Had a cvs appt and was waiting, decided on finally going in this bookstore because of the lgbtqia flag. I don't find many places in the area that vocally align with my beliefs and values. Once I got closer to the door I saw stickers about anti-ice and Palestine... so awesome. Staff was so kind and also very attentive when I asked about books on Sudan. They hadn't had any but considered my topic for future book inventory. Left with a book to restart my reading journey again. I praise them for their values! The selection of books is perfect for someone who leans more towards the left and beyond. read more

Cellar Door Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Riverside, California

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I was passing by the area and I was glad to find this book store. Staff is very friendly and willing to help if you're looking for something specific. They are also willing to order something for you if they don't have it in their store. I'm very happy with the diverse selection they have. Not only do they have a few popular books, but they also have books that I've never heard of before. They are also very culturally diverse too! You can sign up for their rewards program with your name at the register, which is if you buy 10 books you get some money off a book after that. Very cozy ambience and grateful they had a bathroom since I was commuting from OC. I was a little sad that I missed their furry mascot, who was on vacation. I will definitely come back if I'm passing by. read more

Cellar Door Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Riverside, California

It was nice visiting Cellar Door at their new location, though I'm still sad about their departure from Canyon Crest. I have to admit to a soft spot for Cellar Door because of the name (the same as a creative writing magazine at UNC CH...and apparently very phonoaesthetic). Overall just a lovely bookstore with exactly the right kind of vibes. Great selection with wonderful curation. Staff Picks are always nice, with a synopsis and brief explanation about the rationale for the pick. It's been a while, but I'm hoping to come back soon, especially for the events! read more

I was looking for a local bookstore and I came across this one! I love the way all the books are assembled and the kid area in the back! They also have many book clubs to choose from! I was able to grab a Halloween children's book and another children's book! The store was clean and so was the bathroom! The two employees were kind and helpful! read more

This cozy bookstore is in transition to a new location. While they are closed you are encouraged to visit the website where you can order books from them. The new location is in Mission Village... not far from the Canyon Crest area, 473 E. Alessandro Blvd, Suite B, Riverside 92508. For Bibliophiles this place hits all the right notes with the offering of new authors, suggesting different titles, and engaging staff willing to help you find that perfect next read. Respectfully Reviewed. read more

Book off is way better, terrible customer service and poor selection of books and prices, even Barnes and Noble is better than this place

I wanted to take my granddaughter to a book store and found they were closed today. Reading the storefront window, I felt it was probably for the best. My goodness! All I wanted to do was buy a book not be politically influenced, we get enough of this daily. DO Better! read more

Favorite indie bookstore in Riverside. I love that their new location is closer to me. I'm finding that I'm making a purchase nearly every month. Linda and all the employees are fantastic. They have a great selection, offer great recommendations, and you can easily pick up online orders in store. Everyone is always so friendly and I love finding any excuse to drop in. read more

Visited the bookstore for the first time today and was impressed by the store and the friendly owner who helped with recommendations on good reads. read more

This is one of my favorite independently owned bookstores the owner Linda is so amazing and helpful this bookstore is one of my go-to because they are always here to help the community and I can always rely on them to assist our community whether it's a book drive or a fundraiser they are always here to help. read more

Cellar Door Bookstore is a weekly, sometimes bi-weekly, visit for both my husband and I. This bookstore is FILLED with books of all genres and age groups. I often find that many bookstores are catered towards our young readers but Cellar Door tastefully displays their collections under handmade signage, adding such a warm and inviting feeling. Linda, the owner, along with the rest of the staff are BEYOND kind and helpful. The vibes are literally love, peace, and books. I love listening to Linda and her staff discuss books with such passion, it's a refreshing conversation for a book worm like myself. Also- this bookstore has "Staff Picks" where sometimes a specific title is recommended by a staff member including their reasoning as to why AND a short synopsis. Lastly, It feels amazing to support a LOCAL bookstore with such character and warmth, while still only paying value prices found at larger box bookstores. Please pay Cellar Door a visit! read more

a staple in the community! they have a great selection of books and very helpful staff to find you exactly the book you're looking for. I prefer to come here to make my purchases than B&N because I always end up getting something new that I wasn't expecting to find. read more

I have bought almost 20 books from this place! I keep going back because they have little children's books in Spanish that I can't find anywhere else for my nieces. I appreciate that they are culturally sensitive and have a broad selection of books for all kinds of tastes and age groups and in various languages. This mom and pop shop is a little treasure in Riverside and I try my best to support them as best as possible. Sometimes the books are more expensive than online but that is something that I am ok with in order to support this shop. You can make special orders too. Things to consider with Covid-19: The bookstore is always locked and the way to get in is by knocking and they will come over and open the door for you, give you some hand sanitizer, and allow you in. You must wear a mask! I really appreciate all their efforts to keep everyone safe! Thank you! read more

