Ink Spell Books

Half Moon Bay, United States

4.4

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 650-726-6571
Website:
www.inkspellbooks.com
Address:
500 Purissima St, Half Moon Bay, CA, 94019
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes

Today

Today 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Half Moon Bay) 9:38 PM Saturday, May 31, 2025

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Description

Specialties

New and Used books, largest toy selection in town.

History

Established in 2007.

Best Place to Buy a Gift on the Coastside (Patch​.com)

Best Book Store 2011 and 2012 (Half Moon Bay Review-​Runner up)

Best Place to Buy a Gift on the Coastside 2011 (HMB Review-​Runner up)

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20 reviews of Ink Spell Books

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Beaverton, OR
If you are a bookstore lover like I am, this one is a gem. One block off of Main St, it’s tucked away and a little hard to notice, but so worth discovering. It’s an excellent literary adventure.
Place rating: 4
NoPa, San Francisco, CA
So fun! They have «mystery books» for $ 1… Wrapped up so you don’t know what you’re going to get! It’s a surprise. Like a blind date with your next read!
So much fun. The prices were a little high for the condition of some of the used books, but I think it’s worth it to pay a little more and support the independent bookstore. This is definitely on my list of places to visit on day trips from the city down to Half Moon Bay!
Place rating: 4
Santa Cruz, CA
I love this eclectic little bookstore! Lot’s of little nooks to explore!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Stumbled upon this great little (mostly used) book store. Around ½ off usual price and staff was so helpful! Big selection. Also were having a buy one get one half off sale
Place rating: 1
San Mateo, CA
Pretty disappointed. I came here a few days ago and was told to come by and they would give me store credit for my used books, they were saying for me to bring them in and they could go through them pretty quickly. I came from an hour away. I came today with five boxes and I got turned away. The guy said they have too many to go through right now. Gee, thanx.
Place rating: 4
Dublin, CA
This was my favorite of the many book stores I stopped into on my most recent trip to Half Moon Bay.
It has a mix of new and used books, and has a larger than usual selection of books for kids and young adults, which was great for my little bookworm. They also had quite a lot of books/​series that I didn’t see at the other places in town, including a particularly large selection of Garfield comics.
This store is slightly off the main drag which made for easy parking, which was great, and the staff was very friendly.
The only reason they didn’t I didn’t give them five stars was (like all the businesses in town, it seems…) they either didn’t have air conditioning, or just didn’t have it turned on, which made the place particularly warm inside. On a cold day this would’ve been delightful but since it was almost nighty degrees outside, it made for a rather sweaty shopping experience.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Wonderful people running a great shop in HMB. Nice selection of used fiction, I usually discover something every time I visit.
There is enough space to wander around in the books and get lost for a while. A couple comfy reading chairs, what more could you ask for? They also have a selection of new books and random toys /​gifts as well.
Place rating: 5
Las Vegas, NV
Visiting from Vegas and spotted the store while at the laundry mat. The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful. Lovely children’s section and even had a little play area for the kids. Wish we had stores like this in Vegas
Place rating: 5
Suisun City, CA
I would live here if I could. Cindi and her staff are so sweet, so attentive, and very knowledgeable. It’s everything a bookstore should be– cozy, cluttered, a meeting place full of love!
Place rating: 3
Chico, CA
Went in on an impulse. The woman at the desk was knowledgeable and quick to find what I was looking for. As I was checking out she mentioned if I buy two used books I get one free, so I got one more book. The total cost was over $ 40 for 3 books and a puppet. When I got home I checked the prices and two of the three books cost the cover price, one was used for sure as it had stickers that were missing. The only book marked was $ 4.99, and that’s the one I got free. If I realized I’d be spending that much for used books I wouldn’t have got all three.
Place rating: 5
Moss Beach, CA
My english teacher boyfriend would spend every cent of our combined paychecks here if we didn’t need to eat and otherwise survive.
The staff is knowledgeable and fun to talk to, the book selection seems to change everytime I go in, so if they don’t have something you’re interrested in, come back next time and look.
MY FAVORITE THING is the grab bag (called something like that) they have a bunch of books wrapped in paper you can buy for a dollar, they have only the genre written on the front. Maybe it’s the price, but most likely it’s the fun of unwrapping something and not knowing what it’ll be…
Place rating: 5
San Carlos, San Diego, CA
What a charming place! Great assortment of books and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I love the way she gift wrapped my books. What a pleasant surprise!
Place rating: 5
Half Moon Bay, CA
I have been coming to Ink Spell Books since it opened. Cyndi Whitmore is charming, interesting, and creative. She is always willing to make suggestions and be accomodating. She knows her books.
Place rating: 5
San Leandro, CA
Puts me under a spell every time I go :)
Place rating: 4
Orange, CA
So helpful! I went in looking for a book to get my 11 yr old son into reading. Cashier knew exactly where everything was and had lots of great suggestions.
Place rating: 4
Palo Alto, CA
Very cute bookstore, tucked away from the main drag. The whole place is kind of weirdly but pleasantly unkempt. A random stuffed dragon and all kinds of odd chairs line the upstairs. Wonderful sitting areas, and a mixed of new and used books. Worth a visit if you’re in Half Moon Bay. Way less of a touristy place than Coastside Books (which I also like, but the vibe is sleeker and more touristy and expensive).
Place rating: 5
Half Moon Bay, CA
I can’t believe I’ve walked by here a squillion times and never visited till this weekend. What a great store! Their selection of used books is immense. There’s even a nice robust amount of antique books to look through. In addition to all this, they have a few DVDs as well as a ton of toys. There’s even a couple cozy sitting areas, including a cute loft upstairs. Super friendly employee didn’t even make me feel bad for snooping in a drawer of that awesome old bookcase (it’s my business what’s in there!) and making a whole bunch of racket in the process.
Place rating: 4
Montara, CA
This is one of my favorite book stores (of the many many) in Half Moon Bay. It’s a beautiful little place with a second story that overlooks the first. Cozy and local, it’s warm and inviting with a great selection of new and used books. The children’s section is large and the selection varies a lot. They also have a fair selection of children’s toys and activities.
They do buy back books and offer trade or cash. Very handy!
Place rating: 5
Belmont, CA
What a cool bookstore. It feels like a mixture of a library, bookstore and someone’s house. There are a bunch of places you can sit down and read. It is so comfortable here, which is why it feels like a house. I really like this place.
You can even order some drinks from a hole in the wall towards the back of the store. Right next store is a coffee shop, thus you can get your drink without having to go next door, genius.
Another thing I love were all the seashells for sale. I just love looking at them and pretending which one I would put somewhere in my apartment.
Place rating: 4
San Mateo, CA
This place holds a special place in my heart. When I was 7 months pregnant, my husband and I were in this store looking through a baby name book together.
This past weekend we went back and brought our daughter, who is turning 7 months this week. I browsed through the children’s section and found a few books for her.
This store carries both new and used books. If you’re lucky you can find a used book that looks brand new and only pay half the listed price! Most of the used books look used but the cool part is that you can find books here that are out of print already and not even available on Amazon (unless you are willing to buy it from an outside seller).