Toronto has one of Canada’s best bookstore scenes. Whether you are hunting for a new release, a cheap used paperback, a rare collectible, a children’s book, comics, or a quiet place to browse, the city has a shop worth planning a visit around.
Best Independent Bookstores in Toronto
1. TYPE Books
TYPE Books is one of Toronto’s best-known independent bookstores, with locations in Queen West, The Junction, and Forest Hill. It is a strong choice for literary fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, gifts, and carefully chosen staff recommendations.
Locations: 883 Queen St W, 2887 Dundas St W, and 427 Spadina Rd
Website: typebooks.ca
Best for: New books, literary fiction, gifts, and staff picks
2. Ben McNally Books
Ben McNally Books is a family-run independent bookstore at 108 Queen Street East. Its elegant interior and carefully selected inventory make it a great downtown stop for readers who prefer a smaller, high-quality selection over an overwhelming warehouse-style store.
Address: 108 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1S6
Phone: 416-361-0032
Website: benmcnallybooks.com
Best for: Curated new books, literary browsing, and downtown visits
3. Queen Books
Queen Books is a welcoming neighbourhood bookstore in Leslieville. It carries a broad general-interest selection and regularly supports author events, launches, and community programming.
Address: 914 Queen St E, Toronto
Best for: General browsing, east-end shopping, and author events
4. Flying Books
Flying Books has locations on College Street and Queen Street West. The College Street shop is a traditional bookstore, while the Queen West location combines books with a coffee-and-wine-bar atmosphere.
Locations: 784 College St and 371 Queen St W
Best for: Independent publishers, literary browsing, and a café-style visit
Best Used Bookstores in Toronto
5. BMV Books
BMV Books is one of Toronto’s best-known destinations for used and discounted books. Its Annex location is especially large, with multiple floors of used titles, recent overstock, and affordable browsing.
Main area: Bloor Street West, near Spadina and Bathurst
Best for: Budget-friendly used books and large selections
6. Seekers Books
Seekers has been part of Toronto’s used-book scene since 1988. Located in a basement on Bloor Street West, it is especially known for philosophy, cultural theory, spirituality, literature, and academic-style reading.
Address: 509 Bloor St W, Toronto
Best for: Used books, philosophy, theory, and literary browsing
7. The Monkey’s Paw
The Monkey’s Paw is a distinctive Bloor West antiquarian shop specializing in uncommon books and paper artifacts from the age of print. It is also home to the Biblio-Mat, a randomizing vending machine that sells old books for a toonie.
Address: 1067 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H 1M5
Phone: 416-531-2123
Website: monkeyspaw.com
Best for: Vintage books, oddities, paper collectibles, and unique finds
8. Acadia Bookstore
Acadia Bookstore on Queen Street East is known for hard-to-find, out-of-print, and vintage titles. Its blue storefront, long history, and resident cats make it a memorable stop for collectors and casual browsers alike.
Address: 232 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1S3
Phone: 416-364-7638
Website: acadiabooks.com
Best for: Out-of-print books, art books, vintage titles, and collectible browsing
9. The Scribe
The Scribe on the Danforth carries used books alongside rare, vintage, and collectible items. It is a good east-end stop for readers who enjoy hunting for something unexpected, including Folio Society editions, leather-bound books, signed titles, and modern firsts.
Address: 375 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1P1
Phone: 416-901-8835
Website: thescribebookstore.com
Best for: Rare, vintage, signed, and collectible books
Best Specialty Bookstores in Toronto
10. Another Story Bookshop
Another Story is an independent Roncesvalles bookstore built around equity, diversity, and social justice. It has a strong selection of adult and children’s books, including BIPOC and queer literature.
Address: 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M6
Phone: 416-462-1104
Website: anotherstory.ca
Best for: Social justice, diverse voices, poetry, and children’s books
11. A Different Booklist
A Different Booklist is an African-Canadian-owned bookstore specializing in literature from Africa, the Caribbean diaspora, and the global south. It is an important destination for readers looking for voices and stories that are often underrepresented elsewhere.
Address: 799 Bathurst St, Toronto
Best for: African, Caribbean, diaspora, and global-south literature
12. Glad Day Bookshop
Glad Day is a landmark 2SLGBTQI+ bookstore in the Church-Wellesley Village and is recognized as the oldest surviving LGBTQ+ bookstore in the world. It is a valuable cultural and community space as well as a bookstore.
Neighbourhood: Church-Wellesley Village
Best for: 2SLGBTQI+ books, community events, and queer literature
13. Mabel’s Fables
Mabel’s Fables is a beloved children’s bookstore near Yonge and Eglinton. It offers picture books, middle-grade novels, young-adult fiction, and gifts for young readers, with a warm neighbourhood-bookshop feel.
Address: 540 Mount Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S 2M6
Phone: 416-322-0438
Website: mabelsfables.com
Best for: Children’s books, YA, gifts, and family visits
14. Silver Snail Comics
Silver Snail is Toronto’s oldest local comic book shop, stocked with new issues, graphic novels, manga, collectibles, toys, and games. It is a strong choice for comic readers and pop-culture fans.
Address: 809 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G1
Phone: 647-646-0889
Website: silversnail.com
Best for: Comics, manga, graphic novels, and collectibles
15. Caversham Booksellers
Caversham Booksellers focuses on psychology, mental health, self-help, and wellness. It is a useful destination for both professionals and curious readers looking for thoughtful books on the mind, emotions, and personal growth.
Neighbourhood: Near Yonge and Eglinton
Best for: Psychology, mental health, wellness, and self-help books
Which Toronto Bookstore Should You Visit?
For a classic independent bookstore: TYPE Books, Ben McNally Books, or Queen Books.
For cheap used books: BMV Books.
For rare or vintage finds: Acadia Bookstore, The Monkey’s Paw, or The Scribe.
For children’s books: Mabel’s Fables.
For comics and manga: Silver Snail Comics.
For diverse and community-focused titles: Another Story, A Different Booklist, or Glad Day Bookshop.
For psychology and wellness books: Caversham Booksellers.
Final Thought
A good bookstore trip in Toronto does not need a plan—but it helps to know what you are looking for. Start with TYPE Books or Ben McNally for new titles, BMV or Seekers for used books, and Acadia or The Monkey’s Paw if you enjoy the hunt for something rare.