Wow! The scent of paper and print hang heavy in the air. It has been a long time since I have been in a book store that is as densely packed with such an array of reading material. If they don't have it, it probably wasn't worth reading anyway. read more

If I could I would give 20 stars! Chaucer's a hidden gem in Santa Barbara. Always one of my first stops there. It has an outstanding curation of art and design books. Very unique selection. I could literally spend all day in there. Staff is so friendly and helpful as well. You're amazing, Chaucer's! read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Amazing customer service! I don't remember her name but a really awesome girl helped me and my sister look through a huge selection of books for 30 minutes. She was super funny and helpful. This is for sure my favorite book store and I love spending all my money here haha. Will be back again! read more

One of the businesses that makes Santa Barbara special. The best place to gift shop, especially for anyone difficult to shop for.

This is a small independently owned book store, located in a strip mall in SB. They have a great collection of books, as well as stationary, cards, gifts of the paper sort. Could spend hours here perusing books! I bought some pelican stationary but didn't purchase any books here, because while I love to support small biz, I prefer secondhand books bc... 1. great prices 2. knowing my books have been pre loved But if you ARE going to buy new, I recommend supporting small biz over the major retailers. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Rude to me , I had a simple question and he told me to go to the back of the line and there was no line there need to be able to work on first impressions read more

They are Always Helpful, Knowledgeable & the best gift wrapper's in town! The selection is unbeatable & definitely incomparable to Amazon books. read more

I love supporting local book stores, but I was there a couple days ago and something didn't sit right! They treat their employees with lack of respect. I witnessed an older lady talking back at one of the employees. Not sure if she is one of the owners. she was wearing a mask. I couldn't see her face. Her tone was shocking. I probably won't go back until they change things... read more

GETTING HERE: Chaucer's is located in the shopping center with Gelson's. There are other small businesses in the same strip mall also and the address is correct on Yelp. That was the only way I would have stumbled across this bookstore. Thanks Yelp! REVIEW: Meh. Just meh. The array of books located here is incredible though. (I could have spent an entire Saturday here taking everything in!) The customer service was bland at best, very unremarkable. I counted quite a few employees as I meandered around, trying to make a decision. But no one greeted me. No one asked if I was looking for anything in particular. There is a very fine line in customer service, as it's a huge turn-off to me when other employees scream at me from across the store. While that didn't happen here, thankfully, it still would have been nice to have someone even say "Good morning." I will always support local bookstores, although in this case I did walk away empty handed. Which is sad IMO. I have decided that when I am in the SB area next I will give them another go. I know I can find something to make me happy. I would recommend Chaucer's but maybe not with any expectations next time. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - brb I'll be here for the next 12 hours. 7/26/22 - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Service: Above and beyond service from a true book enthusiast! I only wish I had more time to get lost. Great selection. Atmosphere: I so love the small bookstore feel. Picked up yet another copy of "Jane Austen" for my collection! Value: It's difficult to compete with Amazon online prices, However, Amazon CANNOT compete with the personalized service and conversation with a fellow book nerd! TOTALLY worth the price of any book. Personally, I need all my senses stimulated when buying a book. Touching the cover, feeling the pages flip through my fingertips, tucking my nose in for a smell of the paper. I know...it's a lot...but all true! Thanks for a lovely afternoon, Chaucer's. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - Cookbooks galore!! - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Great selection. Local authors and global authors. Events. Beautiful gift wrapping. Knowledgeable staff. Support this local treasure read more

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Excellent customer service. We love the selection of books as well as the art kits, stuffed animals, puzzles, and games. The best place to buy kids birthday presents in Santa Barbara read more

This is such a wonderful bookstore to visit and browse through to find that special book for you or someone else. The store is loaded with so many books, trinkets, and fun goodies. I typically start by glancing at the sale table outside then go to the young adult section (off to the left). My kids love browsing through the children's section which has so many fun, educational books and toys. I love that they move things around to accommodate seasons, holidays, and occasions. It makes it easy to find things not to mention lots of fun to explore. The staff are very friendly and helpful! They can also order books that you may not find in the store. Prices may be a bit more than buying off Amazon but I love supporting local businesses! Just an overall fun store to visit. read more

I love this bookstore. The smell of books as you enter is enticing. It reminds me of my beloved book store Pegasus in Berkeley. It's a comforting and relaxing space. Even though I could purchase books cheaper on Amazon, I make it a point to support this store. I bought a Lonely Planet book for my upcoming trip to Morocco and three birthday cards. Their greeting card selection is second to none! The best, most unique cards in town. I encourage you to support local businesses such as Chaucer's. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - Greeting cards - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Absolutely great independent bookstore, fantastic variety of books and very knowledgeable staff.

