This was my 8th stop on the Indie Bookstore Passport tour, and it is close to Macalester. I was…read moreimpressed with the book selection; they seemed to have a little bit of all genres. There was an abundance of local authors featured throughout the store. I liked the bookish events offered, including silent reading club. The staff were warm and welcoming, and they checked in as I was browsing, asking if I needed help. There is street parking, and a public parking lot around the corner from the store.

Lovely bookstore with great selection of fiction, nonfiction and international topics. They also…read morehave a section for local authors. The shop is beautiful and staffs are very friendly. I got some travel and nonfiction books :)

Local shop. Excellent service with recommendations from staff. They even gift wrap for free…read more A delightful shopping experience!

Red Balloon is a kids bookshop, but with plenty of cool stuff for adults too!…read more I've been coming here for 20+ years for story times and book clubs and gift buying and all the good vibes. It's a true gem of a store. And of course the people who work here and who visit here are the absolute best too! There's even a nice bathroom and a great community bulletin board! My family still loves the summer reading challenges. I personally love human rights. If you're not into basic human rights, you might not love this place, but then again in you're not into basic human rights you probably don't love that much of anything.

Very well curated selection. All the other positives in the other reviews here are true!read more

Weird and wonderful, eclectic selection of used books in a pocket-sized space. The first book that…read morecaught my eye was a book in French about China. My husband saw a book about making soymilk and a graphic introduction to Derrida directly opposite. How many bookstores can give you that kind of experience? It's the kind of store where you will find your college reading list (words of one fellow customer). Or that old cookbook that your Mom used to have. That random book your college friend told you about but you never bothered to pick up. A classic graphic novel that your art class peers recommended. You won't find everything you ever wanted to read, but there's a good chance you will find something that you didn't know you wanted to read. The store is a real community effort. One of the owner's friends happened to be there, and said that the owner had another store-full of books in his house. He had been collecting books over 15-20 years, carefully curating them for just this time. The shelves were made with brackets from a local department store that was closing. The owner's brother made the beautiful book cases on the floor. We found this place by chance looking for something to do Christmas day. In the spirit of the bookstore name, they had Jewish trivia, bagels, and mimosas. Some other people trickled in for the trivia, others did kind of float in and browse the books. We gathered around a small table toward the front and had a blast. The store was closing up soon after our trivia game ended, so I'll be back at some other time when it's warmer. A great addition to the neighborhood!

We popped in for a moment while passing time to hop on the lightrail…read more First you have to be let in as in someone has to come unlock the door. When you walk in it's jammed back with books, which is amazing to see. We only had time to browse the main room but I seen signs mentioning that there was more on the other floors. They had a large comic selection right when you walk in that's about all I checked out. I definitely want to come back and check out more! Looks like a place you can definitely spend time browsing.

This was my 7th stop on the Indie Bookstore Passport tour. This place is huge, with three floors,…read moreand you could browse here for hours if so inclined. It is an eclectic mix of over 100,000 books on every genre from books to comics to magazines. It was nostalgic to see a complete collection of Nancy Drew books, a series I read as a child. They also had a large area devoted to comics in the front of the store. If you seek used or rare books, this is the top choice to come in the area. The door is locked and you need staff to let you inside the store. There is a shared parking lot behind the store, which was very much appreciated.

Love Black Garnet! A great variety of curated books of all genres spotlighting BIPOC authors. We've…read moremade a few orders for books that weren't available in store and those have come in pretty quickly. Prices are comparable to the big box stores and you get to support a local business. Booksellers are always helpful and friendly. Loved going to the book club meetings- hoping to go more in the new year.

What a cute and perfect little gem in St. Paul! Offering a huge variety of books from lots of…read moredifferent authors, and tons of gifts, toys, and kids' options! Check it out when you are in the neighborhood!

This bookstore is a national resource that happens to be located in the Twin Cities. The owner…read moreoffers a magnificent collection of books, but more than that, he is driven by passion, expertise, and care. The selection tends to the antquarian and collectible, moreso than the "used," but as a result, there are books available at this shop that are impossible to find elsewhere.

I absolutely adore this little bookshop - I was able to get a first edition of Rosemary's Baby for…read moreone of my best friends, and I was shook! I really enjoyed the vibe of this store - not only are there collectible editions, but there are also contemporary and new releases of horror, science fiction, fantasy, etc. I also like browsing all of the other collectible games, toys, and looking forward to attending an author event in the near future. Keep it weird!!

This was my 19th stop on the Indie Bookstore Passport tour. Parking was tight, with limited street…read moreparking available. The store is located on the second floor. It's a used bookstore with more than 40,000 books; so prepare to spend at least an hour (if not an afternoon) perusing the bookshelves. It's easy to get lost in the stacks here, as there are LOTS of hallways and a labyrinth of rooms. There is a room for small gatherings, a rare book room, and an alcove to tuck away with a book. One window in the store has a bit of nostalgia as it overlooks Bob Dylan's old apartment (and is now the Loring Bar). If you love a used bookstore and a historic site, this place is worth a visit.

Any used bookstore near a university is bound to be worth a couple hours of browsing and the Book…read moreHouse is no exception. It's got good prices and an impressive variety, lots of scholarly books. I love the atmosphere here, and the restaurant downstairs is pretty good too.

The Barnes & Nobles in the very vacant Har Mar Mall.. stopped in a couple of days ago because I…read morestopped in to Har Mar Mall to go to Marshalls which is also one of the tenants in this vacant Mall to do a return from another Marshalls since I happen to be in Roseville. After the depressing visit to the rather empty Marshalls store, I decided to stop in to Barnes & Nobles, the other open tenant. I love Barnes & Nobles because it always cheer me up with all the colorful books and a Starbucks! But not here. I walked into to the coffee shop and I was rather disappointed as all the pastries and coffee cakes were lacking... I decided to just order iced tea. Then I found it annoying that the barista being preoccupied with talking on the walkie to security about a shoplifter than making my iced tea...so...as soon as I got my iced tea in hand, I left the immediately to get out of the uncomfortable space.

The size of this B&N is unbelievable! My fav B&N, I always find books that I don't find at any…read moreother location. You can easily spend hours in one section alone in this location. The cafe has to be the biggest in the state. The seating in this location is extensive. You can find a spot to sit and read or eat. Phenomenal kid space, stage and areas for kids to find the right section for them. Staff are to themselves, a great place to sit and read because no one will bother you but not a great place to ask questions. The upkeep of the location needs to be better. Carpet looks like it needs changing or cleaning, other fixtures and such seem beaten. I love coming here despite the dinginess.