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    Porter Square Books

    4.0 (242 reviews)
    ModerateBookstores
    Open 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    Recommended Reviews - Porter Square Books

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    Girl, Interrupted
    Nat B.

    This is my favorite independent book store of all time. They have a variety of books that include niche and top picks. In addition, they host really cool events. One time, they brought the author of "Girl, Interrupted," which was so neat! They also have a cute little cafe, selling all sorts of pastries as well as Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, which I highly recommend. Surprisingly, they include peanut sauce with the rolls, which not many restaurants offer. Please stop by and get yourself a nice cup of coffee, read a good book, and support your local small business!

    The image shows a purple hardcover book titled 'Kobe: Life Lessons from a Legend' by Nelson Peña, with a vibrant, stylized illustration of Kobe Bryant in a Lakers jersey, celebrating. The book is placed on a bookshelf alongside other sports, biography, and history books, with some titles related to basketball and notable figures. The shelf appears to be in a library or bookstore setting.
    Tarun B.

    This is a cool little bookstore located right in Porter Square. I was initially surprised I never noticed it before. I always wanted to hang out in a bookstore in Cambridge so this place made my day. The staff greeted me as I entered and helped when needed. There is a good choice of books present. I spent a good hour or so walking around and picking out which books to purchase. There is a small cafe located inside the store as well. It was early in the morning so I picked up a quick scone and coffee while reading. What surprised me was the Vietnamese spring rolls they offered. You don't see that every day in a cafe. Porter Square Books is located right next to a Dunkin, Panera Bread, and Starbucks which is a lot of competition. However, it seemed that most people go out of the way to come here to support local vendors. This was my first time vising Porter Square Books and I was pleasantly surprised. I love this addition to the Porter Square area. You can pick up groceries, read a book, have a nice meal all at once. I do visit Cambridge often so I plan to come by here again.

    YA section
    Rachel M.

    For a small, indie bookstore, they carry a large and varied assortment of books without making the aisles impossible to traverse. Upon entering, you can tell this is a store that doesn't cater ONLY to the bestsellers. The display books were all new and diverse selections along with a middle grade/YA graphic novel section that my son loved. I noticed quite a few signed editions of books as well, so if you are looking for signed copies, this is a place to check. Inside, they also have a small cafe with a few tables outside where you could enjoy a pastry and a cup of tea. They have a few gift items and stickers as well, but this is a store that is mostly about the books.

    Large and well lit shop!
    Morgan C.

    Why did it take me so long to find you, Porter Square Books?! In all my years of school in Boston plus countless productions and auditions in the Cambridge area, I never stumbled upon this cute little bookstore / cafe hybrid until embarrassingly recently! However, I'm sure glad that I did! Porter Square Books is tucked inside of a strip mall easily accessible by Red Line MBTA, so it's a snap to get here and get your inner nerd on! The book selection is impressive for a diminutive shop, and it always feels better to shop small (no shade to Barnes & Noble, but I'd rather patronize a cool little bookstore when I can). In addition to the great selection of books, novels, and gift items, they are also invested in the community, and host author meet n' greets and lectures every week. Check their website for details! What makes Porter Square Books truly awesome is the fact that it has its own cafe inside the shop that's also independently run - no Starbucks or Dunkin' franchise setting up in here. In addition to the usual coffee and tea menu suspects, they also carry Vietnamese Summer Rolls, which are the perfect light and refreshing companion as you venture into a world of bibliophilic bliss! It's a unique detail like this that makes this shop really memorable. The baristas are also very nice and make drinks promptly and accurately. If you're there around closing, they may even give you a summer roll for free! I can't believe I went this long without knowing about Porter Square Books, but it's now a Boston/Cambridge favorite, and I look forward to shopping here again and again.

    My new copy of "A Long Way To A Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers is on a bag. A Lem book peeks through the straps of another bag. - Two red Porter Square Books bags are positioned on a wooden floor against a white wall. One bag is upright, displaying the Porter Square Books logo and website. The other bag is slightly tilted, with a copy of 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' by Becky Chambers resting on top. The bags are made of fabric and have handles, with the book partially covering the logo on the tilted bag.
    Mariśca M.

    Everyone at Porter Square Books was super helpful and very clear about their directions for shopping in-person during the pandemic. The greeter let my partner and I know when there was room for both of us to go in together, at the same time, and had my curbside pickup waiting for when I left. Shopping was easy and exciting, and even though we were asked to keep our trip short due to health concerns of the pandemic, as everyone was, we had no trouble doing so. Staff members were quick to direct us to the location of books, and 'checking out' was easy and very smooth. Everyone was kind and understanding. This is a seriously tough time, but PSB made it easy to stay safe and healthy while still offering a one of a kind shopping location and fun experience. I look forward to coming back.

    Cranberry pecan roll

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    2 years ago

    Not that friendly to me. Got a little creeped out after using restroom and man standing at the door staring at me.

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    3 years ago

    Great gibes in this local bookstore. They always have anything I'm looking for and have helpful staff.

