These Toronto bookstores beg to be browsed
The printed word is far from finished in Toronto, where readers are still passionate about turning real pages. And though digital books enjoy a strong following, nothing compares to the joy of a relaxing browse through a classic bookstore with stacks of tomes yawning up to the ceiling.
Mabel's Fables Childrens Book Store
662 Mount Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S 2N3Anyone who grew up in midtown Toronto likely has been here at least once – as a child or parent. It’s been the most iconic children’s bookstore in the city since 1988. With two floors, including a second-floor reading room, Mabel’s Fables is the place you take kids to experience the magic of children’s books. Visit there with your son or daughter, niece or nephew or just unleash your inner kid and relive your first love affair with reading.
Sellersî&Î Newel
672 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1B8There are more than 40,000 titles in this Little Italy bookstore, giving bookworms a potential reading list long enough to last a lifetime. But what really sets it apart is its diversity. There are rare, first edition books priced as high as a luxury sports car and stacks of paperbacks available for a couple of toonies. The owners launched the store with their own private collection, so any title you buy just might have their names in it.
The Nautical Mind
108-249 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2N5As underutilized as our waterfront may be, Toronto is still very much a Great Lakes city. We’ve got a long history of all things boat-worthy, so it only makes sense to devote a bookstore to the theme. This one has charts, too, just in case your interest in the nautical industry runs 20,000 leagues deep. And, if you’re just a part-time sailor, it sells calendars and t-shirts so you can at least look the part.
Type Books
427 Spadina Rd, Toronto, ON M5P 2W3There are two basic ways to approach book-buying: Go in knowing exactly what you want, or chat up other book lovers to suss out new titles. At this Queen West bookstore you can easily do both. The knowledgeable staff can help with expert recommendations and personal reviews of current and classic titles. You’re bound to strike up conversations with fellow shoppers browsing the narrow aisles. Tip: Carve out a few hours for your visit.
Ben Mcnally Books
317 Adélaïde St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1N2There’s probably no cozier bookstore in all of Toronto than Ben McNally. With its hardwood floors and warm, wooden shelving, this shop feels like your favourite living room. It’s no surprise then, that Ben himself is the former owner of much-missed Nicholas Hoare Books, a den-like fixture for decades on Front Street. The intimacy and nostalgia of this place will keep you coming back.
Glad Day Bookshop
598A Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z3It’s not the only bookstore in Toronto with an assortment of queer titles, but it is the oldest and best-known. Glad Day has been in business since 1970, putting an emphasis on all the different facets that make up LGBT culture. There are gay mysteries, biographies, lesbian novels, magazines and films. But, if there’s only one reason you should go, it’s to see one of the local landmarks where gay rights battles were fought.
She Said Boom Records Books
393 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2N1The store name admittedly has little to do with books, but the inside is the complete opposite. There are two locations in town (College, Roncesvalles) with the same name, owned by different folks, but both with an amazing selection of books (and vinyl records). Although neither store is particularly huge, both have a knack of providing the obscure titles you never thought you’d find. That’s what we call book-lover’s magic.
Ten Editions Books
698 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 2J2The romance with real paper is alive and well at this Spadina and Sussex location, a used book-lover’s fantasy, jammed with titles. The rotating display of covers at the front features such names as Rex Murphy and Robertson Davies. It’s the kind of place you explore from wall-to-wall including a room in the back devoted to Canadian authors. But the best part? It has those sliding ladders so you can reach books on the top shelves.
