Favorite book store to get me all stimulated over cozy coloring books and markers! Crayons too!!!!…read moreValue is honestly a bit much but it's worth supporting local. Staff is super nice too. I purchase cards here over the store across the street. Books Inc is much friendly and never watches me like a hawk

Books Inc is now under the umbrella of the Barnes & Noble brand. Despite this, this location still…read moreretains its independent/community feel. The staff are helpful and kind here. And I love coming in to peruse their curated and staff choice books, which changes a d rotates frequently. There's a decent selection of books on sale at the back left corner of their store if you want to shop for deals. The kiddie corner has a seated area for families/children to spend a little time looking through the books before you purchase. There's also regular author readings/signings and poetry recital events during certain early afternoon or evenings at the bookstore, which is posted on a section of their wall, facing out from their left window display. If you had a rewards membership with Books Inc, you can transfer your points and member ID info over to the Barnes & Noble rewards program.

Oooh such a cute spot for books, records, and vintage clothing! I love that everything here is used…read morebooks from locals - I found two books and I'm excited to come back! Great curation, and it's really a nice pulse on what the community is reading!

Rocket Reuse is a fun shop to browse for vintage clothing, used books and music. They used to be in…read morea smaller space across the street. Now, their shop in downtown Alameda is twice the size. The space is well laid out with various sections, making it easier to browse. Really cute vintage shop with nice owners and unique selection of items. They even had old school board games! Rocket Reuse evokes a simpler time-come check them out.

After all these years, Walden Pond Books is still a place I like to go into to see if I can find a…read morebook to purchase and read on BART. I always find a good book to read. Good reason to take BART and walk over is the Grand Lake is a great place to sit around as if we are tourists from a planet named Saturn.

I was browsing Grand Avenue past the Grand Lake Theatre and landed in here. I'm much more of a…read morelibrary goer than a book store spender, buuuut, I love books regardless. That ended up not being what I browsed, though. I went over to their small but sufficient record selection. They had top albums and artists, like Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. I kept looking and looking and found The Internet's Ego Death for $32. Yep, found what I needed and almost left but checking out their used albums they had Kendrick's good kid, m.A.A.d city and Drake's Views for about $27 or $28 each. Idk what a good used album price is really going for these days, but I was happy with my selection, went to the counter and checked out. I can't really say much for service because I was in and out so quickly and there didn't appear to be many employees, which I get that these days.

I did not know when I first arrived that this was the Friends of the Oakland Library system…read morebookstore, so the stock would consist of extras, castoffs, etc. It took me a while to go inside l, because the dollar books on the racks outside are of excellent quality, and buy two get one free! That's 66¢ each. Inside, the organization is pretty good, separating mysteries and thrillers from general fiction, for instance. I didn't see a film section though. A "vintage" section, without much of interest. Still, I spent $6 and walked out with four books, so I'm grateful.

A very good bookstore on Broadway in Oakland!!…read more As I was walking back from Chinatown, all the books outside caught my eye, and they were very inexpensive. Outside offered 1 dollar, 2 dollar, and 3 dollar books!! Inside, the books were also marked down significantly, although not as much as outside. You just have to be ready to browse a little. Technically, this Bookstore is in Old Oakland, just a block away, walking distance, from Swans Market. I've been here a few times since!!

This bookstore is a nice addition to the Bay Street mall in Emeryville. It is one of the anchor…read morestores. In terms of square footage it is the largest retail store, with perhaps the exception of Tokyo Central. The sections are well separated, and the books are well curated. The staff is sparse but helpful. I like how the upstairs spills out into the food court area. The prices here are slightly higher than Amazon, but it's worth it to be able to flip through the books and peruse.

