Mystery To Me

Hands down one of my favorite coffee shops I've been to, and it's combined with a store selling one…read moreof my favorite pastimes, a book store. The decor is super cool and vibe-y. I wish I had stopped by later in the day for cocktails - but for now, we were here with a desperate need for coffee. There were so many cool options in the menu like the Red Bean Matcha Latte, the Fig Apple Chaider or the Ca Phe Sua Da. But of course, I had to order the Pandan Iced Latte. I absolutely loved the nuttiness of the Pandan in a latte - I'm just surprised more coffee shops don't offer it. And the perfect offset to it was the Ca Phe Sua Da, or Vietnamese Iced Coffee. It wasn't as mind blowing, but still tasty. Next time I'm in Madison, I'm definitely stopping through for some cocktails!

We really enjoy the trendy vibe of Leopoldo's and if you hit em at happy hour they have featured…read moreand discounted craft cocktails. We ordered oyster and cocktails this stop and everything was so delicious. Friendly and attentive service and the aesthetic couldn't be cooler. Who doesn't love a bookstore.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Ca Phe Sua Da) and Pandan Iced Latte @tiffhuangry

Unique espresso machine!

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Bookstore

Lake City Books

4.9(8 reviews)

1.8 mi•Downtown, Capitol

I was walking toward the lake and noticed books displayed in a window by my knees. I had to…read moreinvestigate. Lucky me, I stumbled upon Lake City Books. Looking at the sign on the door, I realized I was making this discovery 13 minutes before closing. I was greeted when I walked in and assured them I just wanted to poke my head in, as I saw they were getting ready to leave, and was told I was welcome. I made a quick lap around just to check them out, and stopped by their merch counter to grab a quick souvenir. I love a local bookstore, and grabbed a coffee mug to remind myself to come back. They had a cute setup and a table dedicated to my current favorite obsession, Dungeon Crawler Carl. They had signs everywhere informing everyone of their planned move, apparently out of the basement. I am not sure where they will be next, but I will make a point to search them out the next time I am in Madison. And come in plenty of time to peruse.

Love, love & more love for this indie bookstore. The owner & staff are so much fun & really know…read moretheir stuff. The selection is huge for a smallish store & they also buy used books for fair prices. Journals, candles, socks & other cool swag like t-shirts for sale, too. And they are moving to a new location on Carroll St in July! Get thee downtown asap!

Entrance mural

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Mural right inside the door

A Room of One's Own

4.7(52 reviews)

4.2 mi•Schenk - Atwood

Wow I had no idea how big it was inside, and so cool. This building use to be Threshold a…read morecommunity gathering place. Very well organized, wonderful nooks for reading, pleasant staff and nautral light with the abundant windows. Great selection of calendars and day planners at reasonable prices. They even have a selection of free books for neighborhood library stands that you can take and share. Easy to park too!

Huge independent bookstore with an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity! We stopped in for some…read morebrowsing and were impressed at how expansive the store is. Note they do encourage mask wearing at the front and provide masks - when we visited, every person was masked. Tons to look at here, with good organization into categories and staff recommendations. I liked that they had a tarot/witchy section, huge kids section, RPG section, and variety in themes. Great spot to browse for a gift or new book for yourself.

Self-help section

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Walls of books and local art!

Friends of Madison Public Library

4.5(2 reviews)

1.6 mi•Capitol, Downtown

Little bookstore within the library that sells library surplus books and CDs at very low prices…read more The selection is odd, you never know what you will find here. Because of the low prices it's hard to walk out of here empty handed.

Lots of great used books (including some new releases) for just $1-2. I'm always tempted to buy a…read moredozen when I volunteer. Because the store is volunteer-staffed, hours are limited and a bit irregular. The store is usually open 1-3.

1.4 mi•Capitol, State-Langdon

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Paperbacks are $1 and hardcovers, CDs, and DVDs are $2!

Mimosa Books & Gifts

4.0(22 reviews)

I came during an after-hours event and the shop was great!…read moreThe gems and crystals seem appropriately priced. When you purchase any gems or crystals you have to write down on one of their pieces of paper what and how many your purchasing with the price. They also have a large selection of incense, small tubes, and dried herbs. I had a great time looking through their collection. The owner and employees were super helpful and knowledgable.

Very helpful staff, lovely books, crystals, cards, incense. We wandered in just to look around, and…read morefound really interesting things to purchase. We will visit again soon.

1.2 mi•State-Langdon, Capitol

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Incense Sticks- Relax, Lavender, Cannabis, Pagan Spell, and Harmony.

