Maya Books & Music

This is a great little independent bookstore in downtown Sanford. It has all the whimsy, character and eclecticism that a small bookshop like this should. Although you may need to adjust the assorted lamps to be able to read all the book titles, it kind of adds to the ambience of the place. From the various worn couches and chairs for you to sit and browse a book, to the smells of incense wafting past the mix of eccentric gifts, clothes items and art pieces, all the way to the sleeping shop cat on the chair and dog napping on the floor. The owner here is very friendly, the prices are very reasonable for a used bookstore, and the location is convenient to nearby shops and restaurants. I believe they accept Visa and MasterCard. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area.

Amazing bookshop with an awesome owner and her beautiful and friendly pets. I will be visiting this place for many many years to come, there’s always something new and its a beautiful place to come to unwind and treat yourself to a new book. The owner is super friendly and kind, I never feel rushed, and the prices are very reasonable. I wish more stores were like this one. Be sure to respect the nap!

Just what the rest of downtown Sanford needs: a unique retail offering that encourages wandering and browsing at your leisure. We need one of a kind retail establishments to draw in the outside foot traffic.

I could spend all day here. And I totally would if I hadn’t moved out of the area. It’s a local business and the owner is so passionate about what she does. Make time to check this place out. You won’t regret it!

If you’re in Sanford, this is a MUST. There’s not only books as far as the eye can see, but there is also a record room as well as vintage clothing. This store is truly a gem in Downtown Sanford.

This is a great bookstore. Packed high with books everywhere you turn. One of my favorite places in Sanford. They also have art and music so this is a must stop if you are in the area.

Nice local business and very low prices! Who doesn’t love used books? Not a huge selection, so maybe you won’t find the EXACT title you’re looking for. But if you have an open mind and you’re willing to try something new, how can you go wrong with a hardcover at less than $ 5?

What a surprising find while walking the Historic Area of Sanford! It was so unique and FULL of books; in every corner, every pile reminding me of such comfortable cozy thoughts! If u love old bookstores with exotic essence; its your kind of place! The cats living on the books along with the lazy dog made it so hippie! But, the books were of the rare kind as well as the common. You could spend hours searching and login it! Reminds me of old NYC bookstores of days gone by! Check this place out-​pricing is amazing!

Everything you want a used book store to be. It’s friendly, welcoming, and packed to the brim with books books books.

I love Maya’s and whenever I am in the Sanford area I always hit this place up. A very large selection of books. Great prices and a very friendly and knowledgeable staff are definitely a highlight and what keep me coming back every time I’m in Sanford.
However as a person with a pretty sensitive nose and allergies it sometimes has to be a very quick trip in and out. If you’re allergic to (or sensitive to) dust, cats, or dogs this is not the place for you to take a leisurely stroll throughout the stacks. There is a cat that roams the place and a dog hanging about. There are also large stacks of books that aren’t organized yet. They’ll be haphazardly placed throughout the store and as a customer it doesn’t make much sense. It would certainly benefit from a through dusting, cleaning and organizing.
The organization of the books could also use some work — but it’s getting better each time I go in. They’ve even expanded into having records and cd’s which adds a welcome amount of variety.

A strange and wonderful little shop in historic Sanford, filled to overflowing with stuff. Although I enjoy visiting, I rarely find anything collectible and find the eclectic décor too be a little overwhelming. The staff is friendly and helpful, and their are animals wandering around. The records in the back are cool and fun to browse. Worth a stop if you’ve never been.

This is a great little spot tucked away in downtown Sanford. We actually loved the way it was «setup» inside and had a very welcoming feel. A great selection of books that appeared to be just scattered around but yet still organized.
Our kids enjoyed the books and they have a nice area for them to sit and read.
Staff was friendly and helpful.

