My top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex and I came here for Stop #2 of the 2nd Annual NJ…read moreBookstore Crawl (a 5-star extravaganza in and of itself) last Saturday morning. We hit up all three Sussex bookstores, and this was my chum's very clear favorite of the batch. I was a big fan too, even if ultimately it wasn't geared toward my literary demo. Our carefully planned itinerary suffered some issues with this one because Black Dog apparently moved fairly recently to more spacious accommodations further up 15. My chum frowned in confusion in a parking lot in the downtown Lafayette area for a few minutes before we got our bearings and retraced our steps north. I think that's on our Crawl Itinerary Expert but without context/knowledge of the move (which must have been at least KIND OF subtle since she lives within a few minutes of here and had no idea) an easy mistake to matter. No matter. Very easy to find once we had, you know, the actual address. And for the record, my chum said this was a HUGE upgrade over the prior location. All's well that ends well. I was REALLY hoping that someone took the name Black Dog Books literally, so it was an absolute delight to encounter a dark-tinted, wizened canine on the premises almost as soon as we walked in. Anya the chiweenie was a real trooper and an excellent addition to the festivities. I will say she's clearly an older pooch and didn't seem enormously thrilled by some of the younger human pups frantically taking selfies and whatnot (in my mild defense, I professionally took one tasteful photo and then gave her some space), but she handled it like a champ. I will say this for the record - every indie bookstore should have an accompanying canine chum. Apparently the Lambertville bookstore had a bloodhound, which is next level (massive FOMO but is what it is). But this was a good one. Thank you for your service, Anya. Unlike its literary counterpart in Branchville, Black Dog has much better lighting and much more space. It's no knock on them, but I just like the mild claustrophobia and overall personality that comes from having to get creative with the space you have and the massive amount of books to display. All due respect, this didn't feel as unique to me. I will say that out of the three bookstores we went to up here, Black Dog was the most enthusiastic about the Crawl, which is probably a huge reason my chum had the best experience here. They were giving away raffle prizes, naughtily had free wine(!) available before 11am and someone offering free fairy hair. I took her up on that generous offer but then belatedly realized it meant I had to stay still for more than five minutes. I just wasn't made to be an adult. My other slight issue with this bookstore (and again, this is me and I'm sure plenty of people have zero problem with it) is it just doesn't have the inventory that other places do - they leaned into presentation and more chairs and non-book products. And that's not necessarily a bad thing at all, but for me, it meant there was less overall space and options for the books I might potentially purchase. Also like a lot of bookstores in this day and age, a little too much chick lit for me; just not my thing. Very familiar with being a chick already; hashtag 1984 birth. The proprietors were VERY nice and accommodating. I didn't notice, but my chum said one of the employees was walking around giving customers recommendations based on their interests, which is a nice touch if welcome/slightly solicited. You felt good vibes throughout the store, which is important and should be a pre-requisite for any small business. (Truly love the Crawl for bringing stuff like this to my attention). Shameless judging books by their cover, I ended up purchasing Anthony Doerr's 2021 novel Cloud Cuckoo Land. Haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but I selected this one because the design on the front was intriguing and it had stickers denoting it as a NY Times Notable Book and a National Book Award Finalist. We'll see if I agree with the powers that be. Pleasantly surprised at the abundant literary options up here in the Kingdom, and a solid stop on our adventures.

Great gem of a bookstore with the most helpful and engaged staff! Their selection of books and…read moregifts are top notch from a large used section, impressive new book features, classics, manga, sci-fi and a great romance section too plus the owner is a history PHD so her history section of the store is well done also. They also offer free coffee, tea and snacks which is quite a nice treat. Big plus is also the easy off street parking with a flat in handicap accessible entrance and bathroom. Highly recommend!

It was a cold winter day, and my wife -- a true booklover -- wanted to visit this cute little…read morebookstore she had heard about (she was scrolling insta). Located on Main Street in Boonton, this shop is absolutely adorable. It gives off a charming old-school vibe, even though it only opened in 2024. It's owned and operated by a professional librarian Brianna. We chatted for a bit -- she's pregnant, and we recently had a baby, so we instantly found something in common to talk about. The store has hundreds of secondhand books, all in pristine condition, neatly lining the shelves. There are sections for kids, history, series, and many more genres. We picked up a few books for our little one. Got to sow the seeds early, right? Just kidding -- we read her these stories, and we're trying our best. Let's see how it goes! At the back of the shop, there's an adorable reading area that adds to the cozy charm. Note: The bookstore is only open from Friday to Sunday, so plan your visit accordingly

If I could spend every waking hour in used bookstores here, there, and everywhere, I certainly…read morewould! This is a lovely little shop with a very nice owner, it has a great kid selection with very comfortable surroundings and decorations in the back, and a nice selection of books for adults. We will definitely be back!

