Bookfellows / Mystery & Imagination

Staff is extremely rude. I was looking at the records and slide open the cabinet underneath to see what else they had. One of the staff came over to yell at me about those records not being available. At first, I politely said sorry, but he wouldn’t let it go. He said it was obvious that I should not have opened the cabinet and he ended up throwing me out of his store when I told him it was not clear to me or I never would have opened it. He just got worse from there. I also saw him kicking boxes and throwing items around the store, so maybe he just got some bad news. Still, not a good way to treat customers.

I’m visiting Los Angeles this week and one of the side trips I always take is Book Fellows. When my friends who live on
the west side of LA heard I was driving to Glendale, the remarked «Wow, it must be a really good bookstore. «
It is.
But it is so much more than that.
Looking for that special book that your history teacher read a bit at a time to you and your fellow students in the last 10 minutes of class?
They have it.
And they can get a signed first edition of it. And tell you that the author was considered the poor poet laureate of Kentucky during his lifetime.
Sure, you can go to Amazon and buy the book but no one will give you the history of the book or the author.
Context is everything.
Ray Bradberry was a good friend of Book Fellows. Up till a few months before he passed away he was always here signing books.
Like almost every independent bookseller in United States Book Fellows is falling on hard times. They are still fighting the good fight. Their hours are amended. But you still get top-​notch service and unbelievable rare finds.
While the store now has a large online presence nothing matches the experience of walking down the aisles and finding a book you did not know you wanted. Undoubtedly that book will become your new best friend.
Do yourself a huge favor — whether you’re a fan of mystery, Soviet science fiction, Charles Bukowski poetry, or the history of Los Angeles filmmaking– and stop in at Book Fellows and enjoy one of the rare and now fleeting experiences in life.
Shopping in a real bookstore.

I love this bookstore. Probably the biggest collection of Mass Market Sci-​Fi/​Fantasy paperbacks I’ve ever seen in a used bookstore, and very reasonably priced. It’s just down the street from my workplace – I’ll suspect I’m going to be visiting regularly, but even if I didn’t work so close it’d be well worth the visit!

Inconsistent operating hours. books stores are closing left to right you should keep your store open so you can pay rent

An amazing bookshop with amazing people working there. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to go into bookshop and the people working there love books just as much as I do and show it! Christine was amazing and super sweet! Thank you and I will most definitely be coming back!

This is our special sci/​fi and fantasy bookshop… we are always able to find obscure and hard to find books, prices are great, and parking is easy. Love this place!

I tend to come here for 1^st printings (which are priced accurately — search online and you’ll find similar prices, but in the store you can actually check out the book). However I also come for popular sci-​fi/​fantasy authors.
So for the negative reviews out there concerning selection: yeah, makes sense; it’s a rather specialized store and if they accepted every book offered they would have run out of room a long time ago.
As to the desk staff being rude, my guess is she’s just shy. Anytime I’ve ever had a question (and I’ve had many of the years) I’ve been treated with calm, quiet respect. She doesn’t appear to be a rambling conversationalist, but you are in a book store after all…
Keep up the good work and I’ll keep making the 60 minute drive out there!

Such a great specialty bookshop. For fans of genre fiction, this place is a real find. Knowledgeable staff, extensive collection.

I could write forever about how much I love this store and it still wouldn’t be adequate to really convey how I feel about it.
I mean like. Beautiful old copies of stuff by Algernon Blackwood and Lovecraft and of course Ray Bradbury. Sigh. A copy of Let it Come Down by Paul Bowles with a crazy pulp novel cover! And Doctor Who novelizations!!!
Suffice to say, it’s amazing I have room for a bed in my room because of all the books that I’ve bought here.

This is a great bookstore for science fiction fans (and mystery/​thrillers as well).
According to a recent e-​mail, they have a new landlord and they need support
from their fans on a constant basis to keep going, so please visit when you can.

What a place! Orderly, organized and welcoming, clean and bright Mystery & Imagination is a reader’s paradise. We’ve lost far too many great bookshops in recent years, but happily, Mystery & Imagination is still standing — and standing tall.
The shop offers many new titles, but the primary focus is second-​hand books. Based on their stock, condition is a crucial factor in their buying. No beat-​up thrift store copies or library discards here, the shop is an excellent resource for clean, attractive books ideal for gifting.
Naturally, rare first editions command collector’s prices, but in my experience, their out-​of-​print hardcovers (in excellent condition) generally sell for less than a new paperback elsewhere.
M&I’s commitment extends well beyond bookselling; the shop has earned a well deserved reputation as a social hub for readers AND writers, hosting numerous readings, signings, workshops and other book– and author-​related events each year. Owners Malcolm and Christine are sweet, smart and extremely supportive of both new and under-​exposed literary talent.
Times are tough for bookshops, even great ones. With every visit to Mystery & Imagination a happy mix of homecoming and Christmas morning, your book-​buying dollars are well spent here.

