Sundance Books and Music

More than a bookstore, The Levy House is filled with over 100 years of history!
They have a nice selection of books … can’t find what you are looking for? nothing to worry about because the friendly staff will order it for you !!
Because it is a house every room offers different genres of books, music, dvd’s, magazines etc. One of my favorite rooms is the kitchen, they offer coffee and other beverages you will also find cook books from all over the world, candles, greeting cards and other cute things.
It is such a cool experience to walk thru the house and imagine how life was back then.
Small businesses help build strong local communities… shop local!

If my child has been to your child’s birthday party, they have received books from Sundance Books and Music. That’s just how we roll. Support local, support heritage, support midtown! This gorgeous bookstore is wonderful: things are easy to find if you know exactly what you are looking for, and if you don’t, it’s fun to go on the hunt. But also, the staff is super helpful in locating things. There is a great cookbook section as well as a nice collection of tchochkes that serve as lovely hostess gifts. It’s definitely a great go-​to place for gifts of all kinds. If you are a frequent shopper, once you have spent $ 100 you get a gift card valued at $ 10. Icing on the cake!

I stopped in because I love books, I love architecture, and when you see a bookstore on the corner housed in that amazing building you think? This could only be great. But, the parking issue aside (horrendous!) Hard to get in and out of and only about 6 spots; when I walked in I was so let down. Yes the house is amazing, but the bookstore part leaves much to be desired. The music section is tiny, as in one table and about 100 albums. Across the hall is the new book section «Yawn». Again, about 100 books (maybe if you’re lucky) not one title I was remotely interested in. There is a kids section behind it which I didn’t check out. Went upstairs thinking «this must be where they keep the good stuff!» Nope… again, aside from a stuffed dragon blocking the hallway there were 4 — 5 small rooms. Used books. Not a great selection at all. I picked up 2 books because it was Sunday, and I was desperate for a good read. I bought Fahrenheit 451 to read again, because face it, it’s a good read. And another throwaway modern Jane Austen knockoff. Went to pay and OMG, sticker shock. The two paperbacks were over about $ 25! Bradbury in paperback cost me $ 15.99!!! Come on people. Ridiculous!!! I won’t be back.

Immediate thoughts upon walking up: «Is this where they filmed the Conjuring? I’m having frat house flashbacks. This place looks creaky — I love creaky. I wonder how long it’ll take me to find the comfiest armchair???» The answer to that last question was 45 minutes as I found the perfect one midway through and sank into comfort for a solid half hour. Sinking into comfort is actually the perfect way to encapsulate my experience at Sundance, a wonderful locally-​owned shop with old charm and young spirit.
The Southern colonial façade looms over California Ave, emanating a worn but regal breathtaking beauty. The first step inside sweeps your senses with the familiar smell of old books, the sight of refreshingly kitschy and comfy décor, and the feeling of warm nostalgia. Sundance definitely feels like a home away from home.
Favorite rooms: The fiction room is a snapshot of the library I want in my future home; books coating every flanking wall and sunlight seeping lazily in through wispy curtains and ornate windows. The scarlet room downstairs features a comfy couch on which you can peruse the latest bestsellers. The beautiful creaky staircase leads straight to the mind, body, spirit section: a small but cozy and well-​lit nook of zen.
Lovely corner of music by the register complete with modern vinyl. Stocked with good taste in mind. Friendly and helpful staff. Coffee in the back for those that need it. Though the prices are more standard retail, and the used section is smaller than expected, I always end up walking out of Sundance with a bag full of great finds. One of my absolute favorite midtown stops.

The layout of the store is very interesting with rooms dedicated to different sections of books. They also have a selection of used books and music. Great place to spend an afternoon!

Recently did all of my Christmas shopping here, they really have a wide variety of things for everyone!
The whole upstairs and half of the downstairs are filled with books, books, books, so needless to say they have a good selection. The rooms are organized by genre or category (used, outdoors, fiction, etc.) and each room is alphabetical by author last name, so books are easy to find.
I also loved the kitchen area, which had tons of locally made decorations, notebooks, candles, and other small things. I found a lot of things in this area that make great gifts for even those who don’t read as often as others.
The music section was small, but I enjoyed their selection.
Overall, I just love the vibe of this place. The old house is beautiful and the arrangement of everything makes the whole place feel very homey. I look forward to coming back and doing some shopping here for myself.

Locally owned bookstore near downtown.
Located on California in a beautiful old two story home. It’s worth going into just to enjoy the gorgeous old woodwork and architecture. Sun dance has a nice selection of books, even old books for resale. The prices are reasonable.
Great staff and are always available to help you find what you need.

Very comfy place to go ready a book and have a cup of coffee.
Love their children’s book section.
And used section for a value price.

And my love for midtown grows once again. This place is absolutely amazing! From the moment I walked up the steps of the house, I was enamored, but a bit thrown off by the statue in front of the store…
Inside, the store is cozy yet illusive. There’s so much to look through, and so much to be explored. It would be great if they could expand their vinyl collection, but I understand that not a lot of people by vinyl anymore. I ended up leaving with an amazing illume soy candle. Support local bookstores and check Sundance out if you’re in the area!

I have to say this is one of the nicer book stores in town for sure! I love the atmosphere and the employees are always very nice. Its pretty easy to find stuff but I wish they had a little more to choose from. Other then that though it’s my favorite book store in Reno:)

Sundance Books and Music captures what larger bookstore chains fail to consider in their design: literature as an escape, a home away from home. This building is quite literally a house, a beautiful one that feels like you’re visiting your grandma’s house to scrounge her book collection.
There’s not a super extensive range of selection, but that’s part of the charm. In fact, it’s refreshing in our current world where we are inundated with options to the point where it becomes overwhelming. This is a place to go when you want to browse and relax, not feel like you don’t know where to begin.
My favorite room was the «Used Books» area upstairs, where it included vintage and foreign books 40 – 100 years old. There’s just something about holding those gorgeously bound books in your hands; they just don’t make them like that anymore, and I don’t think I’ll ever learn to like eBooks or Kindles.
This place is a dream and I encourage all to visit. There’s something for everyone in here!

