What a charming new and used bookstore in fed hill. I've seen this store for years and years and…read morenever stopped in. But I was in the area checking out a new vintage store and thought I'd pop in. Retail is kind of dying in this area, but book escape was thriving. There were lots of people in there browsing and reading. There's a really cute back area with a mermaid mural and a reading nook. There's a lot of brand new books sold at 15% off, which are among the best sellers list. I thought in this economy - what a steal of a deal that is! The front desk is right around the front corner and the owner seemed nice. There's a huge selection of music in the corner and I thought that for a used bookstore, it was really well organized. It is a little clustered, but overall really bright and airy and lots of books!

Used book stores are dinosaurs. Or unicorns. Or Four leaf clovers. Anyway, a real one is rare…read moreand wonderful to see. This one feels old, smells old, and seems full of possibilities. The Book Escape is moderate in size. It has a well organized assortment of books and LP's. We enjoyed our time there and ended up with two books and a record album. But had we had more time (we spent maybe 45 minutes) we could easily have arrived upon another 5 or 6 title we just HAD to read. Loved the setting, loved the street parking, and loved the store.

I love this hidden gem. Floor to ceiling rows of used books. What more could you need!?read more

A massive selection of books at very reasonable prices. Shelves are double stacked which can make…read moreit a bit difficult to find what you're looking for unless it's a popular author. Honestly the search is part of the fun. As one of the only used book stores in town (unless you head into the city, no thanks), I will be coming here frequently.

I love independent bookstores, and a Black-owned business is the icing on the cake…read more I stopped in to check out the store and bought a sticker and a coffee drink. If you're a member of a sorority or fraternity, they sell merchandise here and had a good selection of all organizations. The staff were nice and I browsed a bit. MahoganyBooks has a huge selection of books for all ages. Everything is from a Black author or related to Black culture. The prices are in line with other bookstores, and you can be proud to support their local and diverse mission when you shop here. As a whole, National Harbor felt planned, corporate, and cold, but MahoganyBooks is the exception to this. If you're in National Harbor for a conference or convention, this is a must-stop and must support business.

Charming bookstore and coffee sharp with rich culture. It's vibrant aesthetic, tasty matcha, and…read moregreat customer service has me excited to visit again! I enjoyed the overall vibe of the bookstore and it was amazing to see the wide variety of black authors represented throughout the store. The limited seated keeps the foot traffic flowing and contributes to the intimate community feel. There are also occasional book signings and events. I'll be back for a cook book and a chai tea latte!

The selection and the Staff. I went today looking for one book and found another I had been looking…read morefor. Thanks

Cute Black-owned bookstore. They seem to be a great local indie for the area with many author…read moreevents. Parking was a little hard to find on the street so we had to walk several blocks. Still worth the effort!

For the price, can't be beat!…read more The model is simple: donate your books (up to 7 boxes per visit). They give them away for free! According to their website, you can't take more than 150,000 books per visit, so don't be too greedy, you bookworms! They sell 1-2% of donated books to cover overhead, but everything else is volunteer basis, keeping The Book Thing a free community even once a month. Be prepared to wait in line. We arrived at 11:45 so most of the big rush had faded. They let people in on the hour, with a max of 100 people in per time. If you arrive after someone leaves, they can let you in to finish that hour out. You could make a day of it - there are several cafés, breweries, and restaurants in the area that you could visit before or afterwards. Inside there are three rooms - red, blue, and green. They are organized by genres. A warning: this is not for claustrophobic people. It gets crowded and while people are generally polite and respectful, you will rub shoulders with plenty of other bibliophiles. My kids enjoyed it, though Child #1 was a tad overwhelmed and Child#3 wanted to get out of his umbrella stroller and run around! They all picked out something that was just for them. My wife gathered several books and I picked up a couple for myself. When you leave, you need to count your books and tell them that number (for their record-keeping) and your ZIP code. Other than that, it's a great deal, not to mention a fun way to meet other folks in the community. One parent reminisced about how her (now grown) daughter used to love a series that my middle child was looking at. I overheard one woman asking about a particular genre and a volunteer told her that those usually get picked over pretty early. So while there is more of a wait and higher demand closer to opening time, it sounds like there are some choicer items that are available then. DONATION - there is a small one-way road that leads around the back. After the morning rush, it seemed like it moves quickly. There's a small parking pad where you can pull up and give your books to some volunteers. Parking - it's Waverly, so pretty much street parking and you will have to look. We lucked out and saw someone leaving their spot right by the donation drop-off, so we were able to park close. If you have a bunch of books that could use a new home, come donate them here! If you are curious about grabbing some new books for yourself, drop on by! Just check the website for specific dates - it can vary from month to month what's available.

Such a cool community completely FREE resource in the city! I first heard about bookthings in 2023…read moreand this was my second time coming here. It has been in operation since 1999 and filled with volunteers and they now own the building. It's only open once a month now but I guess it used to be more. As a tip - go closer to the hour like on the :45 mark otherwise be prepared to wait an hour. People from all walks of life come here. This operates on donations so I dropped off my books and got in line. It is a bit overwhelming and the books are organized in categories. It is fun to browse but there is a chaotic energy that I don't always love. I don't think I would go back - I much prefer the little libraries! After standing in line, when you walk in, you do have to adjust to the brightness. It's a completely free resource. You can take as many books as you want. When you check out you just tell them the total number of books and your ZIP Code. It's amazing this free resource exists - make sure you don't hoard (like the two women in front of me who were on their fourth entry of the day). Make sure you partake in the recycling of the system. Take books back take new books and keep this amazing free resource in the community.

