We stopped in the shop to celebrate my friends 55th birthday. She decided to do a bookstore crawl so that we could support local women owned businesses. We were welcomed, given background information about how this bookstore began, picked up our copies of I, Medusa- and explored this shop. Several people in our group purchased additional books and merchandise. This store is well organized with wonderful employees and owners. read more

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If you live local and you're thinking of buying a book for someone online, DON'T USE AMAZON - try here first! If they have it in stock they will hold it for you to pick up, or if they don't have it they can usually order it! I haven't had a case yet where they haven't been able to order in a book I've wanted. Support a local business! The people are friendly, the shop is cute, they have staff-recommended items on each shelf, and very LGBTQ+ friendly and supportive. Their email newsletter has info on all of their book clubs (of which there are many) - eventually I will participate in one, just haven't had a chance to yet! There are several monthly book clubs for a good variety of different genres. Caboose (their children's book shop right next door) also has a ton of programming for kids and families! read more

Very stylish and quaint bookshop that had most of the titles I was looking for (Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harare, Donna Tartt's The Secret History, and The Best American Short Stories 2025). Also located in Royal Oak with a lot of other shops. Great and super helpful service, the employee was able to locate the books I was looking for very quickly and knew exactly where they were. Excellent prices and values for the books they sold as well. Highly recommended! read more

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I love this cute bookstore. It's laid out very well and the people working were so nice and helpful. I was tempted by so many books - I love that so many of the covers are displayed. I will for sure return whenever I'm in Royal Oak - they have lots of fun things aside from books; just a fun place to stop in when you're walking around. read more

This bookstore had all brand new books. It was mostly fiction. It had a lot of good employee review books along the shelf. If you need inspiration. Two women working there were friendly. read more

Finally such a delightful and intentional bookshop in Royal Oak!! It's right off of Main Street in downtown Royal Oak like one block, perfectly next to the train tracks, halfway between Main Street and the Royal Oak Music Theater. Sidetrack Bookshop may be small, but the quality and quantity of what they carry is SO solid! It is so intentionally curated, many bestsellers, but also many more niche books creating the perfect environment for you to discover new favorites! The booksellers are so kind and inviting, but also completely respect your space to browse at your own pace! I love the categories of books they have too - you have the classic romance and fiction, etc. but then I loved the special Michigan section AND YA LGBTQ+ sections! Much appreciated, Sidetrack! They are also doing such a great job fostering a community around their bookshop with their monthly bookclub picks! I love every little thing Sidetrack is doing and I will definitely be back soon to pick up more book and bookish goodies!! read more

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I love this little bookstore. I've been multiple times and can usually find what I'm looking for and if they don't have it, you can order it. Purchases are easy; in store or online - pick up in the store or have it delivered to your house. This is a store that I recommend to everyone. If books aren't your jam, they offer journals, pens , tarot cards and STICKERS! This bookstore is a must visit destination. read more

Excellent selection, very well organized, easy to find what you're looking for. Staff was very friendly. If I'm in the area again I'll definitely be back. read more

Sidetrack Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Obsessed with this bookstore. They always host fun events -- you'll definitely want to follow their social media accounts. They have a massive selection of books displayed beautifully in a relatively small space. I love how the books are organized in different ways, with certain books featured with descriptions. They also have a range of book-related items, like stickers, bookmarks, and book sleeves. Friendly staff, too. Book lovers, this is a must-visit spot! read more

Such a cute bookstore right in downtown Royal Oak! They have a wonderful section dedicated to recommended books, lovely journals, a children's book section and thoughtful gifts. I love a good bookstore, check it out! It's across the street from Royal Oak Music Theater by the railroad tracks ;) read more

So, I went into the bookstore to see the selection. One major thing that I noticed, the women behind the cash register hesitated to greet people that weren't white or didn't come in with someone that's white. If you were black woman they both sat in silence when entering ans upon leaving. Be careful where you shop. You would think a bookstore that's based on inclusion wouldn't have this problem. Oh well. read more

I first learned about Sidetrack Bookshop when I saw that Aaron Foley, the author of Boys Come First, would be visiting. I am originally from Michigan and I was visiting family so I decided to visit the bookstore and see the author. The bookstore is located in Royal Oak, just off of the railroad tracks, hence the name. It's a small bookstore but with a great curation of new books, some popular books, some modern classics, across all the genres. This store is owned by queer people, so there are a number of options for readers of LGBTQ+ books. But the bookstore has a range of books for people of any age and genre. I really liked this store. The staff was friendly. I liked the selection of books. I am so thrilled that new bookstores are opening and I'm so happy to support a lovely bookshop online. If you live in the area, I hope you check out this store before clicking that buy button online. read more

