Gatsby Books

A charming little used bookstore with the sweetest host kitty Ruby! A lovely variety of books both non-​fiction and fiction, both newer and older. I generally peruse the YA and SciFi/​Fantasy sections and usually can find something. So happy to have this place in my neighborhood!

very nice place! for those who are looking for a nice used bookstore, this is the place! friendly staff, good selection, free coffee and water, and a lazy cat that loves to say hello; it’s a great time!

Smart selection and very nice staff. Also loved sitting on the floor and petting the sweet kitty as I browsed the poetry books. Cats and bookstores belong together!
We really need independent bookstores– they have heart and soul and every community needs a literary center.
You will find both new and used books here and you won’t have to weed through tons of crap to find worthy titles. Excited to check out their events in the future.

I’ve been looking for a great local bookstore on Unilocal for a couple weeks now so I knew about a couple but haven’t made the trip down to them. So I was at 24 Hour debating whether to sign up for a new membership or not. I walked out of there and we got in the car and were about to drive off to run another errand and we said oh hey there’s Gatsby Books. So we stopped there to see what’s going on with this bookstore.
Let me tell you it was impressive. We weren’t expecting much since a few of the small businesses just haven’t had much going on. But we went in the cashier greeted us and said hello and the first thing you notice is they have black bookshelves which is really different from other places we went. So they have that really rich and bold color that brings out the entire shop.
We looked around for some books that we found interesting and you realize that the shelves are labeled very well. And you would think we’ll why wouldn’t they be labeled well but we’ve been to a lot of bookstores in the last month and you’d be surprised. We went into a place that had like half their books labeled nonfiction and there could have been a ton more labels like psychology, health, history, divine/​spiritual, and more. We’ve come to appreciate great labeling since most of the time were looking for something specific.
Of course we said we were gonna be in here for 30 minutes but we ended up being there a few hours. It got to be so much my girlfriend said she was getting dizzy because of all the books they have. Too many titles. I actually found a bunch of books that I liked and we’ve been looking into a lot of personal development, chakras, spiritual, dreams, astrology. So you can imagine it’s not necessarily easy to find books that you like in those sections. I actually purchased a dream book from them and it is really hard to find a dream book that you like, at least I’ve found it to be. I have now 3 dream books and I’ve looked at maybe 50 or 60 of them.
The book was called Dream Power and I saw the tag and it said 12 bucks. I looked on Amazon and the book is $ 15 lol I’m like that’s not that great of a deal. So I go up to pay and he says oh that’ll be $ 6. I even asked them about their debit/​credit policy and even though they’re a small business and get charged they don’t charge you extra for it that’s a great business model they have, they don’t even minimum either.
While we were there we found out the coffee and water they have is free and they have a little seating area. They have an adorable cat. And the books are piled everywhere which you would think would be a hassle but it’s nice it just means more books you can look through. And they’re really upfront about their buying books policy because they’re a used bookstore. They tell you right away they may not be able to use the books you have because they either have too many, one person came in with 7 habits which is a great book it’s just he has 4 of them, or they won’t be able to sell it so they can’t buy it from you. We heard him say the same thing about 3 or 4 times when we were there.
And their customer service is spot on. When we were there both of the people running the store talked to customers for a long time. A lot of the times it wasn’t even about books. Oh you have this book or that book and then they would go into how are the kids and my kids doing this and their kid is doing that and recommending programs to each other. One of the guys went to a customers car and helped him bring in boxes of books. When I talked to him he asked me very cleverly have you had any good dreams lately and we got to talking.
Very passionate people and very well read the people who are behind the desk and running the show on day to day operations. Everything in that bookstore makes sense. They have the rich black shelves, interesting books piled everywhere, an adorable cat, free coffee and water, well read employees and even well read customers. Even the name goes along the with fee of the bookstore it feels very Gatsby or even like the late Hearst. It’s a shame this bookstore isn’t bigger or doesn’t have more locations.

A hidden gem of a bookstore! B&N didn’t have it in stock– one of those classic novels my daughter needed for AP Lit. So I Unilocaled bookstores in the area and found this treasure. I called 1^st to ensure they had the book we needed — they had 6 copies. Of course they were used but in perfect shape and way cheaper than new. Some of them even had highlights and notes left from the previous student– double score! Customer service was stellar & I’m all about supporting small business– especially one like Gatsby Books. We’ll be back very soon– Highly recommended!

