I've lived in Pleasanton for over 20 years and can't believe I hadn't reviewed Towne Center books yet! What a gift this establishment is to our community!! Whether you like to read or are looking for the perfect gift, this shop is an absolute treat in every way. The people who work here are so knowledgeable about books and scan always recommend the perfect novel or nonfiction based on a description of your preferences. It reminds me of the days when there were neighborhood video rental shops before Blockbuster and Netflix. You could walk in and describe what you were in the mood for, and they would find you the perfect film. Towne Center is this for books!! And they gift wrap for free!!! Why go anywhere else!?! Support our community and patronize this wonderful shop. read more

Towne Center Books - Cute fireplace and complementary peppermint tea! - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Fun, fabulous book store!! Come in and browse - they are always helpful, have a good selection - even a whole section for children's books and toys. Visiting writers - you get a very intimate experience - can really talk with them and find out their inspirations. Have been introduced to several of my favorite authors thru them. read more

When we're visiting Pleasanton, Towne Center Books is a must-visit. The selection isn't the biggest, but the layout and the staff make the visit always worthwhile. There's a center display right inside the front door with staff selections and new books. What they don't have in volume, they make up with a curated selection, and nice little tags with book descriptions. Bob was an older gentleman who worked here until he recently passed. He also sometimes worked in the Livermore store. Like many men, I got a lot of books here based on his recommendations for history. After chatting with me just a couple times, he recognized me when I came in the store, and steered me towards something I could not resist. I'll miss him very much. Thank you to the store for the great display. read more

Towne Center Books - Posthumous selection of Bob's recommendations - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Great local bookstore! Lots of recommendations in every area of the store. Staff is very helpful. Keep an eye out for author events. Had a book club with great snacks there tonight. read more

Towne Center Books - Snacks - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

My favorite book store. They are wonderful. A good selection and they can order any book for you. Super cards and gifts also. My go-to.

Buy local! Has a good selection of books including newer items as well. The staff is very friendly. The store is super cute and cozy.

The store in Pleasanton is so welcoming, and the service at both locations is phenomenal. I ordered a book through the Pleasanton location, and I lost track of time when it came in. They were kind enough to drop it off at my door without any request. Thank you! read more

Great local book store! Staff is friendly and very helpful! Great selection of kids books.

I still love going into bookstores and happy to have found towne center books! I've been to the Livermore location a couple years back but first time going to this location. Good selection of books for adults and kids. The kids area is a nice size, if you have a kid who loves to read like mines! Great customer service and love the fact that the employees have books out that they recommend! Good option when you want a new book but not sure what read to grab! Books are semi high compared to Amazon but I love being able to support a local small business! read more

Nice independent book store in downtown. I like supporting small businesses and especially bookstores. They have a good selection for the size. read more

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What a lovely little bookstore in downtown Pleasanton! It's super cozy. A couch, peppermint tea, and cookies. The restroom is very clean as well. The owner was very welcoming. This bookstore closes pretty late (10pm most days). There's a little something for everyone. They were also selling ornaments, greeting cards, toys/games, jewelry, stickers/magnets, gift bags, etc. The section for children's books and toys is quite large. I'd say it takes up half or more of the store. It's super cute and I could easily spend a couple hours browsing in here. I like how personalized the staff recommendations for books are. There's a lot of sticky notes around the store for those. read more

Loved this little bookshop! Came across it while running errands in the area. Decent selection of books, organized, and had a pretty big section of young adult/children's books in the back portion of the store. The staff was friendly, and the girl who rang me up was so sweet! She definitely validated my purchase haha. The prices were pretty standard for an independent bookstore, but we're all for supporting small businesses so it's well worth it! A must visit if you're exploring Pleasanton! read more

