A good independent bookstore is hard to find. A good independent bookstore across the street from a good independent film venue is especially rare. I've never gone into the Booksmith looking for anything in particular, but I've always found a book to buy whenever I've gone in. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the location is ideal. read more

I love independent bookstores which are sadly a vanishing breed. One of my Boston rituals on any visit to town is a trek out to lovely Brookline for a massive breakfast at Zaftigs followed by a good prowl around this bookstore. They have a great selection, friendly knowledgeable staff and a nice little gift section too with lots of fun unique things. I often get a jump on my Christmas stocking stuffers here. They have a lot of varied activities going on in the store as well, written up on a chalkboard behind the cash. Looking at the list makes me want to move here and buy a cute little place in the neighbourhood. While I was there, children's story hour was going on, and a group of little ones were listening raptly to a book of dinosaur facts being read. I happened to overhear that a dinosaur poo was the size of a small car. Important stuff. Always worth the trip to come here and I never leave empty handed. read more

Probably one of the best bookstores..period. Anywhere. It's mass selection upstairs and downstairs is vast and very impressive. They have an insanely good collection of Bargain Books as well. You can really tell that someone put some time into ordering the best ones out there for their customers. Also, for out of towners, this bookstore offers a very cool selection of unique souvenirs..ones you won't find at every normal souvenir shop in the city. So many good reasons to go here..so just go here already! read more

Brookline Booksmith - Bookstores Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Brookline Booksmith is my favorite bookstore in the Boston area. My few objections are related to their shallow brand of social activism promoted by the store. I attended a reading in the basement by a female author where the sole purpose of the author seemed to be raging against men as part of a metoo movement perspective. I don't understand why this counts as a book, but fine. Now this month, there is a book promoted to by the store called "Blowing my Way to the Top," a title which seems to me to be insensitive to the metoo movement. It seems insensitive to the women's movement. The Bookstore promotes celebration over the Biden election on social media (no one apparently cares that Biden-Obama dropped more than 100,000 bombs, or that it chased out Snowden, or any of the drone killings, or corporate bailouts). You have to just accept that the store will select whatever social cause seems to help promote its goodness. The store read stories on transgender persons to children at children's hour during a 'trans week.' I asked them why. They said it helps promote empathy (if that's the case, you could accomplish the same thing with a disability week). It's such a complicated issue, that I doubt this is useful for children at this level and seems to me more of a projection of cultural priorities onto the children. In addition, some of the literature by female authors promoted by the bookstore seem to be driven by rage rather than character development. In general, I don't see much value in any literature where the entire point of the book is to bring you into the perspective of being trans, female, or etc. That is not yet a book. To simply be a piece or rage or an alternative perspective is not enough to qualify as aesthetic, or a piece of literature. So, that's one promotional trend I don't like. read more

In the age of big stores (which I admit I take advantage of quite frequently), it is SO important to support small, local businesses. Brookline Booksmith is absolutely a business that you should be giving ALL your money. It is beautifully laid out and well-curated, and it's very easy to find whatever you're looking for. My favorite section? Bargains! And no, it's not a huge bin with a bunch of random reject books thrown inside. They are nicely organized and stacked. I went through both the bargain fiction and bargain nonfiction sections and came out with 4 books for a total of less than $30. I have found a new black hole for my wallet. Will be back. read more

I'm quite fond of this place. I suppose I have such an emotional connection to it because I grew up so close to it and made tons of local trips to it throughout my childhood and as I developed into what I would like to think as adulthood. I love how you can go and get books or cards (they have a pretty good selection) or just hang. Throughout high school, I would frequent our poetry fest, held every year where high schoolers and teachers alike would come up and read their poems. I would be the sappy lovey dovey one who would read hers and be embarrassed at the end when everyone aww-ed at her poem. They have talks about books and authors coming to meet people all the time. It's a nice event to attend if you want to feel like a true intellectual. Haha. This bookstore holds so many memories for me. It is seriously awesome. read more

They special ordered a tough to find book! Thanks guys! Also, they always support local charities. So, I'm a huge fan. Great place to have around the neighborhood. I try to never buy books on Amazon, even though they are cheaper on line, because I need to support my local Bookstore...wonderful place to hang out, read gazilion books and, yes, buy something. read more

Adorable local bookstore! I could have browsed on this store all day. Definitely check out the gift items and fun jewelry (most of it is really nicely priced). read more

Book store heaven!!!!! New books upstairs. Used books downstairs. Also has a variety of original gifts (fun socks, pottery, pins, cards, gag gifts, original tea flavors, stationary, jewelry, coloring books, journals, etc.) Could easily spend (and, I have) hours there. read more

