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    Dog·Eared Books

    4.9 (24 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Dog·Eared Books Photos

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    Cold Brew Oat Milk Hazelnut Latte

    Dog-Eared Books is such a nice place to settle and study in on days you want to get away from your house. The ambience inside is what you expect of a bookstore, with their books in their respective genres and their cute dog related decor. In this bookstore, they have a loft where you can read books or simply chill to do you work and have a small meeting. They also have a sitting area in the front by the window where you can enjoy a conversation. Towards the end of the store, there is a little nook for the kids to play and read in. It can also fit full sized adults if you are curious, but I do not recommend it. They have the option of ordering tea or coffee which adds to the experience of those browsing and reading the books provided there. The options for tea is a seasonal selection and comes in tea-bags for a fair price. However keep in mind that this store's specialty is not a cafe, it is a bookstore. (I will not recommend getting their coffee here as it's a overpriced and you could get something better just down the street.) This bookstore's staff are kind and friendly, willing to answer questions you have on new book releases. Overall, my experience has been a positive one here as I do not usually common bookstores.

    Eric B.

    Books, Dogs, and Coffee - What More Could You Need? Dog·Eared Books is a local independent bookstore that opened on historic Ames Main Street just a few weeks ago. I happened to be in town last weekend and had the chance and pleasure to stop in. And yes, there's at least 1 shop dog on premises. The interior space of the bookstore was well appointed, including a more secluded upstairs reading area and a cute little "dog house" nook. There's also coffee and pastries at the counter and a nice selection of greeting cards and associated tchotchkes. Among my purchases was a postcard featuring an artistic rendition of the store. It was most enjoyable to just wander around and take it all in. This store is definitely a labor-of-love for these local owners and lovers of books and the community. Coming here is also a great excuse to come visit downtown Ames and to see what else is around. I look forward to coming again and seeing how things grow and develop. First suggestion: How about some sort of artistic partnership with nearby Octagon?

    The most amazing card catalog located in Children's area.
    Kelly D.

    This is everything you want a bookstore to be. Located in an old historic building with hardwood floors and sky high ceilings, with beautiful natural lighting streaming in through the windows. There are adult beverages available as well as a small coffee shop. The store is filled has a few unique furniture pieces plus the most amazing card catalog I've ever seen! The books are well displayed with lots of areas to browse. The kid's area was awesome!! We didn't go upstairs to the reading room loft but could see it and it looked very inviting. Loved the additional non-book items of journals, puzzles, gifts, and book swag. You must visit this amazing Indie bookstore!!

    Natalie C.

    The decor is amazing!! Love all the photo opps you can get. They also have a cafe but I wasn't hungry. The staff were friendly and helpful. They had some used books and mostly new books. I loved all the merch they had. They have cozy children's corner that makes you want to curl up and read. I liked how the books were organized and displayed. Got a lot of books that the staff had written recommendations for.

    Color Theory and Art Books
    Gabryelle W.

    This place is awesome! They have great book displays and a lot of fun books! I'm disappointed that most of it is fiction. I'm always in the market for more books for self-help and my career, so I love non-fiction! I'd love more on art and fashion. I did find some cool stuff that I will consider going back to purchase! I love that it's small and independent! Support local!

    Handwritten recommendations!
    Tymrie C.

    Such an awesome, local business located in the heart of downtown! As an avid book reader, the selection was vast and expansive. The staff is incredibly friendly and kind. I love the handwritten recommendations that are on the shelves! My only dilemma was not being able to fit more books in my carry-on! Support your local bookstore and business! I will definitely visit again, the next time I am in Iowa!

    Dope sign
    Rachel W.

    What a beautifully fantastic bookstore!! I loved everything about it from the neon sign to the book selection to the dog treats at the counter. It's about time Ames had an independent bookstore again!

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    4 years ago

    Fun spot with different books than normally available. Friendly staff and nice place for kids to enjoy while parents are browsing.

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    4 years ago

    It was very cute and cozy. The area it is in is very nice. The staff was very helpful and kind!

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    Review Highlights - Dog·Eared Books

    Dog-Eared Books is such a nice place to settle and study in on days you want to get away from your house.

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    Books-A-Million

    Books-A-Million

    3.6(14 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    My last couple visits to BAM have been accented by a really friendly and engaging guy who has come…read morefrom behind the counter to help me find a particular book, magazine, or gift. And last week, he was wearing a cool Puerto Rico baseball jersey (Santurce Cangrejeros) with Roberto Clemente's number (21). BAM also has an extensive magazine collection that you just don't see anymore. It's right next to the coffee shop, which accentuates the book and periodical browsing experience.

    I love that there's still a bookstore in town. There used to be that amazing bookstore over in the…read moreLincoln Center mall, and we had Borders, but now this Borders has closed and turned into a Books a Million. Everything is laid out about-ish the same that Borders used to have it laid out. There's music and movies in the same spot, the children's area in the same spot, the coffee and seating in the same spot, and of course, the bathrooms haven't moved. Shopping here is nice. They have a ton of clearance, but that seems to be standard for a lot of bookstores. Prices are pretty standard for books (higher than online), but they also are lower than prices I've seen at Barnes & Noble, so that's a positive. It was easy to locate the area that I was looking for. There are large signs on top of shelves that let you know what type of books are on there. They have a pretty large biblical/Christian section which I found surprising. It's larger than quite a lot of the other sections, and I think it actually might be getting close to the size of some of the fiction sections. Over in the Transportation section, I found what I was looking for pretty easily. They even had a good selection. However, the books were not in order like they should have been. Books about airplanes were strewn throughout and between books about motorcycles, trains, and cars. They were in the right section (Transportation), but definitely not organized how they should have been. So if you're looking for a specific book, make sure you look through the whole section. There were quite a few Clearance books, and I came out with 5 books instead of the original 1 I was looking for. Most of their clearance is very reasonably priced at about 50% to 75% off the original price. The books are in decent shape too. I had a really fun time looking through clearance. Check-out was nice and simple. They asked me to sign up for their membership program which I declined. They also offered me to sign up for their "3 free magazines" deal, but none of that was particularly pushed on me. They were really friendly about it and didn't push when I said no. Staff was extremely friendly and I was greeted on multiple occasions. Didn't try out the coffee area or look through the Children's area. Final thoughts: I'd definitely come back. The prices are higher than what I could get online, but there's something to be said for in-store book stores. I love being able to buy a book locally and help support the local economy as well. Plus, looking through Clearance is easily one of my favorite aspects of bookstores. I came out with 5 new books at least than $40; that's definitely amazing for book prices. I'm glad Ames still has a local bookstore.

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    Dog·Eared Books - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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