This place is a maze! And it's not just books -- they have everything. It's an adventure just…read moreturning the corner -- they even have musical instruments! This is only my third time here and one of my go to places to get puzzles -- they have a whole wall of them! They seem gently used most of them, the few puzzles I have purchased there have usually an extra odd piece that doesn't belong or maybe 1-2 pieces missing -- which I think adds an extra challenge!! I think I noticed there was a deal for getting 3 puzzles but I can't recall what it is off the top of my head. Anyway, it was a bit more expensive for puzzles than the goodwill but I would say the quality is a bit better. I love a good community bookstore too -- this place is a gem and I hope people continue to support this place so they never go out of business!!

Well-behaved dogs allowed! Once it gets too hot to bring our fur baby to the farmers market, going…read moreto a Bookmans may become our new Saturday morning outing! A really great selection of all kinds of books, music, video games, and more! Everything here is community-based, with the exception of selections here and there that are brand-new. So a nice way to support buying secondhand items from Phoenix folks, being more sustainable and supporting a smaller business, and overall just a good spot to come explore! I've found lots of cool vintage magazines, vintage video games, some vinyls, and a number of books here on 19th. I definitely recommend this location!

Came here again when I was in the area. I honestly wish all B&Ns could turn into independent…read morebookstores. Just feels wonky to support corporate and know someone at the top is gonna make a lot of money yet our country has such wealth disparity...ok. I digress as per usual wirh my reviews. In any case, I had about half hour to kill before dinner with a friend and I very much like this bookstore. A great selection of books and I browsed to my heart's content. I found two books this time that caught my eye. One on Rasputin's life and the other on the history of tequila. My strategy is to go to great bookstores like these, browse, take photos and then check my local library to see if they have the book. And only after a very thorough library search, and checking out Goodwill or other discount booksellers and can't find the book, I will pull the trigger at buying books at B&N. This is probably one of the better bookstores in the Phoenix area, so definitely come check it out!

The second time I came here in the afternoon. this store like the one that locates at Houston I…read moreused to come. There are 2nd floor with large space for studying and reading . I really love and I will be back once a week. If everyone who wants to find the magazine, come to second floor. The air conditioner is automatic, but not too cold.

Why after all these years is it such a continued delight just to walk in the Mike Riley's Book…read moreGallery??? My grandfather, Dad, and Uncle owned dairy ranches years ago. Though he became a corporate executive-the owner actually , my Dad never lost that love of animals and such. Today as I was leaving, I saw a little book called Farm Pets from 1935. It would have touched his heart like it did mine! I lost my Dad last year but for a moment the Book Gallery brought him back to me. This is what makes the Book Gallery so special. Mike has an unerring sense for finding what is special!

what an odd store. if you like having panic attacks, by all means, venture in, boy-o! so as others…read morehave stated on here, the selection is vast. and i and others i know have purchased a book or two here over the years. but MY GOODNESS -- there are boxes boxes and oh yes BOXES of unsorted books e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. in the aisles. blocking lots of shelves and sections. fire hazard? yes. hoarder? yes. the book police should put a hard stop on this business from purchasing one more book until it does something with the thousands of titles littering its walkways. the staff here is....................interesting. not necessarily bad per se, but not necessarily, uh, helpful without being low-key condescending. it's like: dude, books are dying, you are LUCKY if anyone comes in here. i love books. but a lot of people don't. you would think you'd tailor your store of dying dinorsaur chopped trees to be organized and welcoming. not dark, scary and with a high probability of getting lost and/or a sprained ankle from hurtling bankers boxes. 3 stars. clean your act up, Book Barn.

They have a great selection of books, and the staff is always friendly and helpful. For the…read morenostalgic, there are also albums, CDs, etc

I brought in a box of stuff to sell and staff was friendly and explained the process-they take the…read moreentire lot and offer a price for everything. Although I didn't get much for the dvds I brought in, I was given a 10% off coupon for bringing in items to sell. I went in for puzzles and magazines. Puzzles are $7-8 with a wide selection. They have a variety of magazines for $1 and the recent releases are $3.99. Great book selection. FYI they don't give plastic bags so bring your own bag. This is a great book store that entertained me for a few hours. Will be back.

