Denver's Best Bookstores

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1. Tattered Cover LoDo

While Denver's largest independent bookstore has three locations to choose from, Tattered Cover really comes into its element in LoDo. The historic building, with its dark wood and quiet corners, creates a special atmosphere that makes it feel like home. The store's lineup of author talks, lectures and signings includes visits by famous authors as well as Denver natives.

Unlike other stores on this list, new books are Tattered Cover's trade, but for those who consider this a damning fact, first consider the store's community involvement. Local authors, local issues and local products are in the spotlight, and Tattered Cover does a lot to help out interest groups. Added bonuses include plenty of comfortable chairs for test driving that book you might just purchase and an in-house café complete with espresso drinks, sweet treats and sandwiches, how can you argue with that?

2. Fahrenheit Books

Vintage used books exploring a variety of eclectic subjects are the mainstay of Fahrenheit Books. Metaphysics, science fiction, Americana, history books and more are crammed into the shelves and aisles of the small store. Diverse and carefully chosen, the odd selections of paperback and hardcover books for sale create a browsing experience unlike any other, and the bookstore's position along South Broadway always draws in a substantial indie and hipster crowd.

3. West Side Books

The squat purple building that West Side Books occupies stands in contrast with the Victorian architecture of its Highland Square neighbors, but once inside, it seems as antiquarian as it gets. Bookshelves are filled to the point of overflowing, with more books stacked perilously on every available surface. Pulling out a copy of a Russian history text threatens to upset the 15 books stacked on top of it, pancake-style, and as you edge carefully backwards, text in hand, you're likely to trip over another, smaller pile stashed away on the floor along a row. Somehow, despite the chaos, it's still possible to find the subject you're looking for, with just a bit of patience. Besides, the fun of a used bookstore is digging amongst the shelves for that forgotten gem.

4. Capitol Hill Books

Located along Colfax, Capitol Hill Books is the area's best little used bookstore. The tiny store, crammed with books in a broad selection of topics, feels like a used bookstore should. The staff seems to know every book on hand, and there's always the chance of finding a rare or first edition novel to help round out your collection. Capitol Hill Books also accepts most texts in good condition for trade credits, so you can exchange books already read for something completely different.

5. Mutiny Now Art Books and Coffee

The selection of used books at Mutiny Now is less extensive than those of other bookstores on this list, but the shop has a unique atmosphere that makes it great for a quick stop. Get a little pick-me-up from the bookstore café and smile at the politically motivated artworks that line the walls. With its South Broadway address, Mutiny Now sees a fair number of younger patrons, many of them alternative music fans waiting for shows to begin across the street at the Hi-Dive.