Skylight Books

This is one of my favorite bookstores in LA. The location is great with lots of great cafes around for you to pick up a book or more & go get right into it. The shop itself is really beautiful. There’s a great gift section as you enter then a wonderful maze of different sections that are well curated. I always think I’m going in for one item then an hour later come out with more. The staff are very friendly & helpful with suggestions or to help you find that book you’ve been searching for which I haven’t always found in some local bookshops. They have a generous membership with discounts & specials too. If you go, be sure to check out their additional shop extension a couple doors down where they have their art books, comic books & more. I’ve been to most the independent bookstores in LA now & this is definitely one of the best.

I pre-ordered a signed book online from this store and my copies unfortunately got lost in the mail, but, after contacting the store the employees quickly fixed the issue and made sure that I got new copies that were even signed by the author! I was so grateful. Thank you for great service! I was happy I shopped small and supported your store even from out of state. Great shop!

Support your local bookstores!!! Now more than ever. Treasure trove of book nerd heaven. Great book events! Stop binge watching, get out and read!

This queer friendly bookstore is lovely! Many literary genres are represented and are well organized/well stocked. Looking for a queer friendly book? This is 100% the place to go!

I love how the employees let me shop in silence. Really cool space stocked with all types of books

Love the side by side book stores of Skylight Books. We stopped in today and checked out the selections. Really cool options that you don't normally see.

picking up a foreign conflict to focus on intensively in your store and demonize one side — that is the home of one-half of all Jews on the planet — is very problematic. The aggressive bias display promotes more polarization hate and antisemitic views. I'm sure many people in the neighborhood will go elsewhere from now on.

My new absolute favorite bookstore in Los Angeles! Beautifully set with a wide array of books, and an incredibly friendly and helpful staff that keeps me coming back. This place is warm and inviting, and also has a really insightful selection of books on the Mideast conflict.

This is one of my favorite bookstores in LA. The location is great with lots of great cafes around for you to pick up a book or more & go get right into it. The shop itself is really beautiful. There’s a great gift section as you enter then a wonderful maze of different sections that are well curated. I always think I’m going in for one item then an hour later come out with more. The staff are very friendly & helpful with suggestions or to help you find that book you’ve been searching for which I haven’t always found in some local bookshops. They have a generous membership with discounts & specials too. If you go, be sure to check out their additional shop extension a couple doors down where they have their art books, comic books & more. I’ve been to most the independent bookstores in LA now & this is definitely one of the best.

I pre-ordered a signed book online from this store and my copies unfortunately got lost in the mail, but, after contacting the store the employees quickly fixed the issue and made sure that I got new copies that were even signed by the author! I was so grateful. Thank you for great service! I was happy I shopped small and supported your store even from out of state. Great shop!

Support your local bookstores!!! Now more than ever. Treasure trove of book nerd heaven. Great book events! Stop binge watching, get out and read!

This queer friendly bookstore is lovely! Many literary genres are represented and are well organized/well stocked. Looking for a queer friendly book? This is 100% the place to go!

I love how the employees let me shop in silence. Really cool space stocked with all types of books

Love the side by side book stores of Skylight Books. We stopped in today and checked out the selections. Really cool options that you don't normally see.

picking up a foreign conflict to focus on intensively in your store and demonize one side — that is the home of one-half of all Jews on the planet — is very problematic. The aggressive bias display promotes more polarization hate and antisemitic views. I'm sure many people in the neighborhood will go elsewhere from now on.

My new absolute favorite bookstore in Los Angeles! Beautifully set with a wide array of books, and an incredibly friendly and helpful staff that keeps me coming back. This place is warm and inviting, and also has a really insightful selection of books on the Mideast conflict.

It is nice to see an indie bookstore alive and well! A dying breed in LA, unfortunately. Friendly staff and always a fun, good vibe here. Check out the art books annex down the street. So many gems!

