Elizabeth and her husband James visited Utah this December for the holidays. We were able to get together for a few different days during their visit. We recorded our December book club discussion in person, played board games, and went on what I’m calling a Bookshop Crawl. In a Pub Crawl you visit multiple pubs in succession. We did that with bookstores!

Salt Lake City has a lot of great indie bookshops. We picked out some off the oldest and some of the newest, visiting five in total, plus The City Library. There are probably a dozen shops in the valley, so this was just a sample. I hope to visit more throughout this year and report back. Field trips! Books are my happy place.

Our Itinerary

Click each location name to jump to the relevant part of the post, or just keep reading to experience the whole day.

Legendarium
bonus stop: Cahoots
​(lunch: The Tap House)
9th and 9th Books and Music Gallery
Weller Books
The City Library
Ken Sanders
Under the Umbrella

Legendarium

“The Legendarium is a science-fiction/fantasy, independent bookstore and role-play gaming cafe. We are an inclusive space for all identities and imaginations! While we are booksellers of epic literature, we also serve locally sourced coffee, drinking chocolate and baked goods. We host tabletop role-play gaming, book clubs, author events and more. We are above all a safe space for all identities. Come world-build with us!”

Legendarium nails their pitch and lives up to it. It is a cozy bookshop with tons of nerdy decor and books. They focus on Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror books. They host D&D nights, write-ins, and author events. It is a great space and if I lived closer I would use it as a regular hang-out.

I’m not a big coffee or tea drinker, but I did try their specialty tea Minter is Coming. It was delicous.

This was my second time visiting Legendarium, and I will definitely be returning.

Website: https://www.legendariumbooks.com/

Address: 349 E. 900 S., Salt Lake City UT

Cahoots

Cahoots was an unplanned stop. Both the Tap House and 9th and 9th Books didn’t open until noon and we had about half an hour to kill.

Cahoots Cards and Gifts is more of an adult novelty store, but they do have books! They also have a Zoltar! I’d only seen them in the movies, so it was exciting to experience one in person. He didn’t speak, but did move and give me a fortune.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cahoots.cards

Address: 878 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 

My Fortune read:

BE PREPARED

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. It’s true, my friend. If you don’t prepare yourself for the weather at hand, you’ll be very uncomfortable. Such is life. While it’s nice to be carefree like a little baby, you must have some amount of preparation and direction in life. How do you expect to get somewhere if you don’t know where you’re going? Now is the time to define your goals and prepare accordingly.

East Liberty Tap House

Obviously not a bookshop, but I wanted to include our lunch stop. Very tasty food. It is a bar, so only people ages 21 and up allowed, and you will be ID’d upon seating. The menu is upscaled, with things like Elk Chili and Sloppy Lamb.

I had the Tap House Burger with the Black Widow Blackberry Cider. Look at how pretty that drink is!

Website: https://www.eastlibertytaphouse.com/

Address: 850 east 900 south, Salt Lake City, Utah

9th and 9th Books and Music Gallery

9th and 9th was a little tricky to find. The entrance was down the alley. It’s a crowded little shop, but with lots of interesting stuff to look at, both old and new. They buy and sell books, as well as guitars, records, acoustic instruments, and local and regional art. They have a local artist sticker machine. We saw this later in other shops as well, featuring different local artists. What a fun idea! 

Website: https://9thand9thbookandmusic.com/

Address: 872 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 

Weller Books

Weller Book Works sells both new and used books. They are located at Trolley Square. This is one of the older independent bookstores in Salt Lake City, open since 1929.

This store is huge! They even have a rare books section upstairs. Definitely something for everyone. I bought a lovely special edition of The Princess Bride.

Website: https://www.wellerbookworks.com/

Address: 607 Trolley Square, Salt Lake City, UT

The City Library

Though not a bookshop, a book trip downtown would be remiss without stopping at The City Library. They do have a used book sale, and shops in the library square – including The Library Store and the Hemingway Cafe. You can now get free underground parking by validating your ticket inside the library.

This was a big hangout place for Elizabeth when she lived in Salt Lake City. The City Library is a three story building with lots of places to sit and study, and more than just books. They have a seed library, art gallery, and fun children’s area. You can check out book club kits with nine paperback copies and one audiobook edition of a popular title, along with discussion guides and book club resource information.

They also have a Zine collection, which anyone can donate to. These are not-for-profit, usually homemade, small published works, in a variety of shapes, sizes, and subjects.

Website: https://services.slcpl.org/

Address: 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT

Ken Sanders

Ken Sanders Rare Books was founded in 1990 and has been in its current location since 1997. They specialize in Utah and the West, but have a broad inventory. Everything is uncatalogued, so you just need to go in and browse or contact them with a request. The shelving here is a bit more crowded, but lends to the exploratory feel. You don’t know what you will find around the next corner.

Website: https://www.kensandersbooks.com/

Address: 268 South 200 East, Salt Lake City, Utah

Under the Umbrella

This was our final stop on our bookshop crawl. Under the Umbrella is a newer bookshop, specializing in queer books. They opened late 2021. It is a lovely modern space, very welcoming for the LGBTQIA+ community. They have meeting rooms, book clubs, and even a monthly Queer Speed Date. It was a lovely space to end our day.

Website: https://www.undertheumbrellabookstore.com/

Address: 511 W 200 S, Suite 120, Salt Lake City, UT

Thank you to Elizabeth and James for allowing me to tag along on this trip of all things books in downtown Salt Lake City. I had a wonderful time with great company and a lovely variety of books. (And somehow managed to not break the bank.)

Where would you like to see me go next? What are your favorite bookshops?