Best Bookstores in Puyallup, South Hill and Sumner

If you're looking for bookstores in Puyallup, South Hill, or Sumner, there are now several great options across the Puyallup Valley. For years, the area had very few places to browse books locally, but that’s changed. From independent bookstores in downtown Puyallup to a large Barnes & Noble at South Hill Mall and a long-running bookstore in Sumner, here are the best bookstores in the Puyallup Valley.

If you're looking for bookstores in the Puyallup Valley, here are the main options:

I still remember standing in the Borders in South Hill with my young nieces twenty-ish years ago, somewhere close to midnight, waiting for one of the Harry Potter books to release. We'd been there for hours. The line snaked through the aisles. Kids were in wizard robes. Parents were running on coffee and anticipation. When the doors finally opened, the place erupted.

That Borders is gone now. It closed along with hundreds of others when the chain collapsed in 2011, and for years the Puyallup Valley was left without a real bookstore presence, which felt odd for a region this size. For a community that clearly loves books, that midnight line being one small proof, the gap was hard to miss.

It's been filled. As of 2025, the Puyallup Valley has four bookstores worth making a trip for: two brand-new independent bookstores that opened within months of each other, one chain location that brought 19,000 square feet of shelf space to South Hill Mall, and one beloved institution in Sumner that's been quietly serving readers for over 25 years. Here's what you need to know about each one.

Page & Pine opened in downtown Puyallup in 2025, and the community showed up immediately. According to owner Emily Foster, they sold close to 850 books on opening day alone, which is a remarkable number for a brand-new independent bookstore. It says something about how ready this town was for exactly this kind of store.

The shop is an all-ages, general-interest bookstore at 207 W. Stewart Ave., right in the heart of downtown Puyallup. Foster built it around a simple idea: bring a love of reading and literacy back to the area and make the store a true gathering place, not just a retail stop. The shelves are carefully curated. The merchandise is thoughtfully chosen. The programming calendar keeps the shop alive between purchases.

Page & Pine runs monthly book clubs for both adults and teens, hosts author events and story times, and regularly opens its doors for local pop-ups featuring area makers and artists. If you've been looking for a reason to spend more time in downtown Puyallup, this is a good one.

Website: pageandpinebooks.com

Bundok Books opened in South Hill in 2025 and quickly established itself as one of the most unique bookstores in the Puyallup Valley. Owners Gem and Sascha Schaudies spent years dreaming about running their own bookstore, and what they built reflects that: a store with a specific, considered point of view.

The name is worth explaining. “Bundok” is a Tagalog word meaning mountain, and it's also the etymological root of the English word “boondocks.” Gem and Sascha are fans of the country band Little Big Town, whose song “Out in the Boondocks” sent them down a research rabbit hole that eventually shaped the store's entire identity. The tagline is “A Mountain of Inclusivity in the Boondocks,” and the inventory backs it up.

Bundok Books specializes in BIPOC authors, LGBTQIA+ voices, local Pacific Northwest history, regional nature writing, and underrepresented perspectives that mainstream retail tends to skip over. It also carries local authors and titles that dig into the specific culture and terrain of this corner of Washington. The store is located at 3827 S. Meridian in the Willows Shopping Center in South Hill, and it has regularly features events, including organizing its own Puyallup Book Fair.

If you've been looking for an independent bookstore in South Hill Puyallup that curates with intention, this is it.

Website: bundokbooks.com

A Good Book has been on Main Street in Sumner for over 25 years, which makes it the elder statesman of Puyallup Valley bookstores by a wide margin. Owner Nicholas opened it to fill the void left when the previous local bookstore closed, and it has held that place in the Sumner community ever since.

The store carries both new and used books, and they have a trade-in program worth knowing about: bring in your used books and earn discount dollars toward future purchases. It's a practical, reader-friendly system that keeps the shelves stocked with interesting finds and helps customers stretch their book budgets.

The children's section is upstairs in a loft, with a generous selection of kids' books alongside a train table and toys. It's the kind of detail that makes clear this is a store built for actual families in an actual town. The description on their site, “run by a quirky cast of characters who adore books,” is not marketing copy. It's accurate.

A Good Book is located at 1014 Main Street in downtown Sumner. If you're in the valley and haven't made the short drive specifically for this store, it's worth it.

Website: agoodbooksumner.com

Barnes & Noble opened at South Hill Mall in late 2025, bringing a large-format bookstore back to Puyallup. The store covers roughly 19,000 square feet, includes a full café with ample seating, and carries books alongside a wide range of toys, games, magazines, and gifts.

Yes, it's a chain, and yes, there are three excellent independent bookstores within a short drive. But the South Hill Barnes & Noble is a real asset to the valley. Its size means inventory depth the smaller stores can't match. The café makes it easy to spend a few hours there. And it brought a high-profile retail anchor back to South Hill Mall at a moment when the mall needed the energy. Just be warned: on the weekends, it can be a little crowded.

If you're looking for a specific title the same day, if you're shopping for someone and not sure where to start, or if you want to combine a book run with a mall trip, this is where to go. It's also the store most likely to have author events and signings, given Barnes & Noble's national author tour partnerships.

Website: barnesandnoble.com

Yes. Page & Pine Bookshop in downtown Puyallup and Bundok Books in South Hill are independent bookstores serving the Puyallup Valley.

Yes, Barnes & Noble is located at South Hill Mall in Puyallup and is the largest bookstore in the Puyallup Valley.

A Good Book in downtown Sumner has been serving readers for over 25 years and is one of the longest-running bookstores in the area.

A Good Book in Sumner sells both new and used books and offers a trade-in program for store credit.