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Bart's Books
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
302 W Matlija StOjai, CA 93023
(805) 646-3755
- Hours:
Mon 9:30 am - 7 pm
Tue-Sun 9 am - 6:30 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
48 reviews for Bart's Books
Review Highlights
"There are first editions and vintage books that are wrapped..."
(in 4 reviews)
"I could spend hours getting lost here."
(in 3 reviews)
"It is incredibly well organized by subject."
(in 7 reviews)
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Zahabia E.
Torrance, CA
1/17/2012
This is what heaven is - heaven for all book lovers.
Love the arrangement of this store - unique in every way. I spent almost 3 hours and would've gone on if not for my husband and preschooler! Left happy with three full bags of books :)
The books are well-organized, easy to find - the staff is extremely helpful and know their books well. Plenty of tables and chairs if you need to take a moment, review books or rest!
Small counter for drinks/juice/water..
Don't miss the 'kitchen' with all the cookery books.
This store is a gem. -
Review from Bobby A.
11/16/2011
I think I basically want to take Bart's Books in it's entirety back home to Montreal with me.
Easily the best second-hand book store I've ever visited, and I've visited plenty the world over, always on the look-out for rare or out-of-print books or even just allowing myself to be surprised by whatever crosses my path. Whenever I'm on holiday, I end up blowing all my money on food, books and jewellery. The downside to that is that you can never buy all the books you want because they're so heavy to pack and carry.
With most of the store outdoors and the other half in a small house, only in Ojai could you have a book store that works on the honour system, where you can buy a book and throw the money into a box when Bart's is closed. Even so, the book selection is even better once you're inside and what a collection it is!
Judging from the used books on sale, Ojai has to have one of the most well-read, literate populations anywhere. For years now, I've been searching for a complete 6-volume set of the original 1001 Arabian Nights (as in ALL 1001 short stories), it's been out of print for years and is considered a collector's item.
They had 2 sets here going for $500. Sigh.
Books are very well organized, different sections are almost like different pavilions, outdoor fireplace, you can totally lose yourself here for hours.
A true bibliophile's paradise. -
Review from John F.
Fullerton, CA
1/4/2012
Best and coolest bookstore in the world. They have everything. Seriously, everything.
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Review from Mark H.
Love this place. So quintessentially "Ojai" - an outdoor bookstore with lots of interesting (used) titles. There is a wide variety of subjects. The 'arts' section in the small room to the left of the entrance has some collectible and rare books. Bart's was one of the highlights of my visit to Ojai.
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Review from Connie L.
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to many book stores, and Bart's Books is the only one located outdoors. This is a magical, welcoming little place you could spend hours at, poring over their new and used and well-organized selections. It's a bit labyrinthine, with secret corners and tucked away rooms, and plenty of tables with seats with umbrellas. If you're in Ojai, definitely check this place out.
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Review from Samantha S.
Los Angeles, CA
5/11/2011
absolutely perfect. I just visited Bart's for the first time and found it to be so awesome! yes, they sell used books, and they have a better, bigger selection of used books than I have ever seen, but Bart's is not a used book store, it is an outdoor mecca of literature and knowledge, set up like a lush, green maze. This place is easily the COOLEST place I have ever been. Ever.
I was able to find three great books for around $20. I was also able to purchase a great book bag with an illustration of Bart's on the front. The staff was all very nice, and helpful. The cat there was also very cute and added to the charm of this place. There are plenty of tables around the trees and walkways to sit and read, they also have a cooler with some beverages to enjoy while doing so.
I am very sad that I live 3 hours from this place, but I plan on returning many times in my life. Bart's Books is a must see for lovers of nature and literature alike :) -
Review from Tiffany G.
Santa Barbara, CA
7/23/2011
Where has this bookstore been my whole life? I could have easily spent my whole day here. It is incredibly charming and has an excellent selection of used books. Everything is very reasonably priced also, which proved to be more dangerous than beneficial, because I spent more than I should because I was getting 4 books for the price of 2 at Barnes and Noble.
It is outdoors and in Ojai though. Fair warning to anybody who decides to venture out here on a hot, summer day like I did. It is WAAARM! But they do have a small fridge of sodas, iced teas, and other assorted beverages to keep you cool as your browse.
