Bart's Books

Bart's Books is one of those magical places you'll feel humbled to have stumbled upon. It's a beautiful outdoor bookstore, packed to the gills with an extensive collection of used and new titles from Sci Fi to Self Help. The center of the shop is an old house (with the cookbooks in the kitchen, poetry in the living room, art books in the "gallery," etc.), and the rest of the place is a maze of bookshelves with corrugated tin roofing and open air seating areas for comfy browsing. It's like being in a treehouse made of books—just don't ask them what they do when it rains. Tip: While you're there, pick up the Hip Hiking Guide—written by three generations of Ojai women—for info on the best trails.