A cute independent bookstore nestled in the heart of Victoria, MN!…read more This was my first stop on the 2024 Indie Bookstore Passport and it was a great way to start the day! Victoria is a cute little town and Chapter One is a lovely addition. There is a large section for younger readers and the adult section has many of the newest popular reads. The service was friendly and welcoming, making this a great stop if you're looking for a friendly bookstore!

The cutest bookstore I've ever been to! Great book selection, great book related gifts, and great…read morevibes. i highly recommend checking this place out! Thank you for a great experience :)

My new "hot" spot in downtown Elk River! Grand opening of a new & used bookstore. Cozy spot along…read morethe downtown with a welcoming vibe! In this warm & friendly shop, they have dedicated about half the space to their children's area! Excellent service found here! Think the opposite of Barnes & Noble and more like the corner meeting bookshop! I found an unbelievable deal: The Ultimate Crochet Bible (hardback, 304 pages, brand new condition) for $13.95 (retail £25 in the UK, $29.95 in the US). I couldn't find this online for anywhere near this price, especially since it is in pristine condition. Lots of paperbacks, book bags, kids books-all new & used! Stop in and take a browse!

Small and intimate space, but a fantastic hometown bookstore vibe. A great selection of used books…read morealong with some great new books as well.

Loved this cozy and unique bookstore. I also appreciated the history behind the buildings previous…read moretenant, the phone company. Great photos of he switchboard room and operators! I could have spent hours here!!

This was my 20th stop on the Indie Bookstore Passport tour. It sells used and rare books. The…read morestacks here felt curated and well organized, which I appreciated. Often times a used bookstore chooses to organize in a somewhat random fashion, so their eye to detail and curation is welcomed. The wood tones and lighting here were cozy. There is street parking available.

Ben Around Books has the best selection of books that I have seen in a long time and I used to work…read moreat a book store when I went to college. The owners are fantastic and funny. They also have their own book for sale so get it signed while your there. Both owners are also military veterans who care about their community and treat each person who enters the store with dignity and respect. I look forward to seeing them monthly.

Ben Around Books is a great used book store. The store will offer you trade in credit for your own…read moreused books and the owner Monica Moore is very knowledgeable. Plus she sells books on Amazon so if you need help locating a book she doesn't have she can help you with those requests.

Very well curated selection. All the other positives in the other reviews here are true!read more

Weird and wonderful, eclectic selection of used books in a pocket-sized space. The first book that…read morecaught my eye was a book in French about China. My husband saw a book about making soymilk and a graphic introduction to Derrida directly opposite. How many bookstores can give you that kind of experience? It's the kind of store where you will find your college reading list (words of one fellow customer). Or that old cookbook that your Mom used to have. That random book your college friend told you about but you never bothered to pick up. A classic graphic novel that your art class peers recommended. You won't find everything you ever wanted to read, but there's a good chance you will find something that you didn't know you wanted to read. The store is a real community effort. One of the owner's friends happened to be there, and said that the owner had another store-full of books in his house. He had been collecting books over 15-20 years, carefully curating them for just this time. The shelves were made with brackets from a local department store that was closing. The owner's brother made the beautiful book cases on the floor. We found this place by chance looking for something to do Christmas day. In the spirit of the bookstore name, they had Jewish trivia, bagels, and mimosas. Some other people trickled in for the trivia, others did kind of float in and browse the books. We gathered around a small table toward the front and had a blast. The store was closing up soon after our trivia game ended, so I'll be back at some other time when it's warmer. A great addition to the neighborhood!

Love independent book stores, so no surprise I found this spot quaint and refreshing. The building…read moreit's located in is over hundred years old and you can feel it in the low ceilings and incredible library ladders and stairs. The store is deep and keeps going too the further you explore inward. An impressive selection of topics are available. It's an old bookstore but it's got contemporary finds. I was especially pleased with their LGBTQ+ and gender studies sections-- I could read forever and never get through all the books they had! Prices seem to be reliably a hair off MSRP, which is nice considering today's economy. It can be expensive to stay educated! The employees were all quite friendly and eager to assist in helping me find what I was looking for. They also have things like puzzles, journals, planners, calendars, greeting cards, stickers, postcards, and more, along with their own merch of T-shirts, sweatshirts, book bags, mugs, etc.

I'm a professional author so I'm passionate about local bookstores. I've been coming here a few…read moreyears. I don't know why it has taken me so long to review, but this is my favorite place in the Twin Cities to buy books. I used to live uptown and now live pretty far away, but I still make the journey here. As other reviewers have noted, it's bigger than it looks. A grower not a show-er. A clown car of books. I have sold books here and also bought used books here, which I love, because that's the only way I can afford to read as much as I want. A library card only gets you so far when you're on a crazy long waitlist for a new release. So far, I've never not been able to find what I want here. Staff is very helpful. They have a nice little children's section too. I always try to give books as a gift to kids. And I love that they give free bookmarks at checkout, because I like to read multiple books at a time.

I was out walking today when I noticed this little bookstore and decided to step inside. It's a…read morenice size not as large as some independent bookstores but the selection is excellent. There were so many books I wanted to take home. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. She asked what I was looking for and made me feel completely at ease. I ended up buying one of my favorites, Children of the World. I believe this is a newer edition, which made me like the store even more. It's a lovely bookstore with a strong mix of fiction, non-fiction, and international titles. I really enjoyed my visit and plan to come back again.

This was my 8th stop on the Indie Bookstore Passport tour, and it is close to Macalester. I was…read moreimpressed with the book selection; they seemed to have a little bit of all genres. There was an abundance of local authors featured throughout the store. I liked the bookish events offered, including silent reading club. The staff were warm and welcoming, and they checked in as I was browsing, asking if I needed help. There is street parking, and a public parking lot around the corner from the store.

There's always a deal and an amazing book waiting for you in this store... it can get crowded…read morequick, the staff are friendly. They have music and gifts as well. Personally I love this place for RPG and paranormal books. Prices are usually fair... but sometimes something's are a bit over priced...

Great place to buy books Huge selection…read moreMostly good prices Friendly helpful staff Not a great place to sell stuff though