We were purchasing books and gifts cards and found everything we needed and more. The coffee, I got a Mocha, was fabulous and the atmosphere restful. Went back again and wish I had more time to visit again before we left Austin. Will visit every time we are back in Austin. read more

Obsessed with this place. Beautifully curated selections with great recommendations. Adorable gifts in every corner. Cafe is delightful and everyone is friendly and helpful. We need more places like this in the world. read more

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Yay books! Yay bookstores! And an even bigger yay for independent, local bookstores! I absolutely adore BookPeople. The people who work there are incredible. They are so caring, informative, and helpful. They really make it such a welcoming and great place to hang out. I love being surrounded by books and book lovers, and you really get that here. Obviously, with COVID regulations, you can't really hang out there, but they are still open. You can order books to pick up or get them delivered. They are also open for in-person shopping, but they are limiting numbers of shoppers. Additionally, there's a 30 minute limit to your book browsing/shopping, and you can't sit down. They have hand sanitizers and they reinforce masks, which is great. Some other things I really love about BookPeople: They do this really cute thing called "Blind date with a book," and basically you buy a book wrapped in brown paper with some vague hints, and then you buy it and find your next great read. It's really fun and cute. I did this last weekend with my boyfriend, and it was great. They also have a lot of book clubs, and some of them are still going on virtually! You can find those on their website. Tldr: I love BookPeople,; they have such wide selection and availability of books, and it's a great way to support local businesses! read more

BookPeople - Bookstores Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Love Book People for all the reasons. But I want to add that their program to buy books/gift cards for the children of incarcerated women in Texas tells it all. They are a community treasure. read more

I stopped by BookPeople to sign stock while I was in Austin for Texas Book Festival last month. As an author, I always love a bookstore that buys a bunch of my books and asks me to sign them. I benefit as a reader, too, since I love a bookstore with strong author relationships, which translate to cool author events and a broad selection of signed inventory. BookPeople is an impressive place, a massive indie bookstore with stacks and stacks of books on multiple floors. I'm mostly a fiction reader, and the selection here is outstanding. I spent a lot of time browsing the general fiction and the robust MysteryPeople section, both of which featured lots of good recommendations posted along the shelves. I walked away with a nice stack of books, including signed first editions of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames and The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. The staff was super helpful and friendly, and I appreciated the warm welcome while I was visiting Austin. I'll come back here whenever I'm in town, and I expect I'll buy some books every time. read more

One of the best book stores in the nation. This place is a book lover's paradise. With two floors and several genres to choose from, you can't go wrong. Plus, if you're just looking for a fun gift, there's all sorts of things to choose from outside of books like socks and candles. They have author visits several times a month. What if you don't know what to read? There's even mystery books. It's a blind date with a book! I've never seen this before and felt it was pure genius. When I was entertaining an author, I brought her here. It's an Austin staple. Staff recommendations help with books you may be curious about. Their children's section is also amazing with new and classics plus puppets. read more

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Love the selection and the amount of books! Disappointed that they don't allow dogs. We have gone to so many other book stores and they allow dogs. so surprised for a book store in Austin. read more

This reminds me of Barnes and noble, but with a soul. I could've spent hours wondering around if we hadn't been so limited on time. read more

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I loved this bookstore, all the workers are super sweet, the clerk did kind of guilt trip me to donate tips for the kids but it was funny. Super wide selection of books and the coffee is convenient and great. The variety of puzzles are good and staff are also helpful. Overall one of the best bookstores I've gone to, it smells awesome too, like incenses. read more

This is definitely the best locally owned bookstore I have ever been to. Prices here may not be as competitive as big box stores or Amazon, but they do great things here. They promote local business and always have book signings here. Go on their website to see a future schedule listing authors planning to show up and will be surprised who does. They have a wide variety of books and always keep things current. There a discount section up front but did find a much smaller hidden one upstairs. They also have a cafe tucked in the back serving coffee and other drinks. The staff pretty much leaves you alone, but if you need help then they are always around. It's two stories of books plus items like magazines, unique gifts, puzzles and items for kids. People come in here to hang out and read. Many parents bring their kids here to let them explore the unique gifts and books. Parking is not a problem here but the traffic around maybe especially during rush hour. Luckily there are two ways to enter or leave the parking lot. read more

BookPeople - Barber chair - Bookstores Near Me - Austin, Texas

I live for a good bookstore, one that you can lose a day in. This is that kind of store. There are loads of books to peruse, and things are very well laid out over a couple of floors. The displays are beautiful, and tables of books and other gifts draw your eye to other ideas. With plenty of options laid out within all the nooks and crannies of this place, you could lose a day reviewing selections to purchase, or even simply reading recommendations to discover new possibilities. There are definitely worse ways to lose a day. Happy to see the independent bookstore alive and well in Austin. read more

BookPeople - Cards, coloring books and loads of other gift ideas - Bookstores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great service, interesting books, the books are cheaper than I thought, this place deserves five stars definitely!

