I am so happy every time I see a bookstore. It is nice to see Barnes & Noble where I used to spend…read moreimmeasurable hours before they became a rare sighting. Great helpful staff and I bought a few books here.

Lady at the register, Sabrina, was an absolute space cadet today lol. She had a backup of a line…read moreall the way down the marked off area and took about 20 mins. She never called anyone for backup even, like first thing you should do when there's a bunch of people in line. Then she didn't enter my phone number right for the rewards, and said I didn't have one. I know I do lol, I get emails and am logged into it in the app. So she tried email but typed that incorrectly too. Nope, you don't have an acct sir. OK here let me as the customer get out my phone, open the app, find my rewards section, and pull up the literal barcode for her to scan. Oh gee you do have one! Wow! Then she put some of my products into the tiniest bag possible and said some of them didn't fit and just stacked them to the side. I went oh do you think you have a larger bag maybe. She said oh yes we do. Whattttt how slow are you today that the customer did all the work and had to literally suggest to you that more items means a bigger bag. I just laughed my way out and prob won't be back anytime soon if the customer service is that braindead...

This bookstore is awesome!! I can't believe I've never been here until now, though I have visited…read morethe Campbell location. First off, I love the political signs posted on the windows, like the "everyone is welcome here except ICE". When I walked in, the store looked exactly like what I've always envisioned a cozy community bookstore to be like--filled to the brim with books and with a lot of character. I came here to sell some books and it was pretty quick--I had probably 20-25 books and the employee finished in less than 10 minutes. As I was waiting for my books, I walked around exploring. I was very impressed with the selection of fiction. There were actually quite a bit of new releases, but also older books and editions that I would likely not find at a corporate bookstore. If I had the time, I'd love to spend 1-2 hours here just browsing. I didn't expect to get much money for my books; I was actually going to donate them and didn't realize that they still buy books, so their offer was ok. I was moreso pleasantly surprised that the employee was so nice lol, and also a little chatty. Honestly the last time I sold books was probably 15-20+ years ago at Half Price Books and I remember they were always pretty rude/standoffish lol. In addition to the service, the atmosphere, and the book selection, the cherry on top for me was that they have a special shelf where you can buy a book there for 50% off for them to donate to the library at Elmwood Correctional Facility at a bit of a loss for the store. I used most of my credit from the books to get a Stephen King book for the library.

I've been visiting this bookstore for over 20 years and I definitely have a love/hate relationship…read morewith this bookstore lol. The Bad: The staff can occasionally come across as a bit unwelcoming, and I personally wish the storefront atmosphere stayed more focused on books and less on outside messaging. They sometimes price popular or trending used books higher than what you'd pay for a brand-new copy elsewhere. The Good: I absolutely love the character of this bookstore. Shelves packed floor to ceiling, creaky wooden floors, stacks of books everywhere, and even a cat roaming around the store it feels like something straight out of a fantasy novel. I've visited countless bookstores, and nothing beats the old vintage feel of this place. They have a great selection of beautiful leather-bound books, plus an excellent fantasy and sci-fi section. I especially love when they put books out in under $6! The prices at this location are better, and this store feels much more like a classic old bookstore. The Campbell location feels more like a modern bookstore, and the prices there can sometimes be higher. At the end of the day, this place is a San Jose landmark and everyone should visit it at least once. Even when I disagree with certain aspects of it, I still keep coming back because it's nostalgic.

A bookstore so lovely, so perfect, the quintessence of what you imagine when you hear the words…read more"fine bookstore." Everything about it is so spot on, the architecture, the lighting, the soft music, and the eclectic selection of books on offer. The owner, Ernest, was present, friendly, and very informative on questions about books as well as the history of the store. The books are unusual and in several cases rare, the prices reflect the value and seemed reasonable. An unusual first edition will be priced higher but in line with its value to bibliophiles. For example I saw a first edition English translation of Pablo Neruda's "Confieso Que He Vivido" autobiography for $50, in beautiful condition. I said the place looks like it should be in a movie, and Ernest replied that it will be soon. I happened upon it by chance, found a parking place in front of it while going somewhere else. But after running that errand I had to check out this lovely oasis of calm and source of fine books. I ended up buying a paperback novel based on life in Tule Lake during the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, because my father was imprisoned there. I can't imagine finding this tome anywhere else.

It's hidden places like The Rose Books that keeps Downtown Monterey so special. I walk in every few…read moremonths and always walk out with my arms full of new finds that I can never find anywhere else. Nearly left in tears last week when I found a signed copy of my favorite novel,The Martian Chronicles. A signed copy I've been searching for over 15 years, truly a gem of a place.

