I visited The Book Rack during Independent book store weekend. This ended up being one of my favorite bookstores in the Boston area. They sell a mix of both new & used books, and their used book selection is amazing and well priced. I recently stopped by The Book Rack for a second time to donate some books for store credit - I was happy with the store credit I received and will be back soon to build my book collection. read more

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Stumbled upon the Book Rack the other day, while waiting for a restaurant nearby to open for dinner time. It's so cute in here! They offer both new & used books, the selection seemed endless. I liked that they offer used books in pretty good condition, as well, at reasonable prices. Lots of fun bookmarks & cool kick knacks! They had these LiTEArary samplers that I almost bought... I think this would make a unique gift! We didn't get to spend too much time here but will for sure be back! Parking: street meter parking read more

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What a gem! Loved the selection, everything organized to perfection and staff couldn't be more helpful and friendly. Parking on street out front no problem. Got some books and some cool stickers. Loved it read more

Excellent place to get books; they have a mix of genre fiction and have books in all the nooks and crannies in the store. They don't have a great selection of history, literary criticism, and literary fiction that I tend to go for, but other stores in the neighborhood take care of those genres. Staff very nice. Go support your local bookstores! read more

A friend recommended this book shop to me and I'm so glad she did. The atmosphere here is incredible. I love the tall wooden shelves. I have found poetry, creative nonfiction, short stories, manga, LGBTQ+ stories, scifi, and much more. The gently used books are in great shape. They take book donations in exchange for store credit, which is awesome. The staff are helpful and chatty. This is my go-to place when I'm getting gifts for people. Look at this cool wolf book I got a bit ago! read more

The Book Rack - A photo of a book titled The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff. - Bookstores Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

This is my favorite used bookstore in the Boston area. They have a wide selection without feeling super overwhelming. And they have a generous and simple credit system, making it very easy to get in a cycle of buying books there and then returning them when you're done for credit. read more

I first found out about the book rack when I moved to Arlington in 2018 and had some books to let go of. The way it works is you bring used books (in good condition) to trade. If they can take them you get store credit. This credit can be used to pay for a percentage of used books or new books (even special orders). Sometimes they might not take your books if they are too worn, if they are not popular titles, or if they already have too much stock of the specific book you brought in. The selection varies depending on the day you come in. I like to use the online system to search for my book and reserve it before heading over so I don't waste a trip. The owner Mike is great and is very committed to supporting the local community. While I love the local libraries the wait for popular books can sometimes be too long for me and my impatient nature, and Book Rack usually has what I'm looking for in stock. read more

wasn't huge on this book store overall. selection wasn't crazy. was pretty small too. would not recommend in general read more

The Book Rack - books - Bookstores Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Their "store credit" system is not store credit at all... You can only use it to get discounts so you still have to pay for your books, which makes no sense at all. That's not what store credit is. I asked if I could get the rest in cash and they said no. The woman is pretty rude. Their book selection isn't the best either. Their "philosophy" section was about half "philosophy of Harry Potter" which is pathetic, and their poetry section was pretty bare bones. Pretty disappointing overall. I just moved to Arlington and was thrilled to have a used bookstore in the area. Huge bummer. read more

Super friendly, helpful and funny staff with a good selection of both used and brand new books. It's tucked away on a fun street off Mass Ave. with ample metered parking out front. read more

A wonderful, traditional, used book store. Well stocked (I can often find the book that I'm interested in), very helpful staff, online ordering, good prices, and recycled books - what's not to like? And they are open on Sunday! read more

Cool little book store. Half Price books. Big selection just have to look around for awhile. Bought 4 books. Go on by and check it out. read more

The Book Rack - Bookmark - Bookstores Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

They had the book I wanted in stock and set it aside. It's great to shop at a real bookstore

Great selection of books! You can also bring in gently used books for store credit and they have an up to date website where you can check what's in store and order books in advance to pick up. read more

I loved going to the Book Rack in the 80's with my mom and now I bring my kid's and they love it too!! Everyone is friendly and super helpful! This place is a gem and hopefully will never leave Arlington! read more