When I think of going to a quaint, local bookstore.... THIS is what I envision. Friendly people…read moreworking to assist you in finding your next favorite read, enough books, quantity and variety, to offer the customer a diverse and amazing amount of ideas to make it difficult to decide on a single book, and Chatsky's to make it difficult to settle on a single item. The next time I am in New Jersey, I will definitely be stopping in here! As for the attached restaurant next door, I have nothing negative to say. The food was fresh and had a great taste, and the people were friendly and helpful with everything. We sat outside because the weather was fantastic, and they delivered the food to us and picked us up afterward.

For those of us who are old enough to remember the movie You Got Mail . This gem of a book store…read moreis " The Shop Around the Corner " . The staff was young so they admittedly didn't get my reference LOL .Has the quaint & cozy vibe . The selection is expansive , albeit they may have one copy of a book on the shelf , understandingly given space . The Kids section is 4 doors down . Also great selection . Awesome space . No Big Box store feel here . Just note , for those parents who do take oversight to what their child is exposed to , know there is lots of material & books SOME parents might not find unsuitable for your OWN child to be exposed to . Literally there is a " Banned book " selection for young as toddlers .

Me and my child were excited to take a trip to the book store on a beautiful sunny afternoon…read more when we walked into the store we headed straight to the back to purchase a book to start her journey as a reader. I was approached by another mother also trying to do the same for her children. naturally the kids were filling each other out and walking around the store as I waited to make my purchase. my daughter had her scooter parked inside the front of the store with her Helmet attached. The person who was ringing me up (which I believe to be the owner) Made the most disgusting comment after asking my child directly if the scooter & helmet belonged to her & she replied yes. He told my child she should probably put on the helmet while in the store. I Immediately left and did not complete the purchase. I felt so embarrassed & walked out. I couldn't even phantom the words to say. Because I could not believe someone would talk to a child in that manner. I eventually called the store and told them what happened and received an apology from another employee.

There's nothing like walking into a bookstore and getting lost in the aisles. The selection of…read morebooks is truly unmatched from children's, romance, cooking and everything in between. A patron for many years this store has serviced union for 30 years. The owners are helpful and should you need to catch the newest author or best seller he is happy to accommodate. Not to mention you pay face value so I'm happy there's no mark up no matter how popular. Skip the brick and mortar and shop small here's a store will not disappoint readers of all ages.

I'm not a big comic book guy, but I do appreciate the genre and I AM a big fan of the mainstream…read morecomic book characters...and so is my son. The difference is that he DOES like the comic books and graphic novels. So, on "Free Comic Book Day" a few Saturdays ago I brought my son to a couple of comic book shops and let him have some fun. He picked up the freebies, but also bought some others...which made me happy for him. Funnybooks is a really tiny shop, but the owner (Steve I think) was AWESOME with keeping people orderly and providing both assistance and keeping everyone smiling. In the space next to his shop he had a ton of other comics at discounted prices and also had some local artists that were quite amazing. My son has already asked to go back. How can I say no to a kid who loves to read and has found a way to connect his love of reading with his love of comic book heroes and villains?

I am not at all into comic books, but my wife is. She became a big collector after visiting…read moreSteve's store. There is also a nice little group of regulars that will hang out and talk to each other as they see each other in the store. We have since moved out of the area but my wife will still make it a point to go out of her way to support this small business. Im sure it helps having a nice owner. From one small business man to another..Thank you Steve for all you do and your hard work running this store. Please make sure that you stop by Funny Books if you can.

I could get used to a place like this, which sadly exist only 30+ miles from my home. But on a work…read moretrip, finding a great used bookstore with both vinyl and new books too, and a really friendly and helpful staff, is absolutely perfect and makes finding surprises to bring home to my family so much easier.

