The absolute best indie bookstore I've ever visited. The owner is kind, funny, and has so many good…read morerecommendations. The selection is incredible given the size of the store, and we found books for ourselves, our teenager, and as gifts. They host book clubs and other events and you can't beat the location in Newbo. I have saved the best for last: there's a bookstore cat! When I went in a few weeks ago, I picked up a book called "The Rabbit Hutch" just to see what it was about. The owner told me a little about it, said he enjoyed it, and recommended it. His recommendation was so compelling that others shopping in the store also grabbed the book! He was so kind and appreciative to everyone who bought books and the best part is ... the book is just as described and a great pick! It wasn't a generic recommendation and his love of reading shows. Prices are reasonable - books cost what they cost. The store has lots of cute gifts as well, especially for pet people, books people, and candle lovers!

Love coming here! A cute selection of books and friendly owner. The ambiance inside is very…read morewelcoming. Highly recommend

Hello, today I visited BARNES AND NOBLE! I went with my 29 masculine male model friends who are all…read morevery masculine and male. They love books especially from the Romance section as they all love smut. I taught them a thing or two about this specific genre. The service was ok but nothing stood out. The value was good.

This store is comparable in size to the one in Cedar Rapids. I thought the displays and selection…read morewere excellent. Friendly staff too.

My review is as a Seller but as you have to wait while they make you and offer, I've browsed the…read moreinventory and seen the prices. All in all it is the same problem that has ruined "thrifting." Cheaper than new - obviously. But a new book at $12.99 is selling for like $8.99. Better to shop goodwill bins as books are some of the last affordable things at thrift stores. As a seller I took $70 for a collection of about 200 quality dvds. sold individually on eBay or Amazon if I had the time probably $500-1000. Same with the books. I have gotten $50 for a case of 100/150 best selling hardbacks. You never know as one time I brought in quality mint condition coffee table books - my offer for the lot of 50... $2. So I don't know what the deal is but the worst thing is they don't return your books. Some they take and will throw away or donate because the don't want to offend. I wish I had the option to take the books they knew they were gonna trash. All in all, they are only game in town u nless you want to do this full time. And I see them taking advantage. But that's our America. Read they are private family owned. Interesting.

I ordered a Pokémon FireRed box with inserts from Half Price Books -- a collectible item that…read moreshould be packaged carefully. Unfortunately, they shipped it in just a bubble mailer with no additional protection, and it arrived damaged. I reached out to give some constructive feedback on their shipping practices for items like this. While they did respond by discounting the item, I was surprised to find my account was banned shortly after -- simply for offering polite feedback. I didn't open a dispute or escalate anything, just suggested they consider better packaging for fragile or collectible items. It's disappointing, especially since I had been a customer before and liked shopping with them. If you're a collector or care about condition, I'd be cautious.

Wonderful store and staff- parking is never a problem- Plenty of gift items for kids and adults,…read moremen and women. Christian greeting cards and of course -study Bibles, group studies and the latest books. They are absolutely available to order for you what you need as well- appear to be very experienced in this. I am so excited to have a Christian book and gift store in town.

From the owner: GraceLaced Products, Holy Land Stone Giftsread more

I discovered this wonderful indie bookstore a couple weeks ago. I'm sorry I didn't find it sooner…read more Terri, the owner is great at helping recommend books to suit your taste. She has books in many different genres, suitable for all ages & occasions. Check it out soon. You will find, as I did, that its a wonderful place led by a very personable book enthusiast. Happy reading. CJW

From the owner: Swamp Fox Bookstore is a small independent bookstore located near downtown Marion, Iowa. Focusing…read moreon new books and community events, Swamp Fox Bookstore delights in finding the perfect book for every reader.

My last couple visits to BAM have been accented by a really friendly and engaging guy who has come…read morefrom behind the counter to help me find a particular book, magazine, or gift. And last week, he was wearing a cool Puerto Rico baseball jersey (Santurce Cangrejeros) with Roberto Clemente's number (21). BAM also has an extensive magazine collection that you just don't see anymore. It's right next to the coffee shop, which accentuates the book and periodical browsing experience.