(And for the non-book lovers that choose to tag along with their lit geek spouses: they have free candy with any purchase. That was enough to please my boyfriend!) -
Review from Akiko T.
Los Angeles, CA
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this place! There is something for everyone and there are little nooks here and there for people to sit and read.
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Review from C S.
Los Angeles, CA
What a great and unique used book store. 90% of it is outdoors. And it is very well organized and the books they sell are all in really great condition.
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Review from James P.
8/14/2011
Bart's books is almost Ojai's own little Shakespeare and Company. The funny thing is that I heard several French speaking people visiting this outpost of forgotten books. It is good to see that Bart's is probably in the French language Lonely Planet guide for Southern California. If you journey here you might find something you want, or have been looking for. Or perhaps not. Either way, Bart's is a fun distraction and worth an hour of browsing that might present you with a title that you never knew you needed.
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Review from Rachel D.
Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2010
Seriously fantastic.
Imagine a cozy little cottage, filled with books. Now imagine that it has a huge yard, filled with a lush maze-like profusion of verdant trees and plants, except all those plants are MORE BOOKS.
I headed straight to the cookbooks (adorably situated in the kitchen). I scored "At home with Japanese Cooking" by Elizabeth Andoh for $12. It was published in 1980 and chock full of useful techniques and straightforward recipes. The guy who worked there was quite engaged - always walking through to see if I needed help, and able to direct my boyfriend and I towards each other after we'd wandered off into different corners of the store.
Finally the guy announced that I seemed like someone who'd want to check out the Classics room, and led me there. HEAVEN! I only bought one classic ("You can't go home again" by Thomas Wolfe for $2) but on my way out also snagged Michael Pollan's new gardening book.
In short: a must if you are in Ojai and like books at all. -
Review from Rhea B.
Pasadena, CA
9/5/2010
Love this concept of the outdoor bookstore. Bart's succeeds on having a nice variety of books, a relaxing seating area, and even a cooler full of ice-cold drinks (necessary in the September heat).
The prices seem a bit high for a used bookstore -- all the paperbacks I looked at were at least $7 -- but books on the shelves outside of the shop are only 50 cents. The best selection is in fiction, natch. The selection for other genres, such as "sports" is pretty thin. -
Review from Judi T.
Monrovia, CA
7/23/2011
Now, working at Bart's Books would be my idea of pure heaven. I can't imagine a more satisfying job. I could spend hours and hours there and just scratch the surface. Outdoors, shady, coffee, chairs and thousands of used books. Been there a couple of times and never got to spend enough time.
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Review from Kenny F.
Anaheim, CA
8/11/2011 1 photo
every time i go somewhere new i check out the local used bookstore, i like my books to have stories. and this place is by far the coolest bookstore i have ever seen!!!
it was almost overwhelming how many books they had, it was a lot to take in. i dont know how long we were there for, maybe hours, and i feel like there was so much i didnt see. i kept daydreaming about curling up in the house in the middle of all the books and just living there forever . . . *sigh* i guess i will just have to settle on stopping by every time i am anywhere near Ojai! -
Review from Marcy G.
Chino, CA
8/7/2008
Bart's is a magical land. It's the kind of place that defies all logic, yet totally works. It was a house once, but now it's a kind of open-air book maze. There are little hidden corners and whatnot. It's truly amazing.
I'm the type of person who prefers used books to new ones. I don't know what it is, maybe it's that smell of old paper and potential. I also like trees. Shopping for books in the shade of a tree is an awesome experience.Listed in: Oddities
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Review from Lisa B. B.
Long Beach, CA
7/26/2011
The best used book store ever! You gotta go here once in your life at least.
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Review from Jennifer L.
Oakland, CA
4/25/2008
I read the website, reviews, and I must say that I was a bit skeptical. all I could figure out is that, it was a bookstore outside and a tree is involved somehow. So we went to Ojai for the weekend and the boyfriend, asks about the bookstores in town, since I had done my research, I am the yelper in the relationship. So I explain to him that there is the outdoor one and then there is one in the shopping center. He showed interest in the outdoor one, and I was like, eh. But agreed that we had to see what the largest outdoor bookstore looked like and what was with the tree.