There is just something about the smell of a used book store that cannot be beat. That sweetly decayed, unmistakable smell; a combination of rotting pages, dusty shelves, of cracked leather spines, and old words waiting, waiting. It’s not particularly healthy, but I think it is one of the most beautiful scents in the world. You inhale that fusty fragrance as soon as you step through the doorway, and you know… you just know… that little magics are about to happen.
That is how I feel every time I step into Maya Books; I never go with any thing specific in mind (which would be a difficult — nay impossible — feat anyway, what with the heaps and piles and jumbles of books laying around!) but I always find something lovely, nevertheless. Just yesterday I walked out with an amazing anthology of Edwardian and Victorian ghost stories, and I have been spellbound ever since.
She has a nice sized horror/​sci-​fi section (which are my particular favourites) and her music section in the very back has expanded quite a bit! There is an old dog lying about sleeping on the faded rugs, and I believe there is a cat skulking the premises as well, though I have yet to see him. And the proprietress is helpful and knowledgeable and incredibly friendly.
Maya Books is a charming place in Downtown Sanford to spend an evening browsing before you grab a meal and a drink in the area. Bibliophiles and bookworms — I highly suggest a visit.

Fantastic owner, always helpful and friendly. Love coming here often and just browsing to see what I can find, a store with a ton more character than a B&N or similar chain. Give them a visit!

This is a treasure in the middle of downtown Sanford! There you will find just about any book you want! Their vinyl collection is fantastic. You can browse for hours, curl up on a sofa and read, or sometimes you might catch live music. There is something for any budget!

I love this place, I love this place, I love this place! This is what a bookstore should be! They have books, LP’s, postcards and a few other odds and ends. It is ran by two cats a sweet Labrador and some great ladies! If you are in downtown Sanford this should be one of your stops!

Maya’s rocks! Plus I love going in there and seeing her lazy dog and cat in there. Great place in a cool old location right in the heart of downtown Sanford. Whether you’re a collector of books or vinyl. Maya’s has got it.
You can also bring in your old reads and if it’s something that she can resell then she will give you store credit towards things that you may want in her store.

Old books
and
lazy dogs
Yes indeedy, I love used bookstores. Barnes & Noble and Borders are great for a specific item but there is nothing like browsing through a cool, old bookstore. Especially one with a big. stinky dog laying right in the middle of everything.
Sure it’s difficult to find anything in particular because the organization is somewhat chaotic. Heaps of stuff everywhere, but then again that is part of the fun. You never know what you are going to find around the next corner. The big, stinky dog that keep getting in the way to roll over on his back for belly rubs just added to the difficulty but also the adventure.
Lots of cool books in this place, classics, novels, sports, music and science. Truly a sundry collection of tomes that surprised and delighted me. I could and actually did spend far more money in this store than I wanted. Lots of books you don’t necessarily need but end up buying anyways.
The folks working there are so friendly, mellow, congenial and just plain nice that it was a pleasure meeting and talking with them. A great place that is a nice contrast to the efficient, organized and systematic order of places Ike B&N. Just getting to scratch the big, ol’, stinky dog on the belly is worth the effort of going in.

After lunch at Two Blonds and a Shrimp, my boyfriend and I felt the strong, magnetic pull of a local, used bookstore… Maya Books and Music.
This place is in a classic, old school, downtown Florida building and wonderfully filled with every kind of book under the sun. When we walked in a big black dog was laying on the floor and a spiced incense was burning in the back. And when we saw the books everywhere, we knew we were home.
Yvette was exactly what a book store owner should be — patient, polite, non-​intrusive. We browsed for a good 30 minutes and I picked up two inspirational books for less than what chain bookstores would charge for the price of one.
The only reason I don’t give 5 stars is because there is a bit of disorganization to the place. Now this can be both endearing and frustrating to a browser and since she said new inventory comes in daily I can only imagine how difficult it must be to stay on top of the organization in there.
With that said, Yvette if you’re reading this, throw a «organize this book store» party and get fellow book lovers to help you get that place a bit more sorted out! We would loooove to be assigned a section to help with, and I can only imagine how exciting it would be to unpack a few of those boxes that are lying about. :)
Anyway — if you’re looking for books, please go here before hitting the big retailers. There were a LOT of popular titles (and yes, really older, dated titles) to be found here, for a MUCH better price than one would pay elsewhere.
We’ll be back!

I perused the shelves of Maya Books while waiting for our table to open up at the adjacent Willow Tree. The shop was small but I really liked the floor and exposed brick walls. It had a lot of historic charm and character. I thought the book selection was lacking. The books were loosely organized and most of the titles I saw were really dated, no REALLY dated, and I’m not talking classics! I guess you could dig through the piles and find a gem or two but the books were stacked haphazardly everywhere. Maybe I missed something? I noticed that they had a collection of vinyl records for you collectors.