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Bookshop Santa Cruz

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Santa Cruz, CA
Bookshop Santa Cruz

Your Independent Bookseller Since 1966! Bookshop Santa Cruz is located only 90 minutes from San Francisco, and 30 minutes from both San Jose and Monterey.
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To be the first to know about sales, programs, and events, sign up for Bookshop Santa Cruz's e-mail lists: http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/email Bookshop Santa Cruz is a large, general independent bookstore located in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, California since 1966. Owned by the Coonerty family since 1973, Bookshop Santa Cruz is a multi-generational family business currently under the care of Casey Coonerty Protti who grew up in her parent’s business. We take immense pride in being an independent bookstore, with the ability and desire to reflect the interests of local readers. Bookshop Santa Cruz fills over 20,000 square feet with a wide selection of new, used and sale books along with extensive magazine, card and gift sections. Bookshop is known for its comprehensive children’s and new release sections as well as strong sections in travel, politics, cooking, science, science fiction and fantasy, and fiction. Home to the University of California, Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz boasts a strong intellectual community dedicated to the written word. Bookshop Santa Cruz nurtures this environment with a comprehensive author event series featuring appearances by both national and local authors in our beautiful event space, the skylight room, or at partnered off-site locations for larger, ticketed events. We hope you have a chance to share our love of reading by visiting us soon!

09/27/2026

Recently, three of our booksellers and Santa Cruz High School students were inspired to fight back against book-banning across public school libraries. They decided to put together a film screening of the Emmy Award-winning documentary, The Librarians, as a benefit for Santa Cruz City Public School Libraries.

100% of donations will go toward purchasing banned and challenged books for libraries and schools across Santa Cruz City Schools. Choose your donation amount (from $5 to $500) on the ticket page, with every contribution helping us get more banned books onto our public school library shelves.

Come celebrate the freedom to read and the librarians, booksellers, and community members who help kids discover new worlds, ideas, and perspectives through books.

09/26/2026

What books are Bookshop staff recommending this Fall? 🤔🍂

09/25/2026

FRIDAY READS: We're celebrating Hispanic/Latiné Heritage Month with some of our favorite books by Hispanic/Latiné authors 🎉 Let us know some of your favorites in the comments below! 👇👇

🕊 KRISTINA: Together We See by Ari Tison and The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

🐈 TALYA: Every Version of You by Natalie Messier and The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas

🔥 HANNAH: The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes

💋 JULIE: Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez and Kiss Me Maybe by Gabriella Gamez

👻 STEPHANY: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

💀 MAGNOLIA: Death Takes Me by Cristina Rivera Garza and In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

🥄SAYA: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela and Mexikid Dreams by Pedro Martín

09/23/2026

Who doesn't want to cuddle up with a good book and a cozy cup of tea?? 📚☕️

There's no better way to start the fall off than participating in our Fall Reading Challenge! Read two of the eight great books on our list by October 15th, and you'll earn cozy prizes including this individual bag of Comfort in a Cup Tea from the Homeless Garden Project 😍

Read more about the challenge at the link in our bio!

09/22/2026

🐶🐱Bookshop Santa Cruz Presents: Dog Man Creator Dav Pilkey’s EPIC Tour!

📅: Thursday, November 19th
⏰: 6:00pm
📍: Santa Cruz Warriors Arena

Meet Creator DAV PILKEY and step into an exclusive DOG MAN experience you won’t find anywhere else!

THE EVENT EXPERIENCE:
🐾This in-person event will feature a visual presentation and live drawing session featuring author and illustrator Dav Pilkey! Plus trivia with special prizes! The program will run approximately 30 minutes long, followed by a photo opportunity with Dav Pilkey.
🐾In addition to the above, there will be EPIC activities including a photo opportunity with the Dog Man and Captain Underpants costume characters, exclusive giveaways, and more!
🐾Attendees are encouraged to POWER UP and dress up as Dog Man, Captain Underpants, Cat Kid, or your favorite Dav Pilkey book character!
🐾Doors open at 4:30.

We look forward to seeing you at this SUPA EPIC event experience! 😺

09/21/2026

ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT ⏳

Join us October 26th, at 10pm for Midnight Maas: A Court of Splintered Harmony Ticketed Release Party! 🌙✨

YOUR TICKET INCLUDES:
✨ Entry to Bookshop’s after hours party
🌙 Themed activities among the seven courts
✨ Tarot card readings by and more
🌙 Access to pop-up tattoo station by Tattoo & Piercing(additional cost, not included in ticket price)
✨ Music (featuring DJ Tor)
🌙 One cocktail from Girl Bartending ® Pour Girl LLCocktails also available) and one selection from our dessert bar, including truffles provided by the Restaurantdditional drinks and desserts available for purchase.
✨ Exclusive after hours shopping
🌙 Midnight countdown
✨ One copy of A Court of Splintered Harmony — at the stroke of midnight!

09/20/2026

There's still plenty of time to join our Fall Reading Challenge! 📖🍂

If you're still trying to decide which two books to pick up may we suggest, Dwelling by Emily Hunt Kivel and Meet Me in the Garden by Nina Lacour—

If you like literary fiction, stories that explore home and belonging, and books that leave a lasting impression on you, you should pick these two up!

🏠 "From a surreal New York City to a fairy-tale small town in Texas, I was astonished and delighted. Debut author Emily Hunt Kivel's untethered imagination runs wild against the backdrop of America's housing crisis." —Trey

🌷 "This book felt like the perfect intersection of all my interests: q***r love, familial love, and the love for painting! Nina LaCour returns with another captivating and deeply moving story." —Andrea

Read two of the eight great books in our program by October 15th, 2026, and you'll take home fun fall goodies: an individual bag of Comfort in a Cup tea from the Homeless Garden Project and a specially-designed Bookshop sticker by local artist (and bookseller!) Nina Lutz.

Read more at bookshopsantacruz.com/fall-reading-challenge-2026

09/19/2026

❗Attention Local Authors ❗️

If you have thought about registering your book with our consignment program, now may be the best time to do so as we will be suspending some of our services to new clients during the holiday season in order to serve our existing clients through the busy holiday season.

⏰ 2026 HOLIDAY SEASON DEADLINES:

👉 New Consignment Registration: November 15th, 2026

👉 New Promotional Packages: October 11th, 2026

For more information about our consignment program and guidelines, see our website https://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/consignment-program

Address

1520 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA
95060

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 8pm
Tuesday	9am - 8pm
Wednesday	9am - 8pm
Thursday	9am - 8pm
Friday	9am - 9pm
Saturday	9am - 9pm
Sunday	9am - 8pm

Telephone

+18314230900

Website

http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/

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