I buy all of my books from the Frugal Bookstore. If they don't have it in stock, they order it for me and they have it for me the next time I go in. They give me 10% off every time I spend a certain amount of money (I don't remember what the amount is. They keep track for me). What I love most about the Frugal Bookstore is their collection of BIPOC children's books. I love knowing that the books that I buy for my nieces and nephews will feature BIPOC characters and stories. Thanks to these books, they will grow up seeing representation and knowing that diversity and inclusion is normal. Most of the books at the Frugal Bookstore are written by BIPOC authors or feature BIPOC characters and issues. There are also a few small gift items and calendars. The store is pretty small but packs a big punch. It's well-organized, clean and usually overseen by Nia, the owners' daughter. She's really welcoming and friendly. She got me into Sister Souljah's books! I'd want people stopping by to know that the hours are kind of limited. I sometimes kill time at the nearby Dudley Cafe before heading over to the Frugal Bookstore. Also, the front door can stick and requires a good pull/push to open. I wouldn't want those characteristics to deter anybody because I love frequenting this bookstore! read more

Very helpful staff. It's a place for anyone to enter who wants to expand their options as readers and citizens of the world. Broad selection for sure! Staff can help you hone in on in store and online options. read more

Super friendly customer service. There is a parking lot and street parking. They have books for all ages and they have more books online! They also sell notebooks and bookmarks! read more

See all

I liked it. It is on the smaller side, but there is still a variety of genres. While it is called frugal, just be aware that the prices are not super frugal unless you're buying from the sale section (however, you are buying from a local and black owned business so if you are avid reader like myself you may walk out of here with at least two books and be supporting your locally owned businesses in the process). I bought a Selena book in Spanish from sale section $7 and a James Baldwin novel for ~ $8. Also, the Saturday evening I came, there was a book club meeting in session which is great. They have a little kids section too which is awesome. I also really liked the other items the store sells: super cute hand bags, personalized bookmarks, and clothing items). Go check it out! read more

See all

Don't just come here during Black History Month. Right in the heart of Nubian Sq you will find this gem of a bookstore. There are so many books to choose from that have a variety of categories. Whether it is newer things that have just come out or those that are classic that have been around for a while that are important to have read. Please stop buying books online (amazon sucks) & give the small, POC, mom & pop support, they need it. read more

#shoplocal #shopindie #blackownedbusiness Recently ordered from their very efficient website. Notice of order/shipping delays is still up on the website. I ordered two/2 books by James Baldwin, Going to Meet the Man, short stories, very powerful I have previously read, so this one is going to be a gift, and for me, Giovanni's Room, as book club friends said it is a beautiful love story. Despite the notice of delays -- the short story collection arrived in a couple of days, the novel about a week later. I also pre-ordered Amanda Gorman's forthcoming poetry book: The Hill We Climb from the Frugal Bookstore. If you are ordering from indie/local bookstores in the Boston Area/Comm. of Mass. I urge you to add them to the list. #supportindiebookstores read more

Frugal Bookstore - My order from Frugal Bookstore arrived pretty quickly from their efficient website. Shop local/indie! - Bookstores Near Me - Roxbury, Massachusetts

Good selection but not frugal at all, book prices are regular. Best thing to do is browse and order the book from Amazon this way you actually get a "frugal" price instead of the cover price! read more

I have always been impressed by these booksellers' courteous treatment, responsiveness, and great selection of books. But for the frequent construction in the area, and COVID restrictions, I would visit more. Their space is handsome and inviting. I can't wait to get back. SOON! read more

Like many others, we made the conscious decision during the pandemic to shop local and support small businesses whenever we could. When civil rights leader and dedicated public servant, John Lewis, passed away we learned that he was the author of a graphic novel trilogy called, March. A quick search turned up many local book sellers who had the item in stock, so we placed our order. Unfortunately, the books were on back order but we were happy to wait for them to arrive. A few days later, I received notification that my package was being shipped and when it arrived, I was surprised to learn that an entirely different book had been shipped to us by mistake. I sent a quick email to the store alerting them of the mixup and they responded the next day that they would be sending us the books we ordered. I asked if I should send the "accidental" book back or if they could send me an invoice to pay for the book that was now in my possession but they responded that we could keep, share, or donate the book so we dropped it into our neighborhood little free library to pay the kind gesture forward. read more

