Are you planning on traveling to or are currently living in the Ventura County area? Are you searching for book bliss? Then you have come to the right place! This is your guide to the five bookstores in Ventura Country that you must visit. And hey, if you only go to one because it fits your niche, that’s fine! I’m not here to judge you, I’m only here to inform you. I’ll save the judgment for another time.
Bart’s Books
302 W Matilija St, Ojai, CA 93023
4.8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love basking in the sun as you browse, if you love fresh air while you read, Bart’s Books is the place to be. According to their website, “Bart’s Books is the world’s largest outdoor bookstore, serving the Ojai community since 1964. Bart’s hosts a collection of over 130,000 used and new books, ranging from rare out-of-print gems to well-loved paperbacks.” Before you enter the main area, you will find books on shelves lining the outside walls. Both used and new books can be found at Bart’s making it affordable for many budgets. Bart’s hosts events and offers a fun book-buying program. Bring a book, they buy it, and you leave with cash (or a new book).
From its warm-toned, brick red, and velvet green bookshelves adorned with foliage, to housing books from every major genre, Bart’s is truly for the outdoorsy bookworm.
March 22 – A. Kendra Greene No Less Strange or Wonderful: Essays in Curiosity
April 5 – Michael Arkush The Golf 100
April 26 – Indie Bookstore Day
The Bookworm
93 E Daily Dr, Camarillo, CA 93010
4.9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
With a porch-style reading nook and rows of children’s books, this is the place for parents looking to find a book for themselves and their little ones. Bookworm has a sizable collection of Adult Fiction and Non-Fiction. However, the children’s section is where it truly shines. From board books to picture books, all the way to chapter books, any kid of any age can find something they love! So, if you’re looking to get a book for a child in your life it’s a must-visit bookstore.
The Bookworm also occasionally hosts events, so make sure to keep an eye on their socials. Although on the smaller side, Bookworm packs a punch, carrying books in the major genres most would be interested in. If you’re looking for a fun family outing, visit Bookworm because it is truly for the parenting readers.
March 8 – Drew Daywalt Reading
Calico Cat Bookshop
495 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001
4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love a challenge, I toast to you! This bookstore is not for the claustrophobic. You are surrounded by literature the moment you step through the door. If you do venture inside, Calico is going to be your new home for the next few hours. Thousands of used, rare, signed, and collectible books flow from the shelves to the ground and all around. Although they don’t have events, they update their website with new arrivals, so you can browse online before you head over (if that tickles your fancy), but being there is an experience you won’t want to miss.
It takes a special kind of book enthusiast to love and respect a bookstore like Calico. It’s welcoming and sweet and demands that you take your time and browse slowly. Although there is organization and tables with labeled genres, Calico is truly for the patient book hunters.
Responsibilities: Poems and a Play by William Butler Yeats
Theosophy by Rudolf Steiner
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
Point Omega by Don DeLillo
Smitten Bookstore
365 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001
4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
While other bookstores on the list offer many genres, Smitten knows love and intimacy only. The colors are bright and the name is cute, but this is not the most child-friendly of bookstores. Though many of their books have cartoon couples on the covers, what lies within the pages is much less PG. That said, there is a small children’s section for the little ones to browse, just be cautious.
The bookstore offers the typical modern romance, classic romance, romantasy, and academic books on modern sexuality. You can also find tarot cards, tote bags, bookmarks, and so much more. The bookstore has an active event calendar that is definitely worth checking out.
As Jane Austen once said, “My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” That is exactly what a romance connoisseur will feel about the book oasis that is Smitten Bookstore. Smitten is truly for the romantic book lovers.
March 8 – Rebecca Thorne – Tea You at the Altar Book Release
March 9 – Book Swap
March 15 – Kate Tilney Author Signing
Timbre Books
1910 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001
4.9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
With a bright reading room attached to a robust children’s section, Timbre is the perfect place to pick up a book and stay for a while. There is outdoor seating if you are interested, but a seat by the window indoors is just as appealing.
If you are looking for a new release, check with Timbre. Their shelves are filled with new releases and incredibly popular BookTok books. That being said, they also sell books that aren’t targeted just toward the BookTok audience. They have older and newer memoirs, books on music, books on art, etc. They also have two full bookshelves that display Timbre employee book recommendations, some even have notecard descriptions.
The space is warm, inviting, and aesthetically pleasing, with new events held each month. Timbre is truly for the modern bibliomaniac.
March 8 – Pierpont Book Fair @ Timbre
March 13 – Poetry Book Club
March 18 – Lewis Robinson in Conversation with Antoine Wilson
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This has been your guide to the five bookstores in Ventura Country that you must visit. Thank you for spending part of your day with me and I hope you are eager to get outside and into the community.
As an active reader and an employee of a book publishing house, I like to think I know a thing or two about bookstores. So, if you read through this entire article and are not convinced to visit at least one of these incredible spots, know that I am judging you quite heavily. See, I told you I’d save the judgment for another time.
Until next time, I’ve been me, and this has been lovely.
VC Social 
3 replies on “5 Must-Visit Indie Bookstores in Ventura County”
Raya I really appreciate your passion for literature, and in this article, I enjoyed reading about the local indie bookstores in Ventura County. I often undervalue how meaningful books and reading are in my life, and this helps me to remember. Currently, I enjoy the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child, but in my recent past, I’ve read all sorts of genres from sci-fi and fantasy to poetry and non-fiction. As a “collector” myself, below is a photo of one of my prized possessions; Different Dances by Shel Silverstein, which I purchased from Bart’s Books more than 20 years ago.
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Hi,
I remembered the bookworm when I was little girl my mom would take me there. I would be excited picking a book. They have lots of good books. Nice article I enjoyed reading it.
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I love all of these bookstores! The only one I haven’t been to is the Bookworm, so I’ll definitely be sure to take the time to visit it soon. Smitten has an awesome writing club and multiple book clubs that you should check out if you get the chance!
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