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I have been coming here for years and always find excellent books and gifts. We have appreciated the measures they have taken during COVID and find that order and pick up communication is good. Looking forward to returning in person soon. read more

I really like the idea of a neighborhood bookstore, and this store is awesome! It's got a quaintness to it that has allowed me to enjoy a range of periodicals and to pass hours in the A/C on hot days or seek refuge from the cold or rain. I love the used book section and have been lucky to find some of the more current and popular books for less. However, when selling, they didn't offer as much I thought they would. Anyway, upstairs is the new books and bargain books as well as stationery, greeting cards, and quirky gifts. The staff is very knowledgeable and can make recommendations if you ask. If the checkout line is long, they'll make an announcement on the overhead system and ask for more assistance to speed things along. The store will also host author signings and readings from time to time, and I like that they stay open late every night. read more

This place is awesome! Very well lit, organized, fully stocked. I came in to check out some cookbooks-- they had all the books I was looking for and some more! I could spend hours here. You can also go downstairs for the used section (take a left right when you walk in). They also have a wide selection of cards, unique gifts, and Boston souvenirs. Definitely recommend stopping here for books and gift shopping. read more

Best place for used books. Their selection of foreign language titles is really impressive (French, Spanish, Russian) as is the entire downstairs. I have found beautiful books and major titles upstairs so attractively priced I could not resist. read more

59 years and counting! Special place at the heart of a special town with a unique book offering. great author events making this a cultural hub for social discourse and personal discovery. and awesome holiday gifts :) read more

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I love this place. I could stay here for hours reading each little recommendation. They have a great selection of pens and sketchbooks as well! read more

I've been here a few times now since COVID and the staff are really going out of their way to make sure the traffic stays in one direction and people are able to safely enjoy book stores again. This has always been my favorite bookstore but I am even more impressed now with how it's handling the pandemic in a friendly and professional way. Thank you from one of your regular Brookline residents! read more

Absolutely brilliant. Used and new books, gifts galore. If you are a book worm, this is a lovely place to spend sometime. Shop local, f**** Amazon. read more

This is my new favorite bookstore in Boston. They sell the cutest items, latest books, and have some sweet bargains. The inside of the bookstore is just adorable. It also has an amazing children section. I highly recommend this place for anyone in the area or people who are visiting Boston. Definitely will be back!! read more

Brookline Booksmith - Cute children section - Bookstores Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

A beautiful bookstore! Felt like they had a unique selection of books, and awesome sales! Definitely need to come back soon.

I rarely get to ever go to a real bookstore and while walking around Brookline, my friend told me this was a MUST stop when she was in the neighborhood. I came in with the mindset of just looking around- it's rare now a days for me to just pick up a random book and fall in love. This place is pretty large and has a selection of everything, from coffee mugs and stress drawing books, to a whole basement of lightly used books. I found two books for 11$! You can also sell some of your old books here which is awesome. I never knew I missed buying cheaper, used books until I stepped in here. read more

When you live in Coolidge Corner, you feel like you actually are a part of a little shopping community. A plentiful selection of little independent-ish stores makes you feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside. When you come across old pictures of Coolidge Corner, you imagine that maybe things haven't changed much, except for the cancerous growth of cell phone stores that, for whatever reason, feels the need to take over everything right and good with this little treasure on the C line. Which brings me to the Brookline Booksmith. Packed with books, run by awesome people, very active within the community, those are just the obvious reasons why you should like the bookstore. You gotta hand it to a business that can compete with a Barnes and Noble right down the street. You know I lived in Coolidge Corner for at least 7 months before I even realized there was a Barnes and Noble there? So this one time I was in the Booksmith, lookin at all the computer books, when this old guy asked me if I could see a book for some particularly esoteric programming language. A quick sweep of the section showed no winners, so i sheepishly told him how to get to Barnes and Noble. I felt a little pang of regret over that, and now I'm sure I'm going to indie bookstore hell. People think "Booksmith" and they think "Oooh. Books. New Books. Author Signings. Ooooh." And that's all fun and good, but for real, you wanna know the REAL magic of the booksmith, you gotta look in the basement, yo! The used book section blows my friggin mind every time I go down there. I'm somewhat of a dorkface, so I always check out the Science section and the Science Fiction section. The science fiction section has ALL the classics. TONS of Orson Scott Card, but surprisingly, no Philip K. Dick? And the Science section looks like some quantum mechanics professor had a yard sale. I get giddy and also somehwat overwhelmed just standing there staring at it. All the other sections are also really awesome, for all you "normal, non-dorky people" out there. And while you're in the basement, you can check out the video selection. A little backstory, from what I could piece together from living in Coolidge Corner, is that there was a video store either next door or two doors down, and it was huge, and they had puzzles in there and stuff. Then, something bad must have happened. And a cellphone store took over, and they stored the best of the best of the video section in the basement of the bookstore. Everytime I go down there, I think of that cellphone store and I curse it. And then I marvel at the impressive hard-to-find and indie selection. What cracks me up about the video section is they have VIDEOS in it. My friend will go with me to pick a movie out, and he keeps suggesting VHS movies. I have mastered the art of glazing over anything VHS, although admittedly I do keep a dusty old VCR in my closet just in case I go down to the Booksmith with a hankering to watch some crazy movie from the "Cult" section. I can't even drop a reference here though because, seriously, I have that glazing thing mastered. To Perfection. And finally, there's a "Gifts" section upstairs that sells wind-up toys. Which are the bomb. To recap, if you need new books, old books, new movies, old movies, or wind up toys, I suggest the Booksmith. Throw the local guy your dollar, it really makes a difference. And screw the cellphone stores... bastards. read more