I am usually not in this area a lot, but my daughter & I wanted to go check out this bookstore for…read moresome used books so we took the drive down. When we arrived, I realized I remembered this spot from when I was a kid, I just hadn't been back since I was younger. This spot is absolutely STUFFED with books, comic books, VHS tapes and more. You could spend quite a long time wandering around looking at all of the books they have to offer. It can be slightly overwhelming especially if you are looking for something specific as there wasn't really any clear guidance on where to find certain sections. We still had a lot of fun though wandering around and seeing what we could find. If you are looking for the prices, they are written in pencil on the inside of the books. You can find a mixture of mostly used books along with some new books. They have a cute shop cat that you can sometimes spot wandering around, or asleep at the front. The woman who was working the register the day we visited was friendly! They also had a cart out-front with a number of books that were free to grab. There is plenty of parking out-front.

Found this little gem in Phoenix last week when I was on the hunt for a used copy of Song of…read moreSolomon. I called and they said they have the 1984 edition for $6, which was a great price. Once I was got to the store, I had to explore. I think that if one were to regularly visit Books, he/she would find some rare editions and other gems. Also, they had what looked like reproductions of banned book announcements posted around the store: all were of classic novels that we can't imagine not having access to as students. (See photos: Charlotte's Web, Huck Finn, Fahrenheit 451...) They were quite entertaining, in a disturbing way. They had the effect of making me feel so grateful that past efforts of censorship in the US had failed. In 2024, this is still a real threat. Tiny stores like this one are real treasures. Let's keep them in business.

So glad we found Wildlings Toy Boutique! We discovered the cutest, most thoughtfully curated toys…read more-- all creative and truly educational. As a K-12 teacher, I know what to look for, and this shop has so many great options that foster growth, meaningful play, and academics in a fun way. The owner and staff are amazing -- so kind and welcoming. I will definitely be telling our neighbors, family (in and out of state), and other business friends. We'll absolutely be back!

wildlingstoys is a boutique toy store that sells educational and developmentally centered toys…read more It's a small shop but it's packed full of goodies. Shelves are arranged by suggested age to make shopping easier. We went in for three gifts for varying ages and found some unique items, which is why we were avoiding big box stores and online shopping. My favorites were found actually by my 7 year old for a 1 year old friend and a 2 year old friend. @slumberkins has a line of stuffies, with matching books, that guides through emotional intelligence. Although we picked them by which stuffies were our favorites, they each had a great lesson: building connections and a growth mindset. I also grabbed a matching set of positive affirmation cards for kids. Great find! To top it off, the team member asked if these were each gifts and then put them each in a nice gift bag with matching tissue paper. What a wonderful and unexpected surprise! Wildlings Toy Boutique is located near Bethany Home and 16th st and is right next to Cafe Mollie, and across the street from Luci's Market (so stop by for some caffeine and a treat).

I have a long history with Vision Quest Metaphysical Bookstore. Maybe since 1997. I wrote a Yelp…read morereview for this store years ago but maybe 40% of my older reviews just disappeared from Yelp. I used to go to this bookstore when they were in Scottsdale on Thomas Road and Oak Streets. I make and sell metaphysical jewelry that I design mostly necklaces from semi-precious stones for healing and well-being. I used to consign my jewelry at the Scottsdale store and everything sold within 3 months. It was so easy I just bring it there and then pick up my check later. But when Vision Quest moved to the Phoenix location, the clientele there was vastly different from Scottsdale and it's tourists, and Phoenecians didn't want to buy my jewelry at the $60 prices for necklaces that the store sold them for. Owner Apryl told me Phoenician customers bought candles and incense and got readings. So April didn't let me consign jewelry anymore as it would stay in the store unsold for a year. But I go to the Phoenix store now and get regular readings by psychic reader Toney He's very good and accurate in business matters. Sometimes I talk to him almost every week or two times a week. My life is very in need of direction right now I'm making big financial ventures which Toney advises me on. Apryl is a good reader too but the staff tells me she's not doing readings for store customers now.

