Has it been 5 years ago since I last reviewed Rakestraw? This bookstore is still amazing! I love their promotions of new books and I thoroughly enjoy their author events and book signings. Two of my favorite events are meeting Ed Burns and Shelby Van Pelt. I just recently started following them on Instagram. Ooh!!! They have giveaways! They might not always have the book in stock at the store, but a simple face to face or phone call to Michael or Belle, and they can look up any book you're searching for in their warehouse and get it to you in 1-3 days. Lastly, I appreciate the educator's discount. They support all the schools in the SRVUSD area and are here to serve the community. read more

See all

They have a great selection of books for both adults and kids. My daughter was so excited to find a signed copy of a Babysitters Club book! Bel, one of the employees, was so patient and helpful while helping my kids find books they'd enjoy. Such a wonderful experience, we'll definitely be back! read more

Rakestraw Books - Bookstores Near Me - Danville, California

See all

Great selection and fun local bookshop. I always prefer to buy locally and if I lived in the area you can bet I'd be there more often! Great place to get lost in and find your next treasure! read more

See all

We stopped by about 30 minutes before closing in search of a couple books we were unable to find at another local bookstore and the staff was wildly unpleasant. The blonde older European woman and another woman talked behind the counter the entire time we were there. When asking a question about a title we were searching for they give you minimal responses and continue the conversation between themselves while searching up the answer. You can't help but feel like you're interrupting them. While being rung up for the books, they continue their conversation and talk about the books you're getting like "I've heard this one is so good" and "I should one of the copies for myself" but it's never directed towards you or with any effort to loop you inter the conversation. She was unpleasant a year ago when we came in and I can't find any desire to come back when they're so many other local bookstores who I'd support first. read more

Great staff, very friendly. I enjoy popping in and browsing the shelves. I highly recommend it.

A big shout out to Rakestraw bookstore! I attended a book signing tonight with my grandchildren. The author Drew Daywalt wrote The crayon that won't quit. His newest is, Forty the fortune teller. He was so amazing with the children and hilarious. read more

See all

Quick take: nice to see brick and mortar bookstores I was asked if I needed any help. Let the associate know that I was just browsing. It's always great to be able to pick up an actual paperback book. I stopped in to check out the staff pick section and new arrivals table. Thank you. read more

Rakestraw Books - Bookstores Near Me - Danville, California

Man, so disappointed. I placed an order for my friend's birthday back in January. February birthday came & went & my friend never received anything. When I looked at the website, there was no order information. So I emailed to follow up March 10. No response. I emailed again the 14th. I got a call from someone there who said they hadn't gotten to my email yet because they'd been out of office on vacation & were catching up still (honestly they seemed annoyed I was emailing them at all). Fair enough! I get a large volume of emails at my job & know what that's like. But there was no acknowledgement of my email at all, not even "we're looking into it" or something like that. Like I said, I get a lot of emails at work, & I would be pretty mortified if I didn't at least acknowledge something like this. On the phone they explained that my order had been automatically canceled because the email address did not match the name on my card/billing address. I changed my name a year ago & Gmail doesn't let you update your username, so it's still my first initial then old last name. But they canceled it without even telling me, calling to confirm why my names didn't match, nothing like that, which was frustrating. I then got transferred to someone who apologized & then placed my order over the phone. I was assured it would go through this time. Yay! April comes, then May, & no order comes to my friend. I followed up a few times with no response (again). Here we are in mid-June, & those books still haven't been ordered--there isn't anything on the website to even confirm my order at all, still. I'm so frustrated because I specifically ordered from this bookstore since it's local to my friend & I wanted to support them, but this experience has pretty much guaranteed that I won't be ordering from them again. Maybe it was a fluke, things happen, people make mistakes, but it really seemed like they dropped the ball on this & didn't seem to care that they did. Ah well. I'll get the books elsewhere for my friend. read more

Such a lovely bookstore. The owner has clearly found his calling. He's read many of the books and is very helpful.

