Canetti’s Bookshop

Very classy selection of books, and attractively displayed — best used book store in the entire Lamorinda area!

I love this bookstore!
I found this quite accidentally while looking for children’s books as a gift for my friend’s daughter on her 9^th birthday and they had the entire 7 book series I was looking to buy. The selection is quite impressive for such a small shop and the owner will order anything not in stock if you’re willing to wait for it to arrive (and let’s face it, we should ALL be willing to wait because, as much as I enjoy using Amazon, it’s killing local, neighborhood book stores).
The owner is a really great fellow who loves to talk books and shares my general dislike of electronic mediums for reading (Kindle schmindle … there’s no substitute for the tactile experience of physically turning pages!).
If you’re looking for a neighborhood book shop, then please go check out Canetti’s Bookshop, you’ll love it as much I do! And, local shops like this really need the patronage of avid readers to keep them alive.

What a great bookstore, Jeff is amazing and very helpful. It is such a joy to be able to come to a bookstore and receive above and beyond service. I ordered a book with large print and was so pleased!
This is a independent bookstore that in the heart of Orinda, I love the portraits he has of individuals reading, he carries new and old books, small print, large print, service you do not get from big department stores. This is now my go to place for books!
Jeff is such a fabulous young man! Thank you for such a wonderful heartfelt store!

While the selection is adequate the service at Canetti’s is miserable. Twice now I have entered the store, browsed for ten minutes or so, and left without the people working there ever acknowledging my existence. Both times I was the only customer in the shop.
One of the primary reasons I try to support local bookstores instead of Barnes and Noble or
is they typically create a sense of community; this was not present at all at Canetti’s.

The owner is very nice and the store has a large collection of books

I was suprised to find a bookstore which had a lot of books I wanted. I look for works by favorite and well-​known authors, and whatever attracts my attention. Most bookstores seem to have little or nothing I want, or they are overpriced.
For example, on my first visit I found books, that I have not read, by Isabel Allende, Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Connelly, and Nadime Gordimer. On the shelves I came across and bought Humbolt’s Cosmos, and 1971: Mozart’s Last Year. There were many more I wanted, so I’ll be back.

This place is so cute and small. There are pictures taped up on the bookshelves that look like just random things the owner likes. I had a list of 10 potential books I wanted to buy for someone, and I found one of them, so that was great… as well as a cookbook for myself ;) I have a cookbook problem.
The guy working there was so cute and shy as well. I wish I bought books more often, they had lots of fun-​looking ones there, new and used.

Where else can you find personal service, great books (new and old), cozy atmosphere and open 7 days a week? And of course it is an independent bookstore. Bring in your old books and receive credit towards used books. Jeff will order new books for you, and call you if a used book you’re looking for comes into the store.

Canetti’s Books is the cleanest and the most well-​organized used bookstore that I’ve come acrross with. All their shelves are neatly straightened, displays look good and tables are full. Also, the majority of their books are in wonderful condition, with pages tight, intact and clean.
The place is very quite, with a light classical music playing in the background. All their walls are nicely decorated with big black-​and-​white photographs.
Overall, a very charming store, located in a pleasant area. Perfect for the weekend trip!

This books store has something that other bookstores lack — a soul !! You can see it when you enter — on the walls, on the shelves, and in the owner himself. Browse for as long as you like, play with the kit kats (kitties) and do yourself a favor and buy a book. It may cost you 5 dollars, hell, it may even cost you 10 but for a literary adventure (Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, Shakespeare) I say it’s well worth it.
My favorite thing to do (other than spending money here) is looking at all the pictures that Jeff (the owner) adorns on his walls. Never have I seen pictures of people reading in a book store (imagine that) until I came here 4 years ago. People reading — people like you and me reading at all times of the day, any day and getting lost in whatever was in front of them.
The place is quiet and clean, welcoming and charming and has just enough to surprise you. You never know what you’ll find here — from the recent and new (Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants) to something old and classic (Stoddard’s lectures). Give it a try and see what you’ll find. After all, this is what bookstores are all about !!!

Even though there’s one stupidly negative review (totally unfair imho) the balance represent what Canetti’s is – a bricks and mortar bookshop with an excellent selection of books in perfect or near perfect condition at about half of retail. Sure, go ahead and buy at
or eBay and put this very nice man out of business. Anything can be had «cheaper» if you’re cheap and don’t care about services offered beyond just buying something. Jeff is a super guy; he’s pay rent, he has credit card fees, insurance, utilities etc. I know, I own a small business too. What he offers is knowledge, experience, and unlimited time to browse and enjoy his selections. He turned me on to a writer I never heard of, Alan Furst who writes spy novels, and I wound up buying half a dozen in the series and will get the rest soon. Try finding that online without knowing what you’re looking for. The services offered by an independent bookstore (or any other small store staying to stay afloat) offer so much value that it seems churlish if not short-​sighted to deny him enough of a profit to pay the bills and stay in business. If you don’t agree, get thee to Amazon — and good luck talking to anyone, or petting a cat while doing it.

This is a great place for bookworms. I love to lose time browsing the stacks while waiting for the movie to start across the street. The bookshop is not too large, but not too small. As a reader and collector, I especially love the clean and concise way that the books have been laid out. Many bookshops still don’t understand this, but Jeff does. If I can see a book, I can immediately get an impression, which leads to picking the book up for perusing. Also, he has posted various illustrations and quotations about books all over the place. Just lovely.
The majority of the books are used copies of fairly recent vintage, but he also has older collectible works in the back. On top of all of this, there are the two book cats, which every decent bookstore should have. Finally, I literally jumped for joy when he told me he’s open every day, even Sundays. Yeah, this is what an independent bookstore should be.

