Super neat book store! Popped in before dinner to browse titles and get gift ideas for upcoming holidays. Store is a good size with many book genres, a full children's section, calendars, magazines, games, gifts, and stationery. Staff was kept the queues short & were ready to help with recommendations. Great selection of calendars & books on sale! read more

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This bookstore has been around since forever but I didn't realize Books Inc declared bankruptcy and was bought out by Barnes and Noble recently. This store has retained its name and branding and general cozy vibes, but they switched the rewards program and receipt paper to Barnes and Noble. They didn't ask us for a membership number or anything at the cashier. There is no indication of this store's relationship to Barnes and Noble anywhere in the store (probably by design). So I guess it still feels like you're supporting a local business but it's actually Barnes and Noble now. read more

Great selection and great staff. I almost always find what I am looking for. If I don't, a staff member orders a copy of the book for me. Books Inc. in Town & Country Shopping Center is my favorite bookstore! read more

A cute little book store with many genres, books, toys, and accessories. There are themed shelves and areas along with children's area. Very clean and organized with friendly service. Has a great time browsing and checking out the shop. read more

Books Inc - Bookstores Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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While in the area gift shopping we stopped into Books Inc to see if we could find anything for the fam. They had a great selection, though sadly no paperback version of the book I'd decided to give to my brother. The service was extremely friendly and helpful and they had a non-profit on site doing donation based gift wrap, which was beautiful. All in all, I really enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back next time we have a book in mind to give! read more

Visited this store as a family when we had some time to kill before my son's appointment at Stanford Medical. My husband asked the clerk shortly after walking in where the restroom was. She answered him with annoyance and he and my son walked out of the store. I stayed in the store with my other two children fully intending to purchase something for everyone. However, while I was browsing the shelves the clerk walked over to another employee near me, who was stocking the shelves, and began openly complaining about my husband and others asking where the restrooms are and made a comment questioning the intelligence of those who ask where the bathrooms are located. I don't care if they have a neon sign in the window telling customers where the bathroom is (which it would have to be neon in order to stand out amongst all of the other flyers and such on the windows), you do not openly complain about customers on the floor. Especially while on the clock and actively working the store! I have worked in customer service, including owning my own bookstore, and this is something that should be hammered into all employees that actively serving customers face-to-face. Needless to say, we left without making a purchase and will not revisit this store again. In my short time browsing, I also found it annoying that they have very few genre-dedicated shelves. Horror and thriller books were mixed in with general fiction which made it tedious looking for a thriller book I could possibly give as a gift for a friend. I know books can cross genres, but generally publishers will let bookstores know the best spot for titles that fall heavily within one genre over others. read more

Books Inc - The employee in the red plaid on the left was the individual who was the most unkind. - Bookstores Near Me - Palo Alto, California

This is a small and not quite so warm location. No one addressed my husband nor I the whole time we were in there. The location in Berkeley does that. But they had a set of cards, Rosie the Riveters of color and they were in the humor section. Not a random card placed there, but the whole lot. Jerks! Women of color were Rosies and yes, they could do it! Otherwise, the cramped quarters (many bookstore are and that doesn't bother me) shows me that they have outgrown their space and need to find a new one. But, this was one store I was not inspired to spend a lot of time in. read more

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Best bookstore around here. Convenient great location. Parking lot is always busy and jammed packed, but you can definitely make a good stop around here. I am a fan of gifts and cookbooks. The discounted book sales area had everything I like. Lots of French cookbooks, Paris delicious recipes, and other baking recipes. International cooking was my favorite section. This store has everything I need and they even have a children's book section too. Business and investing are a priority on my list too. Peaceful and quiet. It's quite creative to have a blind date book section. You can just pick a wrapped up book if you cannot decide what to read or buy. It surprised me for sure. Looks very interesting. Reading is about explorations and adventures for the healthy mind filled with imaginations. This is a great place to read and browse through the aisles. Staffs are helpful. I would come back for more enjoyment of reading books in the future. Nice. Most importantly, everything seems quite affordable for good picks. Love the stickers, colorful hobby gifts, science gifts, solar systems/aerospace books, and the way the store is set up. There's always something fun and exciting to look forward to. Not far away from delicious restaurants and cafes. You'll like it if you like being surrounded by good books. read more

