Spectator Books

A cozy little gem of a bookstore that feels like stepping into a storybook itself! Shelves bursting with colorful titles, quirky displays, and warm local charm make it such a vibrant place to wander. Truly a unique spot that makes you want to linger a little longer.

Some people want big book stores with soaring ceilings and generic yet palatable merchandise, and some people want small, cozy book stores with books that reach the ceiling, tight walkways, and unique cards/stationery you don't see too much of elsewhere. I absolutely loved how the store was laid out, with small, handwritten cards denoting genres, an entire bookcase dedicated to staff picks (The Strand just does one book per employee), and multiple nooks and crannies throughout. As is expected of Oakland, there was a prominent celebration of LGBTQ+ identity and revolutionary practices, which I appreciated as many bookstores tend to only place bestsellers at the front. Sweet spot with something for everyone!

Spectator Books has a fabulous selection of new and used books. The store has many little rooms and feels both welcoming and challenging since there are so many different kinds of books to examine. It’s very possible to literally spend hours reading and exploring in this delightful bookstore.

For anyone who actually likes and supports queer zines, we are having a launch party at Fabulosa in the Castro! Thurs 9/4 see attached. — Idk I liked this spot before the pandemic and want to continue supporting them but if you’re putting out a call for zines, you should probably train your staff to know about them. The female presenting lady with the dyed red hair at the register was giving me attitude so I’ll be taking RS elsewhere. I also wanted to pay cash for a $10 purchase to help out the small business cut out credit card fees, and it came out to $11.03. She had a fat tray of ~40 pennies so I asked if I could use 3 like the take a penny, leave a penny of yore. You should have heard the tone she gave me. I’m SORRY for trying to SAVE YOU MONEY. I’d GLADLY earn more credit card reward points at your expense if you’d prefer. This is why the Chase Reserve nonsense exists. I carry around cash to support small struggling businesses, and this is what I get. To quote Chappell roan, good luck babe! My kink is karma and I won’t cry if you go under 1-800-not-my-problem

Literally searched for "book store" in this area and this came up. And it is a very nice one at that. So overstimulating, in a good way, with multiple different rooms and just such a wide selection of books on basically any topic you can think of, with the clearest categorization I’ve seen!

Love this place! It is so cozy and everything about it just amazing. Outside is a little pink cart that has all the books on sale for 0.91¢ ($1 with tax). I was able to grab a book for myself and also some books for others. They have a very good selection just from the front cart alone. They also have other items on sale as well. When you walk in, they have masks, hand sanitizer, wipes, a "drink parking", everything you need to feel comfy. This store is STACKED with books and every single genre. I came across a great find which I bought for a friend (the book in the picture) and it was a used book but in perfect condition. Interior is clean and well organized. You get punch cards for purchase and right next to the register is a "purse launch pad" for people to put their stuff down to pay. I just loved how they thought about each detail in a customer’s experience and those little things made me fall in love.

Sweet space to browse around, a very extensive stock of used books, though I think there were some new ones at the very front.