Highly recommend this independent bookstore over any run of the mill evil empire for your literature needs. I've seen authors like Isabel Allende and Hillary Clinton here, and I've always had great success finding gifts, preordering advance books, and scoring a little extra, whether it's socks or accessories for book lovers here. read more

I think this bookstore is amazing for a few reasons besides the obvious fact of it being an independently owned bookstore which we should support. One of them is it has a great children's section, also it has these surprise books which are a fun way to get outside your comfort zone. Plenty of parking and helpful staff, I get why some people sport book people bumper stickers now read more

BookPeople is one of those Austin gems I cannot wait to share with out of towners looking for cool places to go. There is something for everyone here. There is a café inside and a lot of cool and unique products woven into the countless aisles of books. This place is so fun to puruse and is such a cool bookstore that is still easy to navigate and almost always has exactly what you are looking for and more. The staff is super helpful and always have wonderful reccomendations. There is also a large parking lot outside of it with free parking and I have never struggled to find a place there, which is a plus for downtown Austin. Next time you are in the market for a new book or a gift for a friend I definitely reccomend you supporting this amazing store and the lovely people who work there. read more

Book people has a huge variety of books available. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful with recommendations I especially liked how large the queer lit section was. read more

BookPeople doesn't have as much charm as some smaller independent bookstores I have encountered in my travels, but they have a much larger space and offer a bigger selection than many. I love the cute and informative staff recommendations that are plentiful throughout the store in every subsection. There are bargain books available across genres. The children's area has a fun stage area with a tunnel under the seats that my kids used to love when they were little. In addition to a wide selection of books they also have lots of fun gifts and its a great place for picking out a presents. They have a small cafe that features baked goods from Quack's Bakery. I recently had an iced mocha and loved the hint of cinnamon and appreciated the generous ratio of coffee to ice. The building itself is a bit dated, especially the bathrooms. Having more cozy places to sit and read, including in the cafe area which is just tables, would go a long way towards elevating this from a 4 star to a 5 star bookstore. read more

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Quite the collection but wish there was a better system to locate items. The kids' sections upstairs was a delight!

Best place!! The staff is so kind and amazing. I got two great books and can't wait to return to buy more! It always feels good to Shop local!! So buy books from here & other local book stores lol read more

Love love love this store! Came here while I was in Austin visiting a friend. Everything is so well organized. They have great little cards with descriptions of a lot of the books the staff have actually read and recommend. I ended up getting a cook book, a book on yoga, and a cool true crime book! So many great categories to choose from. Awesome staff who are super nice, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. If you are looking for something new to read I definitely recommend coming here and giving book people a try! I wish we had a location near my house. read more

THANK YOU people of Austin for keeping this bookstore alive!!! What joy it brought to me when I visited. I went here with my son and we were like kids in a candy store. Where do we turn? Which section do we go to? Which book do we look at first? Oh wait... there's a book blind date! (I won't spoil it for you... go to the store to find out more) Oh there's cute toys! Wait what... a whole other floor??? Yeah... we were a sight! Please keep establishments like this alive... there's nothing like walking into a bookstore and getting lost in it. BookPeople is well stocked and they have an entire floor dedicated to children's books. My son found comics, sci fi, sequels and even a super cool World Atlas. Take yourself and your loved ones and enjoy being in a book store and buy local! :) read more

This is not your ordinary Barnes and Nobles and unlike any other bookstore I've ever been too. BookPeople is a giant store with so many interesting sections you can't help but look around and see it all. The whole store is filled with displays of all kinds of interesting books you would have otherwise probably miss. There are also so many cute knickknacks, especially cute Austin/Texas souvenirs that every tourist will enjoy. The coffee shop inside was a great stop to grab a tasty cold drink (the Italian soda with cherry, coconut, and lime is superior). Overall a must see! read more

Despite businesses being able to open at 100% capacity, BookPeople continues to enforce strict limits resulting in a line that wraps around the block. Wish I hadn't driven 20 minutes to get here. As much as I absolutely hate doing so, I'm going to order the books I had wanted on Amazon. Covid has certainly done a number on so many local small businesses and I am trying to do my part and support but we've arrived at a point where the wounds to these businesses are often self-inflicted. I wish this weren't the case. It's a cool store. read more

