Love. Best selection of art, coffee table and eclectic books I have seen in a while. There are always a half dozen books I see that I want to buy. read more

I always walk by this place on my expeditions through the East Village, and frequently note how I need to pop in. "I could get a sick coffee table book in there..." But yesterday, I saw a "Sofia Coppola Archive" book in the window and knew that was the good lord screaming at me to come in. Say what you will about nepotism, but Lost in Translation is a top 3 movie of all time for me. I won't go into great detail here, but I will go into minor detail: 1) I am obsessed with Japanese culture and am equally as obsessed with romantic comedies, so put those things together and I am an easy sell. I feel I need to live in Japan for a period of time before it's all said and done. 2) She wrote the script in Japan as she had an obsession with it while she was there working on another project, and would do anything to make it work. It came from her soul, and I truly believe that the best works of art come straight from ones soul. 3) It was shot in 27 days, much of this without permits. She kept a flexible schedule during filming with a small crew and minimal equipment, with a good portion of the script being unfinished. They stayed flowy. Be water. 4) First adult role for Scarlett Johansson!? Speaks for itself. All this to say, I HAD to come in to check this book out. Whoever curates this place is on their SH*T! So many great options. A fantastic place to come and find new artists, authors, or inspirations. Also, I serendipitously ran into my new boss in here who is rad and creative. If you catch Shiva in there you know this is THE place... IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__ read more

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The darling triple leo sales girl helped me find everything. It's a great book store with a very eclectic selection of new and vintage art books. You're going to love it read more

I can't decide if I should go to Mast and check out the books, or just browse the net, wasting time on Clickbait as usual. Decide for me: Mast, or Bait? This is a pretty amazing bookstore which specifically handles art books, and those are not something that I've ever been interested in before, but art books are actually pretty fascinating when you come in here and check them out, and NYC of course loves art books, doesn't it. Manhattan, the fancy part, anyway. Probably Brooklyn, the new part, too. Art history is so New York City in a way. I'm definitely fascinated by this place and we'll keep coming back. read more

Mast Books - Mast? Or baiting? - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

Mast is a classy book store that is a great place to find excellent photo and art books. They price their books fairly. Most books are in impeccable condition. The space is clean. And the service is personalized and is backed by years of expertise. I have been particularly impressed with Matt who is adept at digging up hard-to-find books for me. Support this great local business while expanding your collection of art books. Call ahead if you would like to make an appointment. read more

Excellent curated bookstore I suspect that there are no bad books here. I trust the owner and staff with my reading taste in literature and on the visual arts. Both new and used books. They can also ship books to your home. Chic in that manner that the store has taste and style. read more

Many unusual bookshops have popped up in the city over the years. Mast is truly an original and one I have been frequenting for years. They have an incredible selection of highly curated used and new books. You can find a charming pulp paperback from the 60s, and unusual printing in near fine condition of a story you never heard of from a known author for just a few dollars. Or browse the artful cases of extremely rare vintage books from the New York punk-poetry scene and snag something for $200 that elsewhere you may find for $500. They are also perfect for finding new or used books to inspire work in any creative type. I've found gifts here for musicians, painters, poets, architects, graphic designers and florists. I love a good bookshop and have visited ones all over the world, but Mast is truly something special. read more

Mast Books in NYC is one of my favorite bookstores to visit. They have an amazing selection of super rare artist monographs, all perfectly organized and most are already archival wrapped in mylar. They really love books and love helping you find the rare books your looking for. I've been able to pick up several rare Richard Prince monographs here over the years and all at fair prices. This book store is a special place and I hope they stay in business for a very long time. Please support them whenever you're looking for a rare (or not so rare) art book, they probably have it waiting there for you right now. read more

Mast Books - Mast Books NYC - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

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If you're looking for a great selection of books, you have come to the right place. The service is great & the place is very nice, calm and relaxing. Definitely a worth a visit! read more

O Yes, expensive cost- but fantastic quality. All the essentials are here. You will not be disappointed, unless your broke.