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I'm currently healing from a traumatic brain injury and have found refuge in audiobooks. So I was so excited to find that cellar door has various book clubs! I checked out their calendar, spoke to a gentleman on the phone and got myself ready for July's Bookclubs! Wanting to check out their Feminist, Diverse Romance, and Latinx Bookclubs, I spent the last month reading The Lost Journals of Sacajewea, Before I Let Go, and Velvet was the Night. I figured I'd check out which club I connected with the most. I went to attend the Feminist Book Club on 7/2, but the store was closed. Weird but discovered their AC was broken and had moved all their Bookclubs to zoom meetings. Totally understandable! When I asked if I could receive the zoom links for the Diverse Romance&LatinX Bookclubs - I was denied. I guess I couldn't receive the zoom links unless I purchased the actual book from Cellar Books. :( There was no mention of this during my initial phone call, nor online. I feel like I was blindsided. Especially because I spent the last month getting on my library's waitlist, using my audible credits, and actually getting through the books in preparation for the month of July. I currently can't read physical books because of my TBI vision struggles and I've opted for an audible annual membership. I tried to explaining my circumstances and was even planning on purchasing future bookclub books once I checked out the clubs. It would be amazing to support a local bookstore. But there was no budging. My husband seeing how defeated i felt, even tried contacting the bookstore just to try to convince them, but no luck. He was even just going to purchase the books/audio membership just so I could attend the remaining book clubs in July but I told him not to spend the money. Why would I invest in them when they weren't willing to open doors? And I know it's not a big deal to them but for me it was: I've spent the last couple of years in dark rooms, not being able to speak, drive, dress myself, watch tv, go out in the sun, work, dance and live the active and vibrant lifestyle I once had. Audiobooks have literally saved me and it wasn't until recently that I've felt physically able to finally put myself out there and maybe join a bookclub. Meeting so many barriers with Cellar Doors just sucked all around. Btw, the female front desk person- her people skills need work. Also, please update your bookclub page online. There was no mention that all Bookclubs had moved to zoom on the actual Bookclub page read more

This is a terrific independent bookstore, one of very few. The selection is well-curated (not just best-sellers) and the staff and owner are friendly and knowledgeable. I always find something interesting. Most of the negative reviews on Yelp are from anti-maskers who can and should be ignored. read more

They are great. I always take my nephews when the come to town. They tell the owner what subject book they eat and she finds it! I am excited to visit their new location. They also have a lot of books for African American children and I appreciate that. read more

Nice bookstore. There are some good selections. Would return in the future. Recommend.

A wonderful independent owned bookstore. The staff is knowledgeable abt all the books and authors. They are also passionate abt making a change in society. I made an apt the same day. When I walked in I was greeted and offered hand sanitizer. I was then given a small introduction to the store. Everyone was super nice and friendly and were always checking in on us. They also offered lots of recommendations. Cellar Door Bookstore is super neat bc they offer several book clubs! I was very interested in the LGBT book club. The book they have this month is called Broken. All the books related to the several book clubs were organized neatly on a specific table. The meetings are hosted over Zoom once a month. As I made my way around the bookstore I really enjoyed how everything was organized! I found myself lost in the memoir, nature, fiction and spiritual sections. I could spend all day here. I finally left with 3 books, however I wasn't done looking around lol but I figured I should just buy what I'm going to read. I can't wait to come back! I signed up for their newsletter and learned abt the many q&a they host with authors. Everything abt this bookstore is solid. read more

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Love this place. Found a Filipino folk tale book for my grandkids. Lovely person up front, not intrusive, but helpful. Prices on par with other bookstores. read more

Well stocked. Knowledgeable, nice, and helpful staff. Linda recommended one of my favorite reads - never would have found it without her!

It feels like a bookstore should - inviting, literary, unstuck in time . . . words on pages from two centuries ago and more, as well as the fresh smell of printers ink put to paper maybe only days ago. A magical portal that when you pluck a journey and take it, will be there waiting for your return, with another and another and another. Reading groups. Guest authors. Books. Wonderfully curated. Calling for readers. read more

Felt very uncomfortable the minute we stepped in with two children. Was followed around and told that the girls were not to take books off the shelves ( they assumed it was like a library) that's fine...but we were constantly given children books on wokeness and change in picture book forms. We just wanted a fun story to buy, not a lesson on progressiveness. We left but I noticed all the names of so called media victims were on the window with window markers. Wow! We just wanted a kids book. Not going back....geez!!! read more

I have been bringing my little one here since she was 1 and we love it! Owner and employees are always so sweet and engage in conversations with us about our interests and always find us the perfect books to add to our collection. Highly recommend this place, support your local shops! read more