Oh, Brookline Booksmith, you make me so happy. One part new bookstore, one part used bookstore, and one part adorable card and gift shop, the Booksmith has it all. This is my favorite store in Coolidge Corner to browse, waste some time, and buy things that I didn't know I need until I saw them here (example: cat grass seeds to grow in a little garbage can pot called "Alley Cat". So cute. Or a book of monkey portraits. Also adorable). The staff are always friendly and helpful. If I can't find something, they're happy to walk me over to the item that I'm looking for which is hard to come by in a bookstore these days. They also put out a great newsletter that you can subscribe to by email where they recommend new books, tell you what authors are coming up for readings/signings at the Booksmith and have generally interesting trivia. read more

I'd call this place a hidden gem but it's placed in the most obvious spot in the world: on Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner. I can't walk by without popping in, and I can't walk out without buying something. There are a million tables, just bursting with books I've been meaning to read but haven't gotten around to. The employees are helpful and nice, willing to make recommendations, and don't care if you pull up a seat and start reading. In a world where Border's can't make it, I hope Brookline Booksmith stays for good! read more

I'm reminded how much I love this store whenever I walk through the front door. I went there this past weekend to get a pretty random book for my niece called, A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing and Shout by Paul B. Janeczko and Chris Raschka. I was super bummed when the sales women told me it was sold out, but she didn't stop there. She looked into the other Booksmith locations and was able to find a copy at the Wellesley Booksmith. She was really helpful and super nice (lots of points especially because it was a mad house with the holidays right around the corner.) She took down my name and phone number and said they would be calling me as soon as the book came in. I left with a smile on my face and several other books in my hands. I've had several really great visits to this bookstore and I know there are only more to come! Another perk: this bookstore has a well-stocked used section in the basement where you can find pretty much anything in. Four out of five times, I have found the book I was looking for in the basement, which means less money and recycling (two positives!!) You can also sell your books to the Booksmith! So when it comes to cleaning out and you want to make a little cash off the books you are done with, you can sell them here and make someone else really happy when they find the book they were looking for down there! Another great extra about the Booksmith is that they have events with different authors, called the Writers and Readers Series. These events for the most part are held in the Coolidge Corner Theater right across the street! The events are usually pretty cheap and rang from $5.00 to $20.00. I would definitely recommend this place to friends, family, co-workers and anyone in the yelp world looking for a good book! They also have great cards and trinkets to make a birthday present or any gift complete! read more

My favourite bookstore in the world. The best part is the bargain racks. Making room for the latest books can get you amazing low prices on books that came out a few months ago. $4 for a hardcover! They are open pretty late and it is a great place if you are looking to kill time between meeting friends or waiting for dinner reservations or waiting for a movie to start. They also have great events with amazing authors and speakers. Sign up for their newsletter to get a heads up on the upcomings. Oh and they have a super knick knack section. read more

The Brookline Booksmith is a model of an independent bookstore. Large selection of new books, including many tables of new bargain books that are significantly reduced in price. The store is always busy, but efficiently laid out. The basement is devoted to used books, where I have found some terrific bargains. Really cute kids area with a place for kids to sit and browse. They also sell a lot of non-book gifts items that change seasonally. Staff are very helpful and on multiple occasions have made excellent recommendations to me based on a vague description of what I was looking for. One of the best things about the Booksmith is their hours: open til 10pm during the week and 11pm weekends. Oh, and they outlasted the Barnes and Noble that used to be just up the street, which is pretty cool. read more

