The Book Garden is really something different. The owners seem to know every book that's for sale in their store of thousands of books. there are categories of subjects for every preference. It's relaxing to shop there. It's a great place for the curious to find a new subject to delve into. Whether historic or new, hardcover or not, stop here for your next good read and expect to pay a reasonable price. read more

The book garden is an amazing place. I went there strictly for knitting books and found a treasure trove. The books were in beautiful condition for a fraction of the cost for new. I now have enough books but highly recommend their wonderful shop. read more

The Book Garden - Knitting books from the book garden - Used Bookstore Near Me - Cream Ridge, New Jersey

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Great selection, I love supporting small businesses and especially used book stores- Book Garden is a great alternative to buying online while still saving money! The proprietor was friendly and helpful. I will definitely be back read more

George and Joyce, The Book Garden's sweet-as-can-be owners, have been running shop for over 32 years. When I walked in -- I was a first-timer -- George took the trouble of introducing himself and his wife. Most of their books range from $1.50 to $3.50 from what I could see. They have an early vintage poetry section that was a touch pricier. I, however, was most excited about their extensive postcard selection. They had postcards from all over the world, some marked, some unmarked. Overall, they have a huge inventory and books of all genres contained within. Masks not required. This was such a lovely spot, owned by lovely fellow bookworms. I will certainly be back again soon. read more

The Book Garden - Book Garden sign - Used Bookstore Near Me - Cream Ridge, New Jersey

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The Book Garden certainly has the looks (and smell, I love the smell of used books) of bookstores of old, but sadly, the Sword & Sorcery section was devoid of the authors I was interested in. That's not an indictment on The Book Garden's wide selection of books, the reality of the business has changed a lot in the last 20 years, and the old paperbacks that were low-priced and common back in the 90's, are now quite rare, and fetching a hefty price on the internet. For example, Karl Edward Wagner's paperbacks are listed at $50 and above on eBay, even for well worn copies. One could always go the Kindle route, but the editors often change the author's original work in that format, and I find that distasteful. Plus, a Kindle is just not the same as having a paperback in your hands. So I continue to browse used bookstores whenever I come across one, still hoping to find those rare gems. I hear stories of others who come across those treasures, perhaps the rare paperbacks are present at The Book Garden in Cream Ridge occasionally ? I dunno, I can only report on my recent visit. read more

The Book Garden - Cream Ridge, NJ - Used Bookstore Near Me - Cream Ridge, New Jersey

Well organized & clean. Very relaxing atmosphere. A bookworm will definitely spend hours in here. Great organized selection. read more

The Book Garden - Bookstore - Used Bookstore Near Me - Cream Ridge, New Jersey

the book store was amazing. first time coming to it but definitely not the last. it seem endless with amount of books and it is well organized. I love the owner, very polite and sweet. I'm not a big book reader but even I was impressed on the amount of things they have. the even have comic books, I was there for an hour and didn't even got to go through all of it. it's a wonderful place to go and a change of pace. I tell you now ppl, just go and see for yourself read more

This is a fantastic book store with an amazing selection of older books, 80s-90s era comics, vintage magazines and even a smallish selection of DVDs. The store is run by a very friendly old couple so given that they don't have an electronic database. This is a store for aimless browsing and discovering hidden gems, not so much for finding something specific. The shelves are packed to the gills with books and arranged by subject matter then by author so it will take some digging and close inspections if you want to make sure you're not missing any titles. I can't comment on the flower part of the store as I've never had reason to use it. The only reason I knock off a star (and I wish it could only be half a star), is the hours makes it hard to visit. I drive by this place every day on my way to and from work and they're only open from 9-5, Wednesday through Sunday. I work a typical M-F 9-5 job and rarely drive out that way on the weekends so unless I get off work early I can only visit sparingly. I don't mind how often they're open, I just wish the hours were 10-6 so I could visit after I got off work. Although since I am a bit a book hoarder, perhaps it's for the best. read more

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I don't know how I never knew about this store. Met George and Joyce today. They were so sweet and kind. I wish I had more time to look around being it was my first time there. So many books. I'm in heaven now that I've found this place. Will be back soon to look around more. read more