Cellar Door Bookstore - Children's Book - Bookstores Near Me - Riverside, California

Great selection of children's books Great location and so inviting to browse the store. I highly recommend this store for your local purchases. I prefer the friendly staff over large books stores any day. I have to purchase a large selection of books and this is my go to store! read more

This is an amazing bookstore that really creates a community. They host space for a wide variety of monthly book clubs. I regularly attend two of them. When I've asked for book recommendations as gifts for young school-age family members, they're super spot on. e.g. "11 year-old girl who likes kangaroos," and suddenly I've multiple books to choose from in the correct reading level. And, then the feedback from my family is they love the books. I've been able to purchase books through their website to pick up at the store, and occasionally deliver. I can't recommend them enough. I'm amending my review to address the mask issue from a lot of recent reviews: their mask policy is posted clearly on the door. I'm okay with their policy because I don't know what health issues the employees may have, and wearing a mask isn't a burden, while getting sick while trying to run a small business is. I'm a customer enough that I've seen this occur, unmasked people coming in. IIRC, at one point, they offered people masks, only to have those folks walk away. No one is chased off. No one is spoken to rudely. They just restate what's posted on the door - which I would expect that people coming into a bookstore could read... read more

We were so excited when we saw this flyer and wanted this to be our baby's first public event. We brought our baby out in the pouring rain only to be turned away at the door for not having a reservation. Nowhere on this flyer does it say that we needed a reservation. So disappointed. read more

Cellar Door Bookstore - Flyers for drag queen story time - Bookstores Near Me - Riverside, California

Really disappointing trip. My family is comprised of avid readers and I really want to support local book stores but I can't in this case. The two employees were way more interested that I wear a mask than finding a book. Even when I was asked if I could find everything I was looking for and answered 'no'....nothing. Combined with a poor selection I cannot recommend this book store to anyone. read more

My family loves this place. It's nice to have a welcoming and inclusive bookstore in our area. They have a diverse selection of picture books we read aloud, and my early readers are able to find chapter books and graphic novels that fit their interests. I've received great staff recommendations and when I can't find the perfect book they are always happy to order one in. The owner and employees have been very kind and patient with my kids, even when they're being a little silly. I appreciate the selection of inclusive books for all ages and the community atmosphere. read more

Cellar Door Books is my go-to indie bookstore in the IE! I have never visited when I haven't wanted to leave with 10 or more books. They have such an amazing selection of fiction and non-fiction that touches on a very broad range of interest areas and genres. I typically don't go in with anything specific in mind, but after browsing, my curiosity is set afire and I suddenly "need" far more books than I can read in a reasonable time or afford -haha! So I tell myself I can get 2, but usually treat myself to 4 or 5... My favorite binges I've treated myself to surround feminism and politics, racial and social justice issues, California history and travel (state, regional and local), and comedy/satire. The staff always ask if I need assistance, but are also happy to let me browse if that's all that's on my agenda. On the rare occasion I do have something specific in mind, it can be hit or or miss whether they have it in stock, but the staff have *always* been super helpful in double-checking their stock for me and then if necessary, ordering it for me. I always just pick up my orders from the store, rather than have it shipped -- it gives me an excuse to see what else is new and maybe grab a few more literary treasures for my reading queue! read more

I love reading! This is a quaint bookstore with a good selection of books. I don't live in the area but when I'm in Riverside, I try to visit the bookstore. Every business has the right to do whatever they want and with that being said, this place requires masks to enter. As of March 2023, they still require masks. If you don't have one, they will redirect you to Rite-Aid to purchase one. Just a heads up. read more

The sisters and I decided to go book shopping, even though we all already have a stack of tbr--but hey you can never have enough books. At the same time we wanted to help small business owners and decided to pay this bookstore a visit. Fortunately, the shop is taking precautionary measures regarding Covid-19. Which I immensely appreciate! They have a system wherein you schedule an appointment for your party, not sure if there's a limit--we were a party of five. Masks are a requirement and they provide hand sanitizer before entering the shop. The shop itself is locked during the appointment, which is twenty minutes and it's only one party at a time. Initially, I planned only to purchase one book...but left with five! Same situation happened to my sisters and we are very happy with our new books. The owner is to blame, she is super helpful when looking for a particular genre and offered several recommendations. I think it was really neat that her knowledge on the books is based off her actually reading them and not just on the synopsis. Additionally, they 'host' book clubs across a wide range of genres. Overall, we loved the place and will continue as patrons. Books from picture: Wake, Siren by Nina Maclaughlin; The Best Bad Things by Katrina Carrasco; And I Darken by Kiersten White; Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore; The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez read more

Cellar Door Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Riverside, California