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This is a very decent sized bookstore with excellent selections, and a decent sized children's section in the back if you are shopping with or for kids! There are sections/tables of journals and books on sale if you're looking for a great deal. There are also a few surprise books wrapped in nice wrapping paper if you're looking to bring home a surprise read! Really loved all of the very friendly staff here. Can't wait to pop in here again next time I'm in the area. They've got other cool things besides books, like little knick knacks for things around the house and a decent selection of jigsaw puzzles. read more

I was in the area and had an hour to kill, but had left at home the copy of Thackeray's Vanity Fair that I had purchased at the SFO location of this store. Hence, I came here and found a copy of the novel and read a chapter or so. They were very nice about it, and this location conveniently stays open until late. This is a tasteful book store, and most of the highlighted books are tasteful too, a refreshing change from its many competitors who highlight books which, if read, are likely to leave the reader less intelligent at the end. read more

Walked away with a decent amount of good books on sale! Great selection. However, I probably won't return too soon- as the staff stared at me from afar mostly. By the time I checked out, Earle didn't even offer to sign me up with rewards or make me feel welcome to come back. I'll look for books online. Thanks! read more

I love this bookstore! Though it is small, it is mighty. Staff is always ready to help you find what you're searching for. Super kid friendly -- the kids I used to nanny loved saying hi to friendly faces. Plus there's a little ledge in the kids section so you can explore books with the children before checking out. Don't have what you're looking for? They can order it and will actually call to remind you when it arrives. Best part: the diverse and inclusive range of books! read more

This rating is for their selection of writing journals, which I wanted to buy for a male gift. I had limited time so I knew I could either go to the paper store in the same shopping center or Books Inc. After seeing the limited supply at the paper store a couple of weeks before, I decided to run into this store instead. They also have 30-minute parking spaces right in front of the store. Note, Town & Country parking gets very busy during peak hours (lunch) and weekends, so plan accordingly and you will be ok to stop, stroll and shop & eat for awhile. I was so happy with the selection of journals, both pretty and masculine/simple. The salesperson showed me some journals in two of the sale shelves. There were also 2 large turn displays of journals, either individual, packaged in 2 or multiple journals of different sizes. In addition, there were 2 table displays with cards, and more journals. I think this is the most I've ever seen in one place, so mental note that I should just stop here. They also have these pretty purple shopping bags that you can use as a gift bag even if it has the name etched on the paper. Browsing around the store quickly, it is a large store with a ton of books marked by the staff favorites. Book stores are a dime a dozen, but I'm also old school in which I like to hold books and flip through the pages, so I will definitely be back when I have more time. I didn't have time, but also noted that they were gift wrapping some books for a customer, too. I love the service of these types of establishments. read more

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FANTASTIC store. I especially love bringing our kids here. The team is really patient with children. Can't say enough good things! read more

Small and cramped book store located in the Town & Country Village plaza. The store is divided into two main parts - children's books in the back and everything else in the front and along the sides of the store. There isn't a lot of room to move around if you're looking through the aisles of books. If there is physically any other human being, you can't get around them without taking a detour or asking them to move. I was actually able to find a book I was looking for and went to check out. The one cashier that was working there was being hogged by a lady that was trying to find the right children's book for her child. She was already there when we walked in so this one employee was occupied for probably 10 minutes alone. In the time that we were waiting we had the stellar idea to check Amazon for this book and it was $7 cheaper for the same paperback version. We put the book back and left. I think the appeal of a book store is being able to pick up the books, read the excerpt from them, and be comfortable while doing it. Being able to talk to a real person about your book choices is also a plus but difficult to do when there aren't a lot of people working the store. They do have little notes among the shelves that explain some of the books but I see no difference compared to the reviews on Amazon. It was really hot in the store, there were a lot of people, and no customer service. Meh. read more

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Perfect bookstore in Palo Alto, it has books for people of all ages and other fun items such as note cards, pens and greeting cards

Had a giftcard so went to Books Inc. in Town & Country Village. It's about a mile walk from Cantor Museum Stanford University so easy walk. I hate parking in their lots since it's always busy and crowded. They have lots of new books and staff seem helpful. I asked for Andrea Nguyen's Pho cookbook - I want it, but for $22 didn't buy it, Amazon has it for cheaper. I want lots of books, but don't read very fast so didn't buy all i wanted. I have lots of books at home still not read yet too. I did get a Cancun travel book for future planning, hope to go one day. read more