Best gosh-darned bookstore in Santa Barbara. And not just that, also greeting cards for all occasions, magazines, writing accessories, calendars, and every other fun tchotchke that you never thought you needed. Excellent spot for gifts for everyone. Also, quite possibly the best books on Food, Beer, and Wine. Lots of parking in front, and located next to Harry's Plaza Cafe, Gelson's Market, and Via Maestra 42. read more

We came on a Monday late morning. They were pretty strict on not having more than 15 people which was max capacity. We got into the bookstore in less than 5 mins. They gave me a great recommendation and the store was pretty spacious. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Excellent and helpful staff!! They always have great recommendations and a fantastic inventory of options. I've been in many times to pick up a gift or a little something for myself. They have puzzles, coloring books (for young and old), cards and other gifts. You'll easily get lost in their stacks or let the staff make some suggestions if you've gotta get in and out right away. You can even call in an order or order online. So convenient!! I love popping in to Chaucer's. There's always something new, relevant, iconic, and entertaining to pick up. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

It's very old-school they're kind they're friendly. They are very helpful. They get the job done quickly. The parking lot is not very big but we haven't had trouble getting a spot yet. read more

Great bookstore! If you enjoy wandering through aisles of books in a small business type of vibe, you'll love this place. The staff is friendly and helpful. They have all sorts of books from all genres, toys and stuffed animals for kids, calendars, cute stationary and journals, and other random gifts. The parking lot can be hard to find especially since it's located in the Gelson's parking lot. I'd be happy to come back and support this local business. read more

Nestled in upper state street, this lil gem of a family bookstore is my favvvvv. They gift-wrap yr holiday literary purchases and provide sublime customer service. It's my go-to. Amazon is great but there's really nothing that beats: reading the jacket of a tome, within the comfort of a brick-and-mortar. Also, I prefer to support local business. This is my one and only go to in Santa Barbara. They have the latest editions of everything and have the performing arts segment of the bookstore well stocked. It's amaze guys. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - This find - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I think I was one of the last generations to grow up studying in libraries, visiting book stores, and trading books at free read posts. The internet has had a such a huge mark on the book industry but I'm very glad the classic book shops like Chaucer's have stuck around. Chaucer's is a wonderful little book store located at a beautiful, high end shopping plaza on Upper State St. Do not be deceived by the small storefront, this shop is so much bigger than it leads on to be and contains more than you can comprehend in a lifetime. From cards to magazines, journals, and sudoku there is much more than just books for sale here. This shop reminds me of a Barnes and Noble mixed with a book trade store and condensed into a small, maze-like building. I am a big fan of poetry and was very pleased with their wide variety of books per category. I came for a journal and stayed 3 hours reading through various books I had no idea existed. That's an experience only a quality bookstore can provide. Chaucer's has great character, provides a wide range of book categories and various amounts of stationary supplies. There is a kid's corner for those looking to keep their little ones occupied while they browse. The are many journal types but no leather and really nothing under $15. Uniquely, they provide many copies of signed books and offer small book event signings every so often. My only complaint is that the prices are just a little too high for my standards and they do not carry that many local vendor products. I would love to see local artists bringing in their journals, cards, beadwork, and things like that that could sell at the register. read more

Chaucer's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I have been going to this bookstore since I was in elementary school. I would bike down and spend my allowance on a Nancy Drew mystery or a Christopher Pike thriller. I recently went back when my mom gifted my sons with a gift certificate. How thrilled am I that this wonderful place for books is alive and thriving in a time of online shopping? Truly there is nothing like browsing a bookstore. A thousand times better than the sterile algorithm environment of online shopping. Go visit this Santa Barbara landmark!! read more

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE!!!!! The family and I visited the Santa Barbara wine country yesterday and decided to stop at Chaucer's Bookstore on our way home. This was our second visit. Our first was in November of 2020 when we were staying in the area over Thanksgiving. Chaucer's Bookstore is the perfect place for every bibliophile. It has everything you could want. Books, magazine, newspapers, journals, calendars, crossword puzzle books, etc. I read a review by Heather K. dated 5/10/21 where in she said: "Liberal books everywhere and books criticizing President Trump. I'm embarrassed to read the titles to my daughter. What happen to loving one another and creating peace?" Apparently Heather isn't aware that independent bookstores are called independent for a reason and can put out whatever literature they want on the shelves. Also, Heather isn't aware that Donald Trump is no longer President and if she's embarrassed to read the titles of the books to her daughter, she should probably think about who she voted for. Anyway.... The staff at Chaucer's is an eclectic group of people. Some are a little prickly, but that is to be expected. There seem to be a lot of locals that go into the store. Chaucer's is in the same parking lot as Gelson's and, most notably, Renaud's Patisserie & Bistro. So you can grab a book and go have a coffee and pastry. Or, you can have lunch around the corner at Via Maestra 45 and read your book there. read more

