Left Bank Books Collective

The truest bookstore there exists, in the heavens where all bookstores are conceived, is lined with uneven shelves and stairs and railings and a nook next to a window with pillows overlooking overcast weather and busy streets. The place smells like leather and wood and old paper. A cat sleeps improbably somewhere between items.
Left Bank was birthed with all these treasures except (I couldn’t find) the cat.
Had a great conversation with the woman behind the counter, took home a Nikki McClure print and a book I’ve read but needed to own.
I knew I couldn’t resist when I saw your sign.

I believe in buying books from independent booksellers. This place is just about as independent as it gets — without being openly hostile to its own clientele. Just to the edge of taking itself too seriously, this bookstore is filled top to bottom with titles to ripen even your most self-​centered small liberal arts college English professor’s library. I picked up a classic mystery anthology and some Dostoevsky for the plane ride home. Do I love Russian novelists? Sometimes, but I was really hoping to impress the guys behind the counter.
Predictably, they appeared ambivalent to me… and all things. As they should be. Independence only works if you play the part well. And boy do they.
Go here. Buy books. Be a better person for it.

We stopped here during our day trip to Seattle, and it was definitely a highlight. My friend and I are both book lovers and this place was a treat. The staff was knowledgeable, and I love that they have used books here. The trick to this place is to make sure that you explore all of its many nooks and crannies – for there are many. Despite all of that, it is actually pretty well organized (which I appreciate in stores like this). I will definitely come back to this place when I come to visit!

Love love love that they also sell used books. I was not tryna drop $ 15 on Paolo Coelho’s Pilgrimage, and was glad to find a used copy here! For less than what I would’ve spent on that new book, I was also able to snag a used Sandra Cisneros book for $ 5!
Support and donate to this wonderful local enterprise!

I’m a working class American man spending my hard earned money in Seattle on my first travel vacation in years, so it was more than a little disconcerting when some younger scruffy, Occupy Seattle looking dude wouldn’t let me past the cash register with my backpack securely affixed to my back. Let me rephrase that. It was purely INSULTING!
Rather than be treated thusly, I exited this den of iniquity and found much more respectable and respectful proprietors just a little further into the market. There is where I deposited my ducats in exchange for some interesting material.

My favorite Seattle bookstore! I go there and always spend hours. Luckily, they have many little nooks tucked throughout the store for you to sit and read for awhile. They have stuff I can’t find elsewhere. I love the good mix of used and new books. The rack of zines is also a favorite. Of course, being right at Pike Place Market is also fun and provides many a pleasant afternoon.

I had been so excited to visit this bookstore during my first visit to Seattle. I have been to leftist book stores all over the country… it’s one of my favorite things to do. But, I was met by the unfortunate clerk who was more intent on me checking my mailbag than in pointing me to interesting sections of the store or helping the person who was trying to check out at the counter.
Maybe the Jack Spade bag sold me out as an intruder, but I really have never been treated so rudely in a place where I generally feel a sense of camaraderie.
Of all of the wonderful things that I found Seattle to offer, this store was among the biggest disappointments.

A fascinating, eccentric collection of books, non-​commercial pamphlets, posters, samizdat, etc. primarily of interest to readers interested in scholarly or leftist perspectives on environmental, political, and social issues. Great for browsing and discovery, and the collectivist atmosphere is worth the visit. Every city should have one.

Nice radical fem bookstore. Not recommended for guys though, you can really feel some hostility from the womym there Radical feminism section was huge, fiction section was kinda random student paperbacks.

I stop by Pike Place at least twice a year, and for the first time I’ve stumbled into an awesome bookstore. It’s so rare to ever catch something like this anywhere!
I dont know what it is about this bookstore that i love, but the feeling that you get when you’re inside. you seriously just want to grab a book, and find a place to read it. Not your typical bookstore, but 5 stars. For being what it is.

I am not cool enough to hang out here. That means I immediately love this place more than I should.
I stop in now and again, slink along the aisles, fingering the books, sneering when I think it’s appropriate, laughing shrilly at the irony of the bumper stickers.
If you want to get your read on, and you’re downtown, stop in and look at the super cool displays of books that are important, irreverent and cool, just like the store.
oh, p. s. they order books, and so you can talk to the cute salesperson, don’t be shy.

