Ash MojicaDon’t go to big retailers like Amazon for your next read when you can shop local at an independent bookstore instead. Unlike their competitors, independent bookstores select, buy and sell books intended for their community. Instead of waiting for another Barnes & Noble to open nearby, here are some bookstores in Orange County where you can find the next book on your #TBR list.
1. LibroMobile Bookstore
1150 S. Bristol St A3, Santa Ana
As the only bookstore in Santa Ana, LibroMobile sells new and pre-owned books, spotlights local authors and features local zines. Located next door to the Bristol Swap Mall, the location acts as a bookstore and a community space.
The bookstore didn’t start off as a physical space but instead as a mobile cart operated by local author Sarah Rafael García. “[The cart] was originally made to hold plants, but Sarah renovated it and would push that cart downtown,” said assistant manager Ashley Castelan.
From a mobile cart, to a hallway, to a garage and eventually an actual store, LibroMobile has always curated books specifically for Santa Ana residents. What looks like a small storefront opens up to a surprisingly larger space with more books, records, zines and a space that functions as a workshop.
“You probably won’t find a lot of the mainstream books you see in stores here,” said Castelan. She emphasized how the store prioritizes books with BIPOC voices.
LibroMobile offers free resources, including Wi-Fi, printing and a workshop room. The space is also used to host Orange County Poet Laureate Gustavo Hernandez’s monthly office hours.
Unlike most bookstores, LibroMobile also carries zines, with some published by the store itself and others by city locals.
The store also features a special collections room filled with books on social justice and ethnic studies. The top two shelves are not for sale but are instead available as a resource library. “It’s not because we’re trying to hoard them,” said Castelan, “but because a lot of them are out of print and are super rare.” And, if people want to take the pages to go, they can scan the pages they need.
“These places are here because we want to give back to our communities,” said Castelan.
2. Heartbound Book Shop
122 W Broadway, B, Anaheim
Though small in physical size, Heartbound’s collection of romance books is mighty. Owned and run by two sisters and their mother, the shop is OC’s first romance bookstore.
What started as a joke between siblings blossomed into a full-blown business. Sisters and co-owners of the store, Aeysha and Jenika Morillo, did not want to make the long drive from OC to L.A. or San Diego to find the book Aeysha was looking for. Jenika then suggested they open their own niche romance bookstore in OC. Along with their mother’s help, the sisters created Heartbound Book Shop.
Now the shop is coming up on its one-year anniversary. “Everything we do, we put a lot of our heart and soul into it,” said Aeysha.
Heartbound is a hub to talk about, read about and buy romance books.
Entering the store, shoppers are greeted with an interior straight out of a Pinterest aesthetic board full of heart and flower decorations. The shop carries all romance subgenres from historical to contemporary to popular picks like dark romance and fantasy. The store specializes in carrying books from indie authors that big retailers like Barnes & Noble would not carry.
The shop also hosts a lot of bookish events, including author talks and signings, monthly book swaps and book clubs. And, if you don’t see a book in stock, the owners are more than happy to hear more. “What makes these shelves grow bigger is suggestions from the community,” said Aeysha.
The sisters recognize OC’s book community and work to cultivate a space that encourages people passionate about books to stop by.
“There is a book community here. We just never had a full hub where you could come and talk to another person that is passionate about books as much as you are,” said Aeysha. “If you really love romance, now you have a place that you can go and talk about romance.”
3. The Untold Story Bookstore
301 N Anaheim Blvd Suite D, Anaheim
More than a bookstore, The Untold Story is a space where people can gather, feel safe and be seen. The bookstore prides itself on spotlighting books written by and for underrepresented communities.
“This is a community bookstore first and one of the things that I have made sure to do is that the community feels safe, and that they can just come and gather here,” said store owner Lizzette Barrios-Gracián.
For Barrios-Gracián, the store was a 20-year dream. After Librería Martínez closed down, Barrios-Gracián was saddened at the loss of a space for Latino books. She started playing around with the idea of opening a bookstore in Anaheim.
The store started online in 2022, moved to a physical location then relocated to their new home on Anaheim Boulevard in the summer.
Walking into the bookstore feels like entering home with mismatched furniture, perfect for sitting down for long periods of reading. The place feels exactly like the community space Barrios-Gracián envisioned, someplace quiet and comforting.
The shop’s catalogue contains a diverse selection of authors from LGBTQIA+, Native American, Asian American, Latino and Black authors, as well as books in Spanish. “I called it the Untold Story because there are so many stories that are either forgotten or people quiet you down, and I wanted to focus on those stories,” said Barrios-Gracián.
True to its name, the store is full of local authors, biographies, memoirs and history books.
“This nation is no longer reading, and if we were reading a bit more, we would understand the stories of others,” said Barrios-Gracián.
Check out the video below:
- These independent bookstores in OC provide community and diverse voices - September 25, 2025
- Guaranteed admission to CSUF for all SAC Promise Program students - September 19, 2025
- The fight continues fifty-five years after the Chicano Moratorium - September 4, 2025