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Exceptional bookstore in Royal Oak! The selection is fantastic, the location is convenient, and the staff is both friendly and knowledgeable. A gem for book lovers! Highly recommend. Bonus: Check their website for in-stock books before visiting. You can even pre-order with in-store pickup. A great way to support local bookstores! " read more

Lovely bookshop with amazing LGBT+ and children's sections. Genre selections are small, but mighty. This is a great place to go for a gift. read more

Sidetrack Bookshop - Elephant and Piggie finger puppets. - Bookstores Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

My wife and I love to frequent book stores and decided to walk to Sidetrack after a lunch date in downtown royal oak. It is a nice book store, little in size l, but packs a punch. They have a really good selection of books and abundance of children's books. It was really awesome to wonder around the store for a while and picked out a couple of books. I love supporting local and brick and mortar book stores and this is a great one that I'll for sure come back to. read more

I absolutely love this place and I have since they opened. This is an excellent addition to the Royal Oak downtown. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. When I visited on IBD last weekend, the patrons were super friendly too, and I came away with a lot of great book suggestions. 10/10 love shopping here. read more

This is an amazing little bookshop in downtown royal oak! I found out about it from a friend who attended a midnight release party and it's quickly become a staple in our household. The selection of books is phenomenal they always have everything we're looking for with a little more to help us branch out and read something maybe unexpected. And if I don't see something on the shelf all I have to do is ask and the staff is helping me track it down. If you don't already, do yourself a favor and follow them on Instagram @sidetrackbookshop and keep up with what's to come in the store. You're honestly really missing out if you haven't stopped in here yet. read more

I've stopped into Sidetrack a many times over the last few months and happy to have them in our neighborhood! They have a great selection of fiction books of all types and recently bought a bunch of children's books to give to my nephews and niece. The staff gives great suggestions any time I come in to browse when I'm not looking for anything specific. read more

This is one of our favorite neighborhood bookstores. There's always something here. They've got a eclectic mix. Half the store is a kids section. I always find something cool in the sci-fi section. There's plenty of world events/culture books. They'll happily order books for you if they don't have something in stock. I really like this place. It's great to just stop by and browse. I always find myself here if I'm visiting downtown. read more

Was not the biggest fan of the customer service. The return/exchange process was sketchy. Was told on the phone I could get a refund, then I go in and was told I could do a refund if the managers were around. I come back another day the managers were not around so they get the owner and was denied a refund that I was told would be fine. I just did not like the run around or the comments made by the owner that I could just regift the gift card. The person receiving the gift card would know it was from a return since there was an odd amount on it. If I wasn't stuck w/ the gift card I would not return. read more

A great local bookstore! The staff is super friendly and always willing to help you. It clean and well organized. If they do not have what your looking for they will order it for you. They even gift wrapped a present we bought. read more

Such friendly people and they have good info/ suggestions of books by genre which helped me pick out a great new book. Would recommend!

Went here for the first time about 2 days ago and I would say that it is definitely a cute bookstore! The selection was great also!!

Super nice staff and wide selection of LGBTQ+ books! Went for the first time and it was so welcoming :)

A nice small neighborhood bookstore. I found a nice selection of new books with a surprising range, given the store's small size. A little something for everyone. The store does appear to have a large selection of children's and young adult books. The staff seemed friendly, and they have a nice website. If you're in the area and want to support a community bookstore alternative to the big box and online shops, then come check this place out. read more

I'm giving up Barnes and Nobles. This is the best bookshop I've been to in eons. The selection is great, the staff is fantastic, and what's better, you're supporting a local business. Book lovers beware, you'll be spending a lot of your time here. read more

Cozy, welcoming, and a much larger selection of books than I expected given the size of the space, frankly. In addition to the usual sections (adult fiction, non fiction, genre fiction), they have robust sections for kids, tweens, and teens including graphic novels and YA fantasy. Staff was pleasant, available to help, but also totally unobtrusive--just let you browse until you ask. Looking forward to going back many times, what a lovely addition to our community. read more

"It's pretty cozy in here." "Thanks for being such an awesome bookstore!" "It feels peaceful and safe." - Three young humans

The most amazing, friendly, kind and inviting bookstore that I've ever been to! I absolutely recommend this place!