Chronicle Books

There’s a book in here about 99 ways to open a beer bottle.
I got #100: have your girlfriend open it for you.
#BOSSstatus

I have been a fan of Chronicle Books as publishing company for years. I love everything they publish, and of course I was very glad to visit the fabulous store in San Francisco. They publish the coolest books out there, super pleasant aesthetically and they give opportunities to new creative authors all the time. Their gift shop side is also very nice, and the Tiffany blue color of the façade is very attractive… impossible not to stop and check what is new displayed in the window. Don’t expect to find high literature here, but wonderful coffee table books and pretty things.

Five stars for Terry! She’s the best person to work in this store. She’s genuinely enthusiastic about the books the store carries and is always so helpful when you’re not sure what you want. The only reason I know her is because of how many times I’ve gone into this store to buy gifts (I used to work in the area). :-P
If you’re having a hard time deciding what to buy someone for a gift, you’re likely to find it here. Give it a chance — it rules! :)

Quirky and fun book store. GREAT place to pick up gifts and coffee table books!

Great collection. some books are very unique. good collection in kids section as well…

Chronicle Books is the publisher to some of my favorite titles so I was thrilled when I was able to visit the store on our trip to SF. They carry all the books they publish but they also have wonderful gift items as well as really lovely stationery. It’s a fun place to browse around in and the service is top notch as well.

Much more of a gift shop than anything else and as a book lover I gotta say a gift bookstore bothers me a little.
Truthfully, I always think of books as last minute gifts or something you give someone you don’t know well. I hate getting them and never give them.
Add this to the extremely open floor plan which somehow makes it feel uncomfortable to browse and you’ve got me going in here twice and walking right back out again.
Sorry.

Love the products. Quirky, smart and funny. Tad expensive… but worth it

We are lucky to have Chronicle Books in our city, and I’m happy to say that I’ve been a loyal customer of their SOMA location in the Metreon for years. For whatever reason, I only had the opportunity to visit their newish Union Street location just yesterday.
It’s a much smaller space, but the layout and displays are pitch perfect. Diving in, almost everything they publish is delectable to read, and it’s hard not to find something of quirky interest. These books are not necessities, but wants and impulses.
Just a smattering of books that caught my eye: Batman: Murder at Wayne Manor, Squeaky Green: The Method Guide to Detoxing Your Home, Ants Have Sex In Your Beer, The Art of Wall-​E…

Like other people have Unilocaled, this isn’t the bookstore you go to for the newest fiction blockbuster.
This place is all about books as gifts. And they have a great selection, which I basically categorise as cooking, childrens, travel and quirky/​miscellaneous.
Everytime we go in here, we see something that would make a great gift for someone we know: a bride-​to-​be, a new mother, a new grandmother, a rock-​loving friend, and even something for fathers day.
But their largest collection is kids books. We’ve bought a few books here for our friends 2 year old. The perfectly illustrated, thick paper, hardcover books that make you wish you were a kid in kindergarten again.

Amazing place to get a gift for a deserving friend who likes to look at beautiful books or read.
For a small selection, this publisher’s store has an incredible collection from top notch cooking books to kids books with the best illustrations/​concepts of the past 50 years to everything in between. And they wrap for free (Tiffany-​esque) which is so lovely.
I love wandering in and spending a good half hour here.
They have a selection of «small books» by the register that are fantastic! Like «Porn for Women» — pictures of men doing domestic deeds with hilarious captions. Great gifts.

For your birthday I’m buying you a book on:
— Mowing Patterns to Make Your Yard a Work of Art
— Golf’s Greatest Practical Jokes
— Speed Knitting: 24 Quick and Easy Projects
— Marley Legend: An Illustrated Life of Bob Marley
You know you totally want each one of those right???
Well, the last one you might… hell, I do!!!

I LOVE this place. I love coming here to get all my baking and desert cook books! They always have what I’m looking for plus more.
I just got «The Cupcake Deck» as a gift and it was purchased from here! I can’t believe I didn’t get it before… and I can’t wait to start baking these cupcakes!
I wish I could live here…

Yes it is a self promoting store — CB is the publisher, so it is not like a regular book store. What it really is, is a great GIFT STORE!
They have some of the cutest, most unique books and doo-​dads here. I dare you to not find a good gift for someone. My fav «Stuff on a Cat»
Be sure and check it out — the store and that book!

Mimi nailed it. Chronicle Books is much more a gift store than a book store. But there is a twist.
Chronicle Books is a publisher, and everything in the store they either publish or is the product of a related company. Chronicle focuses on «me titles» (self help and humor), children’s titles and cookbooks. Pretty much everything in the store falls into one of these categories, but sometimes oddly and amusingly juxtaposed. For example
— Penis Pockey (
) and Position Of The Day sit right next to Buzz Lightyear
— The Three Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide To Happy Parenting and I Was A Good Mom Before I Had Kids sits right next to a colorful lego display and real kids titles
— Extra Virgin olive oil (the one non-​book thing they carry, and no, I don’t suggest mixing with Penis Pokey or Position Of The Day) sits right across from What’s Your Poo Telling You (
), a health book featuring a toilet on the cover.
In all fairness, some of the cookbooks look pretty solid and if I had 10 minutes to find a gift for, say, a young mom this is the place I would head. However, Amazon, Barnes & Nobile, and Borders will be delighted to hear they have nothing to fear from this cute little Union street boutique.

I had anticipated the opening of a bookstore on Union St. This place is more of a gift shop than a book store. It’s a good place to pick up cards, coffee table books, and various gift items. but not if you are looking for specific reading material. It was their first day of operation so I expect that they will have more merchandise in coming weeks.
Update:11/18 Went back there today as I was hoping to find a gift for someone cooking a meal for me. I right away I spotted the perfect cook book and the friendly staff Sasha and Lisa wrapped it nicely for me. Thanks gals!

I love Chronicle bookstores, and this location is no exception. Lots of books/​paper/​journals to browse through to your heart’s content!