I love that there's still a bookstore in town. There used to be that amazing bookstore over in the…read moreLincoln Center mall, and we had Borders, but now this Borders has closed and turned into a Books a Million. Everything is laid out about-ish the same that Borders used to have it laid out. There's music and movies in the same spot, the children's area in the same spot, the coffee and seating in the same spot, and of course, the bathrooms haven't moved. Shopping here is nice. They have a ton of clearance, but that seems to be standard for a lot of bookstores. Prices are pretty standard for books (higher than online), but they also are lower than prices I've seen at Barnes & Noble, so that's a positive. It was easy to locate the area that I was looking for. There are large signs on top of shelves that let you know what type of books are on there. They have a pretty large biblical/Christian section which I found surprising. It's larger than quite a lot of the other sections, and I think it actually might be getting close to the size of some of the fiction sections. Over in the Transportation section, I found what I was looking for pretty easily. They even had a good selection. However, the books were not in order like they should have been. Books about airplanes were strewn throughout and between books about motorcycles, trains, and cars. They were in the right section (Transportation), but definitely not organized how they should have been. So if you're looking for a specific book, make sure you look through the whole section. There were quite a few Clearance books, and I came out with 5 books instead of the original 1 I was looking for. Most of their clearance is very reasonably priced at about 50% to 75% off the original price. The books are in decent shape too. I had a really fun time looking through clearance. Check-out was nice and simple. They asked me to sign up for their membership program which I declined. They also offered me to sign up for their "3 free magazines" deal, but none of that was particularly pushed on me. They were really friendly about it and didn't push when I said no. Staff was extremely friendly and I was greeted on multiple occasions. Didn't try out the coffee area or look through the Children's area. Final thoughts: I'd definitely come back. The prices are higher than what I could get online, but there's something to be said for in-store book stores. I love being able to buy a book locally and help support the local economy as well. Plus, looking through Clearance is easily one of my favorite aspects of bookstores. I came out with 5 new books at least than $40; that's definitely amazing for book prices. I'm glad Ames still has a local bookstore.

Great inventory and very helpful staff. I wish this store was in my town!…read more They had a little bit of everything, but a lot of classic sci-fi and mysteries.

This is the first place I visit when I am in need of a book. Over the years, I have purchased books…read moreof many different genres from this independently-owned bookstore, novels ranging from popular fiction, historic fiction, mystery, fantasy, classics, romance, young adult, parenting books and children books. They sometime carry newer books, but the majority of their selection is used books. Therefore, their selection is largely dependent on what people bring in to sell. However, when they have the book I am look for or have been wanting to read it feels like I won the lottery. They can also order a copy of most books they don't have in stock. The staff is always friendly and helpful. I usually talk with the owner for 10 minutes every time I pop in, either about books he recommends or what I have recently read. I am particular fond of their two sweet dogs that are usually "working". I find the prices reasonable compared to other used bookstores. I also enjoy selling back my more popular books to them so I can get in-store credit for my next read and someone else can enjoy the book. I recommend checking out this bookstore.

Welcoming and fun atmosphere, great bookstore to browse, shop and hang out. The dog theme and…read moremerchandise have won me over.

My kids both go to college at Iowa State in Ames. For the past four years we've been making regular…read morestops to dog Eared Books whenever we visit. I've been here so often it almost feels like home. There's always a book or two or three that make my must-read list. I especially love the gently used book section where many of my favorite authors like Timothy Egan, Erik Larsen, Malcolm Gladwell and others, like to hang out. The best part is that for less than $10 I can try a new author or genre without breaking the bank. Upstairs is a loft that literally feels more like your den at home than a book store. With a great view of the shop below, there are comfy sofas and chairs that invite you to curl up and stay a while. Every time I come here customers drift through the rows of books like a leaf in a stream. I hope business is good for this small, independent bookstore. If you're near Ames, stop in. Buy a book and stay a while.

A great spot for studying, meeting up with people, or just enjoying a nice cup of coffee. Wonderful…read moreatmosphere with plenty of books to browse.

I LOVE Sidekick. This is my go to work and coffee shop. I always get a Winnie the Pooh latte and a…read morecookie. Their cookies are phenomenal and the coffee is not too bitter which tells me their baristas are properly trained on the espresso machine. Being a barista before, I'm a coffee snob and this place is above average. The book selection is also awesome and there's always someone who can recommend something for you. They also have quiche that is super delicious as well. Sometimes it gets loud when kids come in and parents bring a lot of them but it's nice when that's usually when I leave

It was nice to find a terrific Ankeny bookstore on a recent weekend. Walls of Books combines book…read moreknowledge, comfort, selection, solid pricing, and atmosphere in its venue. Plus, they have Isa (pronounced "E-sah"), the German Shepherd, one of the sweetest and friendliest dogs of all time who wanders the front of the store, greeting customers! I appreciated their selection of new and used book options, and I enjoyed interacting with kind and helpful staffers. I also loved their layout. I plan on returning frequently and will enjoy hanging with Isa!

Wall of books is cool if you're searching for that new book to fall into, but even though all the…read morebooks are used, it is often going to be close to the price of a new book. Wall of Books is like the Gamestop of Bookstores. Sell your used books for a few bucks and they'll resell them for 90% of msrp. Also, lucky finds are rare too because they adapt to secondary market as well so there are even books above that.