Mar Vista has a new literary hub, and judging by opening weekend, the neighborhood has been waiting for it. Good Girl Books, a women-owned independent bookstore and café, opened its doors on March 28 at 12444 Venice Blvd., inside the ground-floor retail space of The Charlie Mar Vista apartment complex. Founded by best friends Alex and Sarah, the store bills itself as “warm, unpretentious, and built by readers for readers,” and first-time visitors say it delivers on that promise.
The location is a natural fit for the stretch of Venice Blvd. that has become increasingly walkable and bike-friendly in recent years, thanks to traffic calming measures and a protected bike lane. The arrival also feels especially welcome to longtime residents who remember Sam Johnson’s Book Shop, the beloved used bookstore that operated on Venice Blvd. for decades before closing around 2019. Sam Johnson’s was a neighborhood fixture since the 1970s, when it started on Santa Monica Boulevard before the owners purchased the building on Venice. Its closure left a real gap. While Good Girl Books won’t fill exactly the same niche, the new store is a heartening reminder that independent bookstores can still find a home in LA.
The shop carries a curated selection spanning fiction, non-fiction, YA, middle grade, and children’s books, with a particular emphasis on titles that skew toward women readers. Expect a strong fantasy section (romantic fantasy especially), alongside a used book section offering discounted finds, plus bookmarks, stickers, and branded merchandise. There’s also a café with coffee, tea, and pastries, with tables and couches designed for lingering.
Opening weekend drew a crowd. A food truck parked outside, a caricature artist worked the sidewalk, and inside, a craft table with beading kept visitors busy. One local who walked over from Alana’s described the shelves as “very aesthetic and colorful,” with books that looked interesting and inviting. “It felt like a very open and inviting space,” she said. “Judgment-free.”
The store’s bestsellers from opening weekend offer a snapshot of its personality: Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent topped the list, followed by Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, Lily King’s Heart the Lover, and Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures. Rounding out the top ten were titles by Rufi Thorpe, Jacqueline Harpaur, Barbara Kingsolver, Madeline Cash, Azar Nafisi, and Madeline Miller, a range that mixes literary fiction, beach reads, and classics.
The road to opening wasn’t quick. Alex and Sarah documented the build-out on Instagram for months, sharing empty concrete floors, bare wood shelving, and construction walls, while scanning in more than 3,600 books with help from family. (They admit to a notably large box of Sarah J. Maas titles.) The opening weekend announcement drew more than 625 likes, and the community response clearly moved them. “Every message, comment, and share reminds us why we’re doing this,” they wrote to followers ahead of the launch.
The store is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 6pm. You can browse their picks online at Bookshop.org, find them on Instagram at @goodgirlbooksla, or visit in person at 12444 Venice Blvd. See you there!