Independent book stores are few and far between. Thunder Road Books recently opened their newly…read morerenovated location in the heart of Spring Lake. The store has a nice selection of best sellers, kids books, and event offerings. The staff and manager are friendly and happy to be there. I was recently introduced to Thunder Road when they sponsored an event for one of my favorite authors. Take a look at their website for upcoming events.

SPRING LAKE: an independent book shop right near the lake, Thunder Road Books has a nice selection…read moreof best sellers and kids books, gifts, and events, all managed by a friendly staff who are excited to help you find your next read. Friendly and leashed dogs are allowed to shop with you and there is a doggie water bowl out front of the store. It was fun to browse the shelves and Brie really enjoyed the Science Fiction section. Check out their website and social media for upcoming events.

Ute store and they offer ghost tours of Asbury. Parking is street. They have all kinds of books and…read morepotions. Tarot cards and sage. Very helpful and not overly pricey.

This place is a treat. The store itself has some really cool literature, crystals, and trinkets,…read morebut don't skip out on the museum tour. The museum is small and the tour itself is about an hour long, but it's super fun and entertaining. They only take one group at a time, a maximum of 6 people, so book ahead of time. Our guide was Jack and he was great, very knowledgeable. The tour doesn't cover every percent have in the collection, but you can definitely ask about any items that aren't part of the tour. Overall this is a great way to do something a little different from Asbury Park's regular beach/food/shopping.

Considering there are not many large-format retail book stores left (I think B&N is really the only…read moreone), and just in general not as many book stores nowadays, I usually try to swing into one when I'm close by. You never know what you'll find or learn, which is part of the precious experience of exploring a book store. Also book stores have in some ways replaced stationary stores which used to be more common when people actually wrote physical notes/letters/cards to each other. (In some ways that's good to produce less paper waste, though that's an all together different conversation for a different time). Anyways, this is a fairly large B&N, with book categorized by subjects in each section. They have a good-sized children's section and aside from books and stationary, they carry games, toys, some manga and comics as well. Their periodicals section is unparalleled in today's digital age, so always interesting to peruse these for something different. The Starbucks inside is considered a separate entity from other regular SBs so you can't use your SB card or rewards here. Employees seemed to be helpful tho I didn't have much interaction tbh. Overall the store was very organized and clean, I wished I had a little more time to spend here!

Rudest employees. I will never be back. The way two employees treated me for asking a question was…read moreinsanely disrespectful.

Amazing bookstore in Asbury Park!! The interior is very cozy and has plenty of charm. It's so hard…read moreto find a small bookstore that stands by so many good things and practices what they preach. I love the selection of curated books specific to all of those that are usually forgotten or hard to come by. Makes it easier for me to feel good about my purchases here! They also stock so many goodies from other small businesses and artists that you really will not be able to leave without buying something or another! The owner is exceptionally delightful and strikes up meaningful conversation with every customer so all in all, I highly recommend checking out this small but mighty bookstore!

I found this place online, and I'm so glad I went: -…read morefriendly staff - VAST book selection! it was so hard not to buy everything. I am coming back for more in the future! - i love the section with smaller zines, cards, and stickers. beautiful section by smaller known artists :) left with a sticker, cards, book, and a new reusable bag (holographic )

I've visited the book store a couple of times. The staff is friendly. The product is a bit pricey,…read morebut appears to be good quality.

If I could give the bookstore 0 stars I would, everything is overpriced, staff is nasty and not…read morehelpful. I purchased a very expensive book from here and they would not let me return it even though I didn't open the shrink wrap whatsoever. Just because it was past the "return date" what does that even mean??? Just because I'm a couple days past the date means your going to rob me 173 dollars. Completely pathetic if you ask me. NEVER buy a book from here go on Amazon or Chegg I guarantee you could find it cheaper.