This is a cute store with few options beyond used mass market mysteries and Sci-Fi. While two of the three salespeople were nice, unfortunately the one I chose to ask about mysteries was downright rude, no smile, and wouldn't get up from eating her cheap smelly lunch to show me where the mass market mysteries were. (FYI, I know her lunch was cheap because she was bragging about it to the other two). That One (ha ha) pointed in the direction of the other room to the Mystery Section. We're not talking about exercise here, people, she would only have had to walk 2 feet!!! But, she pointed, and I struggled to find the section as it was not well-marked. This was bothersome because the food she was eating smelled so bad, I couldn't wait to leave. I would have thrown up in the bathroom, but there is NO lu for patrons. That said, the Book Rack has been around since 1975 and is therefore practically Historic! It's privately owned, also a good thing, and they do have moderately-priced used books, and an option to trade your books for theirs. Also a good thing. Oh, and, the parking is easy and they accept credit cards, which is nice. This is a great place to go if you're broke, have lots of books to sell and trade, love mysteries, don't care about buying fiction, nonfiction, or memoirs, and don't need to use the restroom. ;) read more

I went here today for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. My experience with many used book stores is a musty store with books that are either cookbooks from 1975 or sci fi series and romance series I don't care about. The Book Rack was clean and fresh feeling and had many books I was interested in. The women there were funny and helpful and I gave them a large pile of books for credit. I walked away with a book I loved for half off to give a friend as a gift and a pretty much new hardcover (usually priced around $30 and which only came out about a year ago or less) by an author I love for $2.50 with my credit from the books I brought in, I s*&% you not. I bought two books brand new in Porter Square the other day and now I feel kinda dumb. I had to force myself to leave The Book Rack with only two books, but I will be back. read more

I love, love, love this bookstore! I go through a lot of books, and it's nice to have a place nearby that I can exchange my old books for "new" books. It takes a while to browse through their selection, but I've always found a handful of books to take home with me every time I visit. Their buy-back option works out well for someone like me: I bring in 4-5 books at a time, get store credit, then buy 4-5 new books and I never end up paying more than $12. 4-5 books for $12 is an awesome deal. And considering it's a used bookstore, the books on their shelves are in decent condition. Good advice: they only buy back soft cover books--on the rare occasion they'll buy hard covers from you, but only if they're very new, popular books. They also sell a handful of new books as well, and they're marked down MUCH cheaper than other stores. So, if there's a new book you're dying to read, check to see if they have it here first. You could save a lot of $$. And then when you're done reading it, bring it back and trade it in for more books. That's bang for you buck, folks. Bang for your buck. If they had a little cafe attached to this place, or even a little reading room, this place would be perfect. I know there's a Starbucks on the corner, but buying books from a local, used bookstore and spending more on a drink than you just spent on 3 books seems a little ridiculous. Maybe that's just me. read more

I like this store a lot. If you're looking for a Barnes and Noble feel free to head out to the mall and skip this mom-and-pop as it's not what you're looking for. But if you're a reading junkie looking for used books, on the cheap and well cared-for, stop in at this store. I've been to many used book stores and was surprised at how well-organized The Book Rack is by comparison to most of them. I struck up several conversations with the folks who work there and saw several other customers doing the same. I like the 50% store credit policy that they have if you're looking to offload some of your shelf-clutter and I think it's brilliant that they'll donate the books that they don't want for you. Having moved any number of times I wish I'd had access to this place when trying to decide what to box up and what to get rid of. read more

This place is AWESOME!! How did I live here for four years and not know about it? It's a real bookstore run by real people. They take trade in's and offer store credit. I want to live here. Seriously. read more

Upon moving to Arlington, I was beyond excited to find the Book Rack - I grew up with one across the country in California! I have many good memories of digging through piles of old books, getting good recommendations from the staff, etc. The Arlington branch does it justice - the staff is usually nice, there are many books to check out, and they take books in for trade. The trading scheme goes like this: They give you 1/4 the list price for a book (paperbacks, they take some hard covers but not all), and all the used book in the store are sold a 1/2 the list price. You can use your book credit for up to 1/2 of the book price. I think that's a fair rule that keeps them profitable while making used books cheap! By the way, I spotted a copy of Cuckoo's Calling there last week! ;) read more

