This is a lesson in just going on a lil walkie around your city, this was literally one block away from our destination and we had no idea! Lots of books, puzzles, games, and birthday cards! read more

Wonderful store! The owner was so kind to let us in just before they opened so my daughter can explore the books. Great selection well kept lots of variety! Definitely coming back again. read more

They have a great selection of books! They often only have 1-2 copies of each book on display at a time, to make room for more books. They also sell many toys in the kid's section of the store. Their prices are average for a bookstore. Each time I've visited, there's been 1-2 employees being the register in the middle of the store. There are two different entrances and parking lots (each with very limited parking spaces). Each parking lot has 4-6 spaces. The bookshop is located right by the Broadway light rail station. read more

See all

They have a great kids section, middle reader section, and young adults section, with a good amount of kids non-fiction too. Plus bike racks and nice staff. read more

It's Sunday afternoon 2:45pm. My partner and I came in to browse to find a new book to read. We had NEVER been to this bookstore before. We always try to support local businesses. With that said. As we walked in, the two individuals working that day were just having a conversation with each other. Neither of them greeted us or welcomed us to the store. We walked around for a few minutes and neither one of them asked if we needed help or acknowledged us even tho there was no one else in the store. I won't ever be coming back to this place again. read more

Visited The Avid Reader for the first time and this was surprisingly a nice bookstore. They had a lot of really good book selections, with a range of genres. Books here are brand new, cover price so some books may be more than expected. However, I loved supporting a local small business in my area. The staff member, Catalina, was super sweet and friendly! If you're in the Sacramento area, please go out and support this bookstore! read more

They have a great stock of books as well as fun novelty gadgets and kids toys! They can order your book if it's not in stock and usually it comes quickly. The staff is friendly and helpful! read more

Nice local bookstore in the traditional sense. The variety of genres is good. The Kids section takes up a fourth of the space. Recently visiting, they had local authors talking. Walking in was instantly welcoming. There are a few tables as one walks in that has kids toys. There is a small parking lot on two sides of the store as well as on the street. I recommend giving this local bookstore a few visits and you will be hooked. read more

The Avid Reader at Tower - Kids section - Bookstores Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

The owners are super nice, lots of books and fast ordering. I love all the queer books

I don't know why this place only has three stars, it's a really fantastic local bookstore in Sacramento. It's one of our regular goto stores: they have a great selection of books, can order just about anything if they don't have it, and the staff are always super friendly and helpful. The outside of the building looks a little run-down and it's right on broadway next to the lightrail, so maybe that turns people off? I dunno, whatever, don't let the location fool you, go check this place out. read more

The best book store in Sacramento and has been for years now. The people that work there are awesome.

They are always friendly and helpful at The Avid Reader. They offer a nice selection of books and what they don't have in stock, they can get within a reasonable timeframe. The store is welcoming, bright and comfortable with easy and ample parking. read more

Finally tried the "new" location and was pleasantly surprised. The selection was much bigger than I remembered, the toys section was full of old fashioned toys that make perfect gifts, the guy behind the counter was funny, parking was easy and almost everyone was wearing masks. All around a great experience. I am so glad I gave them another try. read more

Tiny parking lot in front of the building. Otherwise, street parking. Masks required. The staff wear masks. No hand sanitizer available. Relatively clean interior. The aisles are not very wide. Maybe a handful of customers in the late afternoon on a weekend. There is a corner of the store where kids can sit and read. If a book they carry is out of stock, they can order it for you and will require payment upfront. No otaku or anime merchandise if that's what you're looking for. If you are looking for manga, this isn't the place. They have fewer than five volumes dispersed in the graphic novel section. It's nice to walk in and browse, but one visit is good enough. read more

I love bookstores in general, because I enjoy reading. The books are a bit on the pricey side here and you can definitely get them cheaper elsewhere, but they do have sales at times and have an assortment of books as well as cards and little gifts and toys, as well as arts and crafts for kids. There are puzzles and more, cool place to check out. Great customer service, super Friendly and you also receive a points card which allows 5 dollars off the next purchase when fully stamped. read more

