Key West Island Bookstore

Key West Island Bookstore was one of the highlights of our trip to Key West, the book nerds that we are. We visited on a Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t busy. The layout of the store allows for an unhurried browsing, something that’s essential in a bookstore. New, used, rare, first edition Hemingway and so much more, the bookstore has it all. My favorite was the local authors section which had a lot of interesting books with interesting themes. It’s great that they support local writers! We had a brief chat with the owner about books of Cormac McCarthy and bookstores in general. She was kind to talk to, and also seemed very knowledgeable about all things literary. We could hear her dog bark but couldn’t see him. Maybe next time! I’ll check online if they ship as well, to do my part to support a local, independent business. It’s located in Old Town Key West, on Fleming Street, just a short walk from Duval Street. Parking nearby is street parking. My visits to local bookstores keeps on giving and I am chuffed.

What an absolute gem! Choosing which local businesses to support when we travel (and at home) is always a treat for my husband and me. So many fantastic choices during our Key West Christmas trip! Supporting Key West Island Books was a treat, with many local choices from which to choose. Highly recommend— for a rare edition, a gently loved find, or a new bestseller. Let’s keep our indie bookstores in business. 🫶

For such a cozy store, they have an amazing selection of books and the lady behind the counter was so helpful and amazing. I think I ended up leaving with six or seven books! Love this place whenever I'm in town!

If you are into books or just need to kill time this a great place to stop! Has a wide variety and the lady that worked there was a gem and lovely to chat with! I would definitely go again next time I am in town!

📚 A Must-Visit Bookstore in Key West! 📚 If you ever find yourself in Key West, do yourself a favor and stop by this little gem of a bookstore! The atmosphere is cozy, the selection is fantastic, and Suzanne is absolutely wonderful at customer service. She recommended a book that I can barely put down! Whether you’re looking for the perfect beach read or something unique to take home, this is the store for you. Don’t miss it! 🌴✨ #KeyWest #BookLovers #HiddenGem

Great bookstore with a lot of good books and a great selection overall as a book lover I was impressed, I highly recommend this bookstore to anyone that loves books, thanks for keeping a great business in Key West so few bookstores left and you have a great location and selection ☮️

A staple of the Key West community. Hemingway used to buy his newspaper at this address. Great new and used books, tons of local author books, amazing owners, and the second cutest dog in the world. Make this a stop when you are walking Duval. Less than half a block down Fleming.

Nice bookstore with helpful staff, wide selection and late hours. Conveniently located in heart of Key West with reasonable prices

Key West Island Bookstore is a great local bookstore that sells new and used books. The interior is welcoming and charming, and I never know what books I will find when I come visit. There are great sections on local cozy mysteries, Hemingway, cats & dogs, and more. This is where I first saw the Key West Food Critic mysteries, which are cheesy and so cute (and they include recipes in the back!). I also had a great conversation with the woman behind the counter about which is a good starter Hemingway book, and they have a wide-range collection with different editions of his books. The store is also well decorated, so you can find fun surprises among the shelves. I bought one of the Key West Food Critic Mysteries for a friend and a beautiful edition of the Old Man and the Sea (with copies of his handwritten notes) along with a cute bookstore quotes book. Our friends bought a coffee table book on Oceanography for a great price!

What a cute, local bookstore! This small store is stacked with shelves and books - and you will definitely find something for everyone! There was also a good mix of heavily used and brand new books. The woman running the front seemed incredibly friendly and happy, and I wish I had more time to browse and hang out!

Love this bookstore! We're in key west for a month so I bring 1 or 2 books then trade them in for credit and buy more. Repeat!! And the credit will stay until next year! She has a wide selection of new and used books so I have no need to go anywhere else!

Great bookstore! Lovely place to spend an afternoon or evening! Large selection of new and used books; knowledgeable and friendly staff makes it a definite must stop while in Key West!

I always say that used bookstores aren't for everybody, but this one probably is actually. Quaint and small, but so organized and well-curated. No dust or piles of books in the aisles. I typically like that, but tourists looking for books specifically about Key West urban legends probably don't. The owner is helpful if you need it, but quiet and will leave you to explore if you want (that's me). But, I overheard her help several people who came in looking for something specific immediately find books options they seemed happy with. It's a small store, so it's not super private - but it's big enough you can get behind the corner and forget about the hustle & bustle going on outside. I looked through practically every shelf, and overall it is a great collection. Even the fiction section was perfectly alphabetized. There is basically no reason not to go if you are a book lover and spending a visit in the Keys. The average price for most used books appeared to be in the $7-$8 range, but there were some lower, as well as some first edition or rare books on the shelves in the $25 range. A good selection of general Florida and Florida Keys history books.