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I'm so glad I stumbled upon this little bookstore while walking through downtown Pleasanton. I dont usually go to this area as I'm about 20-30 mins away, but I went to go eat at a restaurant in this area. Afterwards, my best friend and I decided to walk around so when we saw this bookstore, we knew had to stop by! I was surprised of how big the store actually was! When you walk in, you are met with all of the novels, (Fiction, Autobiography, Thriller) but as you go deeper into the store, you'd see they have a whole back area with children's books, toys, etc! Not gonna lie, I wasnt expecting much when I walked in, but after being in here for almost 30 minutes I was seriously impressed. There's something about small businesses, little bookstores that make my heart so full. This place was one of them! I honestly could have walked around this store and found new things to amaze me. My favorite part of this book store was the "Pocket Tokens". They're little trinkets that are accompanied by a small card with a message and I found them sooo adorable! The fact that theyre little things that you can bring with you everywhere, or set on your desk, and always remember the little message that comes with it. I found that so adorable and I would definitely buy more if I were to come back for each friend that I find the message relates to. If I am ever in the area, I would definitely come back to this little bookstore! read more

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There are few things I enjoy more than shopping at independent bookstores. Unfortunately, the staff here is rude and unhelpful. Their website makes it confusing to purchase an electronic gift card. When I expressed my confusion, the person with whom I spoke was annoyed and testy, with no apparent interest in understanding my experience of the website. This is not the way to sell gift cards or endear yourself to people who are trying to spend money at your store. read more

A gem of a bookstore in Pleasanton Downtown. There's sanitizer placed inside and right outside the store, the staff was wearing masks and the cashier was behind a glass panel. Rest assured, you'll be safe perusing books here even during these crazy times. The collection is very well-curated. I went in for 1 book but came out with 4, that's always how it works. The children's and young adult section has excellent books as well. I brought my kids in and they didn't want to leave, made a mental note to myself to bring them here more often. I am happy to support a local, independent bookstore and would encourage everyone shopping for books to do the same. read more

Towne Center Books - Today's loot - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Loved this little bookstore! Staff was friendly and inviting, the gentleman behind the counter took the time to talk with me and left me some nice suggestions. Several nice genres to choose from. I seen several books I have on my "to read" list, I'll be back! read more

Towne Center Books - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Best small bookstore in a small town. Very friendly staff. Variety of books and Puzzles. Drop by once in awhile. We usually drop by for puzzles. I was surprise to see filipino authors books. So proud. read more

Towne Center Books - book - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Stopped in this store randomly during a hot Saturday and was relieved to feel the air conditioner on and blasting. Not too crowded, but definitely not empty. The atmosphere was calm and pleasant to be in while I searched for some books to surprise my wife with. I was surprised to see the high mark ups on books. I would have purchased more but the difference in cost compared to Amazon and Barnes & Nobles was almost double or triple. I understand stores need to make money and profit etc, but I don't think its right. (I guess nowadays most things aren't) I ended up purchasing "The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi" for $32+ tax even when I saw on amazon and barnes & nobles that it was only $20 new. Overall my wife is happy, so therefor I am happy read more

Towne Center Books - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Such a cute little indie bookstore! You don't get to see very many of them anymore. The 70% off cart enticed me and my friend as we were walking outside, and we also enjoyed reading everyone's New Year resolutions displayed on the window. We decided to step inside. It's a very cute and small bookstore, with a children's section in the back. There's even a couch and a microwave. We stumbled across Stephen Colbert's book "Whose Boat is This Boat" about Trump's response to the victims of Hurricane Florence, which was hilarious, and had me watching Stephen Colbert's video of him reading the book aloud. They also had the graphic novel adaptation of Anne Frank's diary, which was very charming. Thanks to Towne Center Books, I got to read the graphic novel adaptation that I never knew existed and needed to read. I wanted to support them, so I picked up a little notebook with a lock to purchase for about $10. They also have a loyalty program here and asked me if I wanted to sign up. Even though I don't get to come to Pleasanton often, I told them to sign me up anyway, because who knows if I do want to buy more books whenever I swing by downtown Pleasanton again? read more

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I love this bookstore.. especially because there aren't a lot of them these days. This one sits in a quiet spot in downtown Pleasanton. On the weekends, we love to stroll downtown and stop in. They are dog friendly and our little miniature golden retriever loves to say "hi" to everyone. She was looking for a "Llama Llama" book and they were quick to help us sort through all the options. Bella loves her new book! :) read more

Towne Center Books - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

This is a nice little bookshop in downtown Pleasanton where you can find books for different ages and tastes. They have souvenirs, too. The prices are reasonable, and there are a few shelves with books for sale. read more

