
- Fairfield Bookshop – closed circa 2016
- City News – downtown Victoria – closed circa 2013
- Mallard Books – Sidney – closed circa 2013
- Grafton Books – Oak Bay – closed circa 2012
- Shepherd Books – Victoria – closed circa 2012
- Dark Horse Books – Victoria – closed circa 2011
- Paperback Writer – Sidney – closed circa 2011
- Compass Rose Nautical Books – Sidney – closed circa 2006
- Wells Books – Victoria – closed circa 2005
- Poor Richard’s Books – Victoria – closed 2004
- Book Warehouse – Victoria (View & Gov’t) – closed circa 1997
- Griffin Books
- Hawthorne Books
- Annabelle’s Books
- Deanery Book & Gift Shop
- Haultain Books
- A History of Booksellers in BC
Next: Traditional Publishers in Victoria, BC.
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Updated July 2025 by 3PennyPublishing – Victoria, BC, Canada; researching and sharing self-publishing resources with writers since 2010.