My favorite bookstore ever!! They have created such a curated selection of the best books! And Gary…read morewill help you find any book you want or help you find a book to fit what you're hoping to read! I always come for one book and leave with a stack! So grateful for this wonderful shop! Cute little kids section too!

What a wonderful little bookshop in Santa Cruz. This bookstore is absolutely adorable with a good…read moreselection of recent and backlist books. I love the name and the logo too.

This occurred on January 25, 2026 at around 3 pm…read more It genuinely saddens me to say this--and I've never done this before--but today I had to walk out of a bookstore after what I witnessed. I want to be clear that this is not about the entire staff. There is usually an older gentleman who works there who is consistently kind, welcoming, and genuinely respectful. This experience, however, was about one employee an older white woman. T fact that a space claiming to be anti-racist would allow this kind of behavior at all.For a store that loudly claims to stand for community uplift and justice, you should truly practice what you preach. While I was there, there was a conversation happening on the couches. We didnt care that we werent greeted that it until a different demographic walked in a bit after us. One of thise store staff (older white woman) attended to them right away and warmly engaged with those customers ( a white man and his asain gf)--making conversation, laughing, even giving their dog a treat--yet completely ignored the brown people in the store. You can tell the guys were totally all for us versus that couple and we were not the only brown people in the store. She ignored. We decided to leave and even walked directly in front of her, clearly visible, hoping she would say something as simple as "hello" or "Are you finding everything okay?"--and she said nothing. No acknowledgment. No basic courtesy. What made it even more sad was overhearing conversations about European immigrants and their struggles, all while brown customers were being dismissed in real time. She kept talking to these super star customers about restaurants and casual topics, yet not even offering basic acknowledgment to brown customers. That's not accidental--that's bias and micro agression. I've given this store many chances, but that blatant prejudice was the final straw. Shame on her. All customer should be acknowledged the same. your space it is meant to be inclusionary, but you just make it seem exclusionary to those that do not look like you..

I love books so I obviously love bookstores…read more This is a nice sized bookstore with lots of books. I was confused about how the books were organized. It can be hard to find a book, but the owner will help you if you need it. Prices seem comparable to other used bookstores. I did not buy anything because I am on a no-buy but I would recommend stopping in here if you're a bookworm like me.

We found ourselves with some time to kill in between meetings on a trip to Monterey. This place…read morelooks cute and my husband and I are both readers so we decided it would be a no-brainer to stop by. The bookstore section is kind of small, but it is nicely decorated and organized. There's a large children's section that I appreciated and the plethora of plush puppets was something I had never seen before. They had several items that were gift varieties like candles and stationary and crayons, etc. It's attached to a coffee shop so if you wanted to grab a book pay for it and then grab a coffee, you could actually sit and read for a bit.

I love the vibe here at Bookworks, but the Wifi is very poor here. Every time I come to get coffee…read moreand work, I end up finishing my drink as fast as I can, and heading down the street to other places with Wifi. There are folks living here who simply need 21st century pipes. For example, if you're doing university work with Stanford and want to get away from Hopkins. But the Wifi here is from the 1990s. If you don't need reliable wifi, Bookworks is amazing. The food, the service, the bookstore, everything. Unfortunately, living in a "connected" world, I can only give it 3 stars, as cafes are workplaces now.

This bookstore has a HUGE collection of various authors and books alike. Went with a group who all…read morehad varying tastes & interests and we each purchased a couple of books. Not only do they have a large selection of books, the staff is very friendly and helpful, but the prices are incredible - best of all, the money earned goes towards a good cause. I will definitely be going back soon!

What a hidden gem this bookstore is! My kid needed a book for a report due next week and we are…read moreaway on vacation. I did a google search for bookstores and this one was the closest one to us. They have a great selection of classic and contemporary books at a steal price of $2-$3 based on the books we picked. I was so impressed that I got a gift certificate for a book lover in the Bay Area so he will go visit this place. I will be back!

Great people great service. Great shipping love the book I got…read more Perfect description beautiful bookstore

This is by far the best collection of rare and first edition Western history and classic fiction…read moreI've seen. The store was very well organized and the owners were very friendly and accommodating with my questions. Some of the comments here are negative regarding the ability to actually visit the store. It is only open by appointment, but I found no issue scheduling a time over the phone. The owners were responsive and accommodating. Be sure to call ahead. This is a must visit for any book enthusiast visiting the area!

Unfortunately, their website states that they have permanently closed their doors. I wish I had the…read moreopportunity to visit this bookstore before they closed, from the other reviews, it seemed like a special place.

This hidden gem of a bookstore is a great place to read, attend a workshop and stop by for a chat.read more