I have been ordering books from The Avid Reader for over a decade. I ordered a book today and was told I had to pre-pay for it. I don't like pre-paying and asked if this was their new policy. The person on the phone said yes & I countered with the fact I ordered a book 2 months ago & paid for it WHEN I PICKED IT UP! I try to support local businesses but if I have to pre-pay, yhen I might as well purchase from Amazon and get the discounted price! Thanks to your new policy, Avid Reader has lost a loyal customer! read more

I love finding local bookstores. I was getting my oil changed down the street at A1 auto so while I waited I wandered off and found this place. I was taking a look around and was reading some back covers, when an employee asked me to leave my backpack at the counter. Mind you, I was in the middle of the store near another employee (who clearly saw me and didn't say anything to me) and a few other people and had my small backpack fully on my back. At that moment I decided to check out, paid for my books and left. I don't want to believe this is the case but afterwards I felt like I was "profiled" and that that specific employee felt like I was going to steal. Regardless, I am very disappointed and uncomfortable with the situation. I hope that this employee is more mindful in the future, not every person of color with a backpack is trying to steal. read more

My kids and I LOVE The Avid Reader! Being a household without a television we read more than average family. We can always count on the nice people over at The Avid Reader to help us find what we're looking for. The staff is always welcoming and friendly. read more

The Avid Reader at Tower - Bookstores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Great selection of books. I usually come here to destress and relax. They've got a couch near the back where you can get lost in whatever books peaked your interests. I highly recommend this local shop to all avid readers. read more

What a fun an interactive experience with my daughter a Nd I we were greeted with friendly smiling faces and offered refreshments while we create our jewelry I have never been to this bookstore but will definitely be returning after today.we came in for the Mother's Day pendant creation it was great. There were so patient and loving towards my daughter and they had lots of supplies and crafts to create your masterpieces. I also enjoyed the non commercial experience that you have at big box bookstores. Check them out their great. They also gave us an amazing book bag what a wonderful first experience read more

See all

I have been here a few times. The place is clean and neat. It looks like a place that anyone would like to visit. However, I have not have pleasant experiences with all of the staff here. To be clear, They haven't been aggressively terrible to me either. I am either ignored or given the least amount of help when I make an inquiry; specifically, I am given one word answers or a finger pointing me in a direction. I look different than the clientele I see in there- I hope it doesn't have anything to do with that. I had a nice experience a while back with a older gentleman there and he was very hospitable. He deserves 5 stars but my overall experiences resulted in they score above. I now mostly have interacted with the older women there (when they choose to acknowledge me). I do not go there often because of this. I do go there because they are close to my home and not a big chain store. I am beginning to think that maybe I should stop trying to be a part of this store in my community and just head to another big box store where I can at least not be surprised by the apathetic treatment that accompanies a visit to a big box store. The staff at avid reader all seem to be warm genuine people (as I've witnessed by their treatment of other customers) but I'm sure anyone would feel slighted if the staff reserved this kind of treatment to everyone but you. I don't see how a small business can compete with a big box store if they don't adapt to the changes of customer demographics. I suppose that's not my concern, but I do like people and I do like the idea of walking into a place and not being treated like cattle. So, since small businesses do a better job sometimes at being friendly, I have a soft spot for small businesses unless I find they are no different from anyone else. read more

Visited for first time. Service was perfect. Selection was amazing. Big fan of the large selection, unlike many other independent book stores in Sac. read more

If I could give this place a negative rating I would. One star for the nice, friendly older man that quickly assisted me and knew exactly what I was looking for when I approached the counter. The reason why I'd give a negative rating however, the older woman whom evidently also works in the store, made it point to come out in 101 degree heat (after I had been sitting in my car for a few mins) to tell me that the lot was only for Avid Reader customers after she CLEARLY SAW me JUST make a purchase from the store. Came and knocked on my window to ask me to leave. She clearly has more time on her hands than her position requires. Side note... Underground Books right down the street has a better selection with a much friendlier environment! Check it out! read more