Towne Center Books - Got a couple of books for my kid, and a postcard for my collection! - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Judy and Bob are excellent owners of this neighborhood gem. My daughter has been shopping here since she was 4 and this store is her most favorite store downtown (beating even Meadowlark Ice Cream) The selection is the store is fantastic and the time it takes for them to order books if they don't have them in stock is pretty quick as well. Their recommendations are valuable and their staff is very friendly. Surely recommend this store to anyone and everyone read more

I adore this little book store. I'm not in downtown nearly enough as I'd like to be, but when I am I try to pop in here. Everything from the entrance door, to the small town feel, book selection., and variety of gifts for purchase, just makes me want to stop and stay a while. My four year old was well received, while I looked around a bit. It's nice to know that my little people are welcome, too. I've ordered a book through Towne Center books and it came just a few days later. The service is friendly and personalized. I just recently purchased a gift card (for a very special teacher) and they made it perfect by adding a nice red bow and a gold seal on the envelope. Stop in here if you're in the area, and you'll feel like you've stepped back in time. Back to when we'd browse a book store rather than scroll on our phones. You'll see what I mean. :) read more

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We love browsing books at this place. We always buy books/ gifts from here and love their collection! a visit to downtown Pleasanton is not finished without a peek at the books here! read more

Such a cute bookstore! Definitely an older building but newer popular books, the owners are amazing people and everyone is friendly.

Honestly....independent bookshops are the best! I do shop at the larger bookstores and even the online retailer that shall not be named here, but there is so much that is special about a local independent bookstore. Towne Center books is amazing! My favorite thing about small local shops is the discovery of books that you probably would never have discovered at a big store. Here, I loved the staff recommended tabs! They have a decent sized selection (and if you can't find it in store, they can help you get it). The shop is clean and well organized too! They had a nice table display with new books and relevant monthly recommendations. The best part about this visit was the front window Marvel themed display. I snapped photos and sent them to my daughter who immediately wanted a few of the books. We picked up 3, including one that was in the display because there were not any more left on the shelves. Later that night, my daughter was updating her book wish list and there were a few titles we could not make out in my photo. I sent them an email and they replied with the titles and authors I was looking for! This was such a great experience! The person working in the morning on 2/7/22 was so nice and helpful (I left with 6 books) and then Stacy who kindly emailed me back! We will definitely be back! read more

This has become our favorite bookstore. My daughter loves getting recommendations, browsing through the books then making her purchases. It's cozy and friendly with well thought out recommendations. read more

Awesome book store in Downtown Pleasanton. Good selection of recent books and a children's section in the back. Pro tip - you can order any book (even if they don't have it in stock) on their website. Ships free to their store or locally. I've ordered a few books from their website. I'd much rather support local businesses than buying from Amazon. read more

We loved stopping by Towne Center Books this weekend! It's a wonderfully quaint bookstore packed with tons of books to peruse. We stopped in to pick up a couple children's books and loved the selection we found. The staff were super helpful and also offered complimentary gift wrapping when we mentioned these would be gifts. We also qualified for an advanced reader's copy of a book of out choice given the purchases we made, which was also very exciting! We plan to share our thoughts on the bookstore website soon! We loved the experience shopping here. read more

Towne Center Books - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Great book store downtown. They are helpful and have many best sellers. I love to buy gifts from them. Lots of choices.

I love independent books stores and this locally owned store is my favorite in the East Bay. They have author events and signed copies of books. I was so bummed after I realized I had missed John Green and Celeste Ng but still managed to get a signed copy of Little Fires Everywhere. They have a loyalty program where you can get a $10 discount after every 10th purchase. There is a good selection of current and popular literary fiction, YA novels, middle grade books, and picture books. You can sign up for their mailing list to hear about upcoming events. The employees there are friendly and quick-witted. I enjoyed some nerdy banter at the checkout. read more

Yelp mainly displays that Towne Center Books has a Pleasanton location. Just know that they have a store in Livermore as well. I ordered books from their website thinking I was going to Pleasanton for book pickup and discovered the Livermore location. 2375 Railroad Avenue Suite #100 Livermore, California 94550 read more

