I visited The Book Trader a few days ago. What an experience!…read more First of all, they have every type of book imaginable. From cookbooks to sci fi, from fantasy to biographies, from adult romances to children's picture books! You could find books from the 1600s all the way until the 21st century. The Book Trader is exactly what its name says: it trades books. You can bring books, which they will give you store credit for and then you can buy books for cheaper than they would cost in a regular store. This was such a great idea, in my opinion. I traded in 2 books and bought one. Now, aside from being separated vaguely by genre and authors' works being mostly together, there is no other sorting system to this store. Books, as you can see in my pictures, are all over the place and it is very hard to walk around parts of the store. If you want a specific book...good luck! Also, make sure you have cash on you. The store only takes cash and checks.

Tons of used books available, and the owner was extremely helpful. Very reasonable pricing and they…read moreeven offer a trade back program (bring books you bought back for credit towards another purchase). We will definitely return when we finish reading what we picked up in this trip!

I called and asked if they carry cookbooks. I was promptly hung up on. To bad he does not carry, I…read morewas looking for an out of print book that is pricey online. Tried to support a local business but will never go in due to rudeness.

Open only on weekdays during daylight hours, this tiny one-story bookstore between Cartridge World…read moreand the hair salon that keeps changing its name is perhaps the only bookstore in all of Metuchen. It's been around for as long as I can remember, and until I walked in recently had no idea it was still in business. Specifically, it's a purveyor of used books: I spent a good 15 minutes browsing and I couldn't find a single book published in the last 5 years. (Many of the dusty yellowing tomes appear to be from before I was born.) It seems like a good place to find old magazines and discontinued mass market paperbacks, particularly in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. In terms of ambience and decor, it's really less of a bookstore than an uncle's basement man cave which has been converted into a walk-in storage unit for forgotten books that have spent years soaking up the cigarette smoke of the owner, who in all fairness seems nice enough. There's a very worn armchair in the backroom if you need to sit down. If you're a commuter, you won't ever notice this bookstore unless the door is open and a cardboard box of paperbacks is sitting on a folding table outside. Only cash and check are accepted, though it's not entirely clear how the place generates enough revenue to stay in business.

Edel is the owner and she has a Plethora of books! This place is a GEM! I purchased 5 books today…read moreand am excited to come back for more. I'm sure whatever you're looking for, she has it. WALL TO WALL! She has books in Spanish, Japanese, and a whole host of other languages as well. Lover her and her shop.

Really nice lady running the show!…read more Lovely displays. I bought some absolutely beautiful cards made by a local artist Z I couldn't be happier .

I'm a firm believer in supporting mom and pop businesses. Tell me that your business was opened in…read more1934 and you pique my interest even more! That's how it was with The Town Book Store, a neighborhood fixture that was once located across the street many years ago. Now in a cute corner of Westfield, this cozy, beautiful store is very welcoming. You step in and see a counter to the right and books (along with plush animals and more) throughout the rest of the shop. There are even a couple nice chairs in a nice little waiting area off to the side. Walk towards the back and you find shelves with featured books and even a sale section. The woman behind the counter was extremely friendly and it was nice chatting with her as my girlfriend and I looked over the books selection. The store seems to largely aim towards kids. The kids section is extensive with the adult sections are a bit less packed with selections. That said, my interests skew towards scifi/fantasy and graphic novels, and you cannot expect every store to carry those in bulk. There was also a shelf dedicated to the town of Westfield itself, with books that covered the history of the town and even a pack of greeting cards with paintings of buildings from around town! This is not the flashiest bookstore around, but that's the charm. I absolutely recommend a visit if you are in Westfield.

@Indigoshorthills @schleichusa…read more#SchleichFlagship This is basically a toy store, though a very interesting one. It does have other items for sale though, such as books and some specialty items. In fact, I'm not sure if I'd describe it as a toy store with books or a book store with toys. If you're bringing your children, they will be loading up their cart, so be careful. It's very easy to spend a lot of money here very quickly. The day we took our granddaughter they were featuring items made by Schleich. Their big attraction Memorial Day weekend was a small scale, yet still large by kid standards, motorized T-Rex. Even if not an inexpensive trek, it was a good time for all. The photos will help you understand.

We went here on a Sunday. Was this walking around and we were amazed at how large of a place this…read moreis. There were so many books of various kinds, and it looked esthetically pleasing. While we didn't buy a book, we definitely will come back another time. The service I can't judge because I didn't buy anything, but everything looked fairly priced.Large variety of books and I would recommend this for various ages

Delicious ice cream-LOTS of flavors to choose from. They even have no dairy alternatives (parole…read moreice cream). Clean bathrooms!

I was very impressed with this bookstore. The last time I visited, it was closed for renovations,…read morebut they have reopened and boy did they do a great job. The entire store is very clean, well laid out, and even has drinks for sale. You will NOT go wrong spending time at The Book House and don't forget to stroll around the adjacent Millburn businesses. You will be pleasantly surprised and accommodated.

Changed a lot! The whole store has been reorganized over the past year. The magazines are no longer…read morein the front when you walk in. They are in the middle and more expensive than ever. There are now a whole section dedicated to blind boxes.... Bought one and was super disappointed at the quality. The front desk allowed me to return it for a replacement. Excellent service!

I've stopped by Kinokuniya Bookstore a few times, usually when I'm already in the Mitsuwa plaza,…read moreand it's a nice place to browse if you're in the area. That said, compared to their Manhattan location, this store feels noticeably smaller, especially when it comes to stationery, gifts, and anime merchandise. That part surprised me a bit since you'd expect more space in New Jersey, but the selection here is definitely more limited. They still carry a solid mix of manga and Japanese books, and some fun stationery and collectibles, so it's not like you'll leave empty-handed. It's clean, well-organized, and easy to spend some time wandering through. Overall, it's a convenient stop if you're already nearby and want to browse or pick up something small. But if I'm specifically planning a stationery or anime shopping trip, I'd go out of my way for the Manhattan location instead. Good for a casual visit, just not my first choice for a dedicated stationery run.

It's located off main street, but my parents have always brought me here as a kid. Some books/items…read moreare more on the expensive side, but it has a nice atmosphere (off a traditional Chinese bookstore feel) and has great variety!

Nice Barnes and Noble; I am happy that people read books and magazines in this digital age. There…read moreis nothing like holding a book or magazine and reading it. I like this Barnes & Noble; it's probably the biggest one I know, very clean and organized. And you can find almost any book that you can think of; they have vast magazine racks. I sometimes see people sitting there, like a library. I would return again soon. And prices are just average; they are decent.

The only time I see B&N bustling is around the holiday season. 'They' say that people don't read…read morebooks anymore. I don't think it's entirely true; however, I suppose some readers might agree that B&N has gone out of style over the years. For instance, in the Edison location B&N still features a huge area entirely devoted to DVDs and CDs - forms of media which increasingly become irrelevant to consumers with each passing year. The advent of technological development has overtaken the usefulness of paper books. Even the professors from my graduate school program studies (circa 2020-2022) elected to use digital textbooks for 85% of the curriculum coursework. Perhaps brick and mortar B&N stores ought to inject a new retail experience into their business model that involves the offline-to-online and online-to-offline offerings (i.e. digital kiosks in stores)