Hi, my name is Helen, and I am an Amazon Prime-aholic. After TEN years of Prime-addicted bibliophilia, I found my Come-to-Steinbeck moment when I first stepped foot inside the Temple of Rakestraw. Even though the entrance fee for Rakestraw Books was paid in the form of my ever-present four-legged sponsor Butters McLovin, I still felt somewhat welcomed by the pro-canine/human-neutral staff. This is understandable, for I too harbor neutral to negative sentiments regarding same-species interaction. It has been 90 days since I've had my last swig of soulless Prime shopping, and I pray for the Prime-aholic who is still suffering to this day like a screen-dependent zombie. I now skip and hop with Butters McLovin to Rakestraw on a weekly basis. Upon entering, the staff makes a cuteness-enslaved beeline for Butters (ignoring my existence entirely), and present to her a gourmet menu selection of treats followed by a sickening amount of unearned affection of which Butters--being the fearless fluffy freeloader that she is--receives without humility. Despite feeling emotionally neglected every time I visit, I am hoping that someday they might reward my weekly patronage with a treat of my own. But...Hope is the first thing that dies, according to Emily Dickinson's thrice-more-emo Doppelgänger. Besides, there are no victims...only volunteers. What if I show up to Rakestraw without Butters McLovin? No dog, no service. Amazon Prime offers same-day delivery. This is their version of a book dealer who appears within the hour and proceeds to loiter while I'm trying to shoot up some pages. At Rakestraw, a Methuselahean wait time of 48+ hours for a book to arrive has taught me the meaning of patience...and with patience there is no virtue because I fill up these dangerous hours with other such destructive habits as writing Yelp reviews & reading partisan-polluted newspapers. No doubt that upon publishing this review, I will be blacklisted by the Priests and Priestesses of Rakestraw. As such, I am already training Butters McLovin to walk inside & purchase my books for me. Given that Butters McLovin is a small dog, and small dogs have the lifespan of a Honda Civic, there will be many years of solo canine book-shopping ahead. Barnes & Nobles is a blasphemous chain with an infantry of desultory cashiers. Nowadays, a B&N store is nothing but an odious orgy of ordure placed on Disney-backpack life support, assaulting the senses with its mold-colored carpet, and trying to pass itself off as a glorified Starbucks. At this late stage, a mouse tranquilizer would suffice. Rakestraw Books is the soul of the community manifested in their loving staff, their reading events, their local authors, their warm lamps, their handknotted rugs, and their treat container. I found the Big Book spread across over all the little books at Rakestraw. No longer do I have a burning desire to 'click' for a novel because the joy of face-to-face interaction is more rewarding in all manner of commerce (unless I'm trying to buy a VERY specific type of topical cream). Thank you, Rakestraw. read more

This magical local book store hosted a meet and greet with Andy Griffiths last night. I decided to bring my boys to the event and I'm so glad that I did. They were thoroughly entertained and left inspired to read more. We left the bookstore and by the time we got into the car, they were asking me to bring them to the next children's event. read more

See all

Rakestraw Books is a wonderful oasis in a small Danville shopping center. Independent bookstores are a treasure and I am so happy to have found this one. It's welcoming and cozy with a great selection of books. The staff are friendly and available to help if you need something. I didn't have enough time to fully explore but I plan to return soon. read more

Awesome local independent bookstore! On my last visit, I swung by to pick up a woodworking book for a secret santa gift. Rakestraw isn't some gargantuan B&N with tons of immediate inventory, so it was unsurprising that my specific book was not in stock. However, they were more than happy to order it for me! They took down my information and said they'd contact me when the order arrived. That woodworking book was in my hands less than a week later. There is so much to love about this little store. They've got character. They are unapologetically different. They defiantly choose to only sell literature they believe to be high quality (as opposed to big box stores which focus on profits). Moreover, they've consistently provided me with excellent customer service. Every employee I've ever interacted with was knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about books. I remember eyeing one of their featured items, a work on craft cocktails, when an employee noticed me. "We all thought that one was pretty good...until another one arrived and had us floored." He stepped away from the register, procured another book from the window display, and provided anecdote upon anecdote as to why that was the best cocktail book available. ___Extra Info___ -Try to visit on Saturday morning! You'll be able to swing by Danville's awesome farmers' market! Thanks for being a part of our community, Rakestraw! read more

Rakestraw Books - Bookstores Near Me - Danville, California

First visit. Lovely store, great location. Owner very knowledgeable about merchandise. Small store with amazing selection...even a chair or two to sit on! ... and a Starbucks next door and Trader Joe's in same location! read more

Love this little local bookstore, if you are looking for something specific they probably know about it. And if they don't have it available they can order it for you. A few weeks before Christmas I saw a review about a children's book (and I love their selection of children's books) on tv and it was sold out everywhere. Even on Amazon, it was so popular! But it was truly a beautiful storybook that I wanted for my grandchildren... so I decided to order it through Rakestraw, I figured "oh well" if I don't get it before Christmas. But they called me a week later and were able to get a few copies!!! I was so happy, and it was such a beautiful book. In the past when I needed something new for my grandkids (they do have lots of books) I can always count on the owner to know of a new good book, that maybe my kiddos don't have yet! This is a gem to Danville, and I'm happy to have this bookseller in town, there's nothing like touching and being able to look at the actual book you choose to purchase. read more

