Vacationing in Duck? Leave your book at home! You can find one (or more) at Island Bookstore! Grab a coffee at Treehouse (practically next door), then meander the aisles, rooms, and both floors. One will find a full range of genres -- children's, young readers, academic, business, self-help, fiction -- so the whole family can shop local. Personally, when I travel, I like to stimulate the local economy by doing some local shopping. Genuine economic boosts are realized when visitors find local shops to support, rather than finding the familiar big-brand chains one also finds at home. read more

This place is small but mighty! Thoughtful selections are around every corner. The kids section is cozy and with great reads. Be sure to look upstairs! read more

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Such a cute bookstore, great selection of books, classics and for little ones too. Very friendly and helpful staff read more

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Great selection of books. 100% unhelpful staff member at the cash register even though I bought several books.

Best bookstore with so much character (I'm looking to you B&N). So much more fun picking out books by hand, opening them and checking them out before purchase as opposed to blindly buying them at a discount on Amazon. Both experiences are of course based on a certain amount of whim but somehow this feels so much better. Sorry, but maybe I'm just a huge fan of the Outer Banks, so naturally this bookstore is a family destination within my family's favorite destination. read more

The Island Bookstore - Finally we have arrived! - Bookstores Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Such a great bookstore. The staff (which I presume is family-owned) is super helpful and very nice. Our son was helped to find an informational snake book and our daughter was able to find an Arrow-verse book without is even being in the store! This is a big deal now a days because most stores barely talk to you, but not here :) They also very expertly stage books to their audience as once we were done with our purchases Chloe found a signed copy of the newest book in one of her favorite series and we had to buy that lol We stop here each year and they always give us a reason to come back. read more

This is a great little bookstore right in the heart of Duck. Staff is friendly and helpful. Wonderful setting in a shaded group of shops. Definitely get your beach reads here and support a local business. read more

Lol, I am the 8th reviewer of this comfy bookstore which to me feels more like a library with cool music in the background (The Smiths, yay!) and inviting chairs to relax and peruse their book collection. It was thrilling to explore every nook and cranny like rediscovering your grandma's vacation home. Upstairs have the narrow hallway that leads to two rooms. One for sports and the other, history. I can easily imagine it to be a child's bedroom. But my favorite has got to be the beautifully bound Classics. Madame Bovary in purple, Sense and Sensibility in lilac, Scarlet Letter in beige and so on and so forth... They even sold tee shirts with book titles printed on them. During our stay in Obx, we'd get coffee in the afternoon and loiter here, just because. read more

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OK bookstore. Way overpriced and cramped. I like to wander through a bookstore without having. "Can I help you? Being offered more than once. Sorry to the rest of you who love this store but I find the selection uninspired and limited. New name = "duck limited" read more

This is a rare find - a book lover's bookstore on the beach. A place to browse and grab a great book for those quiet Carolina days and nights. They have a huge variety of books and I always find something new and interesting to read. My son loves the sports books and I love the business section. read more

The Island Bookstore - Love shopping for my books at the Island Bookstore. - Bookstores Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

I called to ask if they had Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, which had only come out a week ago. They did not but their sister store in Kitty Hawk did and they said they would drive it up for me!! And, once I got there to pick it up, they said someone else had come in asking for it but they saved it for me! So so nice. And a great selection too! read more

I've always been a big ol' bookworm, and this place suits me very well. I could hole up in here for hours and be perfectly content. It's small and cramped, which to me is part of its charm. I've been trying to visit more indie bookstores lately, instead of the big boxes, and this is one of my faves. I always make a point to come here while at the OBX. read more

What a pleasant surprise! Hiding behind a sweet blue door is an amazing bookstore, with a wonderful collection of books ranging from history to cooking to mysteries to dwellings to crafts to military to....whatever you might hope for. Nooks for books are crowded in both upstairs and down, and you're sure to spend more time browsing than you might plan on - it's that good. There's plenty of the other stuff (cards, gifts, etc.) that every independent bookstore needs to sell to survive these days, but best of all? Books, books, books! I parked in the front of Scarborough Faire shopping area not knowing that the bookstore is in the BACK. You can also continue on the one way driveway around to the parking area that is right next to the shop. This is one indie bookstore I hope to return to! read more

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Great bookstore! I could've stayed around here and read for six or eight hours. The kind of bookstore that could use a coffee bar and live music, but even without either of those, it's a grand place to look around and mull the volumes. read more

This is an adorable little bookstore in Duck. My husband and I came in twice while were in the OBX. The employees are friendly and it is a great place to stop in and read for a while and get out of the heat. Well priced and maybe a dollar or two more than Amazon. I will go back the next time I am in the area. read more

This is the second of The Island Bookstore locations I visited. The Duck location was much larger than the Kitty Hawk location and therefore had a larger selection. I was somewhat disappointed in the local selections of both stores, but it was not enough to deter me from visiting anytime I am in town. The Duck location in particular had that charming independent bookstore feel I always enjoy. I easily could have spent several hours browsing the various shelves and nooks. I will definitely be returning. read more

We called looking for a specific book, which happily they had and were willing to hold for us. The store was toward the back of a charming little shopping village wth covered walkways (great for a rainy day!), and we spent a good deal of time perusing the shelves and enjoying every minute! The woman (owner?) was super friendly and helpful! read more

As previously stated, it's rare to find a true booklover's bookstore on the beach. Well this is it. I mean seriously, who stocks Stanley Fish books at the beach? These people. They know Their stuff, too, so don't hesitate to strike up a lit conversation with whoever is behind the counter. Seriously loved this place. read more

I've been visiting this bookstore since I was a little girl...at solid 20 years. I love everything about it. The selection is wonderful, the way they have areas organized and categorized is helpful and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Plus, it has an intimate feel (even with the vast inventory and two levels) that make it a pleasure to browse in. I find things I would've never stumbled upon in a big box store or on Amazon (and I love some Amazon). Not that those retailers don't have the books, but I wouldn't have discovered them. They also promote local authors and seem to have a lot of signings...I've never attended one, but I have gotten several signed books leftover from authors' visits. A trip to the Outer Banks isn't complete without a visit here...I always leave with a beach read or two, plus a pleasant surprise treasure to add to my collection or take home and devour. read more

Love this place, good selection, cozy and very friendly staff that gave great book recommendations. However, it is pricey and after going there one day and noting the hours posted on the door, I decided I needed to come back the next day (after flying through the book I had read!) only to find the posted hours were incorrect and the place was closed! read more

A gem of a find! Whatever you're looking for, they're sure to have it here! My family & I "accidentally" spent an hour in here perusing the many shelves of fabulous books (very large kids selection!). The owner is very knowledgable, friendly & helpful! I told her what I like & she steered me to one of the best reads ever! I'm so appreciative! We found ourselves back there the very next morning! We head out tomorrow, but guess where we're stopping first?!! read more

This bookstore is one of our reasons we love to visit Duck. So it was sad for me to notice today that most of the political books had a certain leaning and did not represent all sides fairly. I probably will still visit but buy my books elsewhere. read more