I don't read a lot. But I had an hour to spend in Arlington today and 35 minutes of it were spent here. It's very cozy, packed with lots of used books and they had some of the most popular books - like "The Art of French Cooking", "Freakonomics", "Tipping Point", etc., available new and cheaper than the cover price. I loved the fact that they had about 2 (3, if you count the first shelf with a mix of content) shelves devoted to cooking books... the rest were fiction, science fiction, novels, poetry, and even some kiddy books! They'll also give you store credit for your used books for up to 1/4 of the original cover price and then you can use half of your store credit on any purchase of their used books. Yea, it's a little complicated, but maybe it'll be useful for some people... Parking was pretty easy - you have your choice of free 1 hour street parking, or the public lot for up to 2 hours at 50cents per hour. There's also a small shopping plaza nearby that have about 10 or so spots available. There's a Starbucks right up the street from where they are, so you can go enjoy a cup of coffee and your newly (used) book to read! read more

An amazing little neighborhood bookstore, GREAT for children's books (my only reason for coming here). They have many in both used and new, and even the new ones are discounted. But the best thing about the book rack? The people that work there. Came in here with my kid, and the woman at the counter said, "So, [his name], how'd you like [last book he bought there]." He, living in a world filled with apparently random grown-ups who know him, was not fazed at all by being known by name at the local bookstore, but I was mightily impressed. We never go to a big chain without checking here first, and have saved many a trip to B&N because of it. [The Book Rack also participates in all sorts of little fundraising activities to help Arlington schools.] read more

Great shop! They were only able to give me credit for a small, moving-size box full of books and I received $95 in store credit. The books they didn't accept, they donated to charity. Very helpful if you're moving or just trying to de-clutter! It's nice not to have to throw away books. The staff was quite friendly and helpful. Despite what other reviewers have said, the books are organized and the number of books doesn't completely overwhelm the space of the store. If you're looking for a particular book, it may be tough to find it, but scanning through the titles, it is hard to not find something else of interest. I was able to pick up a recently-printed copy of Vanity Fair (W.M. Thackeray) for only $2! (After using $2 in store credit) I am looking forward to visiting again and bringing friends. (With the store credit, you're given a paper slip and you can share it with other people.) read more

I've just moved to Arlington and have been crossing my fingers that there was a great used book shop in town. The Book Rack exceeded my expectations! All of the staff were friendly and helpful to me during my visit, and the fiction selection was great -- there are lots of mass-market paperbacks, but also a really great selection of trades too. The thing that really got me ecstatic was seeing how extensive their YA selection was. When I was in there, no less than 3 teens wandered in looking for a book, and the staff was really knowledgable about the genre, remarking how popular the bookstore was with young adults. A used bookstore with stellar selection, enthusiastic and knowledgable staff, that's getting kids amped about reading? Um, yes, please. read more

What a cool find! Quite by accident we stumbled upon this quaint jewel in Arlington Center. If stacks and stacks and stacks and stacks of books are your thing, you need to check this place out. My experience with most indy and used bookstores is that they are pretty dark and dusty with a musty essence... not so here! They really maximize their square footage well, clearly labeled categories, lots of nooks and tons of books. Did I mention they have a lot of books? Mostly paperback but some more contemporary hardcovers. Found plenty of books I loved as a kid! You bring in books, they give you store credit. Today we bought two books for the kids at a good price, but next time, we will be back with gently used books to get us started on our credit collection! Park in the lot behind the church and you'll be good to go to get sucked into this wonderful bookstore! read more

When I finally cleaned out my books and boxed them up, the staff at the Book Rack was so helpful and took the time to explain the policy to me about how my used books would translate in to credit for me to come back and SHOP!!! I know everyone loves to shop, but this is an opportunity to use my credit to give gift certificates to friends for FREE on my end, or use my credit get more books to feed my addiction to books and get some great finds for cook books and other things that I love. Love to see the same great staff there and they are always so willing to answer questions, and when my daughter was looking for a particular book, they ordered it for her! read more

My favorite place in town! Greatest staff! Knowledgeable, friendly and always willing and able to search for what you are interested in.