University Book Store

3.1(26 reviews)

Came here for some badgers gear. There were boundless options, yet very few things stuck with me…read moreunfortunately. Ended up with a long sleeve shirt and pajama pants. But it was cool to check this spot out as the gf of a Wisconsin Alum

They have a whole pack of badgers stuff on the main floor and over-priced text books for students…read moredownstairs. They also have a giant bobble head of Ron Dayne. At least I presume it is a bobblehead. He looked normal on tv but I've never seen him in person - maybe he just has a freakishly large head.

Shop the new Under Armour section at the University Book Store

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Our entrance from near library Mall!

Barnes & Noble

3.5(19 reviews)

7.2 mi

Barnes and Noble, you still have a good selection of books, music and DVD's...... However someone…read moreneeds to inventory the magazine section. It's March and there are Halloween, Christmas themed and various magazines over 5 months old.

I live closer to the west side of Madison, but I wanted to look at a book that the west towne…read moreBarnes & Noble did not have. It was my first time going to the east towne Barnes & Noble and I was just stunned by the staff there that was so rude. I tried to get help from 3 different people. The first one was just a bit helpful, by pointing me in the right direction. Still could not find it. I asked help from two other staff and they were both so rude. It was like they hated their jobs. The store was very unorganized and chaotic. I never have that experience at the west towne Barnes & Noble. I will never go back to the east towne Barnes & Noble.

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Noble Knight Games

4.3(53 reviews)

4.7 mi

I underestimated how busy Noble Knight Games would be. This is definitely THE PLACE TO BE if you…read moreare into tabletop gaming. My husband definitely belongs to that group, so we stopped by on our trip up north. The biggest recommendation I can give, as an out-of-towner: Order ahead of time for pick-up so you can give them a heads up on your order. It's a warehouse -- it's one of the top businesses to order games from online -- so they have a lot for purchase that you don't see in the retail area. If you order when you arrive, you may be hanging around for a bit (45 minutes or so in our case) for it to be ready, though hanging out in the game room wasn't a bad time either. Their retail shelves contain several games to peruse as well as other fun bits. My kids liked the four-foot-tall, intricate dice tower that made fun sounds as the dice traveled down. They also had some nerdy stuffies that were neat to see too. And on one side of the showroom are several tables too where you could play a game. My husband came away impressed and with several games. This checked off a board game bucket list item for him!

Saw that there was a Star Wars pop-up here this past Sunday, May 4. We stopped in to see what…read morevendors were there as well as checking out Dungeons And Dragons accessories. The pop-up only had a couple of vendors that were selling Star Wars related items. Those vendors were fantastic. Would've liked to have seen more vendors, but afterwards we focused on D&D accessories. Lots of options for D&D gamers. The place was pretty busy with people, but still had a lot of room to move around.

Gaming space for the multiple events they host every month

Large selection of RPG books and accessories

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Great miniature section, with tons of paints (paints not pictured here)

20th Century Books

5.0(1 review)

1.5 mi•Bay Creek

Let me be clear, this is a little comic store in a very small place. I did not give it five stars…read morefor its extensive collection or its low prices. Instead I gave it 5 stars for its customer service. They will look for any book or comic you are searching for. They have told me to purchase particular items from specific larger stores when they could not match a sales price on an expensive book. Finally, they are very knowledgeable about the topic of comics, SF and Fantasy as well as book selling and publishing. I also confess that I prefer, whenever possible, to deal with small businesses and 20th Century Books definitely fits into this category.

From the owner: Popular Culture bookstore: science fiction, fantasy, comic books, mysteryread more

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Erin N.

13 years ago

A lovely and cozy neighborhood spot with an incredible selection. Joanne is knowledgeable and friendly, and will order any book for you. A great place to read, study, hang out, or catch a reading. They host a ton of events! read more

Sean L.

212

13 years ago

We need more places like this store.

Mystery To Me - bookstores - Updated October 2026

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What a treat! We loved this spot so much that we visited twice during our couple day visit to the…read morearea. Tucked I a cozy house, the Sow's Ear is part coffee shop part knitting craft store. They offer a variety of knitting classes and community offerings under this roof. It was bustling with warm energy during both of my visits. They sell baked goods form Madison Sourdough Company, a variety of coffee and tea drinks along with a few gift items like jams, coffee beans, and earrings. We ordered the protein oatmeal topped with walnuts and pumpkin seeds (twice since it was so good- and healthy) and the toast with rhubarb jam. On one of the visits they were willing to make cinnamon toast for my sister who was sick at the hotel with the flu. A family comfort food. "They also make a delicious "fierce mocha with chocolate and cayenne. Highly recommend this charming spot in Verona!

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