Does LAX have a bookstore?
 

if so.... where?
are there any in gate terminals?

What terminal are you going to? Terminal 4 has a small b-store (Hudson Books) with magazines and mostly top selling books.

Click this link for a list of Terminals:
LAWA Terminals

Then click the terminal you want, next look for Retail or Shopping. It will likely be a Hudson News or Books.

Beyond that, there's a Border's Bookstore South of the airport about 3 miles, but you'd need a taxi or other transport to get there:
Google Map LAX to Borders

Welcome to Flyertalk, jakewhaat
Moving this to the LAX forum for continuing discussion,
Obscure2k
Travelbuzz Moderator

It depends on the terminal.

Jetway Booksellers in Terminal 7 (post-security) is fairly decent.

I don't recall a bookstore in Terminal 1 - just the mediocre selection of bestsellers at Hudson News.

And I haven't been in other LAX terminals recently enough to remember.

There's also the one in terminal 6. It's on the left-hand side as you approach gates 66-69 (i.e. the ones at the far end).