It's all been said before. Every self-respecting book lover should be able to hole themselves up in the Booksmith and spend hours combing over their selection. From lit mags such as The Believer, to an amazing selection of autographed books, to the incredible used-book cellar (though, don't go down there thinking you'll be able to pick up some 50 cent paperbacks-- we just don't do that in Brookline), this place can entertain you for hours on end. I always feel comfortable here to sit down, grab a book, and start reading. Most independent bookstores don't allow that. It's pretty obvious. You have to go here. read more

Why Brookline Booksmith is way better and cooler than the nearby Barnes and Nobles: 1. Heeb Magazine with the first ever Jewish swimsuit calender. HAWT. 2. New York Times Jewish Cookbook laid out before all other cookbooks. HAWT. 3. Discounted stack: Book on saying common phrases in Yiddish. Again, HAWT. read more

Love this bookstore! The staff recommendations are detailed, reliable, and soo helpful. Way to inspire your shoppers to purchase :) This is a fun place to hang, shop, or read, and also see your favorite authors read from their new works. I only wish they had a few less knick-knacks to make space for more books and staff recommendations. Love it though. Definitely take a peek if you haven't. read more

Man this is awesome. No I don't want to see another bank or coffee chain or kosher Chinese place in Coolidge Corner. I want to take a stroll on a beautiful Saturday and step into a small local bookshop and come out 3 hours later having learned something (even if that something is that the Kardashians wrote a novel). They have a pretty wide selection considering the size of the store. And the store is full of people who actually like to read! How cool! Come here and learn or be entertained or (inevitably) both! Or do what I usually do and buy a book "for a friend" and somehow end up reading it before either giving it to said friend or, you know, just keeping it. read more

Brookline Booksmith is a time warp that transports you hours into the future in just mere minutes... or at least it feels that way. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has given hours of my life to random pages and book jackets. This is how a bookstore is meant to be - independent with cramped aisles, shelves brimming with books, and random titles by little know authors like Judy Budnitz & Kate Braverman. Love, Brookline Booksmith. Love. read more

Just being independent doesn't make a bookstore great, or even good. There's nothing terribly wrong with Brookline Booksmith but there's nothing heart-stoppingly great about it, either. I've browsed plenty of times but I don't remember ever buying more than a couple of deeply discounted books. Even so, I'd probably give the place four stars if the clientele didn't annoy me so much. Parents of Brookline, hear me now: I know those SUV-sized strollers will be useful if a building happens to fall on your little one but do you really think that's going to happen? Did it ever occur to you that other people would like to pass you by but they can't because you've decided to park that monstrosity in a narrow aisle? What's the matter with you, anyway? That kid must be five years old. Sixty years from now, he's going to be wiping drool off your chin as *he* wheels *you* around. To ensure your own survival, don't you think you should at least teach him to walk? Pardon the rant, but even though I spend a fair amount of time in Coolidge Corner, its denizens frequently piss me off. To be fair, Brookline Booksmith's selection of more "literary" fiction and "art" books is pretty good, and it's a fun place to kill some time when you happen to be in Coolidge Corner. Nevertheless, I'm not going to pay more for a bestseller when I could get it for significantly less than cover price at Border's. I'm happy to do what I can to keep the independents in business, but not when it inconveniences or disadvantages me, and most of the time, Brookline Booksmith is an inconvenience. read more

Brookline Booksmith is a gem of a bookshop! Located slap in the middle of Coolidge Corner opposite the cinema and Upper Crust Pizza and beside Starbucks......hello...no need to go anywhere else! I love coming here on a Friday evening with my little friend or when I can't be arsed, I come here a lot on my own, grab a latte wander the fiction/non-fiction book section, take a pile of books, sit in a corner and go into my own little world, hoping no one will bother me. The Autumn/Winter time is the best time for doing this I think, it's always warm inside, lots of people milling about, looking for their next brilliant read...love that feeling! I like that this is an independent bookshop, there are so few of them left and I support them over those big chain places any day. They have a good selection of gifts and cards too, also the downstairs is a great used book section where you can buy and sell your books...totally cool. They always play class tunes on the sound system too, added bonus. read more