Frugal has an awesome selection of books at competitive prices. Online orders ship quickly, and I was happy to see they used minimal packaging to get my books to me undamaged without being wasteful. Customer service is top notch too. I had an order arrive short one book, and they got back to me super fast and fixed it. Highly recommend! read more

Great service & great selection! I like that you can pick up your order to avoid wasting packing material if you're local and you can easily tell what's in stock vs out of stock on the website. I'm sure COVID has made operations challenging which makes it all the more impressive. @Folks complaining about shipping time- there is a reason you aren't shopping at Amazon, right? read more

Support independent bookstores!! This small business is black owned with a fantastic selection of books. They have a great website which allows you to order online. Great customer service and ambiance makes the slightly above average prices so worth it. Spend your cash and buy your books here instead of supporting billionaires read more

This place is amazing! With technology being so prevalent today, I pray that bookstores like these continue to prosper! I hope to have my book sold here one day! read more

Everything was great! Despite the obvious setbacks from covid and the extreme demand for the book I ordered, Frugal Bookstore was amazing through the whole process. Their communication was frequent and clear, and they were very honest about what was going on and what they were doing to work through it. I appreciate everything they're doing!! :) read more

Frugal Bookstore is awesome! I received my first online from them today. The book I ordered was back ordered and Frugal sent email updates when they have more information. Thank you for my book! read more

We ordered a Dr Seuss book to support Frugal, not realizing that they had been absolutely SWAMPED with orders that month. Frugal sent two communications keeping us posted on the status, and our book arrived in perfect condition this week. Price was comparable with Amazon, and arrived just in time for my daughter's birthday. Thanks Frugal! read more

This is a wonderful bookstore -- good vibe, good prices, good selection. I've especially loved purchasing books for children there, but they have a wide selection for all ages. Plus it's a Black-owned, community-oriented alternative to ordering from Amazon. If you must order online, you can do it from Frugal Book's online catalogue instead of giving your money to the big guys. read more

Yes! Our family had the chance to buy from a black-owned bookstore. And right here in Boston, a community that needs some BLM-style racial healing. The site's worked seamlessly. Its highlighted titles helped us find books on racism and white privilege for our kids and for ourselves. And as to this backlash against them for delays -- is that some primo top-shelf privilege I detect? From folks who find that instant gratification takes too long. read more

Great bookstore, wonderful people. They have a great selection but if they don't have something in stock, they'll order it. Support your local bookstores--we need them! read more

The store is amazing. Your books are excellent and you ship them to me immediately. I am grateful to have found a Black owned bookstore and look forward to spreading the great worried about you Thank you!!! read more

A wonderful selection of just about anything, with a lot of staple literature from Black authors. The children's selection was also impressive. read more

In the age of Amazon, I wish more Bostonian's knew about this great Black-owned, community-oriented alternative! You can also order from their online catalogue if you don't frequent Dudley Square. read more

I so appreciate all the updates they have sent on upcoming orders! They are very responsive and communicative. I look forward to the day when shopping in person make sense again. Until then, I will definitely keep ordering from Frugal! read more

I had the pleasure of ordering from this bookstore during the pandemic and it was a great experience. The books I ordered were out of print due to high demand across the country, and Frugal did a great job communicating about delays and shipping times, and I received my order as soon as it was physically possible. Thank you for your service! read more

The best bookstore ever. If you're looking for a good book for any age bracket this is where you should go. The staff is awesome and always willing to help you. And the authors that come and do book signing are the best. I'm extremely grateful for this store read more