Towns Center Books is such an awesome, customer-centric business. Since the start of the pandemic back in March, they've been delivering orders to residents in nearby communities free of charge. Anything they don't have in stock they can order and usually have within a matter of days. They are open for a limited number of visitors and I love taking my daughter to explore the books and unique games they have for kids. Recently I had to place a large order for my book club and needed 15 different books shipped to 15 different addresses. They just took the list and took care of everything - I just had to pay the final bill. I love this business and hope other Pleasanton community members will help support this local treasure! read more

Towne Center books is my favorite local bookstore. The employees are always incredibly helpful and friendly. The book selection is great, especially considering the store manages to maintain a small, cozy charm. read more

I love this bookshop! I try to purchase from Independent booksellers and small businesses. Sometimes I have to use that other online place but that is only if I cannot find it at Towne Center or at the Independent Booksellers online. Towne Center has an online ordering process that makes it easy for me to find and order what I want. I can then pick it up when it comes in. They are quick on letting me know when the books arrive as well as status of any remaining items in my order. Each time I go to the store, I find so much more. Their prices are what is listed on the book. Yes that can be expensive but that money supports soo many people who are in the book production process that sometimes you just gotta take the hit :) or wait to find it used somewhere else...I am not that patient! Love this store! read more

Really charming bookstore with a lovely shop dog and owner! Yelp is insisting that I write more so I'll just remind you to shop at bookstores instead of ordering from the devil, I mean Amazon. read more

I was at the book store, but the Livermore location on Railroad Ave. It is a tiny place, but so well stocked, my nine year old granddaughter was thrilled. We were able to take our time and she found a stack of books that she couldn't wait to read. We will definitely be back, a tiny gem of a book store, so glad it is there read more

Didn't plan to come in here but since we were walking down Main St. marveling at the many eateries and local shops, we decided to walk in here to see what we can find. I was actually looking for a book for my Daughter because she loves to read and she could definitely use some new selections of books - who doesn't want more books, right? I can read all day! This bookstore isn't very big but it is big enough to satisfy your literacy needs. There's a fiction area, a nonfiction area, a very big and nice children's area, an area w/ all the cookbooks, historic events and historical figures, and etc.. What I love about this bookstore is the welcoming feeling you get once you step in it. I was greeted immediately and was asked if I needed help looking for anything.. the staff here definitely did not go for the push/sale method and I was quite comfortable browsing and saying, "Aww.. what memories" as I made my way through the children's area. At the end my Daughter picked a level 2 book and a rock star journal type of thing.. the prices here are similar or the same even to corporate giants but I would much rather invest my time and money on a local place instead.. originality, sincerity, ambiguity.. I experienced a top-notch experience. After the transaction I had a brief chat w/ the nice lady and even asked for her suggestions on the different activities I can get my Daughter to engage in since it's summer.. read more

My experience: OMG. loved my entire experience. I called to see if they had a book in stock and unfortunately they didn't, but they were able to order it and have in 2 days later. The ladies over the phone and in person were super sweet and very helpful. The store: the setup is super cute. What I loved most about it, they had a kids area where kids were actually enjoying books (so unheard of now a days with technology and electronic gadgets). I love supporting small businesses (especially cute ones:) and will definitely be returning! read more

Towne Center Books - Already looking a bit worn since I carry it with me everywhere:) will be purchasing all my books from Towne Center Books! - Bookstores Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I come here for a book club and I think it's just the cutest little store ever. The people who work here are enthusiastic and very helpful. If you come in often enough they remember what you like to read about and will tell you about new acquisitions that might suit your fancy. Also, if you want a book that they don't have, they're all too happy to order it for you. I was also quite impressed by how supportive they are of local authors -- lots of spotlight events, discussions, etc. It's very cool. Obviously, since this is a brick and mortar bookstore the prices are going to be a lot higher than if you were just buying an ebook, but I think there's a lot to be said for having a hard copy in your hot little hand. I don't think the prices are any more ridiculous than, say, Barnes and Noble, and the service here is far better, & this way I actually feel like my purchase makes a difference! Yay for supporting small, independent book stores! Towne Center Books is such a nice place. If you want to read what's new and what's hot, or are looking for a best-seller, it's a pretty good bet that you'll find what you want here. And if not, the nice ladies (and sometimes man) are only too happy to get it for you! I'm coming back here next week to do just that. :) read more