Search this site

Beach Town Books is a new & used bookstore located in downtown San Clemente. We carry mostly used books, many of which, are Amazon best-sellers. We also offer frequently requested, newly released titles. Aisles of Books and Helpful Staff Kaylani is helping at the front of the store. Aisles of Books and Helpful Staff Kaylani is helping at the front of the store. 1/12 Click to Read! Read our Feature! About Us Keeping the Literary Heart of San Clemente Alive Beach Town Books is a family-owned, independent new and used bookstore tucked right into the beautiful beach community of San Clemente. Founded by the Langstons to preserve a beloved neighborhood staple, the shop is built entirely around the nostalgic charm of real, tactile browsing. Because we don’t maintain a digital inventory, our shelves are brimming with titles that change daily-offering the joy of unexpected discovery by blending trending new bestsellers with a massive selection of used paperbacks and hand-picked local gifts. Backed by a passionate, book-loving staff, we aren't just a storefront on Avenida Serra; we’re a warm, community-driven space for local book clubs, neighborhood events, and finding your next perfect beach read. What makes us special... Every used book in our store is already priced at half the publisher's price, and when you buy 3 used books, you get the 4th one free. Great reading shouldn't break the bank. Want to stretch your dollar even further? Bring in your gently used books and earn store credit you can apply toward up to 50% off any used book purchase. It's our way of keeping great stories in circulation. Finding what you're looking for is easy with our color-coded labeling system! It's organized so you can browse by author and genre without the guesswork. Look for the ⭐ Gold Star on book spines throughout the store! Those are best-sellers that are in demand. And keep an eye out for our Silver Star lists hanging at the ends of the shelves - those are staff and customer favorites, voted on by readers just like you. We have plenty of cozy nooks with seating so you can slow down, settle in, and read a few pages before you decide. Take your time-that's what we're here for. Bring the kids! Our sea-themed children's room is a magical little space where young readers can explore book covers, flip through pages, and find something that feels like it was made just for them.

For fun, connection and enrichment, check out our monthly events! Book Club~Meditation~Volunteer Night~Literary Trivia Night Our Events Volunteer Orientation Friday October 2nd 3-6pm We love extra hands at the store to shelve and organize books! Join us on the first Friday of the month to get oriented so you can pop in any time to help out. Our volunteers enjoy the perks of bookish chat, free books and first "dibs" at fresh arrivals of used books. Marlene's Book Club Thursday October 15th, 6pm-7:30pm discussing Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry (Chapters 49-end) (Novembers' read is Sisters, by Daisy Johnson) (Decembers' read is Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey) Marlene's Book Club meets on the third Thursday of the month and tends to read anything literary fiction. If that sounds like something you'd love, pop in the store to pick up this months book selection and show up for the discussion! No sign-up is necessary. If you can't make it to the store, shop it on Bookshop.org ~ Support Local We are an affiliate of Bookshop.org and we benefit from every book you purchase. Thank you! Savannah's Book Club Saturday October 24th, 6pm-8pm discussing A House with Good Bones, by T. Kingfisher ~~~~~~~~~ Novembers' read is Everything is Tuberculosis, by John Green scheduled for November 21st 6-8pm (This book club doesn't meet in December) Savannah's Book Club typically meets on the last Saturday of the month but with the holidays during the end of the year, please note the schedule changes . Come chat about our latest selection. You don't have to formally join and there is no commitment. Stop by the store and pick up a copy of this book or any of her other bookclub picks for the following months and show up if you're wanting to chat about it. Savannah's Book Club has been known to read sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, dark academia and YA novels, but November is their "Non-Fiction November" month! The book "picks" are suggested and voted on at the end of each meeting. We are open to suggestions! If you cant make it to the store, shop it on Bookshop.org ~ Support Local Drop-In Meditation Every Tuesday 7-8:30 Hosted by Vajrayogini Kadampa Buddhist Center - Check their calendar before attending✨ https://www.meditationinorangecounty.org/tuesday-san-clemente-meditation-classes/ Happiness from a Different Source We tend to look for happiness outside ourselves, thinking that if we arrange everything perfectly, we would be truly happy. We could change our home or our partner countless times, but until we change our restless, discontented mind, we will never find real happiness. It is time we sought happiness from a different source. Happiness is a part of the mind, so the real source of happiness must lie within us. Learn the true source of happiness within our own peaceful mind through the practice of Buddhist meditation. - Kadam Amy Peng, Teacher Cost: $15 suggested donation No one turned away for lack of funds Check out our New Age, Spirituality and Eastern Religion Sections while you're in!

Can't make it into the store, but still want to support your favorite local bookstore? You can! Shop through our Bookshop.org affiliate link, where we earn a commission on every purchase made via our link. Thank you:-) Shop now to support our independent bookstore while enjoying a great selection of books! We are appreciate your orders! Shop for Books on Bookshop.org Using our Affiliate Link Shop Bookshop.org Here! Every Sale Supports the Store Can't make it into the bookstore but still want to support Beach Town Books? Or would you like to order multiple copies of books for your bookclub at a discount? You can! Click on the blue button above and shop our affiliate link to Bookshop.org. They have made it easy for you to support your local bookstore at anytime from anywhere by paying us a commission on every purchase you make. Thank you:-) Bookshop.org conveniently fulfills your order and ships directly to y ou! (But, we really hope we get to see you at the store sometime.)

