Leviathan Bookstore

Leviathan Bookstore is an itty bitty storefront on South Grand in St. Louis, situated right next door to a restaurant serving East African cuisine- whose aroma almost changed our dinner plans. Stopped in a Friday afternoon before going to dinner to celebrate our anniversary (fav way to celebrate- bookstore and dinner). There wasn't a whole lot of foot traffic during our visit, which I prefer while browsing books and especially in such a small store. Though the store is small, the hand-selected titles are interesting, popular, and also a bit niche. At least two titles from every favored genre of mine piqued my interest. We left with two new books and several titles added to my TBR (I have to pace myself when purchasing books, otherwise my home would be overflowing). I very much appreciated the focus on St. Louis history and merch. The mural illustrating the mythical Missouri Leviathan is extra special due to its parallel the owners have drawn to the genesis of the business- "Koch is an inspiration for the scope of his vision, his eagerness to please the public, and yes, his chutzpah. That's why we're rolling up our sleeves, using what we find, and creating something we know will be truly grand..." The space is clean, easy to access, and pleasant to browse. We were able to find free street parking within a block of the store. We appreciated learning more about the business from James during our visit. Excited to return in the future!

I came across this bookstore while searching for a different bookstore, but I went in and was really pleasantly surprised at the owner's eclectic taste in titles. This store is unlike the vast majority of new-book bookstores, as it contained a wider, more selective variety of titles than you generally see. We browsed for a good hour, bought a couple of volumes and plan to go back. My mind was piqued after seeing so many books I'd never heard of, and plan on returning soon. Also, the music selection playing was really good!

Stopped by on opening day completely by accident! They have a nice selection of interesting finds. I love that while not being the first or only bookstore on S Grand, it's completely worth the trip as they sell new books while Dunaway specializes in used and rare books. The placement of the two bookstores really encourages book lovers to explore more of what South Grand has to offer, while neither takes away from the existence of the other. I didn't really have a chance to speak with the owners much (that's fine, though) but it seemed that they were very nice and encouraging of book clubs and the like from conversations I overheard. I really hadn't planned on writing a review when I went in, so I didn't take many useful pictures but here's some of the books that caught my eye if that's interesting for anyone. Please support our new and old local booksellers 💕 we need them now more than ever.

This is a lovely shop. Really, this is one of my favorite bookstores. It’s small and unassuming, so I didn’t expect much and was pleasantly surprised at the personally curated collection. It’s very well done. There is also some memorabilia if you’re a from out of town. Mostly postcards and photos, some t shirts. The owner is personable and makes great conversation. A must for locals and travelers alike, as long as you like an interesting read.