This is such a cool bookstore! I was in the area for business and saw this on my way to the hotel…read moreand I couldn't pass it up! It was so adorable and let me tell you, looks are deceiving. It looks small on the outside but there are so many books to choose from!! I found two books that were from two Arab authors and have been wanting to read, so diversity in authors was there! The owner was there and answered any questions and also offered som suggestions. She was so friendly and I didn't want to leave! I even picked up a tote bag as my memorabilia! It's priced as other bookstores. It was wonderful to see an independent bookstore! I loved Greedy Reads!

Visited this spot last month before an author event, and it was a cute bookstore…read more It is very small and cramped when there are other shoppers in the store. I wish their selection was a bit larger, but with how small the store is, I understand why it's limited. My friend bought a blind date with a book and got an ARC which was cool. Nice spot to browse if your local or visiting the city!

This year I set a reading goal: 2 books a month. Somehow I am still on track, and I needed books 21…read moreand 22 to read for November. So I stopped into Viva Books for some fiction for purchase on my way back from the Central Library. This store has used books and some recently published books: I'm not sure if they're new, but I saw Carmelo Anthony's memoir in there, and that was published this year, so pretty new if not completely new. I picked up Go Set A Watchman (paperback) and Blood Child (also paperback). So I'm set for November! The book selection leans heavily toward art books, famous, classic writers like Albert Camus, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and Franz Kafka. There are books in there that are lots of sociology and thought books, some Baltimore-focused. But they also have comics! Just a nice hodge podge. I have been in before not long after it opened in the spring, but I didn't bring money: This time I was prepared. The only thing that could improve this place is if you could sit and read awhile. I love bookstores where you can sit and read! There is seating in there, but with covid, I didn't think it would be ok for me to lounge about for an hour. When the pandemic improves a bit more, I look forward to hanging out a bit. Finally, the owner is a really nice and cool person. This is a great spot for a bookstore! Will be back in a month, maybe sooner.

Very cute and cozy bookstore. The owner is versed in literature and her number one employee,…read moreGermaine, is the cutest black cat in the city. Definitely a great place to stop by.

Cannot recommend this place enough! The staff is amazing and kind, the selection is great and $2…read morefiction novels?! Cannot beat it. I've been to a few used book stores and this is genuinely my favorite. The membership pays for itself even if you just go once (but trust you'll be back!)

I don't often write reviews on this website... but I have to say, the customer service was non…read moreexistent. I love supporting small business, I always have. But there are some stores that just are not worth any support. The woman behind the counter had such an attitude to another lady who was just asking a question about exchanging books or something... The lady was kind, soft spoken and kind with how she asked the question. And the response and tone of voice the worker lady responded with was absolutely unacceptable. This is not how you run a small business. All you will do is drive away customers (like myself). Seek therapy.

I actually am not vegan whatsoever, so I was a little nervous to try this coffee shop for the first…read moretime, but WOW, holy flavor. I ordered a breakfast burrito, and it's been three days since I had it and I'm still craving the taste. Who knew you could make tofu taste so good? I didn't like my vanilla iced coffee as much, but that was my fault because I should have asked for more vanilla flavoring. I really appreciated how much parking there was on a Sunday afternoon, and in my opinion, it's one of the best co working spaces in Baltimore. I would 100% come back to this coffee shop and maybe spend more time browsing the books next time!

I'm real torn here. I wanted to LOVE Red Emma's but I did not. It was cool, but certainly not in my…read moretop 10 of spots I went to in Baltimore. Let's start with the best part: the bookstore. You're not going to find everything here, but the sections that are curated are top-notch. I got a few books about abolition and a handful of poetry collections written by locals. This is, in my mind, the best part of the place. There's also a big selection of zines, and the person working told me I could choose some free posters. Then there's the cafe part. All vegan? Sounds amazing! In reality, it's quite expensive and just OK? Like, I've been a vegan for nearly two decades and I've eaten my fair share of vegan food around the world. And the food I got at Red Emma's? I paid $20 ish for a cheeseburger with applewood smoked bacon, and it tasted fine, but it wasn't great. I don't know, I was expecting something more delicious, not something I could have made at home for 1/4 of the price. Maybe it was just that I choose the wrong item, because there are other items on the menu that also looked good. Of course I get that because it's worker owned, prices might be higher. I get it. But it was still disappointing. And the people working were nice but sort of disinterested. Some more good things: They sell Palestinian sodas, which I love. There is an option to prepay for a meal or a drink for someone less fortunate. They open their bathrooms and space to members of the community, which means anyone who is e.g. unhoused can use the space. It seems like the spot is doing a lot for the community, which I admire. A lot of people were there working on their laptops etc., so it seems to be a space people like to hang out and get stuff done. I plan to come back next time I'm in Baltimore to give it another chance, so stay tuned.

A cute local book store located inside a 19 century house. There is also a beautiful green space or…read moregarden located behind the house. Plenty of seatings inside and outside for reading. Selecion of books are plentiful with readings available to young and old. My oldest daughter was able to locate the title she was looking for. Employees were helpful and very friendly. Plenty of parking spaces behind the store and in front of the store.

Nice little bookstore with a good flow through the shelves. The staff are friendly and helpful…read more There's a small parking lot, plus street parking if the lot's full.