Loved this bookstore! The owner was so friendly and knowledgeable to assist me with finding a local book as a gift for a friend. I could have spent all weekend browsing each corner of this clean and bright store. Such a nice escape from the noise on Duval St and a great stop during your visit to Key West!

I have visited Key West several times in the past 20 years. I finally stopped by Key West Island Bookstore a few months ago and I left with several new and used books. I was recently looking for a copy of Charlie Mackesy's "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse," but it was sold out everywhere. So, I contacted Suzanne at Key West Island Bookstore for assistance. While I was prepared to order a used copy, Suzanne called several days later to tell me that she received a few new copies. I cannot thank Suzanne enough for her help. The book has a hopeful message and I wanted to give it to my mother who, sadly, has developed early-onset dementia. This experience was my wake up call to consciously support small businesses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fantastic indie bookstore with knowledgeable friendly staff. Small space but lots of books arranged neatly by category, great for browsing. They have many unique books on Key West that you won't find anyplace else. In fact the owner sold me the last copy she had of a popular new book on Key West history, I really appreciated that. I love Key West Island Bookstore and visit whenever I'm around there.

A book lovers oasis!!! Owner is delightful and knowledgeable. Gave me great suggestions. Little spot with lots of good reads. Don't spend a beach day without a good book, get that good book here.

Cute little shop with lots of books The Lady at the counter was super nice I would totally go again

This shop does have used books in good condition, but their strength is cheap new books. I found quite a few gems here that I had to put down because I had limited space in my luggage. I did buy an interesting book entitled A History of Mutiny, which I thought was appropriate to the setting. The proprietor was just the right amount of eccentric and gruff. When I was in here, he was training a new employee and it was hilarious to hear him explain things: store operations were an odd mix of totally obsessive-compulsive procedures and random caprices done for no reason whatsoever.

As others have said - used books are not this stores forte - although they do have a selection of them. Very interesting and eclectic selection with all the new releases you would expect. Huge stacks of books everywhere so you will have to explore to find what you are looking for but there are lots of obscure topics and knowledgeable staff to help you.

Quite pitstop in an otherwise bustling town! They have all books new to old. Very friendly.

OMG, don't walk. RUN! To this place because it is one of the best bookstores in the world! No doubt one of the best selections of books and Sue the owner is absolutely brilliant! If you like authentic bookstores then do not miss it!

Went by and asked a few questions of the bookshop owner on a genre I wasn't too familiar with. Her depth of knowledge was refreshing and she shared it joyfully (without talking down to me). She genuinely appreciated that I was enjoying browsing her shop and in no rush to shoo me out (it was close to closing time and I hadn't made a decision). Didn't keep her late but did buy a title and finished already and am ready to go back! This is a great local community gathering place and I wouldn't miss it! Buy local. Side note on trusting (but verifying) fellow yelpers: A review below (it is 1/5 stars, a rating usually reserved for business displaying malicious intent toward unsuspecting customers) says that the bookshop did not open within 15minutes of the posted time. (This alone could be useful knowledge so one could perhaps get a coffee and wait, not such a struggle in a developed nation.) Then there is a jump in logic that an online megalith (who shall not be named) would be preferable, but it doesn't really elucidate in what situation this holds true. Most bookish types would like to know under what circumstances this sincere and dire book emergency arose, as I'm sure all of Key West and several six-toes cats would have stepped in to help out.

This place is fantastic. You walk in and there are book everywhere. Not the neat and organized Barnes and Noble type of bookstore, but the overwhelmingly-amazing, stacks-of-books-everywhere, I-could-get-lost-in-this-place-for-hours-and-I-don't-want-to-be-found sort of bookstore. Everything you can imagine, from new, to used, to historical, to local works, this shop has them all. I immediately got the impression that the lady at the counter (owner) is a female Olivander for books. I asked about a particular book, and even though she didn't have it in stock, she happily ordered it for me and told me it'd be ready in a few days. In the meantime, we talked about other books that I enjoy, books I've read lately, etc., and then she said, "have you read...?" and scampered off to a little shelf, pulled a book, and said, "I'd recommend this one. I loved it." Needless to say, I bought it and devoured it. Great little shop. One of my favorites because it's so authentically Key West.

Great selection of new and used books. Suzanne is very knowledgable and helpful. My son enjoys picking out books here.

