Bart's Books

I love that Ojai's iconic outdoor book shop was inspired by les bouquinistes, the famous Paris booksellers along the Seine. The founder of Bart's got the idea on a trip to Paris and brought it back to California, hoping to transform this corner of Ojai into the Left Bank. And I also love that the outer shelves still run on the honor system, so you can buy a book even after hours. When I helped my Mom move out of her Ojai house, we sold boxes and boxes of books to Bart’s. It felt good to leave a piece of ourselves there, and I can always spot at least one of her books whenever I go back.