Local, non-corporation owned book store. Great selection, organized very well, And a very helpful staff. There is also a nice handful of book groups that meet here. read more

Cellar Door Bookstore - Overall. - Bookstores Near Me - Riverside, California

We attempted to visit the store but were immediately turned away for not having a mask. I understand establishments who request a mask but those establishments have the decency to offer one to their customers. Of course we didn't have a mask as the mandate was lifted months ago and we are vaccinated. This interaction made me reflect at past experiences, they were never great and I always felt that the owner was a grouch. I never complained but my recent encounter brings me here. After reading several reviews it seems like it's time for the owner to tap out. I will absolutely not return, won't encourage anyone I know to shop here and urge newcomers to take their business down the road to Barnes and Noble. read more

Alright buckle up and let me take you on the ride that is this Yelp review. Rather than start with my own opinions (which are admittedly biased because I myself am a small business owner in Riverside, yes an actual brick&mortar business, so that does sway me towards higher standards for customer service) -- I will just start with a transcript of my interactions that have influenced this review. Let us begin. Me: *orders 2 books, 1 for myself, 1 for a friend's birthday that is 3 weeks away* Me at the time of order: *surprised that the owner is being so nice because I remember her being rude in the past* Time: *goes by* Me: *calling after a week to check for delivery date* VERY Nice Employee Girl: The website isn't giving me a delivery date but just keep calling to check on your order. "IN FACT, WE ENCOURAGE IT." Me: Oh ok sure! Me: *calls on the two week mark to check again, since I was LITERALLY encouraged to do so* Owner: Why would you call? We'll call you. Me: Oh the employee told me you encourage it. Owner: This isn't next-day Amazon. Me: Ha-ha, that's a good one. Well I'd like to maybe cancel the part of the order that was intended to be a gift since the party is coming up. Owner: I can't do that. Best I can do is give you a credit. Me: Hmmm...ok.. Owner: "Again, I'm not sure why you thought this was next-day Amazon. 2 weeks is not a long time." Me: *now officially offended at the compete lack of an attempt at customer service* I never thought it'd be next-day, it's been 2 weeks and it's an already published book, not a pre-order. 2 weeks is a long time for mail. I was literally TOLD to call by your employee who was way nicer than you. Owner: "I don't have time to look up orders all day." ME: OKAY HERE IS YOUR TIME BACK *HANGS UP* Listen. I'm all for being anti-Amazon, but the reason behind that philosophy is to support real human beings in your community. So it sucks if the real human being you're trying to support cares more about getting in as many passive aggressive insults as she can in your brief 5 minute conversation, over being kind or at the VERY least having basic customer service skills. I've supported this store for years, I've bought many books here. I always knew the owner was moody and not my favorite to interact with, but I overlooked it because like I said, I myself own a small business and I understand the importance of that support. To conclude, this is a bad review because I had a bad experience. I won't be coming back here. I think there are other small bookstores that work harder at bringing joy to readers and deserve your support more than this one does. read more

Owner is cold and terribly rude. Even though there are children's books she clearly does not want children inside (even well behaved kids). So. . . take out the entire children's section and cater to only the groups you enjoy selling to. Seems to be a trend with families coming in from what I can see from other reviews. It's baffling to me that they just wouldn't stop letting kids and families in. Instead it's almost as if she enjoys hovering, making people feel uncomfortable and just making the entire experience as unpleasant as possible. Super weird thing to continue doing, you could just STOP. read more

Great local spot with friendly staff. I loved the book recommendation that they gave on my last visit. Check out their book clubs and events. read more

Cellar book store is one of the last independent book stores that supports and welcomed everyone to be inspired and cultivate a love of reading! Thank you for your amazing community presence read more

This is an excellent indie bookstore! It stocks some seriously cool titles which are a mix of popular and unknown. They're decently priced for an indie store but expect to pay anywhere from 11-20$ for a single book. If you frequent bookstore you've come to begrudging accept this fate as the price we pay for nice things. The vibe in the store is wicked. They've got a small history section, albeit, but a pretty well cultivated fiction section that makes up for it. While it didn't feel like a place you could grab a book and sit down for a precursor read, the staff were super friendly and I don't think they'd mind if you asked. They've got a long wooden table with leather comfy looking chairs that really begged to be sat at. read more

Cellar Door Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Riverside, California

Not a friendly atmosphere. I feel like I'm on the show Portlandia. In addition, it's an uptight environment. I want to love the book store because it's charming looking. However, when I go in it's a cold environment. I went in because my friend had never been in there before and she was thinking about applying to work there. She quickly changed her mind once she experienced what it was like. read more

Great staff recommendations, both in person & monthly on social media. Great community events. I 100% prefer buying here & supporting my local small business. read more