Well, let me just say that this is the best used book store that I have ever been to. I love used bookstores, but the problem is, is that normally they are musty, dusty and not well organized. So I am wandering around in circles while my allergies go berserk and I never do find anything. At Bart's, since it is open-air, you don't notice the dust or the must. It is incredibly well organized by subject. Fiction is organized by author as well. Inside the large open space there is an old house, and in each room is stored an appropriate subject of books. The staff is super friendly, it has large spaces to read, large aisles, and coffee as well. This place can not be missed.Listed in: Weekend in Ojai
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Review from Kali W.
Pasadena, CA
6/22/2008
Long time Ojai landmark. New owners Jason and Dave took over a few years ago, and turned it completely around (for the better!)
I've bought a lot of books here over the years and coming to browse, relax, and read is almost a ritual for me. -
Review from Anthony E.
San Diego, CA
5/31/2011
Personally, I do not read many books so I'm writing this review on behalf of my Wife who does. The bookstore's layout is quite interesting as if you're in someone's backyard and that every wall, corner, and crevis is a bookshelf containing all types of books. Amazingly, the books were categorized accordingly but not necessarily in alphabetical order. However, as a book lover I'm sure you would enjoy your stay there especially on a nice day since it is an "outdoor library"
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Review from Don B.
Oak View, CA
2/19/2010
Go to Bart's to look at books, chat with some hipsters, make discoveries, and wind your way through a house and surrounding maze full of bookshelves.
Don't go to Bart's looking for a specific title. They may have it, but you will probably never find it. At least that's been my experience. I'm almost never able to find the run-of-the-mill classic paperback I came for, but I find stuff I never knew existed or had long forgotten.
If you have the means to get there, you should go. Everybody loves Bart's. -
Review from roxanne c.
Denver, CO
6/12/2009
When I was little my mom would take me here; sometimes we would get there when the bookstore was already closed, but they had (and still have) bookcases lining the outside wall with books marked for a quarter and such. We would pick out our books and toss the money over the front door like an offering.
Whenever I go back home I make a trip to Bart's. They have a really nice collection of first editions inside the house in the center of the courtyard, and I love that the cookbooks are all shelved in the kitchen! Next to the cash register they have a cup filled with bookmarks made of cancelled foreign stamps, and don't forget to pick up a flavoured peppermint stick for 10 cents. Magic. -
Review from Katy W.
San Jose, CA
4/21/2009
Hmm, I guess I have neglected to review Bart's, a staple in our visits to the in-laws. There isn't much to do in Ojai so a trip to Bart's is always good for a slow afternoon.
I was worried when Bart's changed hands in the past few years, but it seems to have really improved the place without forcing it to change. It is still charming and odd, but without rain actually dripping on the books as was sometimes the case previously.
They have painted the bookshelves and just generally put more effort into upkeep. The past few times we have come, we have found some little surprises. First, it was the reworking on the 'kitchen' into an area for cookbooks, including vintage ones. Very cute. This time, they have reworked the indoor area in the back left into more of a 'literature' section which was surprising in its depth. For instance, they had a random book by Defoe (a prolific man) on trade rather than just the standard Robinson Crusoe. The same seemed to be true of Dickens, etc. I found some old editions of William Carleton an Irish author who was popular in the 19th C, but almost unheard of now. Cheap copies and very rare so I was happy.
I think there is something here for everyone and the range of books they have now is really encouraging. Go check it out and help keep independent bookstores alive!! -
Review from natalie d.
Carlsbad, CA
4/27/2011
you can easily waste away hours of your life perusing the countless books under the tree canopy that cover Bart's. The books are well organized and easy to identify and find. It is also pretty great that you can trade books and build up credit.
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Review from Aggie A.
Hercules, CA
5/31/2011
One-of-a-kind used book store.
Stopped off here because my bf wanted to see the town that was the locale for "Lost Horizon." To give you an idea about how neat it was, we pulled up in front of the front door and noticed that the outside of the building had built-in shelves containing books. Walking in the door, the first thing you notice are the books on built-in shelves on either side. Everywhere you look, where there is a wall, there are built-in bookshelves. As you walk in further, you realize that the actual bookstore is a really small building, and that the built-in shelves you see all around are really built into the walls of a courtyard, that there are chairs and tables where people are sitting, reading books. Besides books, there are also CDs, sheet music and even some LPs.
This store is a booklover's dream come true: books everywhere and comfy places to read, and unexpected finds--where else can you find books by Ouida???? -
Review from Annie C.