This is an ideal place to read a quarter of a first edition Bret Easton Ellis novel while killing forty-five minutes because none of your friends are ever, ever on time. Unfortunately, there is nowhere comfortable to sit, but Mast Books gets away with that because the place is tiny, and their selection is well-curated and often contains fascinating titles I've never seen. Plus, if they had anywhere comfortable to sit I probably would never leave, and me being in the store constantly is a bad look for any business. read more

Love the vibes here. This bookstore has a really great collection of media. If you're looking for a classic novel, it's definitely not that type of bookstore. It's great for a peruse in the East Village and very inspiring for art in your life. read more

Great selection of art books, with an emphasis on photography, design, architecture, as well as poetry. This is a bookstore aiming to be an art gallery, including the pretentious staff who avoid eye contact, never smile, and only chat with their insider friends and big spenders. Occasionally, you might find a cheap book in the bargain bin, but most of the selection is in the specialty-higher price range (think $50 - $100 for most of their books). Overall, a great place to find some contemporary and vintage (1970s-1990s) art books, but I'm downgrading my review due to the aloof and elitist attitude in the shop. read more

As someone who unapologetically judges a book by the cover's ability to make me look like an unapproachable blowhard, this place is a prosperous goldmine for self-satisfaction and minimalist graphic design. ALL of the smaller, near-bankrupt international publishers are represented here with troves of books none of your friends have even had the chance to pretend to have read. I was content to stick with four stars, but the Neo-Gregorian dubstep they were playing on the stereo was like tantric foreplay for my cochlea and basilar membrane. Easily the best retail experience I've had since exchanging pleasantries with Donna Karan at Fashion's Night Out. As for whether the books are any good, I'll report back if I ever read one. Trivia Tidbit: Brendan Fraser doesn't shop here. Another Trivia Tidbit: Child Support is Optional. read more

When I walk into a book or record store, I have this problem where my brain suddenly melts and I forget what all of my interests are and I have no idea where to begin. Luckily for me, Mast Books has an amazing and carefully thought out collection of books. I felt as though the books were collected all for me, as every section had a number of interesting and intriguing titles. It is also a nice little pat on the back to see so many books that are part of your own collection on the shelves- makes you feel like you're good at life. read more

A carefully selected, thoughtful collection of books - Mast Books features high quality fiction, and really good art books - it's a little bit skimpy on non-fiction (though they do have a fair selection of contemporary social theory). This place is tiny, but they pack a lot of great stuff in here - and clearly there's a lot of intelligence behind their selection. This little place reminds me a lot of 192 books on the other side of town. read more

Words. Lots of them. I ended up buying a book about a man who was a successful hobo. Is perfect since I was laid off this week. Hopefully this won't inspire me to hop trains and shoot junk. Buddy dog is too sweet to see that type of crap. I'll stay clean for him Meg and mom. But weed is chill. And I'm going to Miami in the am read more

Mast Books - Words - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

Definitely one of the best used bookstores in NYC. Carefully selected selection - plenty of interesting titles, stuff you don't find often - and books you didn't know existed. read more

Not at all what I expected... seemed too fancy & expensive with a lot of art books and what looks like rare books. There weren't that many books there either, a lot of open space. There were no shelves you can get lost in and nobody was there except the folks that work there. It seemed pretty gentrified to me. I don't recommend the place, to be honest. It had a weird vibe. read more

LOVE! Where else can you get a $3 kick-ass copy of a DH Lawrence around the corner from my house? Super organized and super minimalist (which makes it rock) because, let's face it, isn't this all about the books folks? read more

Exactly what I wanted: Ionesco's "Rhinoceros," George Orwell's "Animal Farm" & Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With A Thousand Faces." Had an intellectual orgasm here ;) read more

I really love this bookstore. They have a really well-curated selection of books and I never leave without purchasing at least one book and/or wishing that I could just buy it all. I'm all for the treasure hunt of sifting through hundreds of used books, but sometimes it's just nice to go to a store and see all of the books that you want to read on the shelf already. read more

