I love independent bookshops. As an avid reader and reviewer on social platforms, I love visiting…read moreand highlighting any that I go to. The issue I have with this shop is that it doesn't often have much I'd be looking for. In their popular fiction section, it's almost desolate for any current bestsellers which to be is weird. I read obscure horror books and didn't see much of that except in the YA section. I understand how hard it is to run a business, especially an independent bookshop. BUT.. I feel they need to bring someone in to bring the shop into current times and maybe get some new materials in. A social media presence would also be great to pull in new customers and those customers will bring suggestions. A small coffee area would be cool, a kids section with a few little bookshelves and couches would be awesome. I really don't want to see this shop go away and I'm hoping for an uptick soon!

Looked like a great store but after waiting 15 minutes for it to open we lost patience and left. We…read moredrove here specifically to shop at this bookstore which makes it extra annoying.

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 visited this location with my husband knowing exactly what we were looking for. We browsed for a…read morebit looking for a book that was featured on the BAM website but couldn't find it in what we assumed was the correct location, so I decided to ask an elderly female employee for assistance. When I told her what book I was looking for she said "oh" while rolling her eyes a lead me to it. She handed it to me and started walking away while I was thanking her for her help. I could feel the attitude radiating off of her because of my book choice. I laughed it off and continued to browse a bit more. Eventually we got in line behind another customer. The same elderly woman opened another register to assist the customer in front of us. Naturally we started looking at the products that are in the check out area while we waited. The customer that was in front of us had an issue and left so it was our turn. The elderly woman proceeded to wave over the female customer behind us and she said that we were in front of her. We kindly insisted that she just go ahead and check out and we'll wait for the other employee further down. Then the elderly woman rudely said "come on, put your stuff here" and then decided to tell the customer behind us that the line starts where she's standing and that there should be blinking red lights signally that the line starts there. At that point it was VERY clear that she had an issue with us because of the book we were purchasing and tried to insinuate that we were stupid. Fine, you have a personal opinion but you are at work and are supposed to be providing good customer service regardless of your personal opinions. At no point were we rude or passive aggressive so her attitude was very uncalled for. Feeling done with the situation, I handed her my book and she hurried through our interaction. We kept our cool and were respectful, she asked if we wanted a bag and we declined and then she gave us our receipt and I told her to have a blessed day and once again talked over me. I will not be visiting this location ever again. Thanks Jodi for your terrible customer service.

Walked in for the first time ever; place was very nice and clean; staff was busy until you got to…read morethe front. Beware when you check out they scam you into signing up for 3rd party subscriptions and then tell you there's no way out of it until you call the third party company and do it.! I will not be back.

Pretty solid book store. Very large and well stocked. Staff here were easily identifiable and ready…read moreto help. The cafe was a little pricey, but most book stores are.

With two tasks to complete, both were accomplished at this neat and expansive location. Before…read moresettling in to work at the cafe,I found a book to enjoy later. Of course I also picked up an extra book as well. The cafe serves Starbucks products, though limited. My Starbucks gift card is no good there . Spring temps are wild. I drank a tasty strawberry lemonade, felt chilly and warmed up with chai tea ($1 off after my book purchase). The plugs for laptop users are very limited here. Perhaps only one or two. Still I recommend this location.

I love this bookstore with the tucked away bar upstairs. The selection of books should cover…read morealmost every age and genre. I especially enjoyed the travel and wine centered books. The bar is quaint and cute. Not a vast menu, but it's not needed! Love the local select beers that are available although I opted for the gin cocktail. Very reasonably priced. It's very quiet during the day, quite a few there to read and work in a quiet space and it serves that purpose well. I've also visited in the evening before where a book club meeting was ending and a D&D campaign was beginning and it was quite lively, but still a great vibe. I've had 2 visits now with many more to come. Store workers were super friendly and greeting me upon entering and looking around. Bartender was friendly as well and seemed to enjoy engaging with the guests.

I stopped in to shop at Backwater Books when I was exploring Old Ellicott City with my husband and…read moresome of his relatives when they were in town. The store was a great surprise. It's larger than I thought it might be - two stories. While not the best stocked bookstore I've ever been to, Backwater offers more than just books. It has a bar upstairs and it's set up for live music as well. It has some great seating for opening a book to read a few pages to see if you want to take it home. The customer service was great as well. Folks in Ellicott City are lucky to have this amazing bookshop. I'll definitely be back in the future (hopefully for a shop, drink, and music next time)!

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!

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.

What a fun spot. I'll admit I walked around way more times than I care to admit trying to find the…read moreentrance so just look out for the 836 on the door. We actually had to buzz in! They have a funky collection of new and used vinyl and books. I enjoyed the variety and it was a fun afternoon. Definitely recommend!

This is a very cool space chocked full of things you want to peruse at length. Tons of records,…read morebooks, and figurines. Yesterday I stopped by to purchase a gift card. It's a process that rarely happens so it took a minute for that to be complete. Overall, good visit.

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!

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.