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Bookends

3.1 (87 reviews)
ModerateBookstores
Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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Nicole M.

Such a great local bookstore. It has a great selection of books especially for babies and kids, but also has cookbooks and NY Times Bestsellers. This is also the place to be for celebrity book signings, so many cool authors and events. I'm not sure how it is now but pre-Covid there were also packed and a little chaotic and unorganized, hope it's gotten a little more structured but can't beat meeting some of these authors in person. Key is to sign up for their newsletter, sign up early and get there early if you can!

Jen W.

I came to Ridgewood for the Post office, but passed by this bookstore and had to go in. The front window looked cozy. Turns out they get some pretty big names at their book signings. Katherine Schwarzenneger Pratt caught my eye with her kids book called "Good Night Sister". Customer service was friendly & helpful. I had asked how best to sign up for an event and was told how and that signings fill up online so best to book in advance. I wandered around for a bit and saw plenty of variety, new releases, gift options. Im planning to come back for a signing one day soon. Happy to have chanced upon Bookends!

Ange C.

Last Monday, I had such a blast to meet getting a chance to meet Jackie Chan, in the flesh! The best way, I think, to make sure you get a book is to pre order online. I pre ordered, went to the counter, showed my receipt, got a wristband and was shown downstairs. They were kind and opened doors early because it was cold outside. I found the process to be orderly and lots of staff on site. Well oiled machine- all friendly!

Sigal M.

It's really nice to see a local book store still in business! I love coming here for book signings! I've been to almost all of Mary Higgins Clark's book signings since 2006 (I missed 1 or 2). Celebrities come here for their book signings, as well. The lines get REALLY long for these, so make sure you get there at least 2-3 hours early!

Daniel B.

Long live neighborhood bookstores like "Bookends"! The staff is great and when they have book signings, they manage the lines -- which pour out of the building and around the corner -- very professionally. Veer off of Rt 17 and on to Ridgewood Avenue to experience this quaint bookstore and the surrounding center of town. You'll be happy you did!

AJ Lee WWE diva !
Harry P.

I have been here many times over the years for book signings. Phil Jackson, Phil Simms, Ralph kiner, Pete rose, AJ Lee, Daniel Bryan, RA Dickey, always cool meeting stars. Other than that it is a cute local bookstore, though nowadays I buy my books on my Kindle lol.

Meeting Ray Lewis!
Adam D.

It's tough not to be a fan of this place considering the amount of celebrity book signings they host. At first glance, you would never think the rich and famous would choose this place, but for whatever reason, they do. I went here on a Tuesday for the Ray Lewis book signing. In his case, he kicked off the release of his new book at 12:00 at the Barnes and Noble on 54th Street in NYC then came to Bookends for a 6:00 signing. Of course he was late (by about 30 minutes), but I was just happy he decided to stop in Jersey at all before heading to his next stop in Maryland. Still, I only learned he was coming to Bookends because of information posted on his own site (RayLewis.com). Then, I went to Bookends' website where it said you had to buy at least two books to attend the event, at full list price of course. That ended up not being the case. You only had to buy one, but they said Ray would be willing to sign as many copies as I wanted, which ended up being the case. One dude, not dressed in a single bit of Ravens attire, put 10 copies down in front of Ray. That wasn't a typo. TEN copies. It was so obvious these books were headed straight to the highest bidder on eBay as soon as he left the event. Side note: if you're going to do what this "fan" did and the store rules don't change based on the celebrity, you can pre-order as many books as you want on Amazon for half the price and just buy one book at Bookends at full list price. Your Bookends receipt is your admission to the signing, but nobody is checking to see whether you bought every copy in your possession at Bookends. On an unrelated note, kudos to the staff for having someone on duty to just take pictures with your smartphone during the meet and greet. The employee ended up taking about 10 pictures, only one of which came out clear, but the one that did come out clear was perfect. Bottom line: The selection here is limited and the prices listed on the covers are what you pay, but if you're looking to meet some celebs, keep an eye on their web site. Also, don't be a fool like me and think you're being smart by staking out the joint at the Starbucks the next street over. I sat at this Starbucks for hours like a loser just to avoid the line. When 4:30 rolled around, then 5:00 and I still didn't see anyone waiting, I grew suspicious, packed up my stuff and walked over to the bookstore only to discover a line around the building about 50 people deep. Admittedly, I could have been the second person to meet Ray if not for the one lunatic who showed up sometime before I rolled into town at 1:30.

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2 years ago

Excellent customer service! Hometown family friendly intimate atmosphere! Loved attending the meet and greet book signing!!

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7 years ago

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4 years ago

First time at this place. What a great bookstore very well organized.would highly recommend it to everyone

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Review Highlights - Bookends

They clearly state that if you are going to a signing, whoever is in your party needs a book as well.

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Barnes & Noble - 'Harry Potter' section? Yes, this B&N has it.

Barnes & Noble

(18 reviews)

We finally visited the B&N on Route 17 by Fashion Plaza. My husband and I stopped inside after work…read moretwo weeks ago. We started off walking around together, but split off and got lost walking through the store and checking it all out. The space is massive and has high ceilings. Plus, it's very bright and light inside. All the sections are organized and feature good visual merchandising of new arrivals and/or books on sale. There's a nice cafe area towards the back with ample tables and seating at the back left of the store. Throughout the store, there are also lots of comfortable chairs to sit on if you find interesting reading material that you want to preview or flip through. My husband said it best when he said, "Wow, there's so much to find - you could never get bored here!" I know that we will be back.

Upping my review to 5 stars. This has become our preferred location. The store remains large,…read morewell-stocked, and clean with helpful staff and an abundant selection. Most times, books I want that cannot be found in other locations can be found here, and I believe this is due to their sheer size in this location, being able to house more books. The staff are remarkable. Kind, helpful, patient, courteous, and they take their time assisting you. This is a great touch. They offer promos and sales, so be sure to catch those. The premium membership makes things worthwhile. Their selection of vinyl far surpasses other locations, and I often find myself disappearing into their music department as a result. Highly recommended!

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble

(8 reviews)

Great service and selection. I do wish that the "book annex" was bigger (that being said, they did…read morehave a great selection of $9 coloring books for adults). My goal today was to find a birthday gift for one of my daycare kids, and the childrens' section did not disappoint.

I will never stop missing the old look of B&N... the cozy, comfy, quiet, old fashioned library type…read moreof atmosphere. I used to come here as a child and teenager, reading books for hours. The renovation in 2018 ruined it. Walking through the doors feels like walking into a cramped art gallery or warehouse or airport terminal... you get the gist. Lighting is very bright, display tables and book shelves feel cramped together, and it gets very loud and crowded. Seating area is tight and limited. Want to read, study, or work here? Then you have to come earlier in the day (9-11am) to snag a spot. Need to use electronics to work or study? Then you have to come extra early to grab a spot with an outlet; not all tables have outlets nearby and there aren't enough for everyone. All of these things make it difficult to do anything here. They have their own cafe that serves Starbucks products. The best drink is the brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso. I've tried a few other drinks like the refreshers but they are just average. The biggest ick for me is that I pay close to $8 for a large cup of 70-80% ice even after requesting light ice. Can I get a hell no. Other than that, the employees are polite and friendly. Service can be slow at times but I believe it's a staffing issue. I don't think it's fair that sometimes there is only one of them to take orders and make drinks. This is probably better off as just a grab and go cafe for shoppers. The ambiance is really lacking on what a bookstore is supposed to be like.

Bookends - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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