I read the reviews of this bookstores before I went so I was prepared for the worst and my guard was up. I am happy to report most of these bad reviews are not true. The lady that works there Kellie was the best. She was helpful and so willing to help me even though she had a million things to do to get the store ready for the day. (I got there when they first opened). She was great! I read the review about no books in the store by Black authors. Again I don't know if the review came first then but he store corrected the issue but as of yesterday there are quite a few books by Black authors in the store. Soooo stop by this store and check them out. read more

The Avid Reader at Tower - Books by Toni Morrison - Bookstores Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Cool spot with great books and neat toys. Definitely a good spot for a small gift. The young guy that was working on Monday afternoon was super helpful and sweet read more

Avid Reader is a good, nice, local bookstore to send your patronage, but service could be more proactive. I came in as a side trip while on B-way because I wanted to read WWZ after seeing the movie (I know, terrible). I looked around kinda lost for a couple minutes before I just went up to the counter. After a short wait the service was friendly and funny. They showed me to the book, prominently displayed at the entrance, in both before-movie-release and after-movie-release editions (I chose before). The checkout process was way easy and I saw a few people had ordered books. I am all about supporting local, small business, so I had no problem buying it here rather than used on the internet. So come out to the Avid Reader next time you are feeling bookish, but be assertive to get service. read more

This bookstore is very clean and nicely organized. They seem to have a very large children's section compared to everything else. They have travel, history, fiction, sci-fi, mystery, and tables with newer releases. The one section I did not find was a romance section. That genre is very popular in the book community right now, but I didn't see it here. So, I left without making a purchase, but I still wanna compliment them on the store layout. read more

Dismal selection of books. I went in looking for nothing in particular, but certain I would come out with something. Their nonfiction section in particular was disappointing. Also, I have to concur with all the reviews on the staff. I don't care one way or another if I'm greeted when I walk into a store. Would it be nice, especially when I'm the only customer and the guy at the desk is just sitting there? Yea, but not a big deal. However, I walked right past him, gave him a nod and a hello, and still nothing. Almost aggressively unfriendly. Just an odd atmosphere all around, and not worth the time. read more

a haiku: not a whole lot here still has a comforting vibe try the davis store read more

The Avid Reader has always been a local favorite of mine for books and supporting the local business. If they do not have the book, they usually can get it in a couple days. read more

The Avid Reader at Tower - New location by the railroad tracks - Bookstores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Its nice they employ people with intellectual disabilities, and I'd like to support inclusion and local businesses, but it makes it really hard as a customer to shop here when the employee struggles to understand basic requests. I know this posts makes me sound insensitive, but on the three occasions that I've been to this place the customer service has been awful, totally incompetent. It isn't fair make people with mental issues perform duties she clearly isn't capable of, and it makes the whole experience awful for customers. At least it was for me. I won't be going back. Good luck to her though and good for them for giving folks a job. Be ware before you go to this store........the employees are illiterate. oh the irony! read more

I love Avid Reader - they have a great selection of local authors, are quite knowledgeable with a friendly recommendation, and always looking to order a book they might not have in stock. It's a great local bookstore that I love to support. read more

Was there today with my niece after brunch at Tower Cafe. I was loving the experience and had an arm full of books to buy when I asked to use the restroom. The gray haired and bespectacled man I asked said, "sorry, we don't have public restrooms." He could have stopped there and it wouldn't have been a big deal but instead he kept talking. "It's not handicap accessible and we've been sued by those people, so we're a little sensitive." I was so shocked I just said "I bet" and left the counter, found my niece, dropped the books and left the store. Those people? Seriously? First of all, I AM those people. I suffer from chronic pain and often struggle to get around, and my son has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Second of all, it's one thing to not offer adaptation - we're used to that - it's a whole other to be blaming us for the inconvenience of trying to patronize your store. How dare someone with a disability think they have a right to exist in public! How dare someone actually make you comply with the law! Obviously that would make you a little "sensitive" Although, really, I don't think you know what that word means. read more

