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    Blue Whale Books

    4.1 (40 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Pam W.

    While we did find some books, I was bothered by the owners overly watchful eye. He made me feel like a thief. I can afford a book, dude. My husband is a fan of sci-fi and the sci-fi books are in a room to the back of the store. We were pursuing the shelves to find a good book and the guy working, presumably the owner, kept walking back and glaring at us. No offer to help us find a book or helpful customer service, just the accusing eyes of an untrusting person. This was remarkably different from our experience at another used bookstore down the mall. The salesperson there was Uber friendly and offered to help us find our next read. Won't be back to Blue Whale.

    Blue Whale Books in Charlottesville VA
    Bruce K.

    Neat book shop on the pedestrian mall in Charlottesville. One of at least three that I've spotted in the area. Yep, they have a good selection of used paperbacks and the prices are pretty good. They aalso have a good collection of hard cover and coffee table books plus a bunch of lithographs that look really cool. It's not hard to find the vintage books in this shop. Prices are clearly marked in pencil on the inside cover. My paperback was nice and cheap at $3! The corgi that "owns" the shop is a cute little doggie! Very friendly.

    Christian L.

    My IQ was too high for 'whale'. First, your sign outside looks like drift-wood. Second, always greet customers (you did not). Third, carpets and air, mean nothing to me if your stacks are crap. All hardbounds are altered, their clear dust jackets are GLUED to the inside book itself. Now idiots are supposed to pay up for glue? It would look like a library book at home! Moronic idea. Another stupidity: putting volumes for sale, mixed in with regular books. Expensive prices, penciled in somewhere. Some books had two prices penciled! The literary paperbacks were adhoc junk. ZERO actual writers. Front title covers were dog-eared, rubbed off, manhandled and violated. All authors were non-famous female ones nobody ever read. Maps going for $70; what, a little short on retirement??? Whale's a joke. As an intellectual, believe me, go to a big sprawling book bin store in N.C. or D.C. where books are alive; they actually carry renowned authors: AND books are NOT glued, frayed, found in trash bins/dorm bathrooms, mildewy and bent. Whale is a claptrap air conditioned funeral parlor.. The owner was anti-male, rude, running from front desk to some back room - frazzled doing nothing - mouthed off about being 'old enough to be your mother'. With all do respect, we all know who is the whale. Rebel says: 0 fun business

    Exterior of bookstore
    Fred H.

    I was out yesterday enjoying the first sunny and warmer day this year with my small dog. The mall had many dogs out. I stepped inside the Blue Whale Bookstore after seeing 3 prints on a rack outside. As soon as I stepped in the store to purchase... an angry man with a British accent said "you can't bring that dog in here", while sanitizing his hands at the entrance. My friend just behind me asked what was the matter, as he saw me turn to leave. I said "they aren't pet friendly." The British male employee then went to the entrance of shop and shouted to me amongst all the people walking by and sitting, diners.... " we are pet friendly... I just brought my dig today"!! In an angry and loud voice. Everyone stopped their conversations and turned around to see what the ruckus was. I said back to him.... "you didn't explain anything to me... you just told me I couldn't bring my dog in". He then said something else and I became very uncomfortable. My dog is an accredited service dog for which I rely upon. Whenever I experience this nastiness from a shopkeeper, I've learned it will not end well for anybody. So, I decided to leave. It would have been better if he just didn't tell me, his dog was the problem and should have kept his pet at home. They lost a sale from me yesterday and I will go to one of the other bookstores on the mall. I will not go back after the treatment I r

    The two books I got this trip. $5 and $7.50.
    Jenna B.

    Anytime I am in Charlottesville I stop here to find treasures. -Interesting and unique finds -Great prices -Fun place to browse books for hours and leave with a few keepers -Also have old maps and prints

    I ordered a book from Blue Whale during quarantine to support a genealogical research project. It came beautifully wrapped and in perfect condition. They also sent along a current listing of other genealogical books they have in stock. So impressed!

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    6 years ago

    Great selection, high quality and reasonable prices. Locals should count their lucky stars to have such a gem at the center of the town.

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    8 years ago

    Discovered an impressive array of used books here at reasonable prices. There is a bookcase dedicated to $1 and below titles worth a review.

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    13 years ago

    Charming store, with some real finds as well as bargain books! A nice addition to our holiday.

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    Ask the Community - Blue Whale Books

    Review Highlights - Blue Whale Books

    If you're anything like me and visiting Charlottesville, don't forget to visit the Downtown Mall, if just for the bookstores!

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

    New Dominion Bookshop

    New Dominion Bookshop

    3.8(19 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Rude service -good customer service goes a long way and this book store does not that have that at…read moreall. Uncomfortable seating small kids section.

    There were some good options and a somewhat aesthetic atmosphere (like most bookstores). Since this…read moreis a 'new books' bookstore, all titles were cover price. The advantage of bookstores that aren't Barnes and Nobles is the better pricing and atmosphere (at least in my opinion)-- and New Dominion just didn't have either advantage on a typical B&N! The prices were more expensive than most bookstores, excluding B&N of course. Further, they didn't have a sale, clearance, or just any special sections. They did have a good selection of classics. When I asked the sales associate about a book price, which was damaged, she acted offended and gave me a shrug saying that that's just how it is. I didn't mention it being damaged, I just asked to make sure that the hardback was indeed the price listed on the cover. Many of the books they had were not in mint condition and there were not multiple copies of titles so you couldn't just select another one. Might as well save the bad parking and cramped store and head to a Barnes and Noble. I try to support small business whenever I can, but this store just didn't have any perks (that I could find) above a normal big manufacturer like Amazon or B&N. I will try to visit again one day and give it another shot.