This store is amazing! If you love older books, this is the spot! So much to look through! Reasonable prices! Well organized. I could be here for hours! Can't wait to head back, still have a few aisles to browse. read more

Book store is amazing. So many books..Owners are awesome people!! You must pan a trip to this bookstore

I absolutely love this place and I hope that they keep it running for generations to come! They are the sweetest people ever and their book selection is always on point. I never leave here without books. My sisters and I go at least twice a month on the weekends to get more books. You can spend hours in there and not even realize the time when checking out. THIS IS A MUST CHECK IT OUT PLACE !!! -Repollet sisters read more

A friend of mine discovered and turned me on to The Book Garden back in 1990, and I haven't been able to stay away since. On the rare occasion that my wife and I have a free day together that doesn't fall on a Monday or Tuesday (on which they are closed), we invariably make the trek out to Cream Ridge and spend an hour or two browsing the stacks. We have never left with fewer than two large boxes of books (but usually a lot more), and yet I don't think we've ever spent more than $150 or $175 on one visit. As the previous reviewer noted, it can take some time to find what you are looking for, and if the title in question isn't a mass-market paperback or extremely common text used in education, there is a fair chance they aren't going to have a copy that day. But that doesn't mean they won't next time around. While a good chunk of the inventory doesn't turn over much at all (the west wall composed mainly of titles relating to very specific historical or geographical interests, the north wall piled with older bindings of both classic and obscure fiction), there is always something new to find in addition to the old. Then there is the florist up front, which also sells doll furniture and other little tchotchkes; I can't write anything meaningful about that, having never patronized it. There is a veterans' cemetary not far down the road in North Hanover, and I imagine they must do some business with people heading out that way. Should I ever hear that The Book Garden is closing its doors, I will have to take it over. It can't be at all profitable, I wouldn't think, but it's been such a big part of my life for such a long time, I couldn't bear to let it go. If I have 2000 books in my house, I probably have to thank these wonderful folks on Route 537 for a solid half of them. read more

I've travelled to many places and in every place I look for book stores. This is my all time favorite book store. Every book lover needs to see this place. The owners are the sweetest people! I love used book stores but I also love new releases and I was shocked to find new releases to series that were on my wish list. I paid 1/3 of the price for new books that I was waiting for the price to go down on. The books are ordered by genre. My favorite part of book shopping is looking for them. It was a fun place, very neat. I just moved here and will be visiting as much as possible! read more

One of the most idiosyncratic and charming bookstores in NJ. The Book Garden is co-owned by a husband-and-wife team (he operates the bookstore, she works the florist) and is determinedly technology-resistent in its operation. There is no store website to reference for current selection and the nearly 50,000 books (culled from estate sales, private collections, etc.) filling the back room have each been catalogued by hand. While this can lead to greater difficulty in locating a particular title, it also means that Book Garden's prices stay low. Very low. The books are grouped by genre (fiction, biography, cookbooks, etc.). Rare books are kept in a small glass case near the front of the store. There are also bins of comic books and old magazines (Time, Life, etc.) as well as a number of individually packaged illustrated prints taken from old encyclopedias, magazines, journals, and the like. These make totally affordable artwork (ex., I've variously framed Vogue fashion plates from the 1920's, illustrations from a 1930's children's book, and figures from an early 20th c. architectural encyclopedia - all purchased for less than $10 each!). Some even come pre-matted. Most days the store is quiet and virtually empty. It's definitely worth checking out if you are in the area! read more

I could stop by here everyday and find something new each visit! The collection is amazing - everything from modern day novels to treasures from the 1800's, from books about the circus to selections on stamp collecting. Science fiction, paranormal, children's, travel, biographies...They literally have EVERYTHING and more! If your not from the area, I promise it will be worth the trip. If you are near by you must check it out. The Book Garden will bye used books as well! read more

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What an amazing place. I could spend an entire day here. If you're a bookworm, no matter what you are into, you are going to love this place. The books are very reasonably priced, better than some thrift stores I've been to and all the books are in nice shape. Love love love this place! read more

The Book Garden - Used Bookstore Near Me - Cream Ridge, New Jersey

This store is absolutely amazing. The selection of books is massive and the prices are great. I can't go here if I have plans, I always end up browsing for hours. They have every genre you can think of as well as comic books, magazines, and older books. The front part of the store is a florist with gift cards and flowers. Even if you just like the smell of books, coming here is definitely a must. read more

Neat used book store to check out. Some good finds there!

