For safety, you have to ring a doorbell to be let inside. And when you ring that doorbell, odds are an opinionated chihuahua will be the first at the door to greet you. Once inside, I was greeted by a second dog whose nose was auspiciously shaped like a heart who enthusiastically loved on me before moving on to my husband. I mean, I've never been greeted like this before in a bookstore and now I don't ever NOT wanted to be greeted like that! This store is small but mighty with a book that I've been lowkey searching for for months (Marsha: The Joy and Defiance) and another that I had on my audiobook list but was happy to purchase as it was signed by the author (Keeper of Lost Children). I love independent bookstores. There's just something about searching and finding just what you're looking for. I can't wait to return again soon. read more

Charm City Books - Logo on bag - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Cute Black-owned bookstore. They seem to be a great local indie for the area with many author events. Parking was a little hard to find on the street so we had to walk several blocks. Still worth the effort! read more

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The selection and the Staff. I went today looking for one book and found another I had been looking for. Thanks read more

Charm City Books - The history of the Village Voice. - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Once again, at their Franklin St location they had a great featured author book event. I got to spend 2 hours with SA Cosby. It was a great discussion and I got my book personally signed by him! Be warned...they have a big dog a they let him roam freely By the way they have a huge selection of books read more

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Baltimore has a lot of really incredible independent bookstores, and Charm City Books is my favorite! They have a great selection, and I particularly love their staff picks and backlists. I can always find something good to read there. I love the cozy and whimsical ambiance of the store, and they have fantastic events. Definitely check out Charm City Books if you're looking for your next great read! read more

Charm City Books - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Amazing Bookstore and so glad my husband found this place! This charming and black owned bookstore has a very well curated selection of books. They also let you have date night here! For my birthday my husband booked a few hours after the store had closed where we had dinner, champagne, music in the background and I was able to eat, drink, and read books to my hearts content. He really did his big one at this. The owner was super nice and accommodating and the idea of date night in a bookstore was a huge hit! Cannot wait to go back and I have been telling everyone I can that they need to get to Charm City books and pick up their next reading option read more

Charming and delightfully curated indie bookshop, with a friendly and helpful staff, membership perks, great coffee and tea, locally made products and compelling author events. read more

Immaculate bookstore vibes. The selection is excellent, the staff are friendly, and it's just such a wonderful place to browse for books.

What a fun bookstore! Located on the main street in Pigtown, this independent bookstore is run by a passionate couple. Blasting music, enter into a world of books spread out on two floors. The first floor has most of their books with children's books and a play space up stairs. Visiting during Independent Bookstore Day, they hid tiny jars throughout the store for customers to find. Inside were gift cards, discounts, etc. They also host many events. For a date night, you can rent the entire store. You bring the food and they provide the drinks (and a store discount). So fun! read more

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WHAT A GREAT FIND. Each time I wander into the city, I tryout a new coffee house, do something historic/artsy and venture into a new bookstore. Charm City Books is nestled into the perfect area to do all the above and more. Next door is Zeke's Coffee and across the street is a recycling art center. Charm City Books is my favorite bookstore thus far due to the amount of occult, witchcraft, spiritual/ritual, and esoteric-like books that reveal the hidden mysteries behind secret societies, the supernatural, occult philosophies, and other fascinating stories. A purchased treasure from this store will be sure to bring out the witch or warlock from within. Dog/kid friendly. Call-in orders/local pickup available. Waitlisted books available. Tends to ship book orders for under $5.00. read more

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I came here after seeing a few amazing TikToks, and am so glad I did! I picked up a bunch of presents for my sister, and need to come back to buy all the books for myself. What a gem of a place! The owner was there and it was jus tai cool to hear her talk about the books she loves and what it is like to own tour own book store. It was fairly busy but not overwhelmingly so, just a steady flow of people inside and out, all wearing masks and keeping a safe distance. read more

Charm City Books - Reading nook! - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I stopped by Charm City Books when I was in the area recently, and it was so charming. It's a small book store, but it has a well curated selection of books. I hardly made it past the first table and already had a few books that I wanted to take home with me (I left with a book from the first table)! The shop was very welcoming, and I'd be happy to return to buy more or order books from them when I'm in the area. We're lucky in Baltimore to have so many (small) independent bookstores - sometimes it feels like most neighborhoods have one! Charm City Books is a great one! Stop by, grab a book, and then enjoy the first chapter next door at Zeke's over a cappuccino! read more

Charm City Books - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Why did they leave Pigtown? It was a much better location. The new location is not charming. No foot traffic like in Pigtown. As for the Bookstore itself, it's charming. A lot quieter. than the one in Pigtown. read more

