Dutton’s Brentwood Books

duttons i will miss you so much! you are so apreaciated!

My favorite bookstore in LA. Incredible selection, and a great patio area to relax in. Avoid the iced coffee at their coffee shop, but aside from that, this is a perfect bookstore.

April 30, 2008. It’s closing.
That sucks.
One less reason for me to be in LA… down to 4… and counting…

Well, it’s official. They’re going out of business on April 30, 2008. :-(This and Midnight Special were my favorite bookstores when I lived in LA. Now there are two fewer reasons to move back.

What a magical wonderland. Although the layout is a bit odd (it’s a big U surrounding a courtyard and you have to walk outside to go between chunks of the bookstore), the selection is fantastic and the staff is incredibly knowledgeable. I could try and be more specific in my love for Dutton’s, but it would just be more hyperbolic adjectives. So I’ll just say that, for a book geek like me, Dutton’s is worth the ½ hr trek. And since I live in LA, that’s not hyperbole. ;)

What is happening to Dutton’s? This is my favorite bookstore in So. Cal and it is still the best, but lately something serious has been going on in the cookbook section (they have almost none now) and with travel. Also, the poetry section seems a LOT weaker. But, the essay and non-​fiction sections are still very strong and they still have great personnel who really read books. Also, they don’t care if you stay all day there and read in narrow aisles. It is very quirkly and I love that. I will give it 5 stars because it exceeds anything else in LA, but I’m getting worried.

Great independent bookstore. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. They have a good selection of literature… a lot of Russian and Spanish authors. They have a large selection of children’s and travel books, as well as cooking and art/​photography. If they don’t have a book they’ll order it for you. I can spend hours perusing the west shop. There’s a small café in the east shop and a courtyard in the center.
Validated parking in back, meters on San Vicente.

Disclosure: I worked here for a summer. Independent bookstores have fallen on hard times. Publishers give out deals to the big chains, big box stores like Costco discount the latest bestsellers so much they sell at a loss, and the snake of the Amazon (.com) slithers and whispers in our ears that such a busy person shouldn’t have to leave his or her desk to get a book. But nothing beats the experience of browsing in a bookstore staffed by those who really care about books, who can give an honest opinion because they themselves read. You can sit at the café or in the courtyard, savoring the weather that almost never too cold or too hot. It’s small, it doesn’t carry popular music (besides apparently the Magnetic Fields’ «69 Love Songs), but if Dutton’s doesn’t have it, they’ll happily order it. Dutton’s is one of the few really special places in West Los Angeles and one of the last of a dying breed of true bookstores.

This is a place for books lovers, if youre like me and just like being in room after room of books, this is your graceland. I rarely go into a bookstore knowing what i want, (truth is if i did id stick with buying used off amazon sellers) i just like to look around get suggestions from staff and buy a few, its great for book cravings. if you havent been here, whats keeping you?

The best cozy bookstore to explore and feel comfortable in. Dutton’s includes 3 separate little shops around a little courtyard, along with a café. Spend time wandering in and out of each shop, discovering books on many an interesting topic. My favorite sections include the poetry and short stories and the mythology sections, always brimming with new interesting books that you didn’t know existed. The great thing about this small, family run shop is that you come here to discover new things, not to buy what you already knew was out there. It makes shopping and perusing here so much more exciting, like an adventure. One shop also includes a variety of different music cds and tapes, which is echoed in the calming classical music that is played throughout as you browse. The staff is also really friendly, young and helpful, and are willing to call up/​reserve/​find out about different items for you. Another great thing is that Dutton’s is often empty and quiet, so you feel «alone with the books.» This place often hosts reading nights and I have seen a few productions of Shakespeare put on here in the courtyard– all highly enjoyable. Prices are right, too. Come to Dutton’s for the kind of bookstore experience you desire!

Just a really good bookstore. If you are on this side of town come in and take a gander. Fun to wander around in the little complex and the staff is really friendly. Support your local non-​chain bookstore!

Hate to give only 3 stars to on the one of the last friendly folksy independent bookstores around. The atmosphere is great and relaxing, a perfect place to unwind and read. There is a café with yummy treats that aid this experience. BUT the selection just doesn’t cut it. Too many times I’ve found myself coming here, then having to go to Barnes and Noble or Borders. The selection (and service) is still very good, it just doesn’t have EVERYTHING.

It’s nice to finally find a bookstore that feels like home. I love a place you can just walk around and look for hours. They have a pretty large selection of books and the staff is very helpful.
I’ve lived in other places where the independent bookstore got run out of town (along with the indie video store) so it’s nice to see one nearby. My favorite indie bookstore is the Tattered Cover in Denver, Colorado. It’s huge. Like a kid in a candy store. So many hours spent just wandering the halls. Each and every floor has something new to offer.
But I digress. Dutton’s is not Tattered Cover, but this is not Colorado. We have limited space and for a place with not much square footage, they use it well. With the various wings, (go to the North for Civil War History or the East for Children’s, etc.) each section has it’s own special nook and cranny.

One of the best bookstores in LA, period. They have an incredible selection of books, most of which belong in someone or something’s «top 100» list. The bookstore is divided into four separate areas that open up into an inner courtyard, and there’s a separate café facing the street. Their children’s book section is probably one of the best I’ve seen anywhere, and their history/​politics/​literature/​science sections all shine, unsurprisingly. The real treasure here, for me, is their collection of classical CDs, in a little alcove near the History/​Politics room.
The CD collection is as meticulously curated as the books in the store, giving you a severe case of «I want this… I could get this… no, i SHOULD get this.» I picked up Bohm’s version of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, a must-​buy that I’d been wishlisting on Amazon for months before I found it (for cheaper!) at Dutton’s. For classical music, Dutton’s has CDs for an amazing price — and I can almost guarantee that any CD you buy there will not disappoint. The clerk behind the register, who was as knowledgeable about Proust as he was about the best classical pianists of the 20^th century (He was brilliant… I think I fell in love on the spot), was quick to recommend CDs and books, not all of which the store carried (so it didn’t feel like a sales push — just an enthusiast talking about something he loved). All in all — Dutton’s = an amazing place for any lover of the arts.
Fun fact: Make a donation to KUSC/​become a member, and you can get discounts at Dutton’s (10%!), LACMA, and twenty-​thirty other music/​literature related places in/​around LA. It’s totally my excuse for spending more than I should.
Possibly the worst thing to happen so far in Erica’s 2008 is news that Dutton’s is closing on April 30. Much love to the staff, owners and supporters, and much gratitude for making LA so memorable.

I love this bookstore — wandering through all the different rooms, I could lose myself for hours. They are a great place to stop for gifts (though, be warned: you may end up with a serious case of «but I want *me* to have that!) and children’s books. The courtyard has wonderful benches for non-​bookaholics to cool their heels and people watch. This is one of my must-​visits whenever I’m in L.A. Highly recommended!

This is what a bookstore should be. Narrow aisles crammed with books. Charm and character. It’s actually a landmark and now they are opening another location in Beverly Hills at 447 N. Canon Drive. I used to go to poetry readings in the courtyard. Interesting people hang out at Dutton’s.