Bookpeople is the hippest and most charming bookstore in Austin! This place is full of your favorite books and more, AND it's two stories (no pun intended)! You're bound to find something you love! Here are a few of my favorite things: -a wide array of magazines -impeccable organization -personalized staff picks -in-store coffee shop, Coffeepeople -FREE PARKING! -fun card and stationary section (which includes a section for enamel pins) -a large selection of sale items -frequent author visits and book signings What stops me from giving Bookpeople 5/5 is 1) books and merch are a little on the pricey side, and 2) they're missing a manga section (growing up a nerdy kid in Florida who basically lived in Books-a-Million, this is a must to me). Bookpeople will entice, entertainment, and enthrall! Come here to take a load off and to get absorbed by a good book. read more

BookPeople - Great book sections! - Bookstores Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have loved and supported this store since I moved to Austin 21 years ago. I live being able to go in and browse, but due to COVID, I decided to buy some books for curbside pick-up. Ordering from Amazon would have been easier, but I wanted to support BP. A friend warned me that their curbside service was not efficient. Sure enough... I ordered four books, all of which were listed as "in-stock - pick-up will be 1-2 days." I even checked that i want to pick up my order when it's all ready which would require just one trip downtown. Forty-eight hours later I get an email that my order is ready. The employee brings out my order and only one book is ready. I'm so irritated that I wasted an hour to pick up one book. I understand that this pandemic requires some patience/grace for some situations, but this has been going on for a year now. You'd think that Book People would have a working process by now. I won't be ordering curbside from them again and that is a bummer. read more

Once again, BookPeople has come through for me. I'm a newcomer to Austin (lived here just 12 years). Have always been able to count on this indie store for current, interesting, unusual, & (often) books I can't find anywhere else. One example is Terry Shames's mystery series set in a small Texas town; these should be more widely available (e.g., as audiobooks - & no, I have no financial interest in her work; just complete enjoyment). What prompted me to write this review is my conversation tonight with Leah. I've been keeping a journal of sorts (mostly about books & recipes) for the last 10 years & wanted to continue to use a Leuchtturm 1917 notebook, such as I've bought from BP in the past. Leah (clearly a kindred soul) knew exactly what I was looking for & why I wanted the specific item I was requesting. She said she'd pass my request on to Cassie, the BP gift purchaser par excellence. Just to say: BookPeople is one of the best indie bookstores in the US (& I have lived all over, from DC, VA, PA, Raleigh/Durham, FL, SF - well, you get the idea). If you are a reader, writer, listener, learner, searcher, parent, or friend of any of the foregoing - this is the place to come & to support. read more

I adore this store and strive to support independent businesses , though there is something that troubles me. I get it, Austin is liberal, and Book People caters to liberal demographics. However, as a moderate conservative it bothers me that there isn't a reasonable representation of conservative thought in both the current affairs and politics section. If you want to heal the national divide, support dialogue, and exercise intellectual honesty a good place to start would be not alienating people who want to build bridges not burn them. A conservative section populated with books bashing Trump and the lunacy of the Republican Party doth not make an adequate representation of conservative thought. read more

We take the kids to a book store on every vacation we are visiting and this is One of the best book stores! Very large selection! Detail on the shelves with card descriptions are fantastic. Affordable prices. Kids were entertained for 2 hours looking over everything and reading. We love Powell's in Portland and this is the closest we've found. read more

Best bookstore in Austin (and probably all of south Texas). Well stocked, easy to navigate, reasonably priced, and a surprisingly plugged in writer and speaker series. If you've got a favorite author, it's almost a lock that they've been to BP for a signing. Be sure to check out the discount area where you can find some terrific deals as well as the local author selections (there are quite a few authors who live in the greater Austin region). I never visit Austin without at least one evening spent at BP. read more

BookPeople - The paparazzi love Book People. - Bookstores Near Me - Austin, Texas

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So here again with my transient nonsense. There are no bookstores in Orlando aside from an occasional independent bookshop that I fall in love with then abruptly goes out of business due to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Quaint independent bookshops are great but they are few & far in between & are generally small & don't allow you to sit & vegetate. I am one of those weirdoes that loves sitting in bookstores, grabbing 5-10 books, reading them to figure out which one I want, then buys them all. In the meanwhile I'll set up in the coffee shop portion & drink coffee all day. I worked at Borders once upon a time as a part time job & I absolutely loved it. This store has that delightful same ambiance & I'm not sure how it still reigns considering the pricing of books - but it's amazing. Two stories filled to the brim of books of all kinds, cute staff suggestions, opinions, & there's always a someone popping up to see if I need any help. To top it off there's so many odds & ends of peculiar & unusual things! This is the supreme happiness of being in a library & being able to buy anything you want! LOVE IT. I only went here to poke through various odds & ends for a friend's birthday coming up, but I definitely am going to come back & sit in their comfy areas. read more