Though it is the lot of used bookstores everywhere, this place is pure browsing sexiness. I spend about half my life in key west thanks to the military, and my bi-monthly trips to this bookstore generally go like this: Me: "Hey, do you guys have _____?" Clerk: "Hm...No, that just came out. Want me to order it for you?" Me: "No, I'll be gone in 24 hours. I'll just look around." moments later: Me: "Holy heck, this book looks incredible!" Without fail, every time I have walked into this store, I have not found the book I intended to buy, and instead found two or more books that I really wanted to read. They've all made me smarter, too. Highly recommended, but maybe not if there's a new release you need for a term paper or something.

I'm a fan. Totally browsed longer that I should have to hear the banter of the clerk talking to a customer. Paraphrasing: Clerk: "What I told her was correct. I know my books." Customer: "Where did you go to school? Harvard? Stanford?" Clerk: "No. I've run a bookstore for thirty years and I don't need a fancy college to be able to say the book came on paperback, especially when I'm holding it in paperback as I talk to her on the phone." The tone was the best part. Lots of overstock. Some cheap paperbacks. Nice theme sections.

Fantastic bookstore with a mixture of used and new titles. Excellent collection of Florida & Keys titles and authors. I picked up a few books on Cuba that I loved. My daughter went wild here, we visited nearly every day of our visit. Her favorite book, that she re-reads still a few years later is the locally published Dogs of Key West book (and also the guide book Hemingway House cats she bought there).

Ok, now this store rocks, used and new. Easy to find good reads on those shelves. Just tell the owner what author you like and she will find you the next great book in your life. Awesome!

A store for book lovers staffed by book lovers. The owner I spoke with had no pretense, just a great deal of knowledge and love for the written word. She recommended a local mystery author, and then we talked about the Tennessee Williams bios, the Little House books and "Dewey The Library Cat." How much more eclectic can you get? Visit and enjoy!

This is an excellent local bookstore with a pretty good selection. The store itself is a little small, but it's very well organized and cataloged. If you're looking for something specific, they can check it in the database instead of coming through shelves and shelves of used books. We got a couple of recommendations from the person at the register and overall enjoyed our time in this little shop!

I've been shopping at this bookstore for many years, and the ownership recently changed. I went in a couple of weeks ago to buy Book 1 of a series, and Books 2 and 3 were on the shelf, all new. I went in today to buy Book 2. It was the only copy left, and was very clearly battered and used. I asked the owner about the price, and she said it was a new book. I told her the book clearly looked used. She said no, we just got that book in this week, and in the humidity the covers curl like that - it is a new book. So, she lied right to my face. Plus, she offers very little for your used books - far less than the previous owner. Time for me to find another bookstore.

Waited from 10 to 10:15 and store never opened Amazon turned out to be a smaller hassle and less waste of time

Thrilled to find an independent bookstore in the wilds of the Keys. Great selection, enthusiastic owner. Saved me from airport books, since I fly back to Portland, Or soon, and already read the 3 I brought. Please continue to support our independents! You'll never see a selection like this at an airport or a chain.

One of the few (if not the only) bookstores to survive in Key West. I miss Voltaire! We spent quite a bit of time perusing the books and movies in this jam packed shop. They have new books, used books, collectible books, and they have a special focus on Key West and South Florida. Yes, I buy books online too, but you know what, it's great to be able to walk into a bookstore, talk to someone there about the books, and then make the purchase. It's a charming store and I would highly recommend checking it out and buying something (you know, so it's still there a few years from now).

Great bookstore with a variety of cheap used books. They will also buy your books back so you can lose some weight while traveling. Located near the library and the grocery store and right off of Duval Street.

Need a book on the key west railroad AND Patti Smith bio? DONE. Great LGBT selection, Key West fauna and flora, and current books.

Cute used/new bookstore. Love little treasures like this.

Probably not the right place if you know exactly what you are looking for, but a great book shop for browsing.

Easy to find and lots of variety I am a fan. We went to pick up a specific book for my husband which they didn't have but left with four other books.

Fantastic, independent book store. Small, but books everywhere. My daughter and and I "sold" a bunch of books back (for store credit, they do not pay cash) and received a very generous amount for them. Which we then spent on more books! Super nice owner at the desk too. You will find some new releases but a lot of books are trade-ins. If you need a beach book, this is the place to come! A decent selection of non-fiction as well.

What an amazingly wonderful bookshop! I came to Key West for the Christmas holidays and wandered into this book store. A young clerk asked me for the names of my favorite authors so that he would have a better idea of what to suggest. When I responded Balzac, Zweig, Melville, and Hawthorne, he remarked that 'the bar is high'! And then he proceeded to suggest three books by Iain Pears (all extraordinary) and an assortment of other brilliant reads! Key West is fortunate to have a treasure in this bookshop.

You don't find many independent bookstores like this one anymore. Interesting collection of local history and local authors. Don't miss it.