I've been a fan of Charm City Books since right after they opened, and my appreciation has only grown with time. It's a fun place to wander in and browse, though I often find myself ordering online for pickup. I especially love pre-ordering new releases from them (cookbooks in particular) and they do an amazing job with reaching out when it is time for pickup. More than once I've pre-ordered months in advance and basically forgotten, so it's like a little present from my past self. My real favorite thing that they've ever done, though, was the holiday gift box sets last year. I am not a parent and I find shopping for kids to be tricky, as I am really bad at judging what might be age appropriate. I ordered a few boxes for the little ones in my life last year, and I cannot rave enough about them. I just had to provide some basic info on the kids (name, age, interests essentially) and then I got lovely packages of 12 wrapped gifts, including books, games, activities, etc. - zero thinking required on my end and they were wrapped beautifully. An extra bonus was that it was also a surprise for me when I watched the kids unwrap. For the time and effort saved, I found this to be an incredible value, and I'm hoping they will do it again this year! read more

My absolute favorite bookstore in baltimore! The owners and staff are so friendly and helpful. They have a very hip presence on social media, and they're very active in the Pigtown/Baltimore community. They promote other small businesses and they also deliver orders to anyone in their radius! I moved away from pigtown but still choose to give them my business because I like them so much! read more

Amazing, independently owned book store and community gathering place. The owners are a young couple who are both performance artists and educators. As parents and pet owners themselves, Charm City Book Store is Kid friendly, Pet friendly and ADORABLE. I Have ordered online many times from Charm City. Anything that was not part of their current inventory they were happy to order. Everything was delivered on time. I whenever I receive my order from Charm City books, I am always overwhelmed with joy by the great care, hand written notes of appreciation, and of course , the books themselves. Any and all books you, your family or business have on its wishlist, please consider supporting a family owned, artist operated small business by ordering ALL YOUR READING materials from their website. It might cost you a few extra dollars than the unsustainable low, cut-rate prices of Amazon, but if you like some SOUL with your reads (& originally designed bookstore swag), PLEASE divert your Amazon reading list to Charm City Bookstore. You can choose to having shipped to you, or pick up in person. If you have not yet visited. Take a stroll and stop by. Tell them Elise Anmchara sent you. It's a (Soul) Family Affair. read more

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Visiting Baltimore this week and love a good bookstore! This place was very cool with a great book selection, cool stickers and welcoming staff! Would definitely recommend! read more

A small business that delivers books and ships anywhere in the USA for less than $5? I don't even live in Maryland, and that's enough to get me to shop via their online store. I was in town for a wedding, and I happened upon this book store. It's homey , the staff are friendly, and the prices are good. It's the perfect opportunity to support local and small businesses. You've got nothing to lose. read more

If you are in Baltimore please stop in!!!! This is a GEM!!!!! I'd visit Baltimore again just to go here. Luckily they have a website so I can order anything I want, but the entire ambiance is just simply amazing! The clerk was so intelligent and well rounded with her knowledge of different genres and she helped me out immensely! I didn't want souvenirs that said "Hey, I visited Baltimore and you didn't!" So I opted for books, games and affirmation cards. The children section upstairs is absolutely adorable! My babies would've loved it! I can't say enough about this place. Everyone can find something here, so just go ahead and stop in! read more

Charm City Books - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I found a great gift for a family member who loves music. They have a great selection and the store is well organized. We also attended a comedy show and had a BLAST!! read more

It has been a while since I visited the shop in person, but it was a lovely experience. A friend and I were going to a performance at the Mobtown Ballroom, and saw the bookstore, but didn't think we had time to stop in. Luckily we were way early, so we went back. They had two dogs, one sleeping in the chair by the front window soaking up the sun, and the other would come by looking for a little pat on the head and side. There was an excellent book selection in the front room alone. There were some gift items that I thought were lovely: locally made soaps reminiscent of the color of stone steps in Baltimore, pins in the shape of the characters of Where the Wild Things Are... The people working there were lovely conversationalists, and recommended books based on my interests and books I had recently read. The ones I ended up bringing home were great additions to my collection. read more

Lovely well curated selection in a welcoming space. Staff clerk was helpful and enthusiastic - and clearly knew the books.

What a great shopping experience! I stopped into this bookstore while in town for work, and I was immediately greeted by two tail-wagging dogs. The store is small but beautifully curated, and all of the employees were so friendly and kind. Inevitably I bought several books from the staff recommendations shelf, and as I was finalizing my piles, a THIRD dog emerged to get petted. A+ bookstore, A+ dogs. read more

Super charming bookstore in pigtown! The book buyer was working when I visited and he was very knowledgeable and helpful. They have an eclectic collection of books as well as neat puzzles, stationary, decor, etc. Pricing is fair and as expected for an independent bookstore. Worth a visit! read more

Charm City Books is a wonderful addition to Pigtown. They have a nice selection of books and a small selection of gift items, and will happily order a book for you. I'm giving this bookstore five stars for the great ambiance, the helpful and friendly service, and all the great events they have scheduled each month. Check out their calendar online! read more

Charm City sent me my package through media mail and I received it within the week. They carefully wrapped my puzzle in bubble wrap and a little brown bag, and even slipped in a really cute magnet! 10/10 recommend shopping there. read more