I'm not a big reader and to me, books are clutter, so I don't patronise many bookshops. I enjoy the quirkiness and selection of the Last Bookstore downtown. Skylight is the opposite of that - a modest, simple shop with curated offerings. They have a small selection of lovely gift items, which can be difficult to find in L.A. when looking for a unique present. They host events often, so I had the opportunity to attend one and meet my favourite authour, Bret Easton Ellis. In the years after that experience, I've also purchased a few of his books here to honour that special memory.

I have been coming here for close to 20 years. The past few times customer service has been sub par. Yesterday I came in to buy some books for my daughter and the people working were so unbelievably rude. It just sucks because its so easy just to buy things off Amazon , but I love the experience of coming in a store and I also love to support local business. After yesterdays visit I think Ill spend an extra 25 minutes in my car and head to Vromons. Such a bummer and so avoidable.

Wow such a cool independent bookstore with a tree in the center, they have a astounding selection of interesting lit - I have never seen Speculative Fiction as a category before. Highly recommended!

Rude staff and the books are not priced competitively... a weak selection and uninspired selection to boot.

What a find. We were in the area walking around and happened upon this place. They are very specific in the types of books and I found books I have never seen before. They have lots of options and it's a great place to find some cool books. The staff was helpful and showed me some great selections. Great find

Overpriced bookstore with awful service. I asked the cashier (very politely) if she could look up if they had a specific book and she said she would get back to me so I went perusing around the store. Next thing I know I hear her complaining about me to a co-worker, who tells her to just ignore me and hopefully I will go away. I never did get an answer about the book and am honestly just so confused what was so offensive about asking for help locating a book ‍ I wanted to support a local business but I guess I'll be shopping at Amazon after all...

First of all, I don't know how I missed a tree in the middle of the bookstore, but I did, and I'm sad. But wow, what sweet bookstore! Skylight Books is a local bookstore with a plethora of books in all genres for all ages. While it's local, you won't find yourself stuck without a book like a small shop. I think they have signings and other cool events here from time to time but I've only been here once. While I'm not much of a reader, I did purchase a book that I didn't expect to purchase, and did enjoy my time wandering the aisles. I hope to come back to Skylight in the future as it's always good to support local business!

Love this place. Great selection, fun events and awesome staff. They carry a lot of books on social issues and have great staff picks, translated literature and a mix of every genre. I have a membership but I only rec it if you shop often, as it is regularly 10% off. You can order online or over the phone and they can get you pretty much any book.

It can get confusing at first because there are two separate stores that are not connected to each other. I come here for the unique travel stories/guides and hard to acquire magazines (in chain bookstores). It also has a huge selection of graphic novels. A simple picture of the tree in the bookstore shows everyone in the LA area that you are at Skylight Books. A star is docked because I prefer another local bookstore with good seating area. However, Skylight still gets the job done to fill your bookshelf with interesting finds.

I brought my baby here to buy some new children's books. As I checked out, I noticed their bigoted, racist display up front. I made it halfway down the block before turning back. I asked to return the books because as a Jewish member of their community, they had made me feel very unwelcome. One associate simply walked away from me the second I said I was Jewish. The other shrugged and said they don't do returns, but I could get store credit. I didn't escalate because people with that level of apathy are, quite frankly dangerous, and I did not feel that myself or my son were safe in the store. I will never set foot in Skylight again. So much for shopping local. Barnes and Noble it is.

There are two stores on Vermont st, one is the "main" building and the other is a smaller room. They're not far apart, perhaps one or two stores away from each other? We parked in the back lot, however there is metered street parking as well. What I really appreciate about their website is that it updates on how much of a book is in stock. I was able to come in and buy an issue of Viscose magazine (just in time for Pride month)! The smaller of the two is where their fashion books and manga are located! Their manga selection is pretty small, it's mostly the popular shonen/seinen such as Tokyo Revengers, Chainsaw Man, Death Note, etc. However there are beautiful small zines printed by local artists which is definitely recommended. The art is beautiful!

