This is a great bookstore in the heart of Austin. Great selection of books and I really like how…read morethey have little summaries with the staff picks on them. The staff is very friendly and helpful with recomendations as well. Price was competitive as well. It's a nice place to spend some time and browse their books. They have a great kids section as well so we always end up leaving with a bunch of new books.

Continuing my tour of all-time Austin favorites, I made a stop at BookPeople. It's hard to remember…read morea time before it, at least for me, it has always been there, and always been my favorite bookstore. I remember when they sold records and magazines, and while the post-pandemic version leans more into books, gifts, and coffee, the heart of the place hasn't changed. It's still a space that invites you to wander, discover, and hang out. There's something special about its scale and presence as it stands as one of the largest and most iconic independent bookstores in Texas, but never loses that personal, neighborhood feel. Still one of my favorite places to spend time.

Look, it a volunteer run anarchist leaning bookstore. So now lets revisit that statement -…read moreVolunteer run - sure you get some people that can be off putting and really just get lost in what they are reading or doing but thats not the point. The point of the bookstore is that you have an avenue to meet and associate with like minded people, maybe find a few books, maybe donate a few books you want them to have... Like another review mentioned there is some cognitive dissonance in the whole ""At Monkeywrench Books, the following things are not tolerated: sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and/or any other behavior that is hateful and has the effect of policing others." but thats ok, not because of anything else, again its about the intent and spirit here. Sure the book selection is 3 star at best, but come on, this is truly about the community effort around it and nothing more. So here's to Monkeywrench books and the people that make it possible. 5 stars even if i disagree with you on certain levels. (Also my 200th review , you'll always be special to me :P )

This bookstore is incredible! It's part of my North Loop Jaunt (every few months I head over to the…read moreneighborhood and hit up my favorite places). Did you know it's run by volunteers? Yep, how wonderfully Austin. The book selections focus on social justice, economic justice, etc. It's a gathering space for like-minded people and I feel so at home when there. They have different events like creative art nights and study groups. There's an area that has a shelving unit containing free items. Sofas, lounge area, coffee/tea area. Space for kids to create. It's a welcoming and inclusive shop that's important in today's world. Support local.

Great first visit to Vintage. They have such a great selection of book, with plenty of caffeine and…read morestronger brews to pair. Quite a bit of street parking and open seating to listen to local artists perform music, poetry, etc. (see attached photo, when they had Julie Mosher playing live). Staff was friendly, knew of recommendations based on your taste and interests. Would definitely come back here to find a new book to read or listen to a great Austin musician!

This place is such a gem! A bookstore, cafe, and study spot all in one...house? Amazing! In…read moreaddition, they become a wine bar at night! I come here to study and love this place, but this time I got their salted caramel iced latte, which was average, I'll probably get something else next time!!

Heartbroken to live in cedar park now. Reverie was the first local book store to make it on my map…read moreas an absolute must frequent. Stormy the cat is in for visits often. The space is cozy and the shelves are full of fairly priced adventures for all ages. The store does include a reading corner for younger ages. Staff is fun and helpful. 10/10 recommend.

I've been to a decent amount of bookstores, and this one is one of favs hands down. The selection,…read morethe price, the ambiance. It all just pairs so well. I immediately went to check out the candles and they smelled so good, but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be the Raven. Everything is neatly organized on the shelves and the amount of LGBTQ+ products was such a refreshing taste to other places I've gone. Everyone is so nice and they greet you the second you come in, and they give some killer recommendations. Good selections and prices with some incredible inclusivity!! Amazing

We came here as our city is being a jerk and closing this down. I know some of that is that our…read moreolder generation didn't want any new taxes on anything as they are selfish and don't want to pay taxes on the 3 houses they own or whatever. Still it sucks to see this going away. We came in, bought some books and browed a bit. They place had a fair amount of people, still quite a few books, music, and movies. I couldn't find much I was intersteied in but Shana did and even found me a book or two. The bathroom is weird, it is around a corner that looks like you are not allowed to go to and there is a key on a hanger that you take in with you, you don't need to unlock the door and I am not sure it even locks. If the key is missing that is how you know the bathroom has someone in it, there is a small hook on the inside to hang the key while you are in the restroom. So you have to hope people notice it is gone and you have to hope everyone puts the key back. But they are clean and they have a sign in the bathroom that the front desk can supply you with pads if needed. The one misstep here was the guy running the front desk, he was not super friendly, I heard his reaction to a lady gushing about how great the place was and how many books she found for such a good price, some were gifts and he could care less. He wasn't rude but he was doing that thing where you just nod and say uh huh. I also heard him later say he was from another branch of the library, I don't know which but I hope we don't run into him again. We got something like 7 or 8 books for 9 bucks which is fantastic. He checked us out fast, as he had better things to do and we headed out.

Recycled reads is a really interesting place. I found out about it from Google when I was looking…read morefor a used copy of a specific book. Let me start with - it's not a big place, and the selection isn't huge so it's not terribly likely you'll find something very specific, much less a popular title. However, it's a nice concept. They sell retired library books for VERY cheap, so if you're list looking for a new book in general, this is actually a pretty decent spot to get some and save money. They have a small lot out front but I had no trouble finding parking. The staff there were really friendly and helpful; they don't have a catalog because of all the turnover but they do have things arranged by genre so they could point me toward where I might find the book I was looking for.