The Avid Reader is a good bookstore for perusers, but maybe not so much for folks with a specific book in mind. The selection is extensive and enjoyable, but it includes a strange collection of books that you won't find at many chain stores. That's why I come here. If I want a selection from Oprah's Book Club I'll go to Borders, but if I want obscure Faulkner in a newly printed edition, I come here. And I usually end up leaving with a newer book that caught my eye. The books are a little pricey overall, but can you really blame a small independent bookstore for charging a bit more? That's the sacrifice were supposed to make to support local businesses. The Avid Reader is a great addition to the small block of intellectually-minded businesses (including the Tower Theater and Records) that has sprouted up in the middle of a downtrodden street. read more

First review of the new year! and now... for the review...: Ahh books. I love flipping through them. No need now with my new Kindle Fire HD! I love that thing! But, the prob with it, is there aren't any pictures. Not that I have seen anyways. Never thought to look up children's books (until just now) and see if they have pictures. Came in here for a good old flip through. Was missing it, ya know. I had been on my way into Dimple Records for some grab bags, and thought "I still need to get my boyfriend an xmas gift,." I knew exactly what he would like, and low and behold- they had something along the lines of what I so desired. I had wanted to get him either "The Jolly Postman" or a book with pictures ( a fun book) of gods and goddesses. Walked through the young adult section (passing through really) and towards the mythology section- BOOM! A book that was just like "Jolly" but was a mythology book of gods and goddesses (greek) with a family tree even included! I even got the book at a slightly cheaper price than what was listed on the back. Score! The man behind the counter (I assume owner) seems a bit grumpy in his older age, but hey! No worries, we will all be that way someday :) I didn't take it personal and neither should you! read more

It pains me to write a bad review of any bookstore, but given how bad the service is here, I feel obligated to do so... I have been in here 4 times. Each time, I never received a greeting. I asked questions twice and both received cold, unhelpful answers. The owners/workers seem uninterested in actually having customers buy anything in their store. Sorry, but this place is a dud. read more

I'm really glad another bookstore, and an independent one at that, is doing business in the building formerly occupied by Tower Books. Avid Reader's Broadway store is in the bright, spartan, open layout vein--while it's not exactly my idear of what a cozy bookstore oughta be like (I like 'em well stacked!) it's great that the owners of Avid Reader stepped up and filled this niche in the Broadway/Land Park area. The best thing about Avid Reader is their children's section. They have a fairly broad selection and the store appears to be very kid friendly--we went to a reading/book signing over the weekend and both kids and parents alike seemed to have an enjoyable time. I hope they continue with these readings. As Leon and Amy pointed out, their mag selection is a bit thin. They've got all the obvious and mainstream periodical choices covered but are lacking in the specialty/hobbyist/collector/obscure type rags. Tower was great in that regard and it used to be my main stop for picking up the firearms classifieds such as The Gun List or Shotgun News. I also bought Giant Robot, Small Arms Review, Primitive Archer, MaximumRockNRoll and various toy collector mags on a regular basis there. Tower carried a pretty decent zine/underground/diy selection as well. If Avid Reader would eventually work on a more extensive mag selection (something close to what Tower once offered), that'd be pretty dang swell. So yea, they're new and their selections are still a bit skimpy but I'll stop in regulary and give Avid Reader the time to grow and establish their own feel. -------------------------- Updated January '08 to add: We needed to special order a book just before Christmas and Avid Reader came through for us on time, just as promised. Also: their periodical selection seems to have broadened quite a bit since they opened... read more