Comfortable, friendly, resourceful, and stocked to the brim. I found exactly what I wanted after calling three chains that didn’t even know what I was talking about. Happy customer.
Also. I fell in love with the cat in the store.

Great selection, great events. Go now and make sure they stick around for a long time!

Hands down the best book store in Long Beach and likely my favorite used book store I’ve ever been to. Sean, the owner, is a super nice guy and curates the store’s selection really well, and he is super cool about letting you trade in books for store credit. The store is well organized and has lots of literary treasures. I come here regularly and have never left disappointed.
The only bad thing is the sense of being overwhelmed by the massive scope of great literature to be read and it’s accessibility and appeal due to this great little shop.

I ventured into Gatsby Books for the first time a few days ago and instantly fell in love.
Upon entering, I was greeted with a warm welcome and an offer of water or coffee, a great perk considering how hot it has been lately, and I proceeded to explore the bookstore. The shelves are labeled — some in a typical fashion while others had unique labels like «The Unexplained» and «Beach Reads».
I asked for some help finding a few books and the employee knew his stuff. Even though he was unfamiliar with the author that I mentioned, he was able to find it for me once I described the genre of the book. I was happy to find a copy of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior — which I highly recommend everyone read — as well as another book by Dan Millman that I am now excited to read.
Did I mention the cat? Ruby is the store cat and she will stare at you with her piercing yellow eyes until you feel compelled to pet her. Then she’ll lay on her side and purr as you fall under her spell. I’m a sucker for cute animals and she’s pretty adorable.
I found that most of the books were priced between $ 5 and $ 10 although some were a bit more expensive. I bought three books for $ 21.
I was there about midday on Friday and there was plenty of parking.
All in all, it was a great experience.

I visited with the sole purpose of selling my own used books.
While the owner sorted through my books I enjoyed petting his cat, drinking free coffee and water, and even found a book to buy (his selection is quite good and well labeled).
He offered to buy most of my books and gave me the option of cash, or 3x the amount as a store credit.

AHH THEY HAVE A CAT. Named Ruby. I love cats, especially ones in stores. Very sweet and purrs easily. They don’t have carpeted floors, so it’s manageable if you have allergies. They do cute events and the staff is pretty nice and helpful, although the books seemed a little expensive for used books. Good selection though, and the charm was adorable. They sell tote bags and t-​shirts with the cat logo on them. Hope they continue to stick around.

One of the best used bookstores in LA County. It has a great atmosphere and vibe that will make you just want to stay and ponder the selection of books for hours and hours. The store cat is wonderful and very friendly which is the cherry on top of a fantastic book store! They even do readings for local authors and an open mic night for anyone with a piece they want to read. If all bookstores were like this I wouldn’t mind spending what would be considered a «normal» price, but the books are used, in great condition, and a great deal. I took a Contemporary US Literature class which required purchasing about 9 novels or so… Not a fun dent for the bank account if I went to a corporate store… However, with Gatsby Books, I managed to find and purchase 6 of the novels I needed for a little over 20 dollars.
I love love love this book store.

Imagine an avid bibliophile’s horror at discovering that she has nothing new to read in the house (insert scream here)! I did a quick search for used bookstores in my neighborhood and this place came up, which is hilarious because I go to the 24 Hr Fitness right there and had never noticed it! I saw that it had favorable reviews (especially from my friends Ryan P and Amy E) so I decided to check it out. Well it turned out to be an awesome experience! There was no one else in there on a late Saturday morning so I was free to browse in companionable silence with the adorable store cat, Ruby. I found a couple of used books that looked interesting (they also sell some new books) and asked the girl working there (I forget her name but she was SUPER nice) if they had any books by Chuck Klosterman. This is where Gatsby Books shot up very high in my estimation: not only was she able to look up on a computer if they had any books by him (they did), she was able to lead me to a section where those very same books were. When does that ever happen in a used book store?! I picked up a volume I didn’t have and my book shopping day was complete. I also found out they regularly have events like book signings, open mic nights, etc. Good selection, helpful staff, community-​minded and cat-​friendly – Gatsby Books is a win all the way around! They are now my go-​to when I need more reading material.
STEPH JUDGEMENT: Wonderful little gem of a neighborhood used/​new bookstore.

