You are in Victoria on Vancouver Island and are looking for a day of literary fun? Check out this handy bookcrawl guide inspired by The Victoria Bookshelf. Pack a little picnic, and let’s go!
University of Victoria Bookstore
Buy a day pass for the bus (currently 5 CAD) and take bus 4 up to the university grounds in the north of Victoria, where the first store on the tour can be found next to Exchange Bay 1. As the university bookstore, it features everything students might need from required reading over notebooks to university merchandise. A vast array of academic non-fiction from all programs offered by the university is balanced with a well-stocked fiction section. After your visit, stroll the campus to spot deer, owls, or rodents.
Book recommendation: Deep Diversity: Overcoming Us vs. Them by Shakil Choudhury
Bolen Books
Return on bus 4 and get off at Hillside at Shelbourne. While Bolen Books is located in the rather unappealing Hillside Mall, the store itself has a friendly and well-organized interior. A bookstore aimed at serving all tastes, interests, and age groups, it offers graphic novels, cookbooks, travel writing, self-help books, science-fiction and fantasy, games, puzzles, and gift cards.
Book recommendation: The Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust
Camas Bookstore
Return to your trusted friend, bus 4, and exit at Hillside at Quadra. Turn right onto Quadra Street to find the Camas Bookstore at number 2620. It is the first specialty bookstore on our tour. To locals, it is simply known as “the anarchist bookstore”. It is named after the flower Camas, which holds cultural importance for the First Nations on Vancouver Island. All staff are volunteers promoting alternative ideas and community through the store’s large selection of left-wing and anarchist non-fiction. As in every alternative space, you can find a corner with free items. Have a look around the surrounding neighborhood Quadra Village before you move on to the next stop.
Book recommendation: The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
Sorensen and Chronicles of Crime
If it’s a sunny day and you’re wearing comfortable shoes, follow Quadra Street towards the town center and eventually turn left onto Fort Street. If it’s rainy and you’re unsure whether you might need your walking power later on, take bus 6 to Downtown, get off at Quadra at View, and turn left. Our next stop at 1048 Fort Street is a two-in-one bookstore: When the building with her shop across the street was torn down, Cathy, the owner of Sorensen Books, moved in with Frances, the owner of Chronicles of Crime. While Sorensen has a focus on books from the 1940s and 1930s as well as art and history, Chronicles of Crime, as the name suggests, specializes in everything crime-related and even offers writing classes to aspiring mystery and crime writers. The age group of 18- to 35-year-olds is their largest consumer demographic. Asked about the impact of online shopping on book sales, Frances says they have nothing to worry about: People still value bookstores with dedicated and passionate staff.
Book recommendation: Vanishing Games by Roger Hobbs
Russell Books
Turn right and follow Fort Street to another bookstore gem: Russell Books at 734 Fort Street is one of Canada’s largest secondhand bookstores. You can browse the labyrinthian building for hours, browsing through stacks of used books on every topic imaginable. Friendly and knowledgable staff are available in store and on the phone to help you find exactly what you are looking for. The store features an antique book section, sells t-shirts and coffee mugs with their logo as merchandise, and puts on events regularly. If you find yourself exhausted after this visit, check out the Dutch Bakery & Coffee Shop nearby.
Book recommendation: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Munro’s
Follow Fort Street into the center and take a right turn to get to Munro’s at 1108 Government Street. The pompous building used to belong to the Royal Bank of Canada. Named after its founder, Alice Munro, it is Victoria’s most famous bookstore. The interior is calm, almost serene. There is a large travel writing and local interest section. Staff can be a little curt.
Book recommendation: Days without End by Sebastian Barry
James Bay Coffee and Books
Continue your walk along Government Street and stroll along the pier with a view of the British Columbia Legislature, where only the totem poles remind you that you’re not in Britain. Wait, are those horse carriages? They sure are. But don’t get distracted, turn right onto Belleville Street, then left onto Menzies Street, which will lead you to James Bay Coffee and Books at number 143. The store features an eclectic mix of used and new books and is mostly frequented by students and retirees from the surrounding James Bay neighborhood. While the coffee is nothing special, the staff are very friendly and sometimes offer special activities like tea leaf readings.
Book recommendation: Old Songs in a New Café, an essay collection by Robert James Waller
Congratulations, you made it! If your feet still carry you, walk over to the scenic Beacon Hill Park, have a victory picnic, and flip through all the books you bought.
Trains, Planes, and Books. 