There are five bookstores, thousands of books, and some outstanding local businesses all in a three-kilometre walk. To try the route out yourself, you can find the link to the map here.
Ritchie | 9553 76 Ave NW | 587-521-4026 | glassbookshop.com
This is an ideal place to start the bookshop tour. First, because, unlike Whyte Avenue, there is actually parking in Ritchie. Two, because you can also start with a caffeinated beverage from Transcend Coffee or even a treat from Kind Ice Cream.
Glass Bookshop is a treat of its own, with the types of books you might not find at any other spot on this list. Its specialty is in literature that focuses on Queer stories, authors and issues. You’ll also find a healthy dose of poetry and prose that pertains to feminism, post-colonialism and Indigeneity.
Mill Creek | 9562 82 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780-496-9193 | thebookseller.ca
Directly north of Glass Bookshop, on the same block as the Mill Creek Cafe, is The Bookseller. As its sign suggests, it deals in “top quality used books” with over 38,000 volumes and various first edition and collectible prints from the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition to collectible literature and books on art, architecture and philosophy, The Bookseller specializes in books on theology and bible studies. If you, at this point on the journey, need a snack or another coffee, the Mill Creek Cafe is right above.
Strathcona | 10115 81 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780-439-4195 | facebook.com/alhambrabooks
If you sneak past Taste of Lebanon and continue west onto 81st Avenue, you will find the cozy and quaint Alhambra Books. If you’re craving vintage, leather-bound prints of books from Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë, then Alhambra Books is the place for you. However, if you’re searching for a hidden treasure in an eclectic topic or obscure genre, it may just be buried in the piles and piles of books that are crammed into every corner of this shop.
Strathcona | 10310 82 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780-432-7230 | weebookinn.com
Once you’ve finished with Alhambra’s mountains of paper, head back north to Whyte Avenue. At this point, Wee Book Inn is an Edmonton institution known for its great collection, frequent sales and adorable cats.
Most people will see something pop out in the window, which always features a fantastic curated selection of great reads. But nothing is worse than seeing a book you really want, not buying it, only to see it already swept up.
Admittedly, since Wee Book Inn is open until 11:30 p.m., there have been a couple of times I have stumbled in after a couple of drinks and sobered up by perusing the literature before heading home for the night.
Strathcona | 10533 82 Avenue NW, Edmonton | 780-433-1781 | edmontonbookstore.com
Its sign actually reads, “Books, bought and sold” and you’ll know you’re in the right place if you you hear classical music on the speakers. If I had to place Edmonton Bookstore into specialties, it’d be history (of all sorts), the occult and the obscure (like Wicca, astrology and palm reading), and poetry. Just like the other used bookstores on this list, it has its fair share of collectibles and leather-bound antiques.
If you finished this whole tour, guess what? You’ve gotten nearly three kilometres of walking done and probably ended up supporting at least one local business on the way (unless you can somehow resist the new-book temptation).
Distance: 2.7 km with approximately 35 Minutes of Walking