I used to go in here a lot when I was in NYC and staying on the LES twice a month for a long time. I bookmarked it but never got around to writing a review. The prices are very respectable, the selection exceptional for a small location and the hours pretty accommodating. One of the best bookstores of its kind. read more

This hip and edgy independent East Village book store is remarkably efficient. The store owners make good use of every inch of space by deliberately stocking their shelves with a carefully thought-out selection of used books in remarkably good condition. Despite its tiny matchbox size, the sheer volume of interesting selections, particularly in the art and film genres, make it it easy to lose track of time wandering around Mast. read more

Mast Books - Storefront of Mast Books - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

What a gorgeous, thoughtful little store. Came here to check out photography books and found some winners. Prices were fair compared to Amazon... still trying to get myself psyched to throw down $50 on a single book though. Cool selection of philosophy and fiction as well. read more

Mast Books - Sunday afternoon window shopping - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

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I first went to this store shortly after it opened and I've always had a positive experience. I think it was the owner who I met the first time and he was very pleasant. It's a small store, but the view from the street belies the fairly significant number of books within. In particular, I love the art books (o.k., I'm biased) - and although the books are used, they're in really good condition. I enjoy browsing there. read more

Brightly lit and and clean, this is the kind of store in which you can spend maybe an hour browsing. You could possibly spend more time if you don't mind the lack of seats and letting the balls of your feet be your chair. However, the selection is first-rate. My friend picked up a lovely copy of "The Great Gatsby" to read before our Gatsby party; and I almost, ALMOST picked up a couple of Nabokov books I've been dying to read, but then I remembered I don't have a Beauty & the Beast-style study, and also I own a Kindle even though I prefer real books, so I saved the $10 and wound up getting gelato instead. read more

One of my favorite bookstores in NYC - usually hit up Mast Books first when looking for a gift for a friend

This is a small bookshop but a very good one. The new and used books are well chosen and uncommon.

********** NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER GO TO THIS BOOK SHOP ********* I am all about supporting my local bookshop instead of going to a big chain, and even more so if it is a bookshop that specializes in art.... yet my experience there pains me to think i gave them my money. i was in the store shopping for my holiday gifts for the second day in a row. The sales guy enthralled in a conversation with a friend began to go on about how they were making so much money over the holidays from jacking up the prices of the books, and then began to rattle off a few of the books he made money off and even so far as saying how much he would regularly charge for them.... all without realizing that the girl a few feet away from him had purchased one of the books from him the day before.... good job mast books... failure. Apparently, going to STRAND is worth the trek!!!!!! Small book shops that cater to a niche demographic should at least talk about ripping off their frequent shoppers in private. read more

Really obscure and fantastic collections of books that actually helped me with a small business proposition that I had coming up (branding color combos). It's curated beautifully so items are easy to browse and pick from. I have come here a few times just to browse, but found some books that I had to take home this time. Do yourself a favor and check out this gem. read more

I've been to this bookstore many times but have repeatedly been turned off by the bad customer service. It almost seems as if the employees don't want to sell the books as they frequently ignore customers hellos, provide little to no help, and maintain a generally snooty attitude. There are some good books in the store but it's unlikely I will return because the employees either have no knowledge of customer service or simply do not care. read more

Great selection of literary fiction. I have generally not been able to find what I was looking for in terms of books on art or design but they make up for it with other nice surprises (in the same vein) that I never knew I always needed. Occasionally someone working sports a 'tude. Whatever, I'm not there to make friends either. read more