My Favorite Bookstore In Seattle Promotes Extremely Worth Causes
SITREP
It may sounds odd to say, but this store is doesn’t sell people «books» as much as it shares «ideas», and promotes causes.
SETUP
I first became aware of this store from work conducted with the program «Books to Prisoners.» Left Bank operates as a sort auxiliary command center in helping organize the volunteer efforts of individuals who want to contribute both their time and their book-​resources to enabling prisoners have access to reading material.
MISSION
However, it does go much deeper than just helping find «books & magazines» for prisoners to read to keep their minds active. While in law school, I was very much involved in the different prisoner legal-​service efforts for those incarcerated unjustly and for whom the wheels of justice did not turn effectively.
WRITING & SPEAKING «LEGALESE»
Often in trying to write their own appeals and solicit information on the legal processes they must engage in, prisoners need access to legal self-​help guides to communicate through the legal system if they are «in pro per» for themselves, and to also make appeals to attorneys to possibly take on their case on a pro bono basis. To communicate effectively, legal dictionaries, thesauruses, legal codes, etc. are such resources that they need to utilize, and Left Bank is an organization that makes this happen.
And this is not the only cause that this collective takes up — it is just the one I am most familiar with. Left Bank works closely with Puget Sound Anarchists, the men & women of Queer Rock Camp, and the Seattle Solidarity Network. These and several more organizations find synergy by working with Left Bank, and all are worth exploring.
THE LOWDOWN
The Left Bank Books Collective actively engages in many missions that go far above merely the shelves of books they store, but actually give hope to people.

I wish that I had a bookstore like this in Vancouver. This is what I call the anarchist book store, many genres that bend the rules and books that wouldn’t be carried in mainstream stores for obvious reasons. Of course… zines, the original twitter/​Facebook. I love zines and I was overwhelmed and went ape shit for the zines. Staff seem pretty decent and friendly and the prices are fair. I find it funny that this somewhat hidden gem is located in a somewhat family place near Pike Market. The contradiction adds to the charm.

Neat lil lefty store. I ended up buying the most awesome bumper sticker! I’m not into bumper stickers but I had to buy it! It read: less babies, fewer people better world! lol
My only complaint is no one greeted us even tho again we were two of very few peoppl in the store and both employees were at the front desk. IDK whats up with downtown seattle.
Also the prices are a little high.

i don’t really feel the need to elaborate on what’s already been said about this place, how absolutely amazeballs it is, quirkified, and a positively stupendous little gem by the public market.
just wanted to show my love, and brag about the one dollar (HOLLER) copy of voltaire’s candide i scored here, as well as being super RADical because nothing says i’m hella queer and proud like a pin that says trans fag.
so thrilled places like left bank exist in this deceitful world to allow for the free & open expression of humanity through art.

Woohoo! Awesome little bookstore! It’s on the smaller side but has tons of books. Some of the books are new, some are used. Lot of books on topics like workers rights, LGBT issues, government conspiracies, freedom fighers, etc. They also have a good selection of pins, t-​tshirts, and tote bags. They employees are all nice and helpful and let me take pictures of the store. I spent about 15 minutes here and wanted to buy so many different books.
This bookstore is basically right next to the main entrance of the Pike Place Market. Sometimes there’s someone outside playing a guitar and singing for money. I would strongly encourage you to come check this place out before you step into the crazy hustle and bustle of Pike Place Market.

Unique and adorable. They are a little cluttered and not much to speak of as far as book selection or organization, but the store does have a great personality.
This is a great spot to wander through and perhaps pick up a book that catches your eye, but if I wanted a specific book, I would not come here to find it.

This place is great. Not only do they have a whole anarchy section, but it seems that half of every other section is about anarchy as well. I’m not there to get books about anarchy, or about ²⁄₃ of the other stuff there (LGBTQ, philosophy, radical environmentalism, etc.), but I’m glad it’s there. There’s an interesting, varied selection. And who knows — next time I might pick up one of those books and step outside my bubble a bit more.
They also have a great selection of stuff that I’m actually interested in (fiction, history), and a lot of good used options. I get what others on Unilocal say about the staff, though my experience was different. Sure, they’re a little stand-​offish (I mean, it is Seattle), but when I actually engaged with them, I found them to be helpful and informed — at least about what I was asking. And trust me, it isn’t because I looked like someone who «fits in» there — I look pretty preppy.
In short, I recommend it. Just remember that you’re going to a tiny, lefty bookstore, and don’t really expect to find anything specific. It’s more of a browsing type of place.

I’ve been here a couple of times and I’ve been disappointed by the cold shoulder I’ve continually receive by the workers. This seems to be a recurring theme at radical bookstores/​coffee shops/​restaurants: unfriendly staff who exude a sense of superiority (with the exception of Revolution Books in Berkeley; they’re a solid group).
They had lots of cool shirts, posters, etc but I don’t remember if they offer used books as well as new. I like that this place exists. It is only getting a 3 because I don’t appreciate being snubbed by people I was looking forward to meeting.

One of those old bookshops that you can peruse through for hours… I love it! There is a small window seat upstairs where you can sit and read or people watch… cozy feel… tons of great books… I got a kick out of all the posters and t-​shirts for sale… the bf got a book on immigration… I resisted buying up a storm on graffiti books and social justice themed teacher books discussion the evils of standardized testing…
A must take a looksy if you are in the Pike Market area

I love Left Bank Books Collective bookstore, they have all the classics in all areas of politics and even some literature classics. It’s a small store so they don’t have piles of books but you can stay there reading for a while on one of the chairs.
Bookstores like this are what are keeping some people from slipping into complete complicity, stupidity complacently, and total subservience to «authority».