I like this bookstore--laid back and comfortable, large selection of used mystery and sci-fi mass markets, reasonably organized. A small selection of trade paperbacks. I would like it better if they had more GLBT authors, and more classics and trade paperbacks. I particularly like that you can trade in used paperbacks here, so it could be like a lending library. Buy a couple, sell a couple. This is definitely the bookstore I'd want to hit on the way to the airport. It's not the place to go if you are looking for anything specific but a good place for browsing. Most books seemed to be $3.50 to $4.00. read more

Just the kindest people. They love books and they love matching people with books. I've contacted them many times over the years to find a book for my kids school assignments. They also have ordered in books that I'm looking for. I've never had a bad thing to say about them. A great local bookstore. Used and new books. read more

This bookstore makes you feel comfortable stopping to read the first few pages of a book without being hassled. read more

The Book Rack - Couldn't buy just one! Love this bookstore! - Bookstores Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

I come here every time I'm in Arlington and I'm never disappointed! I love the whole store credit deal because I am constantly buying new books and giving away old ones so I have a continual store of credit. I don't think I've ever paid more than $5 for a book, and usually can find the books I am after. This place is great for students who need to buy summer reading books or books for certain courses because they have an awesome selection of classics. For one english course my school was going to charge me $6 for a book; I came here and found the same one for $2, minus $1 due to my store credit! read more

I think the store itself is good, however I find donating books to them difficult. I've tried several times with relatively new books that folks would find interesting, but the woman that I believe runs the store is fairly dismissive of what you bring her with a pretty casual and not so pleasant review. I've stopped trying. I found that other used bookstores more willing to consider books that have real value. read more

This is my favorite used book store. They have a wide selection that is continually refreshed. Good prices, and a great way to recycle your old books (whether by obtaining store credit, or donation). I thoroughly enjoy coming here. read more

Great little book store in Arlington. Their concept is this. You bring in some used soft cover books you want to unload. They give you a credit for 1/2 of the cover price. You then shop for let's say a soft cover of an Augusten Burroughs book you wanted to read or a trashy James Patterson to read on the T. You bring your purchases to the register and you get to apply 1/2 of your credit to buy the books and only have to cough up 1/2 in cash. All used books sell for /12 off the cover price. New books are 10-20% off and they'll order what you need for you. It's all good. It's local, they're dispose-o-books, everybody wins! Open 7days a week too! read more

I love indy bookstores. I've said it before - I wish there were more of them around. So, if you have one in your town and it's good, I really think you should visit it and actually buy something so they don't disappear. This is a very nice, small but jam-packed, book store with a great selection of current books and classics. I was impressed with how many Scandinavian crime novels they had. Authors that you just never see in stores. My partner was looking for a classic for his book club and found it (as a used copy) at a more than reasonable price of $3. Great selection for book lovers and a lovely area to browse, plus great prices on used books. We'll be stopping in again! read more

while they don't have every title you may want, and how could they anyway, they sure can get it fast enough for you, and it always comes in the day they say it will, plus they will give you a call to boot. Prices are discounted off list, and you get store credit for your used books. That and there are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants close by, everyone is helpful especially Mike who always seems to be around. Somehow feel spoiled having this steps away. Dig it. 5 stars because I can't ask for much else from a neighborhood bookstore, except maybe a comfy chair, okay 4.5. read more

What a packed shop! There is something for everyone and super cheap prices! I love them! I think they give you good credit in trade too. It's crammed tight with wonderful books! read more

I have to give a rave review of this book store to match all the other rave reviews; I have purchased tons of books here; I never take advantage of their book trade in policy because I have a difficult time giving up my books even after I have read them but I definitely should. If you like mysteries, science fiction, mainstream fiction, non-fiction, kids books, young adult, whatever, they have it. I also have to admit that lately I have been using my kindle more but you can't beat a good book!! ( a real one). read more

I love this small store. They have a ton of used books, and a decent selection of new books. I've come across a couple books that they don't have, but have always been pleasantly surprised how quickly they come in when you order a book from them. Also, their prices are great! New books don't really cost what is written on the cover! read more