Book sellers are not the brightest people in the bunch, but they are among the most pretentious. I was in this place yesterday, and like everyone here, I want to support an independent store if I can. So, I already own vol. 1 of Remembrance of Things Past, but need 2 and 3. They had a copy of #3, I thought great, then saw they have another set of all three books. The set of three was marked as a set of three, for $35, the individual copy of #3 was $12. I went up to the guy behind the counter and asked if I could buy a #2 and a #3 for $24. He said NO because it's easier to sell those three as a set. So, I put the books back on the shelf and walked out of the store with my $24 still in my pocket (and an hour later gave $16 of it to Amazon for the same two books--they arrive tomorrow). The stupidity of this behavior is epic. I can't tell you how many times I have had a bookseller tell me no because they don't like my offer, so they keep the book that they will still have in their inventory a year from now, and I leave with some portion of their rent money. There are some great book stores in the city (not many, but a few). One is on Broadway up in Washington Heights, around 172nd. Another is in Greenpoint on Manhattan Ave. Remember, people, pretentious==douche. Avoid and discourage them at all costs. Bring back our city. By the way, there's a magazine store right next door to this bookstore that is amazing. Go check them out, then go home and shop for books on amazon. read more

Take my filthy money. Take all of it (which isn't much). When I get evicted I will build myself a house made of out-of-print rock'n'roll marginalia and signed Frank O'Hara hardbacks and warm myself next to a fire built of books I bought elsewhere as I read T.S. Elliott to my cats. read more

This bookstore is right near my favorite neighborhood bar (5th between A & B, name?) and I always find something I haven't seen anywhere else, in very good shape, and affordable. I wish it was bigger, but there is plenty to look at. A superb collection of Art books! Get a book and go to the bar on 5th! read more

I've never gone there without leaving with at least 2/3 books. My husband would go with me to intervene, but we just end up enabling each other into getting a stack. That store is the library I would like to have at home. I limit my visits there to once every 8-12 weeks. I know my husband has been there without me on the sly. He comes back with a heavier tote and hides some mighty fine titles behind the shelf. He tells me a "friend" loaned him the books. Yeah right. I know his game. Two can play that. read more

In Response to --NEVER GO TO THIS BOOKSHOP-- I would like to respond to this very unfavorable and also irresponsible comment made by an unhappy customer at Mast Books. I would write an essay to explain what it actually takes to run a bookstore like Mast Books in 2011 given the climate of NYC real estate, people's general dis-interest in books, and the depressing climate of internet commerce which has crushed local business and community for places like Mast. But I would rather briefly say, used books are supply and demand. The books are not sitting in "the warehouse" ready to be called upon when a specific book sells. The hours spent outside of shop hours locating the stock are innumerable. And Mast Books hands down has the best books in NYC. I would also like to say that i have sold boxes of Books to Mast and never received higher prices paid anywhere. And I have been selling my books for over a decade on the East and West coast. Try being dehumanized at the Strand when selling books, and be told to wait in a line outside. I also challenge you to price check any book at Mast on ABE books, and pay attention to condition descriptions, then re-think what being "ripped off" is. I will bet my last five dollars that you will find the prices there beyond fair, and in condition few other sellers possess. In the future, before making your comments public to an open forum, please think twice about challenging someone's small business, which also means their livelihood, without the proper information and knowledge required. It is clear you have taken the liberty to speak about something you heard out of context, and do not understand the actual reality of what is going on in this establishment. Thank you. read more

Is it possible to get addicted to a bookstore? Because I think I'm getting to that point with Mast Books. Do you need a copy of Infinite Jest on the fly but don't want to pay full price? Come on over. Awesome selection at used book prices. I've basically bought entire shelves of books here and I don't regret a single purchase. read more

Just when you think that you will not see a bookstore in New York City again, this little gem pops out of nowhere. Ever since St.Mark's Bookstore closed its doors, the neighborhood felt lobotomized. Yes, a lot of fancy coffee shops and over-priced bars, but what should a lady read? I am grateful for the adventurous spirit that decided to open this quirky store in the kingdom of Bacchus where I am surprised each and every time with the curator's imagination. I love browsing their more or less obscure titles and always end up leaving with a book. You will not find these lovelies in the same place anywhere else. They even have a small and delightful children's section. read more