Do you have some used books at home that you'd like to trade for store credit? Bring them in and get discounts on used books! Trade-Credit for Your Books! We love giving your gently used books a second life! Together we keep great stories alive and our little bookstore thriving, while saving you money on your reading enjoyment. Here's how it works: Bring in your gently used books Earn up to $2 in store credit for every book we add to our shelves! Browse our shelves and find your next great read! Used books are already half off the publisher's price, and your store credit can save you up to another 50% on top of that. Got multiple boxes to bring in? We love it! Just call or text ahead so we have staff ready for you! (949)492-1114 A few things we're not able to accept: magazines encyclopedias books with water damage books with mildew bug damaged books One happy exception - we always welcome Surfer Journal and surf-related magazines . Bring those in anytime! 🤙 Bring in your used books for store credit. Pick up a new stack of used books at 1/2 of the retail price and apply your store credit towards 1/2 of that!

Peek inside our bookstore and see what customers are saying about us! ~Photo Gallery & Reviews~ ~Reviews~ Such a nice surprise in a great location! This is exactly the small, homey bookstore I was looking for. I was able to find what I wanted with ease, and used books are half off the retail price. I will definitely be back! -J.B. San Clemente, Ca I LOVE this vintage bookstore. Fun browsing for books and they have places to sit to flip through your book finds. So glad that vintage bookstores are making a comeback! -Gia S. San Clemente, Ca Found this gem exploring San Clemente with my daughter. We're huge readers and this store certainly had the variety and stock to satisfy. Of course, we left with a few books, and we'll be back again soon for more! -Sarah V. San Clemente, Ca What can I say? I just love this bookstore! In fact, I use Yelp all the time to read reviews, often feel like I should add my own, but have never taken the time until now. But I'm so happy this bookstore exists that I want all fellow book lovers to know about it! Beach Town Books is the kind of bookstore you want to call your second "home". My first visit was in January when I stopped through San Clemente just to say hi to family on my way home from a day in Orange County. I live about an hour south in San Diego. I didn't have time to linger that day but left with a few books and wished I could've curled up in one of their cozy chairs to start reading. Well, yesterday I drove back to San Clemente specifically with this bookstore in mind to browse books then sit and read to enjoy the atmosphere. It's so hard to find a bookstore like this anymore! It reminds me of how much I liked Cody's Books on Telegraph in Berkeley, City Lights Books in SF, or Upstart Crow in Seaport Village in SD long ago before it became mostly a gift shop. But Beach Town Books takes me back to the days before the "big box" franchise stores. It feels peaceful and not rushed. So many covers are displayed that it's hard NOT to find a new book to read (which was great for my teenage son). I felt like I was being encouraged to sit awhile, surrounded by all the books (with my free cup of coffee) and take my time - so I did! I decided to buy the next book they're going to discuss, too. It's The Zoo Keeper's Wife. Thinking I'll come back up for that book-to-movie club meeting! What a fun idea - to read and discuss a book, see the movie together, and compare reviews of the movie version afterwards at a local San Clemente cafe. Great idea! This little bookstore is worth the drive! I promise - if you're "a reader", you'll want to make this your "book nook". -Rachel F. Bonita, Ca My family has enjoyed this bookstore prior to the new ownership. The store is now under new ownership, and we love it even more. My 5-year-old and 8-year-old boys love Beach Town Books. In the last month alone, I found 3 amazing books I would never have known about. One was a beautiful book called Flower Babies with verses about all of the flowers in a garden published over 100 years ago! One book was a kids guide to choosing hikes in Yosemite and one was a book about family, food and festivals which complements our Waldorf home school program impeccably. My oldest reads books like it's his job and he loves finishing a book in a series and trading it in for credit for the next book in the series. My 5-year-old cannot get enough of the kids' room and loves the independence he finds in choosing his own book. Every member of our family makes this shop a regular stop in our weekly comings and goings. Bookshops like this are rare and I am so grateful to be able to share the bookshop experience with my children and to support a local family business. the owners Debbie and Scott have done a wonderful job! -Abby I. San Clemente, Ca I love this bookstore! It is MUCH improved over the older bookstore that was here. It has been updated, uncluttered, and brightened up just enough to keep the 'beach unique' charm that is synonymous with San Clemente. You can purchase used and NEW books here or order any book you want! There is a kid's room for kids to sit and read and chairs for anyone around the store to look through their finds. I am always happy to enjoy the treasure trove of paper and ink found in Beach Town Books and seem to never leave empty handed and with a few more titles on order. It never hurts that all the staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive as well. The owner Debbie is amazing... like amazing in a way that she turns anything into a positive outlook on everything. I think anyone would love the warm atmosphere and charm here! -Shannonrae V. San Clemente, Ca

Directions to the store. Phone number to call or text. Email address to write us. Directions We are below Tuvalu. Next to Nomads. Across the street from Pizza Port. Around the corner from Seasurf Fish Co. 99 Avenida Serra San Clemente, CA 92672 (949)492-1114 Contact 949-492-1114 Looking for something in particular? Limited Edition, Rare Books or Book Club Selection? Call or text us at (949)492-1114 beachtownbooks@gmail.com