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Recently relocated to Austin from California. It is a place I'd been wanting to go to and I was met with disappointment. They had little selection despite the large size of store. Obvious overpricing and many of the books show signs of improper handling with lots of book jackets curled in ways you can't blame on one or two messy customers. Still pretty busy and a known name in town. New York, Oregon and California all have better bookstores. Austin has better bookstores, too. read more

Wonderful book store. My friend who is a book lover, book store employee, and librarian had to visit this book store when we were in Austin. It is located in the downtown area near the whole foods and some restaurants. We walked there but they have a parking lot. The store is two stories and well organized with also some non-book items in the front. On the first floor, they have a cafe in the corner with wifi. There is a small amount of seating with some bar seating. My friend bought 4 books and I bought a souvenir for my husband. Definitely a visit if you are in the area or a book lover. read more

I love coming here! So much to look at and lots of books and merchandise. I always drove by Book People but just imagined it to be a boring book store. However, they have a lot of cool little knick-knacks, each section of the different genre of books are abundant. They have a cafe inside! They have i believe 3 stories. The second floor has a small stage area with chairs and I think some authors come and speak or they have a book club. the cafe The wifi was a little slow. Chargers are located against the wall so make sure you have your laptop fully charged if you don't want to sit against the wall. I haven't tried any of their drinks or food items but it seemed really good! They have a few board games for you to play. Even if you don't plan on buying a book, I definitely recommend coming just to look around :) read more

I love this bookstore! Plenty of parking. Cafe inside. Lockers by the door. Great variety of books and I love love love the staff recommendations. I actually wish they had more recommendations! They have signed books too! They also quirky gifts jewelry and even funky socks. Please please please support local business! I always leave with interesting book finds that I wouldn't have been inclined prior. Highly recommended! read more

Hands down my favorite bookstore in Austin. Independent but with the size, power, and organization of a major bookstore like Barnes. Incredible selection of journals, endless aisles and corners of books (entire worlds, really) to browse through, and a cafe with offerings like espresso, tea, pastries, sandwiches, and bottomless coffee if you're in it for the long haul. And you really can spend a whole day here. This place is soulful, and the people who work here truly care about books. I love venturing upstairs to look through the design and art books. There's also a really excellent psychology section. I miss this place (along with many others) being open the way they were pre-pandemic. You can still support this place on bookshop.org - much better than going to Amazon for your books. read more

I always have had a great time with this bookstore and this latest experience was no exception. Due to COVID, I opted to have my books mailed. The USPS lost the package and after talking to them, they pretty much said that there was nothing that they could do. I contacted BookPeople and explained the situation. They sent another book and offered to file the loss claim with the USPS. Kudos on the excellent customer service! read more

Rude management and staff. Honestly cannot believe they're still in business wow witnessed them treating people so poorly and then them experienced it myself. Cool spot shame they are so poorly behaved. read more

If you are looking for a book they have it! Such a huge selection. They have a section for everything. I found such a unique book upstairs in the art section. They also have a lot of Knick knacks that are unique. I didn't have any encounter with the staff but I did see several of the staff members helping other customers. read more

No longer "Creating Community in Austin" by not being inclusive towards the needs of neurodiverse children at their bookstore downtown. Seems they are the latest Austin original, of which I had been proud to be a patron since 1995, to drink the conformist Kool-Aid of the new toxic Austin regime. Definitely no longer "keeping it weird" and celebrating the full spectrum of Austinites, of which my son is an original, unlike me who embraced the unique places of my adopted hometown from South Texas many years ago and was proud to list this bookstore among the many places that provided a sanctuary. No longer a place to seek peaceful solace. No longer worth the pilgrimage from South Austin to what used to be a literary Mecca on North Lamar downtown. Sad times for the locals when everybody has to fit in or be deemed a disturbance. Thank you Bookpeople for ushering in this new world order I was warned about growing up in the 80's. read more

Reminded me of Powell's in Portland Oregon. Such an amazing bookstore. It's a shame more stores like this are not around today. ALL the books. Many signed from the numerous author visits and various other events. Calendars galore. Jewelry. All sorts of bits and bobs from sweet gifts to funny little desk trinkets. This store has EVERYTHING. From children to older adults I think you'll find the perfect gift or just a quiet spot to relax and disappear into the pages in front of you. Multiple floors plus an elevator if you're not a fan of stairs. Cafe inside so you can grab a hot or cold drink and a snack while you read, wait, or visit with a friend. You can chat in the store, at a reasonable volume of course. Really appreciate that! Some book stores come off as stiff with a rule of absolute silence but everyone here was respectful and aware of their noise level and what was appropriate for the section or area of the store they were in. read more