Great selections for children and adults.

Went in yesterday to drop off a few books on cds. Shawn helped and picked up a few new books. I petted Ruby the shop cat. It is just such a nice place to visit, and buy books.

Does anyone read anymore?
What a charming little used bookstore. I bumped into this little bookstore on my way to yoga to de-​stress, re-​group, center myself and relax. I was a bit early and the door was still locked so I decided to pop in next door and take a gander at what they had to offer.
I went in through the back which is nice because that is where most if not all the parking is located. Parking is tight and since there is a fitness center, bar/​lounge and bike shop that shares the same parking lot. There is some 30 minute parking which would work PREFECT while visiting this shop. There is also 1 hour parking or regular parking that could also work if you plan to stay longer.
Books that are on clearance or sale were outside on wheeled carts for you to look through and select. I took a glance but made my way inside. I immediately saw that all the shelves were clearly marked so you could look around and see if there was anything that tickled your fancy or caught your eye.
There was even a kids section with a little table by the back entrance. I was drawn to this section right away because I thought it would be great to get some books for my nieces and nephew. I even saw a little section of baskets with Step Readers. I think that is what you call them. They are the books that go by reading level so that kids can move up gradually and increase their reading abilities. Ok I’m about to date myself again but the books remind me of the Dick and Jane books I learned from back in the day. My parents told me years later that they were so sick and tired of hearing about what Dick, Jane and Spot were doing. ahahaha!
Anyway I digress. I was able to find 4 books from each level 1 – 4 that I liked and think they may enjoy as well. I even was able to try and stick with one or two different book series so that the transition is easier for them. My sis-​n-​law has been home schooling for a while so the only thing I might be of an issues is that the older girls are more advanced than the books I bought but not too much of a big deal because the younger kids will still be able to use them for a while. I know the little 6 year old name sake Ryan is ALREADY at a 2^nd or 3^rd grade level so she might be able to use a few of the books.
This shop has all sort of books just like a regular book store. I even saw a few newer books like Hunger Games with is NOT so new but has been in the movies unless you want to see what is going to happen or read how things are described in the books which to me is always SOOO MUCH better!
I am fond of my kindle but I have a friend that just LOVES the smells of REAL BOOKS! The sound that the pages make as you turn them in a quite room. SO GREAT I have to admit but I LOVE that I don’t have tons of books just lying around. I also have a problem getting rid of books after I finish because sometimes depending on how much I like a book I want to go back and read it again.
Once I selected what I wanted I went up to the desk to purchase. The prices are SUPER reasonable and are about half of what the cover price is. Two of the books I selected were FREE and even after he finished ringing me up he then «Took an Additional» (my favorite phrase) 10% off since the books are going to be used for home school purposes. SO GREAT! I didn’t even need to ask.
This is a GREAT little used book store. I will totally be back. Stop by if your in the area they just might have that hard to find gem you are looking for.

Gatsby Books is my favorite bookshop in Long Beach! The owner Sean is friendly and very knowledgeable, and offers the best prices I’ve ever found at a bookshop. Books that are still in great shape (some could pass as brand new) usually go for a couple of bucks, and there is even a bargain cart out front full of current titles for only 50 cents! The best part of Gatsby Books is all the shop does for the community. There are events happening every week: from Poetry readings, to Author Appearances, to book clubs, Gatsby’s is always hosting something fun! If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, I suggest checking with the website and seeing what’s going on here! You might even find a book (or ten) to take home with you!

Local bookstores like this one are great to visit and buy new/​used books, classic covered books, any type of books, you name it. Definitely a find. Quaint and cozy. A few chairs to pick a book and read a bit. And the adorable friendly cat laying around like a potato was a plus.

The layout and selection are good, with a wide array of classics. The friendly store cat (Ruby) is always a treat to visit with. The human staff are also friendly, attentive, and helpful when needed. I wish there was a little more discount on the prices of the books, but to be fair they are all in excellent condition, virtually good as brand new. I’m happy to say I’m a fan and will be back.

I am a BIG book worm and I can spend hours in this cute little book store… If the husband allowed it. lol In the world of the Internet it’s so nice to be able to go and buy a book I can hold and cherish. On top of that get it at a fantastic price. Also if there is a specific book you are looking for and they don’t have it the owner will either find it or keep an eye out for you. They also have a cute store cat.