    Photos
    New Dominion Bookshop
    New Dominion Bookshop
    New Dominion Bookshop

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    Shenanigans - Spin Brightz Color Morphing Spokes Safety may be the obvious goal, but dont overlook the "wow" factor you'll gain when your b...

    Shenanigans

    4.2(23 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$$$

    Be Super aware of the return policy. I purchased 5 items on Sunday. The baby wasn't thrilled by two…read moreof the items. Went to return two items on Monday and the they could not be returned because the box had been opened. One of the items was not even assembled and neither was played with. Tried to shop local ‍

    Bottom Line: Great toy brands and tons of variety…read more My husband and I went into Shenanigans because it has such high ratings, was located a 1/2 mile walk from out hotel and its holiday shopping season. I was impressed with the size of this toy store and excited to see that they carry many of my favorite toy brands like Folkmantis, Calico Critters and Ravensberger puzzles. They had a lot of fun sounding games I hadn't heard of as well. Aside from high quality toys and puzzles Shenanigans also had some really nice seasonal stuff like Advent calendars. My husband and I explored for quite awhile and finally landed on a Jellycat branded stuffed animal for a friend. For such a lovely store I would have expected there to be a little bit more in the way of service. For the fifteen minutes we spent in there the only acknowledgement we received was three words when we checked out - twenty-three seventeen. Maybe the employee was just having a hard day.

    Photos
    Shenanigans - We've got a small shipment of NeeDohs! There's a limit of two per customer and they're available in-store only. See you soon!

    We've got a small shipment of NeeDohs! There's a limit of two per customer and they're available in-store only. See you soon!

    Shenanigans - Mini Dice These dice are 5 mm in size and opaque or translucent.
Assorted colors and style - each dice sold separately...

    Mini Dice These dice are 5 mm in size and opaque or translucent. Assorted colors and style - each dice sold separately...

    Shenanigans - SpyX Micro Voice Disguiser SpyX provides junior agents with all of the gadgets needed to spy like a pro...

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    SpyX Micro Voice Disguiser SpyX provides junior agents with all of the gadgets needed to spy like a pro...

    University of Virginia Bookstore

    University of Virginia Bookstore

    3.4(7 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Reasonable priced bookstore with a large selection of both collegiate and classy items. They have…read moresome super fun finds in here and it's some of the best UVA merch I've seen.

    I need to get with it and write some UVa related reviews. In the past, I had a thing for UVa…read more With Monticello nearby, and its unique history, the Jeffersonian world made an impression on me. Part of it could have been that I began my college studies at a place where going to school in shorts, Hawaiian shirts, and flip flops most of the year was the norm. And it wasn't just the surfers who did that. In that regard, UVa was a definite counterpoint. I had also visited the campus and was quite taken with it. So, I would purchase things from this bookstore and have them sent to me, out to "the Coast." I'm talking coffee mugs and t-shirts. To have ordered license plate frames would have been disingenuous, so I didn't push things that far. I didn't get in to UVa for a graduate program to which I had applied. Perhaps you now better understand this mitigating behavior. I see reviewers weighing in on the prices of items, notably textbooks. That textbooks are high priced, and ridiculously priced, is a ubiquitous situation. It's like that everywhere. With the interwebs, one now has other options. Clothing and gifts are also always high priced. The best one can do is scour the store and look for discounted items. I was at UVa again and realized I hadn't been in possession of either UVa coffee mugs or UVa clothing for years. I reasoned that, to avoid postage and the headache of looking on line, I should buy a few things at the bookstore while there. I bought 2 coffee mugs and 2 t-shirts. The typical college bookstore is a likely candidate for 3 stars. However, the customer service at UVa stood out. A person initially helped me with locating apparel and pointing out some of the better values. I was then turned loose on the gift section, where I did a compare/contrast of which coffee mugs offered the best price-quality rapport. I found two. At this point, I needed to complete the purchase at a cash register. The woman working there was humorous and friendly, listened to my "story," and knew the mugs might see some bouncing around for some distance in the trunk. So she made sure she meticulously wrapped each mug and packaged them so they would make it home intact. They did! I'm not the only person who likes college paraphernalia. When I worked in downtown Atlanta, there was a lady on my floor whose cubicle was festooned with University of Georgia and Bulldogs items. I didn't know her, so I never asked her why. I did ask another employee: "Hey, what's with 'so and so,' and why is her cubicle plastered with University of Georgia stuff? Did she go there?" The employee I knew said, "No, she didn't go there. But she's a big UGa fan." I had some friends outside of work with whom we would discuss our respective jobs and just cut up. I told one friend, an Auburn University grad, about the lady at work whose cubicle was a shrine to the University of Georgia. She knew where I was going with this. And I added that she didn't even go there. She just nodded and laughed, explaining that, in the South, this can happen, saying, "We call them 'pickup truck alumni'." I bring this up because, as I was buying my items, it made we wonder if I was now a "pickup truck alumnus" of UVa. I did get a sheepskin somewhere else, though. So, if assigning stars by word count, I could use "pickup truck alumni," which would only make for 3 stars. I need to "find" that extra star, and that extra word. I can do it one of two ways. I can make pickup two words. That would be "pick up truck alumni." Or, if I didn't want to make pickup two words, I could just exclaim, "Pickup truck alumni ... Wahoo!"

    Photos
    University of Virginia Bookstore
    University of Virginia Bookstore
    University of Virginia Bookstore

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    Blue Whale Books - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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