More Desert/Sierra Bookstores
Wonderland Books, Red Rock Books, Word After Word, and 4 more Desert/Sierra independent bookstores we love.
Is your favorite indie bookstore missing from this list? Fill out this form or drop us a line at bookstores@altaonline.com to let us know whom we missed and why they should be included. Visit altaonline.com/bookstores for frequent additions.
THE BOOKERY
A locally owned literary institution on U.S. 50 since 1983, Placerville’s the Bookery is full of treasures: gold rush and western U.S. history is a specialty. The shop is prized for its customer service and growing selection of occult titles and “weird fiction.” Placerville
BOOKS ON MAIN
Along the Highway 4 corridor in Northern California, you’ll find the unincorporated town of Murphys, and along its Main Street sits (the aptly named) Books on Main. Even though it’s the only dedicated bookstore in Calaveras County, owner Kirsten Gomez manages to stock the hottest fiction on the market. The store is known for her personal touch and the magnificent children’s section. Murphys
HARMONY BOOKS
Situated off the main street in this old mining town, Harmony Books has brought a new kind of gold to Nevada City’s historic assay office. The brick facade, with its hand-painted sign, now welcomes visitors to the only local store that carries new books. Behind a front table dedicated to the latest releases, the shop’s shelves are stocked with titles that keep its community in mind. Nevada City
RED ROCK BOOKS
The only bookshop in Ridgecrest is an expansive 7,000 square feet of new, used, and specialty books (and other gifts) in a welcoming environment—Oliver the cat may greet you—that makes a fine midday stop for eastern California travelers. The local/regional section alone is worth the visit. Ridgecrest
SPELLBINDER BOOKS
Spellbinder has been the place for booklovers in the Owens Valley since 1970. Independently owned and stocked with a wide range of fiction, kids’ books, nonfiction, and regional titles, this classic stop on the 395 in downtown Bishop also has the Pupfish Cafe, serving coffee and snacks in back. Bishop
WONDERLAND BOOKS
A real High Desert experience awaits the book browser at Laura Sibley Bone’s Wonderland Books. Open on Sundays and when the flag’s up outside, Wonderland is located in a classic homestead cabin across the road from the Palms, a restaurant also owned by the Sibley family. The bar, on quiet afternoons, is a fine place to read whatever you may have picked up at Wonderland. Wonder Valley
WORD AFTER WORD
At its downtown location on Donner Pass Road, where it moved in 2020, Word After Word offers a wonderfully selected inventory of new books, including local and regional titles as well as bestsellers, and a welcoming kids’ room so adults can browse in peace. The store also operates Rock Cellar Records in the basement, where it sells vinyl and bargain-priced books. Truckee
Ken Layne publishes Desert Oracle and hosts its companion radio show and podcast from a haunted old compound in the great Mojave Wilderness, one of four American deserts he has called home. He loves all the desert creatures, but especially the local gopher snakes, ravens, coyotes, and antelope ground squirrels. Find out more, if you must, at desertoracle.com.
Nasim Ghasemiyeh is an associate editor at Alta Journal. She graduated with a degree in rhetoric from UC Berkeley.
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