Skylight Books customer service is very hit & miss. Sometimes it's outstanding, like when they wrap your gift that you order from the website. But, sometimes the staff seems aloof or disinterested. I'm tempted to call out the person at the front of the store that I had a bizarre encounter with. But I'll just leave it as this: I can't remember a time I walked out of a store in such dismay. Incredibly rude. Inconsiderate. Advice to management/ownership: Have a company meeting and provide some tough love to your staff. Tell them to shape up. Stop being disinterested hipsters. Stop talking amongst yourselves, and start helping your customers. Amazon is only a click away, so get it together.

Okay, I absolutely loved this bookstore. Some of my favorite things: They were playing Reggeton music, which I mean if that doesn't excite you already , then I don't know what will There's a lovely tree thriving in the middle of the bookstore, along with some other plants They have skylight bookstore merchandise, cute merch if I may add, I bought a corduroy hat The poetry section is bigger than most Barnes and Noble stores, which us poetry lovers appreciate They have a cute gifting section with journals, book-related novelty items, and cards The self-help section is a bit limited, but they have a decent variety. Overall, it's a great bookstore with nice people working there. I would definitely recommend checking this spot out and buying something to support this bookstore.

Skylight Books is my neighborhood bookstore, and it's definitely one of my favorite bookstores in Los Angeles. Sure, it helps that it's right near one of the movie theaters that I frequent the most (Los Feliz 3), but the selection and breadth of books on offer at Skylight is impressive. From children's books to recent fiction releases to literature classics, I've always found a great gift or a new addition to my library. They also stationery if cards are your jam. They do offer an annual membership, which I would recommend if you are a frequent shopper given the discounts it will unlock for you. I've also found their employees to be patient and helpful if I had questions about locating a specific book.

An awesome selection of books. There's the art book store annexed to it too, worth checking out. Easily spend hours at both bookstores.

As a Jewish person in this neighborhood, I felt unwelcome when they show their support of one side of the War in their front of the store. I always like to shop local and support businesses, I will go elsewhere.

A local bookstore with big selection and stock, I love that I can NOT shop Amazon and have a local bookstore to shop at instead. They also sell cards and little things to give as gifts. Helpful staff, meter street parking.

My favorite indie bookstore in LA so far! Handfuls of the author and literary events draw a decent crowd and following, especially into the late night. The annex a few stores down seems to focus more on art, and the whole direction boasts a strong emphasis on graphic novels that go beyond pop superhero stories into a more adult and artsy realm of comic books. I love browsing the value section in the back, and the easy access make this place a welcome establishment in Los Feliz. Can't get more LA than putting a tree in the middle of your brick and mortar store. If you want to make sure your money goes back to supporting emerging writers and artists, this is the place!

Skylight is a classic L.A. bookstore! i had one of my books there for a few years, and i felt so proud. The physical space is gorgeous, with a tree in the middle of the space and several places to sit and read. Bookstores like this are a rarity these days. i hope it sticks around forever.

Please Skylight, expand, move, whatever...You're the reason Los Feliz is great...You're the supreme ruler of Vermont Ave...For the love of Pete, you need a bigger store... More space means more books and more room for your happy customers...Yeah, some of the employees need to get their heads outa their tender asses, but well, it's a bookstore, and I'm not there to make friends. But more than a few times while visiting I'd wish I didn't have to listen to the repartee amongst the workers...hello? I'm a customer? I need help...Stop talking about your screenplay, zine, Wim Wenders and help us! Seriously though...Get a bigger store. It's too crowded. New bookshelves ain't gonna help.

Easily the best bookstore I have been to in my entire life. I don't know how I've lived here for this long and didn't know this gem existed! It didn't look too promising when we walked in as the space felt very claustrophobic but the zines and rare books they had available had me camping. Parking was non-existent but worth the $7 for the time we were there. I picked up a zine and look forward to coming back for more. Keep up the great work with the hard to finds!

Great selection of books! Easy to find the genres you are looking for. Clean and welcoming! Love this place! Will definitely be coming back.

One of the very best bookstores in LA - could spend hours in here. They have a great variety of literature in such a small space, and staff is friendly and helpful.

