Located in the heart of the city’s downtown is Bookshop Santa Cruz—a 20,000 square foot independent bookstore owned and operated by the Coonerty family, under the direction of Casey Coonerty Protti. It is a favorite of students, tourists, and Santa Cruz residents for its numerous events, great location, and, of course, excellent selection of books.
Bookshop Santa Cruz is one of two bookstores remaining in the city. They host a Short Story Contest once per year, as well as run a Consignment Program to support local writers.
Bookshop Santa Cruz, A History
The store itself first opened in 1966 and, over the years, has become a significant cultural landmark for the city, especially after they officially partnered with The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz back in 2015. They stock new and used books, gifts, Bookshop Santa Cruz merchandise, and more.
While the store is a fantastic place to pick up a great read, they also host (virtual and in-person) programs and events. Many of these events feature bestselling authors who discuss their notable and/or upcoming works. Prices for these events can range from free to a small, agreeable fee, and event can be located can be in-store or at another venue (typically the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn on the UC Santa Cruz campus).
In February 2021, the workers at Bookshop Santa Cruz unionized.
Past Events at Bookshop Santa Cruz
One of the most highly-anticipated events for this month was the (sold-out) event featuring award-winning author and poet Ocean Vuong. His bestselling works include Night Sky With Exit Wounds, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, and his most recent poetry collection, Time Is A Mother—of which he discussed during the event.
Bookshop Santa Cruz has hosted a number of author events this year, such as the Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan, who spoke about her latest novel, The Candy House. Also invited this year was Deb Perelman, award-winning blogger and author, presenting her newest cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers.
Ongoing Bookshop Programs
Bookshop Santa Cruz has a number of community programs that they run. Their Summer Reading Program is popular amongst kids in the area, with different challenges for Kindergarten all the way through to Grade 12, in both English and Spanish. And there are prizes for the winners—which include gift cards, Santa Cruz Boardwalk passes, and free ice cream or pizza.
Teen Book Crew is a program where teens publish reviews of their favorite (or not so favorite!) books. They have a discord channel for members, host various events, and get access to Advanced Reader Copies of some of the most anticipated reads.
Upcoming Store Events
There are so many upcoming events at Bookshop Santa Cruz. In fact, the store has gained quite an excellent reputation for the frequency and diverse array of authors invited to host events.
Ottessa Moshfegh, whose second novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation was named a bestseller and is now rumored to be in the works as a film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite), will be speaking later this month about her new novel, Lapvona.
At the end of June, Bookshop Santa Cruz will host Lisa See, who will discuss her latest novel, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. Her other notable works include The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, the latter of which has been adapted into a film.
You can visit the store at 1520 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, or online here.
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