I'll always have fond memories whenever entering a Barnes & Noble. I am just a lover of all book…read morestores, and I mean the ones that aren't online! There's a massive parking garage to use. It's not free if you want to do more than 30 minutes but thankfully you can get your card validated at Barnes & Noble. Incredibly organized as is all B&Ns are. It's two stories so there's an escalator. There's the cafe there too. Super helpful people work here. Feels cozy and safe in here. Plenty of seating at the cafe and a couple of chairs around the store. Loved stopping by the 50 percent off section! The value there is great. I was able to get a book for less than $7. 5/5

After a long walk around Lake Merritt with my niece, I was on a mission to find a restroom. She…read moresuggested we stop by Clio's Bookstore & Bar, describing it as part bookstore, part reading lounge, and part bar. I expected a quick pit stop--I ended up wanting to stay. This place is an absolute gem. The atmosphere is eclectic, cozy, and full of personality. The shelves are lined with books spanning more eras and genres than I even knew existed, making it feel like a literary treasure hunt. Every direction I looked revealed another fascinating title or beautifully aged collection. One of my closest friends is a librarian, so I found myself snapping photo after photo to send her because I knew she'd be completely enamored with this place. I didn't order food or drinks during this visit (I rarely drink), but I already know I'll be back. The ambiance alone is worth experiencing. It's the kind of place where you can lose yourself browsing vintage books, settle into a chair with a good read, and simply enjoy the unique energy. From what I could tell, many of the books are also available for purchase, which makes it even more tempting to return. I also noticed that Clio's hosts community events, so I'll definitely be checking their calendar before my next visit. Whether you're a book lover, a history buff, or simply someone who appreciates unique spaces with soul, Clio's Bookstore & Bar is well worth a stop.

Came to Clio's for book club and we were actually having a really good time. The place is super…read morecute and we all ordered drinks from the bar. Since the only food they really had were $24 charcuterie boards, we DoorDashed some food. A lady came over and told us we weren't allowed to have outside food, which okay, fine -- but there are literally no signs anywhere saying no outside food or drinks. What really bothered us was that other people came in with outside food and were eating it and nobody said anything to them. If that's the policy, then it should apply to everyone, not just certain tables. Such a shame because we really liked the place and were having a good time. We were buying drinks and would've definitely stayed longer. If outside food isn't allowed, just put up a sign and enforce the rule for everyone.

I often went to the Fox Theatre but somehow always missed the bookstore across the street! So often…read moreolder books (those published 20+ years ago) are often super pricey. But many of these books are very reasonably priced, like $7.50-$25! Almost all of the stock is older, even obscure books. But it's a book lover's treasure hunt. I picked up a really interesting book about San Francisco's history from 1948 for only $10! Definitely recommend this place and it's a very quick walk from the Broadway BART station. The only thing I'd "change" is recommending that the owner put more of their stock on ThriftBooks.com to enhance their profits. But that would be at the peril of Bay Area bookworms! :)

I ordered a book from them in Aug 2024. It never arrived, and after multiple attempts at contacting…read morethem, they finally said they had moved and couldn't find the book at the moment. (Luckily they hadn't run the charge through on my credit card yet). Every couple of months or so I'd follow-up--sometimes they'd respond, sometimes they wouldn't. Still couldn't find the book, and kept asking me to be patient. I was patient for a long time. Now it's July 2025, about 3 weeks shy of ONE YEAR since I ordered the book. Wrote to them again, no response. But they still have it listed for sale on their website, so I took a shot and ordered it again. Then they wrote me a snotty note and told me to quit ordering it, they haven't found it yet. I wrote back and asked how they can possibly still be looking for a book after one year? Then they wrote back and said they were canceling my order! Very crappy customer service. Zero stars.

Dan has the best prices and and a superb selection of books ,postcards , pamplets and CDs along…read morewith thousands of books including fiction ,history and science . His selection of books on ships , trains and WW2 can not be beat.The best place in the Bay Area to find valuable gems . There is something for everyone at Dan's on 15th St ( plenty of parking) in the middle of Oakland's Cultural District

The best selection of books on war and the military in Oakland. Covers many wars historical and…read morecurrent, many countries armed forces. Both old and new editions. Great place to browse.

The vendor from Bandung Books was at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center earlier this afternoon. I…read morewas at this venue to enjoy a celebration of two cultural gathering - Chinese Lunar New Year and Black History Month. I like the collection of books that were on display at this event. Even though I did not purchase any books, I am more than eager to stop by the business to browse and shop. Support this black owned business by giving back to the black community. It's nice to have two black owned bookstores in Oakland - northside (NSO) and eastside (ESO).

By far the best bookstore I've been too, with extensive anti-imperial reading and an extensive…read morePalestinian section and anything else I could want. It also had a gorgeous rare book section. The vibe was overall fantastic, thankful for this store in a continuously (negatively) censored world.