Hollywood, CA
5/16/2010 3 photos
You must go into the little house. The patio is lovely and filled to the brim with books, but it's the INSIDE that counts! What seemed like the only staff present gave me an amazing run-through of the collections available inside the house. The best and most appropriate collection there? The cookbooks in the kitchen. GENIUS.
It's a used book lover's paradise. -
Review from Melissa S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/9/2009
You can see by the many reviews, that this place is pretty tops. I don't even have to tell you, just look around this page. Or better yet, go to Bart's and look around those pages.
OK, that was a bad joke.
Anyway, all I feel that I need to include is that they ONLY BUY YOUR USED BOOKS ON WEEK DAYS.
That is all. -
Review from melina l.
Los Angeles, CA
5/4/2008
This might be the best used book store I have ever been to. Sure, I've been to bigger ones, but this one is charming. It has soul. I had heard about how it's outdoors, and that didn't make any sense to me. How can that be a good idea? The books will get rained on and all moldy and musty, won't they? Apparently that doesn't happen in this climate.
This is an old house that's been walled in so there's a courtyard. Books are everywhere in the house and on shelves arranged all through the courtyard. There are also books on the outsides of the walls facing the sidewalk, which is charming. You can shop these shelves even when the store is closed; if you find one you want you can throw your fifty cents over the wall or push it through a slot in the door.
Just a really pleasant store to browse; it has a lot of great stuff and the surroundings are so quiet and clean and calm...if I lived in Ojai I'd be here constantly. -
Review from Ned P.
Long Beach, CA
11/5/2009
I went to Ojai from long beach to see if this place existed. I've seen it and I still don't believe that it does. It was well put together and the employees were peachy.
I recommend anyone driving through or stopping in Ojai to run by Bart's Books. -
Review from Robert P.
Ojai, CA
1/8/2011
An Ojai landmark.
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Review from Felisha E.
Cerritos, CA
1/28/2011 1 photo
This is, by far, the cutest bookstore I've been. to I think it's a shame that it's so hard to find bookstores nowadays that aren't Barnes or Borders because a lot of times the best ones are these little mom-and-pop kind. Anyway, this one is entirely outdoors, with a giant lemon tree growing out of the middle. The shelves are lined wall-to-wall with books, and the whole place is broken up into cute little sections. For example, there's a room that looks like an old kitchen, and that's where they keep all the cookbooks. My favorite section was an entire room devoted to poetry. There's lots of little tables and chairs and umbrellas to sit on and read, accompanied by small fire places. My prize: A $4 copy of James Frey's A Million Little Pieces. I could spend hours getting lost here!
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Review from Rachel M.
10/18/2010
This is one my favorite places in Ojai and welcomes a book lover like me with open arms. I haven't seen an bookstore this charming since visiting the Shakespeare & Company in Paris. This is everything I imagined and more.
My boyfriend is from Ojai. He mentioned a bookstore where there are books outside and you throw the money over the wall when it's closed. It's turns out it was Bart's Books. It seems much bigger when I entered. It was like a maze as I browsed from shelf to shelf with a wooden sign categorizing each section. The outdoor area felt like a hip library's garage sale. There was a room called The Gallery for books that were in glass cases similar to ones in jewelry stores. There was also an indoor area resembling the space in a house that was filled with books wall to wall. I was looking for cookbooks from the beginning, and it turns out they were cleverly organized in a kitchen. I can get lost in Bart Book's for hours browsing through the great selection. The selction felt like cruising down memory lane as I saw books of my childhood, classic plays I once adored, and books reminding me of college. There are some new books, but I preferred flipping through the dusty pages of all too familiar classic book smell. There are first editions and vintage books that are wrapped in plastic.
I love the Bart Book's T-shirt that said "What happens when it rains?" -
Review from Jason K.
Carpinteria, CA
1/29/2011
This place is SWEET! It's a house and a cottage connected and surrounded by bookshelves! Because it's an outdoor store, some of the books do suffer from sun damage, but those are cheaply priced, while the good ones have adequate cover. Inside are winding corridors and nooks galore packed, but not over-stacked, with thousands of books in a wide variety of genres. All in all, this is a fantastic place to browse, especially on a sunny day.
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Review from Tracy G.
