5 Best Bookstores in Toronto 🥇

Below is a list of the top and leading Bookstores in Toronto. To help you find the best Bookstores located near you in Toronto, we put together our own list based on this rating points list.

Toronto’s Best Bookstores:

The top rated Bookstores in Toronto are:

• BMV Books – opened its first location in March of 1997 as a true second-hand bookstore downtown Toronto beside the iconic World’s Biggest Bookstore
• Ben McNally Books – charming bookstore offering thousands of titles, plus events & readings in a refined setting
• Book City – was founded and is still operated by a family that goes back four generations in the book business
• Another Story Bookshop – indie bookshop committed to equality & diversity offers a wide selection for kids & adults
• Bakka-Phoenix Books – first opened its doors in 1972 on Toronto’s Queen West strip

BMV Books

BMV Books moved into titles discounted as publisher’s overstock, white sales, and publisher’s remainders to expand its range of content. Running a BMV Books store right across the street from the World’s Biggest Bookstore enabled BMV to expand its retail shop less than two years later, in September of 1998, right across the street from the Indigo superstore at Yonge and Eglinton. Currently, they market an exclusive combination of DVDs, Blu-rays, vinyl albums, CDs, magazines, comic books, graphic novels, video games, action figures, and other collectibles, including their own collection of specially made merchandise, as well as secondhand books and new release titles.

Products/Services:

Bookstore

LOCATION:

Address: 471 Bloor Street West (Bloor and Brunswick, between Bathurst and, Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5S 1X9
Phone: (416) 967 5757
Website: bmvbooks.com

REVIEWS:

“Really good selection and variety of books on all upper levels. The downstairs, where all
the dvds, vinyls, cds etc are, is just as good. Found myself alot of magazines and special dvds to add to my growing collection. Also, the prices are pretty cheap, so you’ll probably buy more than one thing forsure.” – Danny J

Ben McNally Books

Ben McNally Books seeks to be dynamic, agile, and open to new technologies in order to reflect the varied and complex needs of the customer base they’ve accumulated over time. Inquiries and assistance are taken very seriously. They all want to improve, and choices are taken with the goal of developing a long-term friendship with you as a client. They believe you’ll find books here that you won’t find somewhere else because their inventory is always changing. Furthermore, they manage a large number of special orders and have contacts in the United States and the United Kingdom that can assist them in locating books that aren’t readily available in this country.

Products/Services:

Bookstore

LOCATION:

Address: 317 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1N2
Phone: (416) 361 0032
Website: benmcnallybooks.com

REVIEWS:

“Discovered during the pandemic while I was at home and in need of some books to pass the time. Sent an email to them and they helped me order the books I was looking for. The entire process was easy and Danielle was extremely nice and patient! Hopefully I can visit the store one day! Thank you :)” – Ada Du

Book City

Book City first opened for business to Toronto residents in 1976. It has been serving an expansive collection of books to its clients since it opened in the Annex, one of Toronto’s great neighborhoods. Book City was created and is now run by a family that has been in the book business for four generations. They pack their bookshelves with new and backlist titles, heap bargains on their tables, and staff their shops with people who share their passion for reading. Toronto bibliophiles must have enjoyed them, or at least their books because they now have four locations around the city.

Products/Services:

Bookstore

LOCATION:

Address: 348 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1N8
Phone: (416) 469 9997
Website: bookcity.ca

REVIEWS:

“Small and sweet neighborhood bookstore. Have a small collections of most of the categories you can think of, and they are able to order some titles if you request and put a deposit! A nice go-to place before covid!
Btw for your information,when they briefly reopened during stage 2 lockdown, they only allow a certain amount of people to be in the store with 15min maximum. So plan your trip and what you wanna pick up before you go to avoid inconvenience” – Betsy Zhang

Another Story Bookshop

Another Story Bookshop is a fiercely independent bookstore with a 30-year legacy and a dedication to excellent customer service Another Story Bookshop carries a diverse selection of children’s, young adult, and adult literature with an emphasis on social rights, equality, and diversity. Their team is well-versed in the new Ontario program and they have a huge selection of children’s literature.

Moreover, through visiting vendor fairs and setting up a table at instructor meetings, they help schools build personalized orders and diversify their stocks. In addition, they often have book fairs, give instructor discounts, and are constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to help pupils, teachers, and classrooms.

Products/Services:

Bookstore

LOCATION:

Address: 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M6
Phone: (416) 462 1104
Website: anotherstory.ca

REVIEWS:

“Another Story is one of my favourite independent bookshops! I love the dedication to providing a wide selection of social justice themes for all ages. I always leave with a book I didn’t plan on buying ☺️ It’s so lovely to see topics like gender expression, drag, racial equity, and consent featured. The staff are so educated and helpful! I would highly recommend!” – Rhiannon Downey

Bakka-Phoenix Books

Bakka-Phoenix Books officially opened in 1972 on Toronto’s Queen West strip, featuring a wide variety of science novels, comic books, and nerdy merchandise. Bakka is a character from Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, and it means “the weeper who mourns for all mankind.” In 1976, the comics side of the company split into famed Toronto comics shop The Silver Snail, which has shifted owners, locations, and even its name in the nearly 50 years since. They’ve entertained the cast of Star Wars, George R.R. Martin, and countless local writers, and been a trustworthy day job and neighborhood hangout space for Toronto genre authors.

Products/Services:

Bookstore

LOCATION:

Address: 84 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5
Phone: (416) 963 9993
Website: bakkaphoenixbooks.com

REVIEWS:

“I found this store randomly walking home one day and I’m glad I had the urge to go in! The people working were so fun and I had a great time chatting with the owner(?) and someone else about surnames and cool stuff. It was a great experience and felt very welcoming! I ended up buying a cool comic (Rick & Morty/Dungeons & Dragons crossover! How cool!) I’ve never seen anywhere else. They also have a fun customer credit system where you can bank a percentage of what you spent in store credit. I thought it was a great addition to just buying books! I definitely want to go again!” – Gloria Botbyl