Love, love, loved this bookstore. staff was friendly and helpful--selection was clearly curated…read morewith thought and care. My wife and I really enjoyed how welcoming the store was--we will definitely be stopping by whenever we are in town.

Here with a review update...as it stands...still...I love Book Woman. I will always make my way to…read morethis bookstore when I'm visiting Austin. Now, what I do not love is not being acknowledged/greeted when I enter an establishment. Furthermore, if I give you my card in your hand do not ever place my card on the counter. I have hands as well and that's how I should receive my card back. Shit is annoying and disrespectful. Now that I got that out of the way, do better as it relates to customer service because I brought someone to the bookstore after raving about everything from the books to the stickers. Greet people, it's simple. We did receive a bland "Happy Pride" on the way out. You could have kept that tho.

Such a helpful staff!!!! Whether in person or over the phone they are SUPER helpful, there's one…read moregentleman in particular (I wish I had gotten his name) very friendly and polite. Despite the fact that they have products up to the brim- everything is very organized. The only problem is trying to decide what to get without breaking the bank!!!

Very expensive. Very crowded…read more But the worst is the smell - it reeks of some kind of air freshener. Yuck. The woman staff member was nice.

Such a shame, such a great loss. Black Pearl Books will be closing their storefront as of June…read more20th. I'm heartsick thinking about how many spaces like this we've already lost, the last remaining outposts for curiosity, conversation, and community IRL. Independent bookstores like this make the city feel human. They promise to exist in some form in the future, but I know it's less than ideal for everyone involved. Make sure you go out there and support while you can!

Black Pearl Books, a small and quaint bookstore, is located on Burnet Road in Austin, TX. This…read moreBlack‑owned, independent bookstore focuses on books that reflect real lives. They carry fiction and nonfiction children's books, banned books, and thoughtful gifts. Every shelf is curated with intentionality...celebrating diversity, inclusion, culture, and community. Black Pearl Books is a whole vibe. Soft, indicting music is playing the background. Paintings drape the walls - some a part of the decor and others for sale. The book store manager was very friendly and offered to help find me the book that I were looking for. The books are very reasonably priced. Definitely returning...

Cute neighborhood bookshop :)…read more Lots of community events for adults and kids. There's always something for everyone. They carry a lot of book titles and if they don't have it in store, you can order online as well. They also sell notebooks, cards, merch, and lots of knick knacks. Seating inside can be limited but there's lots of outdoor seating too. There's a parking lot across the street if the parking lot next door is full and they also have lots of neighborhood parking. Overall, great place to browse books, stationary, read, and grab a drink!

First light books is everything & more I wanted in a modern bookstore…read more Great selection with staff notes in every genre. Easy to navigate and choose. Additionally there's cards, magazines, stationery, merch, etc. It's bright, relaxing and just a space you want to stay in all day. The outside seating is nice on a cooler day as well. Their cafe serves great coffee & matcha. I love first light and recommended it to everyone.

We found this place due to looking for independent bookstores when we travel. This one is tucked…read moreaway in a nice little spot. Parking is pretty good. It is not super big but it makes great use of the space it has tons of pre loved books, stickers, various gifts, oracle and Tarot cards, witches candles and so much more. SHANA SAYS: Super cute atmosphere, fun organizing of the books like pre loved, and lots of cute gift items. Plus a cat with its own hours! Kathy was super friendly and helpful. Made the whole experience better and is a genuine person. They do have a game room and a snack bar with free water as well as a keuring and snacks for sale. The bathroom is for everyone and they are very welcoming. Of course as an independent bookstore they have a wide variety of titles with some new books thrown in. They do mystery sells and bundles where you get a vague description of a book that is covered up and you take a chance. It should go without saying but as you are supporting local businesses the prices are a little higher the HPB or Amazon but it means more here and you should buy local when you can. I highly recommend this place. They even have a section where if you spend $50 you get to choose a free gift from books to sunglasses to other items. Go in, say hi to Kathy and The Cat!

What a wonderfully weird place! I was looking for a local bookstore that was close to my hotel and…read morewould let me explore a little. The Book Burrow did the trick! I will start with the "downsides" (as few as they are). This place is pretty small. Like smaller than I thought. Because of this, its not the greatest place for browsing. They had some "witch" stuff which was interesting, but I was looking for a book. Also, most of the books are used which isn't terrible, but not exactly clear. As for the positives, this place is a true small business so you really get the personal touch when it comes to service. I also picked this place because it did a "blind book" service where they will pick out a book or two for you based on your description. A bunch of bookstores do this, but the Book Burrow understood the assignment exactly. They got me THREE books and all of them were PERFECT. I was surprised how they found my vibe and found me unique books! They also wrapped it in a beautiful paper and addressed it to me! It was like a little birthday gift to myself! As you can tell, I was very floored by the selections. This is the small business of small businesses so I am so HAPPY that I was able to stop by! While the place is small and their selection is in flux, I really appreciated the personal touch from the staff at The Book Burrow.