Rainy Day Books is kind of the best of both worlds - a book lover's paradise staffed by book…read moreworms. It's a cozy space, but it's jampacked with books from all subjects. If you can't find what you're looking for - which for some reason happens me a lot - the staff is happy to order a copy for you. They're book club friendly. They also host a ton of fun book-related and author events. If you're interested, please follow their social media accounts. They'll keep you up to date.

If you haven't been to Rainy Day Books, and you've passed by at any point, you're really missing…read moreout! Every time I go into the shop, even if I think I know exactly what I want, every staff member is so knowledgeable and helpful that I always leave with more ideas on my TBR! The little shop is located in the tiny shopping center off Brush Creek Parkway, which means it can be hard to find parking if the center is petty busy--but it's worth it! They have great sections for adult reads, but they also have great sections for kids and teens--you'll find what you're looking for even if you're not sure what that is. Over the holidays, I even asked for kids and teens recommendations from the staff which they were happy to give! As noted earlier, their shop isn't huge, but full of possibilities. And if at the end of your visit, you really still want that book they don't have in stock, they'll order it for you for pick up or shipping--it's a simple process and they're more than happy to help people find their perfect next read. They may not be a book superstore, but they create value in their suggestions, recommendations, and their tiny book reviews and recs on the shelves (even in the teens and kids sections, written by kids and teens!). So glad to have found this place early on in my time in KC, and so happy that they're still doing their thing in their amazing bookshop!

Just wanted to update the community on the current state of The Book Barn…read more Yes, there are books in this store. Yes, you'll probably find what you're looking for. Yes, you'll be greeted by the sweetest lady with a ton of book knowledge. You will need to squeeze through books piled on the floor. You might see a broken shelf or two held up by books. The store is only open on Saturdays, I'm thinking from 11am-5pm or so.

I would love to open a bookstore like this one. Piles upon piles of books all over the place…read more Somewhat organized, but the real gem is in the people. The older lady will tell you everything and can find anything. I talked to her just about my history with the Book Barn. In 1998, Lansing Middle School had an accelerated reader program. You read books and take tests on the computer (big deal at the time) and you are awarded points. I earned enough points that I was awarded a gift card to The Book Barn. It was written on a card with the amount, and each time you spent some of it the cashier would write the new amount on it. I walked in and asked for any recommendations. The younger lady working there gave me Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. She gave Atlas Shrugged to a 13 year old. I tackled that beast. It took me 9 months, but I plowed through it and can now proudly say that I have read Atlas Shrugged. Overall, great service, great place to get lost it for an afternoon. Support your local book store!

I saw the recent advertisement about friends of the Johnson County library bookstore in the Johnson…read moreCounty magazine. This is a hidden gem that is staffed by volunteers only on weekends and I believe Tuesday evenings. They are welcoming and friendly and very helpful. We were greeted at the door and handed a price list and shown to where the various genres or items were located. They have a nice children's book room with a table for children to sit and read at and a wide variety of age levels of books for very reasonable prices. They also have a good selection of all types of books and I even saw the woman in front of us purchasing puzzles. They have media and music as well for sale. The address listed on this post is different than the one in the magazine, so I will post a photo of that. I think the address in the review is right next-door where they might store books. I will definitely be going back and we bought a good size box worth of books!

For decades, I have only bought my books at the Friends Of The Library Bookstore. They are mainly…read moredonated by the public. Most are current, brand new hardbounds. They generally sell for $1.00 soft bound and $2.00 hard bound. I can't imagine finding books at these prices anywhere else. Plus the money earned goes to supporting the library. Win/win for everyone! The Johnson County Kansas Friends just moved into a much larger space. They have puzzles and an extra large sections for children's books. I especially like the antique books. I always leave with a full bag. If you are clearing out your shelves, also consider donating.

Such a delight! Enjoyed an hour Saturday browsing their selection-- could spend days here. Looking…read moreforward to returning soon. Purchased a book printed 50 years ago comparing where I lived for two decades in California and Kansas City, MO and an out of print philosophy of fairytales companion. Such a find!

It's pretty sad that a critical review from 18 years ago said exactly what I'll say after having…read morechecked this place out today. It smells. The prices are expensive. The selection is far, far from exhaustive. And it's hard to navigate. I finally had to leave without even checking out all the floors because it was so smelly of ... dust? mold? - and I NEVER leave a bookstore without looking at everything. It looks good from the outside!

This is an Indie book shop in the Strawberry Hill area. The person that was working was nice and…read morehelpful. The store is light filled and attractive and has a calm and quiet atmosphere. They had a $1 cart outside when approaching the store and I perused the books and purchased one of those and also a used fiction book. My husband also bought a used Tai Chi book that he found. They had a selection of new books displayed on the wall and some seating to look through the books. Then there were two shelves pushed back to back with used books. They had non-fiction, fiction, self help, health, philosophy, religion, autobiographical books, travel type, and political type books. They had some t-shirts/stickers in the window area and some collector books in a back corner with a small book case I'd used youth books. Their prices on the uses ranged from $2, $4, $6. There were some that were not priced in the inner cover. I love bookstores and especially with used books because I won't buy a new book since I am patient and can wait until I can find it used and cheaper. A nice book store but a smaller collection of books.

These independent bookstores are hidden gems. Catering to a diverse community. This store has had…read morebook readings and community events including a fun April Fool's Day Parade a white back.

Stopped in to this unique book store while in the area and was greeted warmly by the owner. She was…read morevery helpful in looking for requests and was good about letting her customers browse. I liked the cute shop and the various seating to browse through the books. The store has a nice relaxing atmosphere and quiet playlist. There was a variety of categories of books but a smaller selection. The prices were about the norm for private small bookstores. She has some new and mostly used and also sells local author's books and items. There was coffee available also which was a nice touch. The only reason for the 4 star is some prices on certain items were quite high in comparison to being found elsewhere.

Great selection with cheaper prices. Owner is nice and store is clean. Would for sure go back.read more