Located in the Los Feliz area and off Vermont, Skylight Books is one of LA's best bookstores. Whether looking for the most mainstream or hidden gem, Skylight has an eclectic choice of options. In the main store, you will find more of the traditional book options while the Annex contains the art, film and entertainment type books. I love visiting Skylight before/after grabbing food in the area or checking out a movie at the Los Feliz 3 next door. The staff is always courteous and there is plenty of street parking- just double check the meters and/or street signs. On my most recent visit I was picking up an online order and I was able to get in/out with less than 5 minutes. They're very efficient and I thank them for all their help!

I am very sad to write this review and have been putting it off in the hopes that this would change. I have been a loyal local patron of Skylight and a member of Friends With Benefits for many years. I would have given them 5+ stars without a second thought. I have spent a lot of time in this store and have very happy memories here. Sadly, I no longer feel comfortable and welcome here. Since October 7, Skylight has consistently featured incendiary titles such as those in this photo in the front of the store under "Current Events" and "Staff Recommendations." The titles Skylight has elected to feature give only the Palestinian perspective on the history of the region, and many of these titles blame Israel, "Zionism" (and by implication, Jewish people). Some of these subtitles are very aggressive (for example: "How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World" and "How Zionism Forged An Apartheid State from River to Sea"). In my many visits to the store since October 7, I only saw a featured book from the Israeli perspective once. The impact of this wall of titles in the aggregate means that any customer seeking to truly understand the attacks of October 7, the war, and the history of the region are instead bombarded with this singular viewpoint on behalf of the bookstore and have no other options or viewpoints to consider (unless they know what they want already and special order it). I expected a lot more from Skylight. The Middle East has a complex history, and there are many interesting books about it written by scholars and historians. Featuring only these titles upon entry to the store has had the impact of alienating local Jewish clientele. I have heard from my neighbors and many customers who feel similarly. Many have brought this to the store's attention in person, over the phone, and in emails and letters. The store's response has been disappointing. They do not see a reason to include other titles about the region alongside these selections for a variety of reasons, and claims this is what sells. Since October 7, I have sought out and have read many books about Israel and Gaza, and will continue to do so. There is always more to learn and understand. I would have bought these books from Skylight, but now I no longer feel good about supporting this store.

I wanted to take my boyfriend on a bookstore date. This was the only bookstore in my area that was open passed 9pm. It's in a nice area close to LACC. Most of the books were for college students. I like reading classic literature, but all I found was Poe. Most of the Poe selection were plays. They did have a good graphics novel section. Books on photography and art there were plenty. The bookstore itself was clean and neat. I didn't find what I was looking for but it was still a good experience. I would highly recommend this store if you're into arts like films & photos.

My happy place. The best staff, the best book selections! Support your local independent bookstore!

Great customer service. Thank you! Came in to pick up a book (received email). They handled the problem!

This is average sized book store with a plethora of options. If you like a wide variety of options and many great places nearby this is a perfect bookstore to visit. I like the warm feeling you get when you walk inside. Not to mention there are many plants on the shelves which make it feel a little more like home.

My new absolute favorite bookstore in Los Angeles! Beautifully set with a wide array of books, and an incredibly friendly and helpful staff that keeps me coming back. This place is warm and inviting, and also has a really insightful selection of books on the Mideast conflict.

New to the neighborhood, stumbled in on my evening walk. Instantly fell in love with the place, found a bunch of plays I haven't been able to find elsewhere, & for a great price. Elizabeth and Kaveh were awesome, made me feel right at home. Definitely going to keep coming back here!

Very good selection of books. Many (mostly left and far-left) political/philosophical titles. Some French and other foreign language titles. Notebooks and other items. (Art books in nearby shop.)

Really cool spot with lots of kids books, which was why I came here. Street parking only from what I could tell. Friendly staff and easy to search for a book from a specific category. I love that the locals support this spot and I will definitely keep coming to pick up books!

cashiers were condescending and unhelpful. i asked for non-self help recommendations and they recommended self-help with "no knowledge" beyond that. fire playlist though -i have empathy for apathy as i work in retail, but having made the trip from midcity, it was disappointing.

