Calling all bookworms: if you live in Tacoma, you’re in the right place. No matter the season, it’s always the perfect time to get lost in a story, learn something new or dive into history. Luckily, there is a bevy of bookstores located throughout Grit City where you can get your fix. From small shops that specialize in historical and hard to find tomes, to big stores packed with genre fiction, kids books and non-fiction, to cozy shops overflowing with titles, to a bookstore with a strong place in the community, there’s something for every kind of book lover.

Tacoma Book Center

A spacious bookstore located in the Dome District, Tacoma Book Center carries a variety of publications. The shop carries all genres of fiction as well as poetry, children’s books and a wide assortment of non-fiction. The collection is so diverse, the store holds bragging rights for the largest collection of used books in the state, with over a half million titles on their shelves. With an inventory like that, it’s no surprise that you could spend hours, or even part of a whole day browsing the shelves of this 16,000-square-foot store. Tacoma Book Center has been locally owned and operated for 20 years. Tacoma Book Center is located at 324 East 26th Street and can be contacted at 253-572-8248 or find them on Facebook.

King's Books Tacoma
King’s Books has staff recommendation notes lining their shelves throughout the store to help customers find their next read. Photo credit: Amanda Bretz

King’s Books

Located on Saint Helens Avenue in Tacoma’s Stadium District, King’s Books is a community-centered bookstore. The store not only offers a plethora of books but also event space, with several book discussion groups meeting each and every month. King’s also hosts author and community events. Staff recommendations line the shelves, so if you like to try new reads based on word-of-mouth or recommendations, stop in and look for the suggested reading notes lining the shelves. This quintessential indie bookstore has been open for about 18 years and offers over 4,000 square feet of space to browse, gather with a group and, of course, read. King’s Books is located at 218 Saint Helens Avenue and can be reached at 253-272-8801 and on Facebook.

Revolving Books
Revolving Books in the Lincoln District offers a wide selection of paperbacks. Photo credit: Amanda Bretz

Revolving Books

Revolving Books is located in Tacoma’s Lincoln District. This bookshop has a floor plan that is open, bright and inviting. The spacious store offers a variety of titles, all of which are shelved by genre. And, as an added bonus for fiction lovers, there are rows and rows of paperbacks to peruse, with titles ranging from recent best sellers to popular older books. There are also dedicated sections to non-fiction as well as children and young adults.

Revolving Books is located at 3639 South G Street. Contact the store at 253-476-2665.

Culpepper Books

Located in the heart of Tacoma’s Proctor neighborhood, Culpepper Books offers a huge selection of rare, out-of-print and hard-to-find books. The store has a quiet and cozy feel to it and is a must see for those who collect first editions, historical texts and old books. Never fear, if you’re not a history buff, true book lovers won’t be able to resist the allure of aged books lining the shelves and the lovely scent of old books permeating the air.

Culpepper Books is located at 2521 N Proctor Street and can be contacted at 253-761-9000 or find them on Facebook.

Park Avenue Books
With a lot of titles in a relatively small space, visitors to Park Avenue Books should come prepared to while away an afternoon in search of that perfect read. Photo credit: Amanda Bretz

Park Avenue Books

With over 30,000 titles, Park Avenue Books, located in the Fern Hill Historic Business District in South Tacoma has quite the selection. With so many books in a relatively small space, come prepared to while away an afternoon and dig for a long ago forgotten book, or discover a new favorite. The store offers paperback novels, kids books, young adult novels and a wide selection of non-fiction. Park Avenue Books is located at 8304 Park Avenue and can be contacted at 253-471-2099 or find them on Facebook.

Half-Price Books

A chain of family-owned bookstores, Half-Price Books offers new and used books, carrying everything from fiction to textbooks. Whether you’re looking for a current best-seller to indulge your imagination, in need of a textbook for a college or university course, or are in search of information in the non-fiction realm, there are no shortage of titles here. If you’re not a hardcore bookworm, the store also caters to film and music aficionados, as they offer both music and movies. Half-Price Books is located at 4027 Tacoma Mall Boulevard and can be contacted at 253-566-1238 or find them on Facebook.