Today is Canadian Independent Bookstore Day! (Check this link on how to participate and win prizes.) To celebrate that, I decided to share my 3 favourite ones in Toronto.

Over the past 2 years, I’ve been exploring some of the little independent bookstores in the city. I’ve been relying more and more on them for used books, rather than going to big store chains.

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Sellers & Newel

Address: 672 College St.
IG Page

Opened in 2011 in Little Italy, this is one of the hidden gems of Toronto’s culture. Not only do they have a great selection of used books from authors from all over the world, but they also host live music nights!

This is how we found out about it actually, when we went to see Lily Frost in a very intimate and cozy performance that will forever be in my memory. They also host local jazz musicians and all kinds of music.

It was there that I found the English edition of one of Jorge Amado’s books (he’s a classic Brazilian author, but I’ve never seen his books anywhere outside Brazil). Although I soon realized that reading Jorge Amado in English wasn’t the best idea, that little bookstore stayed in my heart.

We normally go there when there’s some local artist we want to see, but I always leave with 3 or 4 books. =)

Books I’ve got there:

• Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter (M.V. Llosa – Peru) – CAD$10
• Eva Luna (I. Allende – Chile) – CAD$5
• Dear Life (A. Munro – Canada) – CAD$18 (Hardcover)
• Show Down (J. Amado – Brazil) – CAD$19 (Hardcover)

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BMV (Midtown)

2289 Yonge Street
IG Page

I’ve spent countless hours among the shelves in that store and I owe a lot of my Margaret Atwood and Agatha Christie collections to them. If you decide to go there be sure to check the hardcover books. Sometimes they will sell them very cheaply because the external cover is not protected, although they’re in excellent condition.

By the way, all their books are in great condition. I don’t remember buying anything that had any kind of damage. The children’s book selection on the second floor is also great. They even have some educational toys and we always go there for Christmas gifts for the nephews.

They have 2 other locations, in Downtown and the Annex, but I haven’t visited those stores yet. And they also sell records!

Books I’ve got there:

• Closed Casket (S. Hannah – UK) – CAD$8
• Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (E. Ferrante – Italy) – CAD$10
• The Heart Goes Last (M. Atwood – Canada) – CAD$2 (Hardcover)
• A Long Petal of the Sea (I. Allende – Chile) – CA$5 (Hardcover)

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Zoinks Music & Books

1019 Bloor St W, Toronto
IG Page

I think Zoinks was the first independent bookstore I’ve visited in Toronto. I was casually walking around Little Portugal (near Dufferin Grove Park) and I just saw this charming bookshop. I had to go inside.

They have a great selection of international titles (in English) and their prices are pretty reasonable.

They’re the small shop I’ve selected to support on Libro.fm, and every time I buy credits for an audiobook in the app they receive a small commission. Libro.fm by the way is a great alternative to Audible and a good way to support indie bookstores.

Just like BMV, they also have a selection of records, but I haven’t explored that yet.

Books I’ve got there:

• Purple Hibiscus (C.N. Adichie – Nigeria)
• A Girl is a Body of Water (J.N. Makumbi – Uganda)
• My Brilliant Friend (E. Ferrante – Italy)
• Blindness (J. Saramago – Portugal)
• The Unbearable Lightness of Being (M. Kundera – Czech Republic) – CAD$10

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What about you? What are your favourite independent bookstores in your city? Let me know in the comments.

Here’s also a list of the shops in Toronto.