About Verbatim Books

“I started Verbatim Books in 2015 after working at Fifth Avenue Books in Hillcrest for over ten years. I’m a native San Diegan and Hillcrest is where I grew up, but at the time I lived in North Park, and since there weren’t any bookstores in North Park I thought Verbatim Books would fit in well. Verbatim Books started as a 1,500 square foot space and in 2019 expanded to include the building next door, bringing us to 5,000 square feet and making us the largest bookstore in San Diego currently.

“My goal with Verbatim Books was to be a place where you could find something unusual and interesting that you might not have known about before. This isn’t limited to books, either; I feel that this energy is the core of our events, the art you see on the walls, our social media, the curious antiques and toys we find for customers to enjoy, and really every aspect of the store. Above all, I just hope people have fun!”

– Justine, owner & manager

Verbatim Books is a primarily secondhand bookstore with an eclectic range of gently-loved and antiquarian books. Our stock is extremely curated to help you find quality editions of classics, favorites, and new discoveries.

In the past, Verbatim Books has helped to produce popular community events such as the North Park Book Fair and the San Diego Book Crawl. Please check our events page for the latest!

The book sculpture in the event room was done by Justine in 2019. It is made out of over 1,000 damaged books that are still beautiful~

Tijuana-based artist Armando Elizarrares completed his 90-foot bookshelf mural on the north wall of Verbatim Books in December of 2021.

Meet our employees:

Kevin! He draws great pictures

Greg! He can run 1000 miles

Johnna! She reads interesting books

Lily! She crochets the cutest dinos

Sean! He is so nice to customers

Ferni! He makes amazing short films and comics

Jesse! He can do every job in the store really well

Jon! He is wise beyond his years

Amy! She saved the Book Fair

Cora! She dedicates her life to books

Aaron! He is a great artist

Phantom! He is a cat

Paul! He fixes everything