"You don't go here to find a book.  Here a book finds you."…read more(I totally cribbed that from another Yelper's review of a different bookstore - in another state - so I'm allowed!) Can I share a story with you?  During the Dark Ages (pre-internet, no Yelp or smartphones) learning about something a bit off-the-beaten-path, let alone being able to source it, was an arduous task. I was an English Lit major and one of my professors loved to talk about even more books than the ones already assigned to his class and he always mentioned 'The Three Christs of Ypsilanti' that he read himself when he was in college.  It sounded more interesting than what we were reading in class (sorry, but there's only so many times you can endure 'Oedipus Rex') and I went hunting for 'Three Christs' but never had any luck.  Most workers at other shops gave the quizzical "What'cha talkin 'bout Willis?!" look and I'd leave empty-handed (or with a completely different book... just because).  Then I found myself here.  And while casually strolling through the store and eyeing up all the titles... I found a used copy!  (Can I tell you one other thing?  The book was a bit dry and dated and part of me wished it stayed like the Holy Grail - that it might keep me searching through different bookstores but never actually finding it.) And it's been more than a few years (okay, decades!) since I scored 'Three Christs' and now I'm here once again - this time doing my part to properly celebrate and support "Independent Bookstore Day" - and man oh man... you could lose an entire day here just drifting from rack to rack, aisle to aisle, floor to floor. Whatever you fancy - they have a section for it. Pricing is a-okay. The quality of the 'newer' used books is most excellent.  (The older, more rare and worn copies are out of reach or behind glass cases.) Behind the counter is the coolest and friendliest gal. From music to books to merch to a "gumball machine" that has poems (of course, right?) - the world is a better place with mom and pop (book)stores like this in it. "Since 1984" - and hoping they'll be going strong for another 40-plus years... (PS: if you stumble upon the movie version of 'Three Christs' - skip that as well.  They tried to make it a comedy and it's awful.)

Nice local comic shop with a great selection of new and back issues. Nice and knowledgeable people…read moreworking there

Guess I'll always be a kid at heart. I've seen first hand what growing up will do to a person and…read moretotally crush their Free Spirit and believe me, I don't want any part of that crap LOL. [seriously though]. . enough about me let's talk about awesome Comic Books and some other Really Cool stuff!! Fat Moose is unquestionably the best Comic Book Store in the Freakin Galaxy. And not to put too much pressure on SuperCool Owner Shawn H. but if there's something specific that you're looking for he can definitely dig it out or help you find whatever it is your looking for. For a price of course, LOL!! This priceless 5 Star business has been serving the public since 1982 and Fat Moose has got such a tremendously stocked inventory on all kinds of Comic Books, Horror Magazines, Games, Statues, Action Figures, Related Accessories, and Timeless Vintage Toys everywhere you look. This place most definitely deserves a visit. Trust me, your inner kid will Thank You. Come And Get Your Shopping On!!

We've spent well over $1000 at this place over the last few years. They don't have anything I…read morecouldn't get online, but we love to support local businesses. It's cute in there and the quality of product is great. Today, I was there with my potty-training 3 year old and 6 year old, shopping for a couple of birthday presents. The 3 year old needed to potty. The employees told us that they didn't have a bathroom. I said, "I come here all the time. I know you have a bathroom. I've used it." They unapologetically stated that the owner told them no bathroom use for customers. I was confused. They were matter-of-fact and insistent that this is the policy of the owner. I said, "This is a shop for little kids. You don't let kids use the bathroom?" They insisted no- that it was the policy of the owner. If this is true (I can't image they were lying to me), I just can't support the place. My three year old peed her pants while we were still in there. I spent the last $130 I will ever spend at Toy Division. Now I'll make the drive to Montclair to shop local for kids toys.

Short version: I haven't visited the store yet myself, but their customer service is incredible…read more Long version: I recently received a beautiful gift from Toy Division, and when I fully unboxed up the item later I saw that it was unfortunately damaged to the point that I couldn't have used it. (To be clear - it was not Toy Division's fault at all, definitely an issue with the item manufacturer, and it would not have been visible until you removed the item from its packaging.) I didn't want to bother the gift giver with it so I figured I would check with Toy Division just in case they could help, but honestly I'd already mentally chalked it up to an unfixable bummer and was prepared to move on. To my surprise I got an email response within a few hours, and after a brief and very helpful email exchange with Indira, I had a brand-new replacement item coming my way directly from the manufacturer! I'm so, so happy that I'll be able to use this lovely present, and I'm equally thrilled with the friendliness, speed, and effectiveness of the Toy Division team. Thank you so much Indira for turning a bummer of a situation into a delightful one!