Lyon Books & Learning Center

What’s not to love about Lyon Books? Well-​stocked, clean, organized, reasonably priced, locally owned, and conveniently located downtown. Most of their used books are like new and it’s so easy to find what you’re looking for! You can sell them your used books for store credit and they give you cash for textbooks. Their employees are always helpful and knowledgeable. And I absolutely adore their little children’s section! I always find books that I used to love as a child and completely forgot about. They have so many 90’s throwbacks such as Goosebumps, The Babysitters Club, and even Full House books. I always leave this store happy, whether I buy anything or not. I am a certified book lover and proud nerd and I recommend this bookstore to all my fellow nerds and book worms!

I’ve not actually bought anything nor sold anything with lyon yet however I visited and have conversed via email and phone. They have always been very polite and answered my questions while visiting I was asked several times if I needed anything but never felt bothered which was nice also I stayed for a few hours killing time while waiting for an appointment just reading some magazines from their excellent selection (given their size) seems to be a great indie bookstore in a county with few of them

This is my favorite bookstore to visit everytime in Chico (it may be one of the only bookstores in Chico). Great local business with a great selection of books and magazines. Love the nook in the back with the used books — nice quiet area to just browse. It’s more books than other stuff like gifts which aren’t books (a la Borders). Hopefully this place will last given all the eBooks that are out there nowadays.

I hate to say this but I’m beginning to miss book stores.
I read alot. Maybe too much. Mostly I’ve switch to electronic just cause I’m that kinda guy… a professional geek. There is something to be said, however, for the old school experience.
Lyon Books is just that sort of place. The have an excellent magazine selection and for being as small as they are a great selection of books. They aren’t BN. This is a good thing. Where BN staff generally couldn’t give a frack about you or your interests the Lyon Books staff actually know what they are doing and they love books too.
I like customer service. I like Lyon Books.

Nice local book store. Very charming, with a good selection of new & used books. I always hit the used childrens books for my girls, great deals. They are polite there, but could be a bit better about welcoming you & offering to help. Its always my first stop for books

I just came in to browse and found this bookstore to be quite quaint. No one said hello to me or offered me a cup of tea like Bevy M. mentioned, but it’s not as if I was really expecting either, so their absence was fine by me. I walked over to the magazine rack and found their selection to be adequate. It can’t compete with the variety at Barnes & Noble, or even most grocery stores these days, but hey, it’s a little, locally owned store, so its understandable. I get the feeling whatever they don’t have, they’ll special order for you, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for, go ask about it.
They have a lot of tchotchke stuff up front– rings, bobby pins, magnets, bookmarks, keychains, small games, etc– stuff you don’t need and will probably never buy, but still think are kinda cool. Some of it looked like it came from local artists too (sometimes in a badly hand-​made sort of way).
I guess the downside to Lyon Books, and all brick & mortar bookstores these days really, is that you can get every single book in their store cheaper at
. «But M,» you say, «Amazon is a corporate monster and Lyon is just a small town bookstore! Buying cheap isn’t the point!»
I know, I’ve patronized plenty of indie stores in SF, knowing that I was paying more for something I could sometimes get for half price online. But the difference was, these indie stores would always have signed first edition hard cover copies for sale, which will more than cover for their slightly higher initial cost once they appreciate in the future. At Lyon, I didn’t really see anything like that, so I didn’t really feel compelled to purchase anything.
It’s a great place to go to kill some time though.

Lyon Books is the compliment to Bookstore. Bookstore has a much better selection of used books, but where it is lacking Lyon is strong. Lyon has a very well organized store and it is easy to find what you are looking for when they have it. The staff are very friendly and helpful. They will help you look on the internet and guide to the right sections (or suggest similar titles).
So if you want service and new titles, Lyon is the place for you. If you want a huge selection of used books with no service, check out Bookstore.

Its ok…
Just ok. I was shopping for obscure books online (as I have an obscure major) and lo and behold, these guys have a website with all of the titles I need for a project I am working on.
I left work a bit early, drove downtown in Friday afternoon traffic, backed into my parking space as mandated by the CPD (more proof that the City Planners were indeed three-​sheets-​to-​the-​wind when they planned the traffic flow) and walked my narrow ass on over to Lyons.
I walk in, find two rooms with some books in it and some magazines.
I says to the sales lady person, «where are the rest of the books, is there a downstairs?» «No, what you see is what we have…»
Hmmmmm, I think. Maybe they store more books in a warehouse and they are a strictly online entity?
«Nope…»
“Well, what is up with the huge list of books online?”
«Oh, that”s just a list of books…»
«You don’t sell all of the books listed on your site?»
«No, its just a list of books.»
Does anyone else find this confounding? I am not saying I won’t be back, but man, that was a confusing scenario…

This is an excellent idie bookstore. Good selection of new books, local books, and they carry some nice gift items, like the kind of purses you would find at Whole Foods. I stop in here every time I’m in town.

This treasure is Chico’s best kept secret. Nestled right next to the big old post office and across from the park, it is easy to miss unless you happen to going in the right direction on 5^th (a one-​way street). Even if your needs don’t take you to Chico’s charming downtown, Lyon’s Books is definitely worth the special trip. They have a great selection of new and used books, featuring all the best sellers as well as a very nice mix of other books, everything from travel, local history, esoteric, cooking, fiction, mystery, and educational supplies.
Lyon’s also features lovely gifts, many of which are book-​related, so you can really find something for everyone here. They also offer free gift wrap, a very nice and welcome touch! There are a couple of cozy seats where you can browse through your selections, and a charming children’s section with little tables and chairs. They also offer a weekly story time — check with the store for times and days.
The staff are all knowledgeable about the inventory, and are willing to make suggestions if you can’t find what you need. They’ll also special order any book for you, and it’s usually there within a day or two. The minute you step in the door, you’ll be offered a nice cup of complimentary tea — I don’t know any other bookstores this sweet!
Here’s my tip of the day: If you’re traveling north or south on Hwy 99 and need a stop to stretch your legs, plan a visit to Lyon’s. Then mosey on over a couple of blocks to Shubert’s for the best home made ice cream treats. Your brain and your taste buds will be so happy! Here is a link:
There is usually parking right in front of the bookstore, or look for spaces around the park.