Let me preface this by saying that bookstores...independent or chain....make me giddy. I can walk around, browse, sit, read, and do it all over again on a Friday night and be very happy. So giving a bookstore close to Midtown, and an independently owned one at that, one star isn't something I do lightly. The one star is for the set up of books on the tables and by the register, they were new titles and interesting ones at that, I discovered the book "Married at 14." and can't wait to buy it from another spot. All other stars could have easily been won by this place with just a little bit of effort. Like other reviewers I'm just not sure why there is a total lack of customer service. They do not acknowledge anyone that comes in, and the place isn't so busy that it should be very difficult. Their selection seems good until you are looking for a specific author, then it seems rather difficult to find. I asked the lady at the counter for a specific author and she pointed me to a wall. I kept staring at her waiting until she realized that this wasn't a dollar tree store and she was going to have to get off of her stool and show me exactly where she was talking about. She walked me over to the section "where it might be, but we usually don't order that author, although I'm not sure why since a lot of people ask for her." Then she immediately walked back to her stool, poor thing she must get really tired being on her feet for 3% of her work day. It just seems odd to go to a bookstore where the owners/staff have a complete lack of interest in the people there. I've been to many bookstores in different cities and part of the fun is getting to know the people working there. Their love of books and sharing their knowledge with you always seems contagious. I really can't put my finger on it, but this place is just a total bummer. Like they need prozac. The vibe actually makes me want to dislike the written word. Hmmmm....maybe this is the place you go to break an addiction to reading. I think they would be successful every time. read more

Three stars because it is a locally-owned shop, and it is convenient and usually carries the books that I am either specifically seeking, or has a selection to choose from. Only three stars, because like some of the other reviewers, much can be done to improve the customer experience. I called ahead to make sure the title I needed was in stock, and a few minutes later, came into the store. The owner was at the register, but the customer in front of him was on her cell phone. He didn't look up or greet me, even though the store was otherwise empty. When he rang up my sale, he asked me if I needed a bag and then said my transaction was complete, leaving me to pick my books up from the counter by the register. Okay, I was able to pick up the title I needed, and then found another one by perusing the shelves so the trip was a success. The price was fair, and the store could not be more conveniently located. However, a welcome greeting would have made the experience more pleasant, and actually handing me my purchase with a smile and maybe a thank you would encourage me to return. Just a suggestion. read more

The best way to heal a broken heart? Why books of course! After feeling particularly forlorn last night I decided to venture out into the world and I stumbled into The Avid Reader while waiting for a friend to meet me at Dimple next door. It occurred to me that while I had been to Records and Dimple quite often, I have never been into The Avid Reader, which I consider highly strange as my love for books usually outweigh everything else. Are their hours longer now? I think that whenever I wanted to pop in before they were closed. Whatever the case I am glad I finally got to check this place out. Upon walking in I was greeted warmly and with the offer of assistance by a man working at the front desk. When I said I was just wanting to browse and was not looking for anything specific there was no pressure from the staff and they went back to chatting letting me absorb the place to my hearts content. Fresh, never-before-cacked books line the walls housed in old, weathered shelves. The books are separated by non-fiction on one side of the store, with labels for travel, biographies, history books, etc) and then the other side is labeled as Literature without much indication (that I noticed anyway) between different types of fiction. Was it all organized by author name? I didn't notice. It was amusing though to find a single minute copy of a Harlequin Romance between two other random books in the self help category. They do have a good selection though and I found a perfect book (that I didn't know I was looking for until I seen it) that I couldn't find at Barnes and Noble last week. In the center between the fiction and nonfiction there are stand alone shelves that each house Poetry, some Graphic novels, and a few more biography type books. Looking through the poetry section reminded me of the books I have at home I have yet to flip through (Poetry 180 by Billy Collins, where did I put you?) and what I need to add to my collection. My favorite part was the children's section, they had a wide variety of books for kids. From the classics to the popular Monster High type stuff. As long as they are reading! The huge picture book selection is colorful and fun and I wish I could take them all home (I don't have kids but I love these whimsical books). My friend appeared and started talking the the girl who works there about the Book With No PIctures as she was laid out reading a book herself. It was a nice, comfortable experience and I am looking forward to coming back when I need something new in my hands. read more

The Avid Reader at Tower - Bookstores Near Me - Sacramento, California