This is lovely shop. One of those book stores that has a personal story. I strolled through the place and overheard the bookstore owner talk about her story and how she moved to the area because she wanted more space for her book store. There are not that many small independent book stores so this is a real treat to have in the neighborhood. It has a lot of personality: unique statues, cool chairs like an old church pew, and throw rugs. The owner also appears to have a knack for traveling, indicated by all the travel books. This is place I recommend you stop through after getting a coffee at Starbucks next door. read more

Rakestraw Books - Rakestraw Books right next to Starbucks! - Bookstores Near Me - Danville, California

See all

Great local book store with awesome selection! They can quickly order anything they don't have, a nice alternative to Amazon.

Yes, the prices are high, but I can forgive that in a small, locally owned business. I appreciate that they feature local authors. But I'm giving them 2 stars because the customer service is appalling. If the website says they have a book "in stock" and I immediately walk over to purchase it, I'm not expecting a cashier to tell me that they don't sell that genre of book at all; that there are "none in the store." Then to hear not one other word, like "What exactly are you looking for?" Or "Can I order the book for you?" Or even a "Can I help you with anything else?" Just really lacking. I guess they don't need my business. Fix your website and train your staff to treat potential customers better. I won't be going back. read more

I LOVE this place! I always grab the ISBN-13 from amazon and I plug it into the search bar and buy my books from Rakestraw online. I always get curbside pickup so that I can say 'hello' to my friends inside. Buy local! read more

Great bookstore! Michael always knows exactly what to recommend. If a book is not on the shelves, he or his kind staff will order it. I was looking for a particular children's book that waS popular when my kids were little and it is not so popular now so not in shelves and he tooK the time to find a gReat alternative which he actually read to me! What personal service! And they wrap books for free!! Long live independent bookstores!! Shop locally!! read more

I found this bookstore because there was not any adequate parking spaces near Trader Joe's, and I did not want to get my doors nicked. I entered the store, and asked where I could find the Shakespeare section. As I remained in the store over an extended period of time, I could hear people ask questions about books, and Michael had read the books, and answered the ladies' questions. read more

The absolute best place to hear author talks in the East Bay. The shop is packed with a fabulous variety of books, is physically enticing and the staff can always find you something you or your gift recipient will love. read more

great hidden gem! came here last week. they have a good recommendation section, a little bit of everything. there is a big selection on kids books, which takes up the whole back of the store. i bought several books for my son as he's just wrapped up 3rd grade and want to keep up his reading for the summe. it's a nice cozy place and will come back again when i'm in the area. support your local bookstore! read more

Phenomenal. A wide and beautifully curated selection for both adults and children. Love that they promote local authors. This is also a great place for picking up cards for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Highly recommended. read more

I am extremely please with Rakestraw Books! I had signed up to come see Anthony Horowitz, my favorite author, at Rakestraw. Unfortunately, I ended up in the hospital and couldn't make it to the event. I called to let them know and they asked if I wanted to have Anthony sign some books for me!!!! Of course I did! I just received the books (shipped to my house as I live out of the area). They were packaged perfectly, receipt included, and not only signed but personalized for a friend of mine and for me, just as I had wanted. They have gone above and beyond for me and I can't be more thankful. read more

Nice little place. Good local feel. Good place to bring your ma if you want to go shopping for books. Check it out!

Best bookstore. Great new location . Michael is always helpful - if I'm looking for a book for myself or as a gift, he always has the perfect suggestion. Thank you Michael!! All the best in your new location !! read more

I grew up near this area and always loved going to Rakestraw books as a kid. Now, I'm a teacher in the Sacramento area at a Title I school. Susan, who works with Rakestraw, reached out to me with an offer to donate books to my high school English classroom. I was so thrilled! She worked with me to get specific titles I asked for and threw in recommendations of hers as well that I know my students will love. I am so grateful to know that Rakestraw is still such a wonderful pillar in the Danville community. I plan on ordering as many books as I can from Rakestraw for my personal library and for my classroom library in the future! read more

Rakestraw Books - These are the books I received from Susan at Rakestraw! I'm so excited! - Bookstores Near Me - Danville, California