I'm from Southern California and I ordered from this store online to support a small business. I am so glad I ordered from Frugal Bookstore. Let me tell you, this review is about customer service - I don't even have my book yet. Clarrissa and Leonard are WONDERFUL! I admittedly ordered a very popular title in the wake of the most recent Black Lives Matter protests. The book I ordered, among others, sold out nationwide very quickly. This meant out of no fault of their own, Frugal couldn't fulfill orders until publishers made more copies available. Clarrissa and Leonard have been tremendous with updates. They send an email update every week to those still waiting on their books. Their words are kind, thoughtful, and I smile when I see one cross my inbox. If you want to support small business, especially during this pandemic, please please please order from Frugal Bookstore. They are a class act and are deserving of your business. read more

This is an excellent bookstore right in the center of Dudley. There is a huge selection of books - from children's to young adult's to adult to sale/clearance. I was happy to see so many recent award-winners in the young adult section. The two owners were present during my visit and SO friendly/helpful. I will continue to frequent this bookstore at least once a month to pick up a book or two. I highly recommend! read more

Received my shipment the other day, and all of my books are in perfect condition. There were some delays due to a large surge in sales and lack of availability of specific titles, but Frugal kept customers in the loop by sending frequent emails with updates on order statuses. I was impressed by the professionalism shown in each of these emails, and I feel that the staff did everything they could to get shipments out as soon as possible despite receiving thousands of orders in such a short window. Frugal will be my go-to bookshop moving forward, and I can't wait to visit in person! read more

I haven't yet had a chance to visit the store in-person, but their online ordering process was a breeze and I really appreciate how communicative the team at Frugal Bookstore are. Some of the books I ordered were on backorder, but they sent me the books as they became available and also sent regular email updates regarding the pending items. I look forward to being able to visit and browse the store in-person! read more

So happy to have found this bookstore. I am not local and places an order along with thousands of others. While they were slammed with orders, I so appreciated their communication. I can't wait to shop here again! And hopefully in person someday! read more

I have ordered from Frugal during the pandemic, both during the crunch and after. I appreciate their communication and the fact that they are a small black owned business. The books were delayed because the ones I chose were out of stock and needed to be reprinted. I know it's a small dedicated crew there and I am so excited to read about black history. Thank you for working tirelessly to get folks their reading materials and the grace to deal with folks that are rude and impatient. Most of us, myself included, want to see them thrive and will continue to suppoet this business into the future. We need you here in Boston. Can't wait until it's safe (covid) to be able.to come see the store front. Keep doing what you do. read more

Fantastic customer service from their online ordering! I got my books yesterday, and I know they've been getting a TON of business right now, but they have been so helpful and have been sending consistent updates! Definitely give your support and $$$ to this local business! read more

Awesome independently-owned community bookstore. Very convenient location in the heart of Nubian Square. They work hard to provide excellent customer service and to get you the title you're looking for - thank you! I look forward to continuing to shop with them in the future. read more

I've only ever ordered online from Frugal but it's absolutely my go-to bookstore. Best prices, great selection. Books shipped quickly with great communication regarding shipping. Arrived having been packaged with care. Can't wait to shop there in person! read more

We've ordered a lot from Frugal Bookstore since we discovered it in the spring. They have a great selection of books on their site and orders have been arriving swiftly now that they've gotten past their surge. When a book has been back-ordered, they've been very communicative about this. I am deeply grateful to the Frugal Bookstore and excited to shop in person some day. read more

This is a great store. The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed. It feels more like doing business with family.

I love the wide selection of books centered on the voices and experiences of marginalized populations at this bookstore. I purchased a calendar in-person from a very nice and helpful young store clerk working that day. I decided to return the calendar a few weeks later unopened and still in its packaging. That's when I learned that there are no refunds. Period. One of the store co-owners had already started ringing up my refund, so I was a bit confused when the other store co-owner suddenly mentioned that they don't do refunds regardless of the item purchased or the fact that it was within a few weeks from the time of purchase. I accepted store credit because I understand that this is a small business trying to survive COVID-19, but I was a bit disappointed with the customer service. I didn't feel like either of the owners were particularly patient or friendly when I had questions about the books. Three stars for the book selection and young store clerk I interacted with my first time visiting! read more