This is where I shop. I shop here because when I ask the average Barnes & Noble guy about books of a certain age, they go crosseyed, drop their gaze, and lament that Jesus has given them a heavy burden that afternoon.
But at Bookfellows, not only can I count on finding some great books, with a particular slant to classic pulps (my favorite literary ANYTHING). I can also count on the proprietors to offer suggestions, new or classic, and even shoot the bull on various story points and their symbolisms.
BEAT THAT YOU B&N BASTARDS! *ELBOW SMASH LIKE RON ARTEST**

Three word review: This. Place. Rules.

It’s difficult for any bookstore to survive in the age of the nearly monolithic Amazon but this unassuming place carves out a lovely niche. It’s easily got the largest selection of science fiction and fantasy books in the greater Los Angeles area and inside the cases there are hundreds of old books, many first prints, signed and in fantastic condition. The staff clearly cares about what they do and are happy to chat about their stock and help out with requests, not to mention little tales such as when Harlan Ellison brought in Neil Gaiman before the latter was famous. Add to that the many exclusive signing events they host (Like with Ray Bradbury) and this is the place for anyone who claims to love books.

The hair in the back of my neck stood up when I saw vintage pulp novels, early HC editions of Sherlock Holmes and The Shadow and Doc Savage pocket books! Great genre selection especially for writers scouting for research materials. I picked up a used copy of Soviet Science Fiction (1971) that I needed as research for an upcoming sci-​fi graphic novel. Didn’t realize Soviets wrote science fiction in the 40’s-50’s. Rare find. The woman who sits in the front desk is knowledgeable with her authors and books. She introduced me to a handful of Issac Asimov must reads. While the casual reader may find the store overwhelming and un-​appreciative their primary clientele are avid readers and writers.

.., great used books selection. Found some pretty cool cookbooks here.
The employees are friendly & very helpful. I believe it was the owner who helped me last in our search for a Thomas Keller’s French Laundry cookbook. Midway thru our search he became more determined to find it more than I was. They didn’t have it but I still managed to find some Williams Sonoma cookbooks. Thanks guys, I’ll be back soon!

A wonderful place. If you like genre fiction, this place is for you. If not, don’t bother.
They have an incredible selection of out of print and first edition pulp paperbacks in excellent condition. Their prices are affordable as well. For instance, I purchased an advanced copy of «Fifty-​to-​One», autographed by Charles Ardai in perfect condition for just six bucks. That’s less than the cover price on the book!
They’re just an amazing store with friendly owners. Also, if you can find a space on the street outside the parking is free. Thanks for this one, Baby Jesus.

I went in here looking for some hard to find Asimov book club books. When I asked about them she was really friendly and took me to the Asimov section… but alas, they didn’t have any…8^(
The woman here was nice to me so I don’t know what you guys are bitchin’ ’bout.
They seemed to have a nice selection of books.
I think some people just expect their asses to be kissed wherever they go…

I walk into Bookfellows after first going to Brand Bookshop. The book buyer wasn’t there, so I thought, hey why not try the place across the street? I walk in, the lady is too busy not noticing us standing at the counter for awhile so my girlfriend gets her attention. I show her my books and she says «I don’t have any use for those.»
…Well, excuse me if my books aren’t good enough for you. WTF? I had a fantasy and a horror book: both things they carry. She offered no polite explanation for why she didn’t want my books, just an incredibly rude and snooty response. In that single instant she guaranteed I will never ever go back here.
Do yourself a favor and go to Brand Bookshop instead, where they treat you with respect.

I have found the mother ship! Ok, I’ve been on Unilocal long enough that I can let you all in on this. I love Isaac Asimov. I own the entire foundation series, the robot series, the empire series. A whole slew of his short stories. A dozen of his books. But sadly, history has seemed to forget this man.
Not here. Here, they have an entire Asimov section. They have both hardcover and softcover. Books I can’t even find in libraries these days are here for the taking. And on the cheap!
If I could, I’d set up a tent and just live here.