Book Lovers
Where to Take Your Book on a Date in Los Angeles
11.12.26
When it’s time for a date with yourself, there are fewer things more romantic than taking a book out into the world to enjoy. We’ve rounded up a few recommendations for book/location pairings around LA.
- Location: Los Feliz
- Genre: Gothic Horror
- Book Rec: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- An evening with a cadillac margarita in one hand and this disturbing novel in the other is enchanting indeed. Let the ambiance and storyline bring you into 1950s Mexico from which you may never escape… Well, until last call. It’s no good telling tales without a drink.
- Reading note: Try a weekday afternoon before the dinner crowd arrives. Better for a few chapters than an entire novel.
- Location: Long Beach
- Genre: Memoir
- Book rec: Mean Little Deaf Queer by Terry Galloway
- Intimate, enticing and at times, raucous - are we describing the book or the bar? This memoir follows the author’s life journey managing prejudice while bouncing between poignant and darkly hilarious. We find it best enjoyed at a queer bar, of course, and this neighborhood dive will do the trick! You might find it a little too distracting on a weekend, so we recommend an afternoon or weekday visit to dive in.
- Reading note: Weekday afternoons are your best bet.
- Location: Chinatown
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Book rec: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
- Take some time to enjoy slow living at this Chinese and Taiwanese tea shop as you follow the life of Lady Tan from childhood to old age as she becomes an expert doctor (drink up that tea, girl). This incredibly detailed novel explores the roles of women in society across class in 15th century China, where a woman is a woman whether born in the dirt or on silk.
- Reading note: Visit during daytime tea service, before the space transitions into its evening cocktail atmosphere.
Venue: Greystone Mansion & Gardens
- Location: Beverly Hills
- Genre: Romance
- Book rec: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Ignoring the fact that it was built 100 years after Jane Austen’s time, Greystone Mansion is one of the best places in Los Angeles to read this classic novel. Find a shady spot in the English-style gardens after a promenade around the grounds, then settle in to enjoy a classic enemies-to-lovers tale. I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!
- Reading note: Weekday mornings are ideal for a quieter visit. Bring a blanket or find a bench in the gardens.
- Location: Chinatown
- Genre: Popular Science
- Book rec: The Age of Alchemy by Kit Chapman
- From the first chemist in history (a woman, we might add) to the search for immortality, this book follows the transformation of alchemy into modern-day chemistry. What better place to follow along than a modern-day apothecary? Learn about chemistry’s power to heal, to harm, and to transform societies, and sip on a little something that could heal and transform you while you read!
- Reading note: This one's more about the pairing than uninterrupted reading. Arrive when the bar opens, before the evening gets busy, and plan for a cocktail and a chapter.
- Location: North Hollywood
- Genre: Epic Romantasy
- Book rec: The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker
- True love doesn’t expire, and neither does the magic at The Witch’s Cottage. Let this fantastical story of love and vengeance wash over you in the immersive ambiance of the cottage. And if you get trapped in the story, don’t worry - cafe seating is open until 10pm!
- Reading note: Visit during morning café hours, when the space is better suited to settling in with a book.
Venue: Manhattan Beach Library
- Location: Manhattan Beach
- Genre: Magical Realism
- Book rec: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- You’ll be in good company reading a book at this sleek but cozy library. Find a nook or a chair by the floor-to-ceiling windows to ponder questions of life, death, and the choices in between. After all, every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived.
- Reading note: One of the best actual reading spots on this list. Weekday afternoons are a good choice, and there's no pressure to order anything.
- Location: La Cañada Flintridge
- Genre: Coming-of-Age
- Book rec: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Find a sunlight-drenched spot in the wild(ish) gardens to picnic with your new read. While the plot of this novel is not always sunny, the immersive natural setting is a perfect fit with Descanso Gardens. Time is no more fixed than the stars, but the hours of the park are, so make sure you get there early to enjoy your book before the gates close at 5pm.
- Reading note: Weekday mornings are ideal. Admission is required, so plan to spend a few hours exploring between chapters.
- Location: Studio City
- Genre: Dystopian
- Book rec: The Stand by Stephen King
- His empire grows in the west and the Apocalypse looms. Wait, is this f*cking play about us? There’s just no better way to read an apocalyptic classic than in a wasteland-themed bar where the “about” section reads more like a novel than a biography. When the impending apocalypse keeps you from falling asleep at night, head in for a Painkiller and a few more chapters.
- Reading note: Arrive right when the doors open, ideally on a weekday without scheduled entertainment. It's a better place for a few chapters than a marathon reading session.
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