I have fallowed this place from Keitzkee to California ave. Great bookstore. Staff is awesome. If they don’t have the book you want they will gladly order it for you and it will be ready for pick up in a couple days! They do Movie night’s in the summer to bring the local community together. Also they are located in a beautiful historic looking building. Love this bookstore and I think you will too!

Independent bookstores rock!!! I made sure to support them by purchasing 4 lovely new paperback books. The configuration of this store is charming. The core of the house has been preserved. You enter to face the GRAND STAIRCASE (Oh, Rhett!). The books are organized into various rooms. The new far outnumber the used, but the used are clearly organized by price (which is competitive). There is a giant dragon upstairs protecting the books. The restroom is quaint and clean. I really appreciate that they reuse old plastic bags for their books. Friendly cashier. The selection is good and carefully curated.

Fantastic bookstore. Most of the collection is mainstream, but it’s well chosen and not cluttered. Love the house and the use of the rooms. Total gem in downtown Reno. It’s exactly what an independent bookstore should be these days.

Neat, quirky bookstore located in what appears to be a restored Victorian mansion (?). The original structure of the house has been left intact, so rather than having an open floor plan the books are organized by subject in different rooms, most of them located at the top of a grand staircase. The space creates a very unique feel, and it’s fun to wander through each of the rooms. As a bookstore, the inventory is fairly good; they have an average selection of literary fiction and non-​fiction (new and gently used, if I recall correctly), and a healthy amount of genre fiction (sci-​fi, fantasy, horror, etc.). There is also a small room with CDs. I can’t say that I bought anything while I was here, but it feels like a little oasis in the middle of what otherwise seemed to me to be a cultural desert.

I loved loved LOVED this bookstore. The two stories house is divided into rooms with different genres in each. Each section of the house has chairs where you can sit and browse for hours. The atmosphere just draws you in. I even loved the creaking floor sound it has. You can even make your own coffee in the «kitchen» area. It also has an used books section.
My bookworm heart fell in love with this place. You really feel at home.

We were in Reno for the weekend and wanted to take our kids to a nearby bookstore. Found this on Unilocal and immediately was drawn in. The concept of this bookstore is my kind of bookstore! My 9 year old daughter loves books and bringing her to this unique bookstore was the highlight of her weekend! I wish there were more bookstores like this! She bought a used hardcover Harry Potter book that was in excellent condition for only $ 9, compared to full retail of $ 30. Will bring her back the next time we are in town!

Full disclosure, I know the owners, my sister-​in-​law works there, and have catered events for them. But I think I can be honest with my review.
I enjoy stopping by when out on a weekend to browse the books. I love supporting a local business, but I won’t if they don’t provide a good experience and product. They do… their selection is great in almost all sections except computer programming type books, but I’m sure this is a simple supply and demand issue.
I like that you get rewards for every $$ you spend so even though you might be paying a bit more than an online store, you get it back in the long run.
They also have a nice, updated cookbook section, though not large I think they have the most important books and they seem to update their inventory constantly.

There is so much to love about Sundance Books and Music.
I love that it is close to downtown so is convenient for me to stop by and peruse.
I love that it is in a beautiful old house and full of nooks and crannies and big windows and creaky old floorboards
I love that it is a real bookstore with real books and real people to talk about the books with you and make you feel that when you walked in the door you made their day special.
I love that you are encouraged to browse and linger and pull a book off the shelf and look through it at your leisure
I love that the rooms are set up by genre and the decorations reflect that.
I love that if you don’t see what you want, they will get it for you.
I love that they have the best sellers and the more obscure and a really nice selection of regional an local interest titles.
I love that it is local and independent.
I love it so much, I may be convinced to give up my ebooks and go back to real.

This. This is what a bookstore should look like. This is what a bookstore should feel like. This is everything a bookstore should be. My love for Sundance is serious!
I stopped in at Sundance while in town for business and loved it so much that I put it on my to-​do list next time I was in Reno for work. The store is actually a renovated mansion that literally houses (heh) a wonderful mix of new and used books. When you walk in, there’s a staircase right at the entrance that takes you upstairs to where all of the used books are. There are about five or six rooms upstairs and used books occupy half of them. The rooms are well lit with natural light during the day and have a great mix of bench and chair seating. There are new books up there as well, but I think most of the newer releases and bestsellers are downstairs.
The bottom floor is all new books, quirky gifts, greeting cards, music, vinyl and magazines. It’s a bit of a maze, but fun to walk through and browse. There is a couch in the «living room» where most of the newer books, bestsellers and staff picks are-it’s all very cozy! The «kitchen» houses the cookbooks and quirky gift items, some locally made, and I think they actually serve coffee out of there. The couple of times I went, it was evening so no coffee was brewing.
The staff is friendly and talkative-​I felt really welcome. Their attention to service is a great reminder as to why supporting local businesses matter (and why it’s worth it!).
I really love this place and it’ll be on my «must visit» list every time I get up to Reno. I’m not going to get started on my anti-​Kindle rant, but there really is something special about paper books that an e-​book just can’t capture. Sundance does a great job of capturing the magic of a bookstore-​yes, magic!
Bonus: free bookmarks! Because it really is something to get excited about when your typical bookmark is an envelope that your last credit card bill came in.