Wow, for a smaller bookstore they really pack a punch (by curating a selection that is interesting, new and appealing). The morning we were there they had just had an author event and the slate of future events looks pretty great. Nice selection for teens, my daughter found a ton of new and interesting options. Especially liked the literary swag/tee shirts. Friendly service. read more

In addition to the helpful staff mentioned in other reviews, Rakestraw has great author events with bestselling and well-respected authors. Check their website for the schedule. I don't know how the owner, Michael Barnard, attracts the big names he does to Danville, but he does. Authors like Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Chabon, and Carl Hiaasen are a few that come to mind. The big chain bookstores just don't know literature or provide the kind of personal service that a store like Rakestraw does. They really seem to have read every book in the store and can tell you all about each one. They also have a great newsletter with recommendations. I have discovered a lot of good books that way. And, if they don't have a book you are looking for, they can usually order it. read more

A couple of weeks ago, I went in and announced that I was not buying from the large online bookseller anymore. The ladies cheered and gave me a cookie! Last week, I went in with a list and the gentleman working there knew every author, quickly ordered them, and recommended a similar author that was new to me in order to tide me over. The next day, he called to apologize that he was forced to order from the publisher because the distributor did not have the books in stock. Wow. Great service from fun and knowledgeable people! I can't wait to go back! read more

Going to this bookstore is like settling down to a nice cup of hot chocolate. I love this place. The people working have distinct personalities and areas of knowledge and all are helpful. They are there because they love books, not just because they need a job. The store is intimate and small. You cannot go there expecting to find any book under the sun in thirty seconds and walk out with your purchase. But if you value a local bookstore where the people there know everything, this is the place for you. I now try to always plan ahead for my book needs, just like I used to have to do before amazon took over the planet. Because the physical store is small, they are selective and thoughtful about what is on the shelves. This means that I often have to order a book if there is something specific that I need. Everyone is always happy to place the order for me and the item arrives within just few days. read more

I visited the store looking for a specific book for my daughter. Upon walking in the people behind the counter were not busy and refused to acknowledge my presence. They assisted other customers with enthusiasm as I browsed the shelves for nearly 30 minutes. After giving up looking I left the store with not a single word from the employees. read more

I was looking for a book as a birthday present for a friend of mine. My friend is an avid reader, so I knew it wasn't going to be an easy task to find something she hasn't read before. An employee asked me if I needed any help. I told her the genre my friend likes and some of the books she has read before. They spent a lot of time with me and was able to give me some stellar suggestions. The employee found a book, and based on her reaction of excitement and how they said it was written beautifully I knew it was the one. They knew I was worried it was a book my friend has already read, and they told me that she could exchange it for something else. It was time to give it to my friend.. She unwrapped it and was absolutely thrilled! She told me this has been on her list of books she wants to read, and that she has never been this excited about a book she has received as a gift. I could have not done it without the help of the employee. Thank you so much for your help!!! I will definitely be back! read more

I was staying a couple of days with friends who live nearby, and they suggested that I pay a visit to Rakestraw. It's located in a quiet shopping area and has a good selection of books that are well displayed. Nice, welcoming vibes from the owner and staff. read more

I love Rakestraw! Whoever is doing the book displays has the best taste and I just love to see what they've put together. They have a great selection of children's books and a wide array of genres for adults. If they don't happen to have something in stock they will order it for you-no charge. Also they put on great book signings and events. read more

Nice little book store, a pretty big selection! And a wonderful ac! Right next to Starbucks! They are priced pretty even with Barnes and noble. But it's always better to support small business. I like this little place but the female owner can hover. So I didn't really enjoy that. But you can tell she really loves her business. So I completely understand. But a nice little place overall. read more

Rakestraw is a wonderful, independently own bookstore. The owner is very sweet and helpful. I almost always find what I am looking for when I go in. However, on the rare occasion when a book is out of stock the owner has ordered it for me. Please don't hesitate to ask for a custom order. The book will arrive in a few days! It is very important to support local bookstores! read more

The local bookstore is a dying breed. The convenience of buying whatever you want online is great, yeah, but there's something nostalgic and special and kinda heart warming about going in to a physical book store with its own vibe and unique style, and talking about books with the staff. I've gotten so many good recs from these guys. And even when I don't necessary love the book they encouraged me to get, I can't wait to go back and have an impromptu book club about it with them. read more

Really good selection of books and book-related stuff. I wish there were more places to sit and settle into perusing, but maybe that's to encourage quick sales. read more