Although this shop has a passable collection of books, I was particularly disappointed by its policies regarding sales and trades. Frankly, if you’re looking to sell, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.
I brought in about 40 books that I had cleaned out of my closet, all in good condition, some of them never touched, and not a single badly-​damaged book in the mix. I found the man at the store to be quite rude, in truth, but I put that aside and let him spend some time sorting through the books.
After 15 minutes of that, he agreed to take just SEVEN of them, and only gave me a dollar for each.
This included a 35-​dollar hardcover book on Baseball (written by Ken Burns, no less) that had never been touched and was in virtually new condition.
All of the books that he did take were worth so much more than a dollar. This was a horrendous rip-​off, and I would recommend that you stay away from this shop if you’re trying to make a decent sale.

This is a wonderful independent bookstore, whose owner Jeff obviously loves and knows books. Real bookstores have at least one cat. Jeff has two and you’ll usually find them comfortably and separately perched on top of the highest shelves, disinterested monarchs of the realm.
He will accept used books for store credit. His used books are always in «like new» or «new» condition and he has great taste in books. If you like coming across great reads at less than retail prices (usually about ½ of retail) and you like your books to look and feel pristine, this your place.

I can’t believe I never reviewed Canetti’s Bookshop!
Jeff, his books and his 2 cats are 5 stars in my book for the charmingest neighborhood bookstore!
I’ve always loved small neighborhood bookstores where I can browse the shelves of new and used (always mint condition) books. Canetti’s is my favorite in this area!
For small space, he packs in well and everything is well organized. He has a little bit from each genre so you’ll find something for just about anybody here!
Location really works for me since I can also run errands at CVS and the hardware store across the street! Street parking is usually easy. If not, park in the Theater Square and get it validated at one of the local businesses.
Jeff is very knowledgeable and helpful. He’s very kind even when I come in with my young children and don’t buy anything.
Check it out!

Canetti’s is a pleasant little independent bookstore that is located in downtown Orinda and across the street from the movie theater. Combine that with a decent restaurant selection, plus a nearby Peets and Starbucks, and you almost have a perfect afternoon or early evening date.
The bookstore space itself reminds me of a shotgun building and is neatly stacked and well organized with new and old books. I especially like the pictures on the wall that all involve people reading.

Back when Bonanza was not long-​forgotten history, the book buyer there caught my attention – on any given afternoon, I could wander in off the street and name a writer (say, Wesley Gibson, my teacher one semester and the writer of a witty but obscure memoir about life in the second-​gayest city in the world, New York) or a book title (Annie on My Mind, perhaps) or even, if stumped for that much, a generic description («it’s about war and sisters and I think it was in some Latin American country?” – Time of the Butterflies) and Jeff the Book Buyer would lead me to the exact place on the exact bookshelf where my exact book was waiting for me to buy it.
So I was thrilled to pieces when Jeff opened up his own little slice of heaven, in the form of Canetti’s Books. He rotates his stock daily, so every time I go in (at least weekly) I find something new and wonderful to try out. He gives excellent suggestions, based on your previous selections, how willing to engage in conversation you are, or other titles you may be looking for. There are a variety of sections – biography, history, travel, cooking, children’s and young adult – and he sets out new arrivals on tables in the middle of the store for easy identification. Most of the stock in the store is gently used, but if you keep an eye open you can find a few choice new books, too. It’s even more thrilling that he works in trade, so bring in all those books you had to read in college and haven’t cracked since (or all your John Grisham books – he won’t judge you) and see if you can’t get a little store credit! Best yet is the fact that even if you buy an armful of books, your investment will still cost less – and last longer – than an afternoon at the movies, and you’re more likely to impress your friends with new words and random facts after reading a book from Canetti’s Fantastic Bookshop.
And if you bring kitty treats, one of the cats who sometimes peruse the biography section may let you scratch him behind the ears.

I work across the street at the theater, and many times found myself wishing there was a bookstore nearby so I wouldn’t be so bored. Then one wonderful day, Canetti’s appeared and life was good again! No longer would I suffer through the humiliation of not being able to finish a crossword puzzle… Now, I have the satisfaction of buying a book across the street, and reading it at work!
Canetti’s is a lovely little shop. I could stay in there for a good long while browsing each section book by book, and enjoying the pictures of cats on the shelves and the music playing. The owner knows his inventory well, and is obviously a savvy guy as he has an entire section devoted to vampires. There are also sometimes kitties in the store (I guess other times they’re in the back or at home?) which I love.
cats + books = happy girl

i saw the lights on so i went in here one early evening. seems jeff koren, the sole proprietor has been here 9 months, having worked at bonanza books in walnut creek for 9 years. the guy is very nice and helpful. they don’t have much in politics and economics but i picked up «a writer’s reference”(7.50) and «the elements of style» (4) to help improve my reviews.
i forgot to check the humor section to see how i can make my reviews funnier.

Meh, tiny little used bookstore. Well organized. Prices high. Nine bones for a used copy of Eat Pray Love (thanks Reno for dumping a cup of water on Fairer’s copy) — the same title goes for less than two bucks on
. Nine more bones for A Million Little Pieces (umm, thanks Reno for tearing out pages of mine…) which goes for seventy-​five cents at
. Yeah, yeah, shipping… blah blah. It still don’t add up to Twenty Tacos. And I love getting packages in the mail.
But yeah, there’s something to be said for leisurely poking around a book store — even if you don’t buy anything.