Vision Quest was my gateway drug into all things WooWoo. Back when it was on Scottsdale Road, I…read morewandered in and basically fell headfirst into crystals, incense, and candles like some kind of spiritual Alice in Wonderland. It was my first real intro to this world, and honestly, it launched me into the practices that are now just... my life. So yes, Vision Quest and I go way back. Then, like any long-term relationship, the shine wore off. I started hearing whispers in school about them not clearing the space, and once I noticed it myself, the vibe felt a little off. Combine that with discovering other shops that had better prices and fresh energy? Yeah, I strayed. Cut to tonight: my go-to WooWoo dealer (aka my favorite candle spot) was CLOSED. Dire situation. My altar was looking at me like, "You really gonna let me go dark?" So, I dragged myself over to Vision Quest. And you know what? The whole vibe felt different... lighter, fresher, like someone saged the place within an inch of its life. I actually caught myself thinking, "Wait, why did I stop coming here again?" Candles acquired. Yes, they were a whopping 50¢ instead of my usual 30¢ (so, call me thrifty), and the wax felt like it came from a slightly less fancy bee or paraffin farm. But in an emergency? Totally did the job. And so, Vision Quest is like that ex you bump into years later and think, "Huh... maybe they got their act together." I may not be back every week, but I'm definitely glad it's still around when the WooWoo emergencies hit.

Stinkweeds is a cool record shop that you should stop by if you're in the area…read more They have a great selection, and the staff are kind and friendly! Be sure to check out some of their in-store events; they also share local concerts and such to be in the know. Parking can be found in the back. +great selection +friendly staff

Stinkweeds is one of the top vinyl record shops in the AZ area! This spot has a back parking lot…read morewith a decent amount of spots. Inside, they have a pretty spacious setup with records neatly organized by genre and artists. Their records are priced fairly and they have records in both used and new condition. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. I definitely spent a good hour or so crate digging here. I came up empty today but will definitely be back next time I am in the area!

While in Phoenix, I was on the hunt for postcards, and after going to one store that didn't have…read moreany, they suggested we try Changing Hands. Jackpot--they had exactly what I was looking for! First, I have to mention the book bar inside, First Draft. We didn't actually get a chance to go in, but I absolutely love the convenience of having a bookshop and bar together. And I especially love a good play on words, so if I'd had more time and hadn't had my teenager with me, I definitely would have checked it out! Anyway, I walked in and cut right to the chase, asking an employee where I could find the postcards. They pointed me in the right direction, and I found them immediately. We were on a bit of a time crunch, so I didn't get the chance to explore EVERYTHING they had, but I easily could have spent quite a while browsing the books, trinkets, gifts, and all the other fun things throughout the store. Then something caught my eye that I was SO excited about--the mini print vending machine! I had seen these on TikTok before, including ones in San Francisco, so finding one here was a really pleasant surprise. I dug around in my purse and managed to come up with enough quarters to get two prints. I absolutely loved the prints, and they made such a fun and affordable souvenir to bring home. It was one of those unexpected little finds that made the stop even better. My only complaint is that I didn't have more time to explore. I would have loved to browse the store longer and grab a drink at First Draft. Changing Hands is definitely a little gem in the Phoenix area, and I'm glad another store pointed me in their direction!

We visited this Changing Hands location after attending the Phoenix Art Museum's August First…read moreFriday event. It felt like an appropriate encore for an artsy evening. My sister and I had just visited their Tempe location and were delighted in how similar but different this Changing Hands was from Tempe's shop. Namely, this Changing Hands has a little area for coffee, booze, and bites. Just like the Tempe shop, they have an amazing selection of books and gift items and so much more. I find their prices to be so fair, especially for a fairly small indie bookshop--support small book sellers! We also loved that this shop has a tiny art print vending machine...think of the sticker machines from your childhood that traded quarters for stickers...but cooler!