Horrible prices. Horrible service. Terrible selection. Every single title they have is much cheaper online. One of the most poorly-run businesses I've ever had the displeasure of wasting my money on.

My fav bookstore in LA - the perfect size store and the staff is great with recommendations!

Great book selections and chill atmosphere, with little seating but that's alright. Love going there to get books and read!

i always stop by skylight before seeing a movie at the theater next door. it's a cute, cozy shop with a wide, yet curated selection. the staff are helpful and knowledgeable of the inventory. books are quality and always a great purchase.

Best bookstore in L.A., hands down. Stop buying things on Amazon and get to this store.

Thank you for this gem of a place. During the pandemic, they are very cautious of numbers in the store, offering hand sanitizer throughout, and keeping distance. This place made me realize how much I missed going to bookstores. I walked in with a book in mind, got carried away (or inspired, really), and walked out with 3 books. The world needs these adorable, independent bookstores. Support local businesses, support the authors, and stop ordering your books off of Amazon and ripping off these creatives. Skylight books makes me so glad I ventured in. I'll be back again, and then many times more!!

I always love looking for independent local bookstores! This place has improved over the years! They have a variety of books, a great atmosphere, and many nice items that can be gifted (mugs, wellness items, notebooks, etc.). The staff is super friendly and this place is such a great place to stop by for any of my book lovers who need a book to read by the beach during their time in LA or before they head back home.

Its one bookstore split into two stores. Its a bit confusing. There was a book signing happening when I visited but I didnt know who the author was. I would go again. The bigger store is where you find the fiction, history, biographies, and other books. The smaller store you find more of the art books, music, and comics.

Thank you for being open til 10pm. It's everything a night owl nerd girl could want from a bookstore.

Skylight Books is a relatively small shop, but the use of space is smart, intentional and well-designed. Each time I come in, I am delighted to find new books I'd love to read, as well as some of my top picks in each category. The staff is dedicated and helpful, and also do a great job of highlighting local authors and bringing them in for talks and signings (as seen in this recent conversation with Mallory O'Meara for her book "Girly Drinks").

It may not be three stories of city books where you'll find in stock The Red Deal, Last Standing Woman, or a children's book called Brown. But If you are shopping for books on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, herbalism or urban gardening, they can order it for you. They did have in stock Braiding Sweetgrass, but that's already in my book basket at home. I found a book that was not on my booklist called The Little Gardener: Helping Children Connect with the Natural World. (So far so good). I didn't bother looking through adult fiction/poetry (since all my literary free time goes to reading to my kids), but this is Skylight's cuppa tea for sure. My kids found books to their delight: The Girl Who Drank The Moon and The Mysterious Benedict Society book 2. (Oh joy I get to channel my inner Constance and hear my kids laugh). (If you're looking for books debunking climate change there's a used bookshop in the city of Orange with copious amounts of books.) Ode to Skylight Books 2010: I walked into Skylight no money for books only to take a peak at Patti Smith's boots

The best book store ever. Complete with cat and tree. This bookstore makes me feel cozy and safe

Too many left-wing communist/socialist books that no one wants to read here. It would be ideal if this bookstore actually focused on true "independent" thought, such as books from libertarians, America First advocates, and those who support a limited federal government. Instead, this bookstore has an endless supply of boring and stale ideas that have always failed in the past. This is one bookstore where you are likely to actually learn literally nothing since none of their books are any good.

This place is nice, gives you that "homey" feel. The staff is welcoming, and the set up is easy peasy. They have virtual and live book events which is great if you're looking for community. My favorite part is the tree in the middle where you can sit down and read peacefully. I enjoy their ambiance and appreciate that the music isn't blasting. There's more than just books they also have gift wrapping paper and unique gift ideas. Parking is simple there's meter parking as well as free parking in the residential streets. This bookstore also has a part 2, totally different vibe that's separate. Both are cool just look at which one you're going into.