A neighborhood staple, and a great place to browse. Good location, good selection, and great options if you just like to hunt through remaindered books for a serendipitous find. They also have some great author readings, a nice gift department, and a staff that has two most important qualities for their jobs: cheerful and well versed in books. Oh, it would be nice if they had a few more, better chairs, but then the place might be overrun by those annoying people who sit in bookstores for hours and never buy anything. read more

This is by far my favorite place to go to on the weekends. The selection and staff recommendations are amazing. The downstairs is like a treasure chest. They have such a great assortment of genres for books and the absolute best sales. There are a ton of events that go on here and the bookstore does a great job of promoting literature and literary events. The staff are also a great reason to return. They are genuinely nice and knowledgeable which makes the experience that much more enjoyable. read more

I love this place! It's so much fun to just browse. This store isn't that big so you will probably only find popular stuff rather than rare books. If you know that going in, however, you should have an enjoyable time. There are bargain tables for fiction and non-fiction, and there are some great finds there. There is also sometimes a section for books recommended by staff. In the back there is a section for toys. Most of these are junk, but the costume jewelry selection is really nice and I have a few items from there. Downstairs is a used bookstore that will buy most books you bring in. The used books are cheaper down the street at Rodney's used books but if you have anything you don't want anymore, bring it to the basement at Brookline Booksmith and you can get quite a bit of store credit. read more

Any place that lets me bring my dog in wins my heart over! People are very helpful there, they have a nice selection of books and if you go to the basement you get your AHA! moment, used books at a much lower price! and good books too! Between you and me, my favorite part is the little section on the side of the store next to the greeting cards where you can find cute little things such as notebooks, paper clips, candles, etc In conclusion, Brookline Booksmith makes me smile! read more

It's hard to ever walk by Brookline Booksmith without popping in to browse. Whether by myself, with my partner, or with friends, I always like to stop in and look around. I can't resist the siren song of shelves of books, candles, cute little home goods, fun socks, and a truly tempting selection of journals. It's just a genuinely nice store to spend time in--a little oasis in the world. Walking in takes away the stress of the world and replaces it with endless possibility for new reading material and inspiration. Though it's small, I especially love their section of queer books. They always have new selections and the most recent publications, so it's great for checking out what's recent in queer publishing and finding a new title that way. I've found a lot of great books I didn't know about previously just by browsing--even one that I ended up giving to my parents to help them "get it" after I came out to them (it worked, so thank you). The staff is great. They're so friendly and engaging, and you can tell they're very knowledgeable about the store and the latest books. They all seem like genuinely cool people. You can also order online, which is a great option to still support a wonderful local store even when buying a book that's not typically stocked on their physical shelves. This was true even before covid, but now I'm especially glad I can still support one of my favorite Coolidge Corner stores even from a distance. read more

I never thought that a bookstore in Coolidge Corner could amuse me for hours. It turns out, this hidden treasure of Boston has some of the best deals on books, greeting cards and small gifts. Have you seen star wars? Imagine Barnes and Noble as the Death Star and Brookline Booksmith as a bunch of Jedi Nights. Or have you watched 'V' on ABC? Imagine Barnes and Noble as the 'V's and Brookline Booksmith as the Fifth Column. And in case you haven't seen any of those, imagine Barnes and Noble as the stepsisters and Brookline Booksmith as Cinderella. Brookline Booksmith (Cinderella) has to work harder than Barnes and Noble (the stepsisters) in order to win over the prince (the customers)- but in the end, Cinderella is bette and prettier and wins the prince's (customers) loyalty and love. The shoe (book) fits! To make a long story short- for books, come here instead of the corporate giants to not only support a smaller business, but because it is just so much better. And then they all lived happily ever after. read more

This place is so cool and awesome and wonderful. It goes beyond the regular title of 'book store' and becomes something else entirely. I was wandering aimlessly in this area when I realized I was walking by this place, and had to go in due to the good buzz I've heard here and from friends in the area. It seems as though they have a good, solid selection of interesting books. Even better, though - they have a whole section of interesting non-book stuff. I found an action figure here that I thought I'd have to order on eBay just in time to be a Chanukah gift for my boss, and while I was here, I found three other things that were just perfect. So thanks to Brookline Booksmith, I've got a handful of great gift selections. Other notes: cool people were shopping here. It seems like a very friendly place. The employees were very personable, and while I was waiting in line, I watched several people walk in and be greeted by name by the staff. That's the kind of place I like to shop. If you're ever in the area, you have to go in. If you're ever looking for unusual gift ideas, you should make it a point to swing by. If you're just looking for a cool place to kill some time and make new friends, this be the spot. Go. Now. read more