Awesome selection and surprising books at every turn. If you love books and kitschy, fun and creative finds I am sure you could kill a few hours easily. I found a few books I never would have but the way they have them organized it drew me exactly to where I needed to be. I wish we had more bookstores and I am so glad this one is still here! read more

The absolute ideal spot to get lost behind the pages of a book! Bookstores are a dying breed and Chaucer's is one of the last of its kind in Santa Barbara. Walking in here immediately transports you to a different era - books galore without the technology. It's uniquely designed with several narrow aisles chock with floor-to-ceiling books and related media. So cool. There's something about holding a hardcover book rather than pulling an equivalent online print which I just love - especially if you're a child. I love the children's section and there are tons of fun, whimsical books for them to devour. I've come here several times to pick out a children's book as a gift and can admit that I've found some neat titles at Chaucer's. The staff are all friendly and more than willing to help with suggestions, too, which I appreciate. I hope Chaucer's stays around for years to come as it's such a gem of a store. I will be back again soon! read more

Santa Barbara used to have the two large bookstores. Before that, we even had Crown Books, all of which had a large selection of discount books. I'm thinking their decreased revenue due to online shopping caused them all to close years ago, resulting in a single mid sized bookstore for the entire area, Chaucer's. As a book lover, I can't give our only book store anything less than five stars. That said, they also host a bunch of fundraisers for local schools, allow folks to sit and read for hours (during non-COVID times) and have a wide variety of books. They also have a great kids selection. The service can be a bit spotty and the space is crowded, but it's still a good spot. read more

Chaucers is a great bookstore. They are always helpful and have a good selection of my favorite nonfiction and fiction. I have been able to increase my library substantially over the years thanks to this great store. It is fun to walk and explore the hallways and see what one can discover. read more

Books stacked to the ceilings; books stacked on the floor: there is no title this store does not have.

Terrible customer service. They seem very unwilling to want to help you find a book. Like you're bothering them. Grumpy clerks. It's like the employees are mad you are buying their books. So odd!? Selection is small and not much variety. Most of the same stuff. Overpriced too. read more

I'm a big fan of Chaucer's and I wish I lived closer! I wanted to keep supporting local businesses during the shelter in place order. The bookshops closest to me have temporarily closed their doors and aren't offering other options, so I started looking to the shops I love to visit when I'm out of town. Chaucer's is closed to browsers at the moment but they're doing what they can to keep serving, which I think is great. The statement on their website mentions that they have served the community 360 days a year for the last 45 years! Impressive. They're still open for online and phone orders. If you're nearby you can do curbside pickup during opening hours (currently 9am-5pm daily), or you can get free local shipping. Otherwise they're doing free delivery by media mail on orders over $25. I couldn't decide which books to buy and I don't want to clog up the mail system too much with non-essentials, so I opted to order a gift card to lend some support. I got a note of thanks the following morning saying it would be popped in the mail that day. I'll look forward to spending it next time I'm in town! read more

Best book selection in town. Mary was so helpful in finding a book in the store for me, even took my number to call me once it was located. I love this place! read more

Great selection of books !! Hence the 54 stars. But the shop is not equipped to handle those who are handicap and in wheelchair. The aisles are narrow and there's so many books on the floor. There aren't any chairs to sit in either. A couple of the aisles are dimly lit. So, if you plan to go, just know you'll have to stand to review a book! I used my phone flash light to help find titles. read more

I enjoyed this book store a lot! There were so many sections and it felt like the store kept going and going. They had a great children's section but they books are all new so it was a bit pricey. Definitely recommend stopping in! read more

Chaucer's employees...do you think there is a better way to get a customers attention then by screaming at me? The whole store heard you. Get some manners. And also when a person writes 'see ID' on there credit card...you might want to do that. read more

Chaucer's has great customer service a great selection. Great advice was given regarding books for kids who are young readers, but beyond toddlers. They even shipped the books for me. The children were so excited to read something interesting and want more! Great staff! read more

This is the best bookstore I have ever been in. Very good selection, service and atmosphere. The value is good too although the value on a good book cannot be summed up in words. Go here. read more

A genuinely great and special store. They are so patient, they take care of their customers, and they are friendly. Everyone inside this building, whether they're staff or customers, are genuinely in a good mood and happy to be there. I love shopping here, either for gifts or for myself, to make sure that there will always be a local bookstore in Santa Barbara. read more

Need a calendar, a real book this iss the spot, while amazon has taken over the world and Barnes and Nobles are closIng and hire people who just stand behind the counter. Chaucer's is a real bookshop where the staff know books . Great selection great people read more

I love supporting independent bookstores and this place was great. They have a large selection of a variety of books ranging from kids books to health to fiction. Any book you're looking for that they don't have you can get ordered there too! My only dislike with this place is that they don't have a large selection of popular/trending books. read more