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    Delightful bookstore with friendly staff, a nice selection of books and convenient cafe.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Porter Square Books

    Do they buy used books?

    No, it is a store for new publications. They have some remainders but no used book section.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Porter Square Books

    Aside from Cafe Zing (which, to be honest, is the main reason I go into the store), they have a fair selection of books.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    We stumbled upon Rodney's while exploring Harvard Square area. We loved bookstores, so we had to…read morecheck it out. Wish we had more time! It is pretty big and they have a lot of books, but it was crowded, making harder to browse and navigate. As far as the selection goes, it wasn't our cup of tea. Which is OK. Schedule - every day 12-7 pm , Fridays and Saturdays stays open till 8 pm which is great! You are left alone to look at books, staff here doesn't come around to bother you which is a major plus! Prices are a tad high for a used bookstore. It's worth checking it of you're in the area and you're a fellow bookworm! It has a charming, cozy feel to it.

    Stopped there on the way out of town and spent about 40 minutes browsing. Parking was a little…read moreexpensive... it was a Sunday so we couldn't find street parking and instead opted to park at a little lot next door. Was about 6$ for 30 mins or 14$ for 1 hr... needless to say we spent a little more than 30 minutes browsing at the book store. They have a few very old books located next to the checkout point. Books on many hobbies and world religions as well as classics. They do have groups of reference books and thesaurus's (and while they may have been there... I noticed partial sets and only maybe 1-2 complete sets). Books are reasonably priced -- between 94 cents and 30$+. Store was pretty busy when we stopped by but that's exactly what I'd like with a used bookstore. They do accept donations and I surmise that the inventory turns over rather quickly.

    Brookline Booksmith - Interior

    Brookline Booksmith

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    Coolidge Corner

    Brookline Booksmith is so cute, I can't believe this was my first time visiting!…read moreI always find myself on Harvard St, whether on the Brookline or Allston side LOL, & have definitely walked past this store thousands of times. This day, I found myself curious of the shops around & entered Brookline Booksmith w/ an optimistic mind! Okay, so I was totally not expecting this store to be so big. It has two sides, one with little Knick knacks, stationery items, + gifts & the other side was mostly books! They had a great selection of books, basically most things you could find at your local Barnes & Noble, just with a better gift selection hahaha. The gift side reminded me of the paper store almost BUT BETTER. Anyways, yeah so I will be back soon & I'd say it's worth the visit if you haven't explored this gem yet ;) Great place for book lovers, gift givers, & even just if you like finding cute things that you typically wouldn't see at other stores around.

    Love coming here to search for a new read, find a gift or fun knickknack for a friend, or honestly…read morejust spend some time in an aesthetically pleasing environment! They've got all the vibes and have a lot of hidden gems to be found. Some things can be a bit pricey especially on the gift side, but I would say otherwise on average for the type of items. I love that they always have bargain books and the whole used book section downstairs (that's where you can definitely find deals)! Worth exploring if you're checking out the area or a local who loves books and/or cute things!

    Pandemonium Books & Games - D&D Supplies (yes, I may have picked this up for my current character )

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    (109 reviews)

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    The employees are very knowledgeable about their products, and they also have a laptop at the…read morecashier desk so you can search up the prices of their products online or see if they have it in store. They also have a battling area downstairs, but we didn't go to check it out. I also like that they have bathrooms available for customer use. They sell all kinds of things like books, comics, manga, cards, dice, etc. We bought a pokemon journey together bundle and a Tidus commander deck for magic the gathering. Great place!

    Love the store, most of the employees are cool. But the Anthony Fantano looking guy with the rat…read moretail is a straight asshole. Terrible vibes. Disrespectful to customers. Holier than thou attitude. Shouldn't be working anywhere near a customer-facing role. Walked up to the counter to checkout with some singles, said "hi", he stares at me like I'm an alien from another planet and says nothing. I ask what the limit policy is for the new Pokemon Ascended Heroes blisters, he curtly says "1 item". I ask "1 item each?" since that's how some of the other LCS spots are doing the new release. He repeats "1 ITEM" clearly annoyed. If you don't want people to ask questions about your store policies, either BE CLEAR UP FRONT or FIND EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE. Cut it with the vague ass bullshit. You work at a board game/card shop, get off your high horse. If he had simply said "1 item TOTAL", I wouldn't have had to ask for clarification. I wouldn't even be writing this review. He rings me up, hands me my stuff, I say thanks, he says nothing back. Like... why? All the other employees say "you're welcome" or "have a good day" or *something* when you check out. This guy doesn't even have the decency, basic manners or social skills to do that? Why is he behind the counter? Stick him in the basement where he belongs. I've been frequenting this spot for awhile. They have a great selection of singles, and I love flipping through their binders to see what I can find and add to my collection. This is how loyal customers get treated? I'm paying for POKEMON CARDS. I'm not paying for disrespect. Won't be back anytime soon. Y'all don't deserve my business putting people like that behind the counter.

    Porter Square Books - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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