Great little surprise on Rte. 537 in Cream Ridge. Great selection of old books and comics. The comics were a mixed bag of really common stuff from the 80s and 99s but some awesome independents that I've never seen. Also a good selection of magazines and graphic novels. Prices were pretty good especially after a 20% discount. The books, especially art books, were really great. Seemed like there was something new and cool around every corner. If you go, set aside some time you'll need it. read more

My husband and I happened upon this store accidentally. I was in need of three flower bouquets and decided to give them a try. The woman who helped me was so incredibly nice and insisted on making the bouquets perfect. They were all just gorgeous and she took so much time and effort to make them so. Just beautiful! While we were waiting, we had a chance to look around the store. I ended up also getting some eco friendly cards with gorgeous art work on them, as well as a book / cd set for our Godson. We could have stayed in that store all day. We just loved it! read more

This place is a treasure. It is a lot bigger than it seems, and the shelves are well-stocked. Wide selection of genres and authors. I'm a teacher and am always looking for books for my students; this store does not disappoint. read more

So many books!!!!! Stayed here for over an hour by accident. Worth the drive, got two great books for only $5 total. Plus...they take credit cards! read more

I've been by this store a few times but had never gone in...until today and I'm so glad I did! This is one of those great used book stores where you can easily spend a few hours browsing and walking among the aisles. There was a good selection of fiction, mystery, history, biography, and NJ-specific books, among others. The owner was there today and was very friendly and helpful. As an added bonus, they sell flowers :) Stop by if you're in the area - you'll be glad you did! read more

Since moving to Monmouth County I despaired of finding the kind of bookstore I remember from my college days. Wandering online, I found the Book Garden and decided to give it a try. That was 6 months and now it's my weekend destination. Everything you're looking for and some stuff that you aren't looking for but are pleasantly surprised to find with prices that make any other store (including online) look avaricious. The rows of pine shelves, the quirky sign, the old magazine behind plastic, the National Geographics, the sets from Time Life, the surprise Easton, the rare postcard and the new release all huddle together and run on into the back and invite you in. The Engles, the couple who own the store are the type of people you read about in stories where the writer wishes to establish integrity and decency, like the good people in a Thornton Wilder play. They are generous and kind, always ready with a smile, a story and a ring pop for the kids. It adds to the atmosphere of the place and will doubtless be a factor in you whittling away an afternoon and carrying home more than you paid for from this gem! Not to be missed if you are in the area and worth the trip if you aren't. read more

i've done business with (st) george and lisa for nearly 20 years and they are the very best....most of the used books you buy come from my stock and if you can't find it on amazon you'll find it here....this place rocks !!! read more

I can't remember how I found this little gold mine, but I am so glad I did. The selection of books is amazing (I collect vintage books, and you can find all sorts of titles from the 1800s here). He has a vast postcard hoard, as well as a few old movies (Mostly VHS I've seen). There are year books; childrens books; magazines of all eras and types. The store is divided into groups mostly; and he tries to keep things alphabetized. I've had fun just browsing modern paperbacks and I've found books that I've never heard of but ended up loving. I have been known to get lost in here for a few hours. He also offers book covers for any of your own precious tomes, too. Prices are great, as well. Oh, and he has tons of National Geographic magazines in all years/months (these make neat birthday gifts when you find the matching month and year of your loved one). It's a gem of a place! read more

Huge selection of books at a cheap price. George the owner is great and his wife sells flowers out of the building as well. This place has something for everyone. read more

A great bookstore. I have been coming here since the mid 1990s a few times a year. There is always something of interested.

Its so rare to find a great bookstore but this little gem lies hidden in Cream Ridge NJ on Rt. 537. Treasures of books from new to very old. Search the entire store as some books may found in the most unexpected places. There is nothing like a real book to calm the nerves. Have fund exploring. read more

don`t bother selling your books to this bookstore. buys cheap and sells high, a big waste of time !!!!!!