Los Angeles, CA
12/23/2007
OMG, this is the mother of all used book stores. So many books here, but its more than that -- it the atmosphere, the set up, open air and well organized. You walk around, and just when you think you have come to the end of the store, you realize that there is more just around the bend. I was well restrained, I could have spend the whole day here and not finished looking their inventory in my favorite sections. I just walked around, looking at the sections, trying not to be sucked in (I was here with friends and I didn't want them to have to pull me away.) Will be going back, and arranging to be dropped of when they open and picked up at sunset.
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Review from Kaaren D.
Newbury Park, CA
12/18/2007 6 photos
My favorite Ojai institution. Walk inside past the sign, and you enter a patio/courtyard that now sports patio tables and chairs for perusing the many books filed in every conceivable spot. And it is clean, and well-organized, and the books are reasonably priced, and yet they have some rare finds: first editions, and signed copies. I even saw a signed copy of a book by CS Lewis (of Narnia fame, among others). Go into the house and it is floor to ceiling with bookshelves, including cookbooks in the kitchen. See my pictures to get a feel for what Bart's is like.
Listed in: Culture Vultures
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Review from Jesse R.
Ojai, CA
2/27/2009
Oh man! Me and the missus moved to Ojai about a month ago, and we just made our first trip to Bart's. It is amazing! Mostly outdoors, it's a terrific place to wander around on a sunny day. The staff was friendly enough to us, but some lady who walked in looking for "you know, it's called like alternative something, it's for teenagers," was handled with a ten-foot pole and sent directly to the children's section. Better to meander through, see what catches your eye.
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Review from Kristie S.
Ventura, CA
3/22/2010
Heaven! I could have spent hours in this place! My daughters and I spend a lot of time in used book stores, and this is one of the coolest we've found. The staff were helpful, the prices were good, and the selection was fabulous. We'll definitely be back soon!
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Review from Michelle G.
Santa Barbara, CA
12/27/2009
Bart's Books is an outdoor bookstore that was reappropriated from its former life as a house.
As for the bookstore...there are bookshelves thoughout the place...mostly outside in the courtyard. Yet all are under some type of cover. The interior of the house is filled with first editions and signed copies of books more geared towards collectors, as well as some larger format art books and some philosophy. The philosophy section sucked. I only looked through their architecture section and it sucked also. Which is not too much of a surprise for an art/architecture used bookstore not located in a big city. They also do really clever things like fill the kitchen with cook books. Mhmm. Which we also did not peruse, but did admire their lack of any sense of post-modern irony as we passed by. There is a nice smelling and clean bathroom that you need to ask the andorgenous book people for a key in order to enjoy. The key is attached to an old oil can or something quaint like that. The best selection, for us, was to be found in what I would call a carriage house...but in California it is best described as a shack-out-back. Anyway, this is where all of their good literature was.
All in all the store was really great. They have a lot of books. It would take a long time to get through all of them. They are organized fairly well, into specific categories, and then alphabetically. But once you get past the first letter of the alphabetization, it is a crap shoot. Which was annoying but with that many books it would be insane to be impossible to keep them in perfect order. The people that worked there could best be described as Mr. Rodgers' daughters on barbiturates. They both wore sweater vests. And one of them kept giving us dirty looks.
Despite my salty description...this place is pretty cool. The books are moderately priced. Not too high; not too low. We got some good stuff, and will definitely go back. -
Review from Heather N.
Long Beach, CA
6/5/2008
This place is very cool. My mom used to take me here to pick up and drop off books. It is a typical Ojai place, kinda weird and hippie but also interesting. I remember getting lost in all the twists and turns down halls and rooms filled with books, great place for a kid.
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Review from James P.
CA
10/1/2007
This is a great spot for a book store in a place where there's not a whole lot to do except read any ways. It wasn't just filled with romance paperbacks but Nobel prize winners and multiple copies of top sellers.
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Review from Megan E.
Ventura, CA
6/1/2009
I might not get out much, but this lil gem is one of my favs from around the world. An outdoor book store! What a concept! More fun than a museum and cheaper than shopping at the mall, book lovers MUST experience this one of a kind place. I have brought old books here to get credit of books in the future, basically adorable. If you are looking for a specific book, they probably won't know if they carry it. You are better off browsing for something interesting.
