Books are one of my favourite gifts to give at Christmas (is there anything better than curling up with a cozy book during the long winter?) and these 5 local bookstores in Calgary make it easy to find the perfect book for every person you love to give to. Shopping local has really helped me slow down and buy gifts much more mindfully, supporting people within our community only makes gift giving that much more meaningful, and since most of these stores offer city-wide delivery and online ordering, shopping at your local bookstore is just as easy as shopping anywhere else!
I’m a huge bookworm and these unique and independent bookstores are the absolute best places to browse through in the entire city of Calgary, you never know what new (or classic) gems you may find! I’ve paired each local bookstore in the city with my favourite nearby local coffee or tea shop, because browsing books is just better with a cozy drink in hand.
Also listed in this blogpost are Canadian, online, Indigenous and Black owned bookstores that do ship to Alberta, so be sure to check them out and support their stores as well.
Fair’s Fair Books in Inglewood & Chinook
Fair’s Fair Books in Calgary buys and sells second-hand books and it’s always my first stop when book shopping, since reusing second-hand items is the most eco-friendly option there is. They don’t have an online catalogue to search through, unfortunately, but they are incredibly helpful over the phone and will search their database for you if you have specific titles you’re looking for.
The size of the store in Inglewood, as well as the variety of books they have, is incredible. I always find something I love when I’m there, some books even appear brand new! Their kids section at this local Calgary bookstore is also fantastic, my little ones always love to get comfy and browse through the books themselves.
Check out their website here.
Shelf Life Books, south of Downtown Calgary
This is one of my very favourite of the local bookstores in Calgary, they have an incredible selection, adorable notebooks and puzzles, and the biggest assortment of children’s books in the city. The nook on the other side of the wall, behind the cash register, houses what feels like it’s own little local kid’s bookstore, my children were completely absorbed in their own little world of kid’s books and puppets.
Shelf Life Books is located directly across the street from Central Memorial Park, it’s a beautiful park with gardens and fountains, as well as Park by Sidewalk Citizen! There couldn’t be a better option nearby to grab a hot drink, a pastry or a sandwich.
They have a great online shop, offering free pickup and local delivery. I’ve tried both options, and have also successfully ordered in books I couldn’t find within Calgary, very helpful for us as a homeschooling family! I’m also a sucker for their monochromatic book displays, with selections of all green books, or red books, or blue books.
Be sure to check them out here.
Pages Books on Kensington
Pages Books on Kensington is one of the other bookstores that’s top of my list of 5 favourite local bookstores in Calgary. The way they have their book tables organized upstairs makes it so easy to find great recommendations by interest or topic. Don’t forget to check out the basement as well, where there are rows and rows of shelves crammed in and full of used books.
Their Instagram account is full of recommendations and new releases, I love a good scroll through there for inspiration. Books are just so beautiful! They offer free pickup and local delivery as well, and their website makes online ordering a breeze! You can visit their site here.
If you’re looking for a lovely cup of tea while you’re in Kensington, we love the Oolong Tea Shop, they have a wide variety and I always find too many that I want to try.
The Next Page - Books & Coffee in Inglewood
We often find ourselves in Inglewood near downtown Calgary to check out the cute local shops and pick up a Spolumbo’s sandwich (the Special is the best!), so when The Next Page popped up a few years ago, I couldn’t wait to check it out!
They’re an adorable independent bookstore with a coffee shop built in, could it get any better? They have bookshelves that reach the tall ceilings and a rolling ladder attached to them, the kind I’ve wanted since watching Beauty and the Beast as a little girl. There’s also a used book selection in the basement here, definitely worth a visit for the fairy lights and origami made from book pages. The ambiance in The Next Page bookstore and coffee shop is fantastic with their creative displays.
Ordering online with them is a breeze, as is their free local pickup. Shopping local in Calgary has never been so easy! You can find their website right here.
Owl’s Nest Books in Britannia
Owl’s Nest Books is nestled away in Britannia, just off of Elbow Drive in southwest Calgary and shares a little shopping centre with both Monogram Coffee and Village Ice Cream! Their staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable and they make ordering books that I haven’t been able to find within the city a breeze, usually with a swift delivery. They’re another local bookstore in Calgary that offers free local pickup and delivery, you can order through their site here.
If you stop by, they have the most delicious chocolate bars and a fantastic selection of puzzles, as well as beautiful and unique editions of classic stories. I have my eye on an absolutely gorgeous copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, complete with a gilded cover, illustrations and intricate pop-up scenes.
Indigenous & Black Owned Online Canadian Bookstores
Shopping local is only one of the ways to put the money we spend into what matters most, so be sure to support these online Canadian bookstores when purchasing books this year:
Massy Books
100% Indigenous owned, free shipping across Canada for orders over $100 and a fantastic online selection, you definitely have to check them out here for your book buying needs.
GoodMinds.com
GoodMinds.com is a First Nations family owned business with an incredible selection of Indigenous books to learn from, you can tell they are passionate about Indigenous education. I want to buy their entire picture book library, it’s such a beautiful and educational collection.
Tusome Books
Tusome Books is a Black-owned, Canadian-based, online bookstore centred around inclusiveness and sharing the stories of marginalized voices and communities. Their collection of books is a treasure trove of diverse stories and speaks so profoundly of their mission as a bookstore to empower their readers to embrace diversity. I could browse through their catalogue all day!
Knowledge Bookstore
This Independent, Black owned bookstore in Ontario sells African, African Canadian, African American, Caribbean and Children’s books. They also sell a variety of Black dolls, greeting cards, beauty products and gifts that aren’t easy to find in most stores. Check out all they have to offer here.
A Different Booklist
An African-Canadian owned bookstore, they host a collection of literature of the African and Caribbean diaspora, as well as quite a large variety of major publishers to choose from, so be sure to check their catalogue when purchasing books online.