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We want to support our local bookstores and business but today was the LAST time we will buy anything from this store. It's an epidemic, we are all masked, we are all using disinfectant, the holidays are beginning in a couple of days and we can't travel. We get it, 2020 sucks. We all are getting through it with courtesy, humor, and empathy. You won't find any of those things at this store. I've overlooked the rudeness here before. My husband (who's British) has also commented on the rudeness of this store. The last few times I've been here I have felt I am really inconveniencing the staff by wanting to pay for something. It's the once over glance that says "I have no interest in you". There is rarely a response if you speak and if there is it's with a monosyllabic response. There are too many booksellers that love what they do to support this one financially. In this time in history so many people who love books would love a job, Books Inc needs to hire them and fire those ruining their business. Should the owner or manager read this review we were there on 11/24/20 at 5.06 pm on Reg 2 (303123 read more

For some reason, I get excited every time I see a bookstore. While there has been a drastic decline of bookstores nationwide, independent stores like Books Inc are still putting up a fight to provide literatures to readers of all kinds. Staff recommendations can be found everywhere and they show the care and love put forth in the operation of the bookstore. read more

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In the age of Amazon-everything, it is so rewarding to just walk in, browse the shelves and pick up something at the suggestion of the most helpful and knowledgeable staff! Having this store in our local shopping plaza is a true blessing - I absolutely love it!!! read more

Love my local Books Inc. The staff is fantastic, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful -- particularly when I come in asking for help to find specific books when I've forgotten the title. I enjoy supporting them because they are independent and give our town a sense of place. Thanks to everyone at Books Inc. read more

Just spent 35 minutes in this bookstore. Although one of the clerks, a man approached every customer, not once was I asked if I needed help. And yes, I was looking for a particular book. After 30 minutes and once trying to ask someone at the front, if they had the book. I decided instead to write down every interesting new book that just came out, and will shop elsewhere for them with holidays and birthdays coming up in May and this summer. In this age of competition, even from used bookstores, this bookstore greets people they seem to know and ignore everyone else. I will keep my business of book buying to online shopping. read more

Not the service I expected! Biased book selection.If you value your time, go somewhere else.

When you enter at Books Inc you get that feeling of 'old library' or 'old bookstore' where the books smells as books and you can get anything, from international magazines to toys for kids (and adults). I enjoyed browsing the store, no one bothering, just checking all the books and finally got some drawing supplies as they were actually cheaper that I would have expect from a non giant book store. read more

Books Inc - Bookstores Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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They only allow 8 people at a time. But I rarely see a line so worth waiting for people to come in and out. It is a smart bookstore but they tend to have all the popular stuff. I usually head to the children's section for my kids and they have all their favorite stuff there. read more

I attended Books Inc. for the Soman Chainani and Sabaa Tahir event on 3/17. This was my first event at Books Inc. and I loved it! The space for author signings isn't crazy large, so make sure to get a seat on the earlier side. I love the atmosphere in Books Inc, which feels much more intimate than a huge bookstore. Truthfully, I am more of a library-loaner than a bookstore buyer, but I was impressed to see that some sci-fi and fiction books were on sale! So I bought Red Rising because it was on sale for $7 and I couldn't pass that up. read more

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As an Early Childhood Educator, I'm very disappointed with the customer service of one particular women at the register who rang me up. I come to all the local Books Inc stores often as I'm a teacher who wants to keep her classroom library filled with books that can serve all my students, regardless of the fact that I can't always afford full priced books all the time, so every dollar discount, counts! This is a location I will NOT be returning too, because if I don't carry my work badge with me at all times, or that lovely little yellow "card" that's made out of paper, than I will be shamed for it, when asking for a educator discount. Today was a Sunday afternoon, I did not plan on buying books for the classroom but I was walking around after getting coffee and figured to get some books if I find something good. I found 2 sale books, and 4 regular priced books, so I went to the register, let the nice lady know that I'm a Preschool teacher but I don't have my badge because I didn't plan on coming and I got the yellow card years ago and since it's made out of paper it was easily destroyed. She understood the situation, and asked me to fill out another Educator Discount Application, I offer to fill it up on the side so she can continue with the following customers, by the time I'm done I see a grandmother of a former student of mine, one of my first students from 8 years ago to be exact and as she waits for her book to be wrapped we are just talking about how she's surprised but not surprised that I'm a teacher "working" on a Sunday, meaning me buying books for the classroom is being appreciated. So I wait in line again because I don't feel the need to cut just because I'm filling out at application but at this time another lady is helping me and this is where the disappointment comes in. She says because I don't have my yellow card or my badge she cannot give me any discount, and there was a man, i don't know if he was the manager but he stood behind the register in between the first lovely lady who offered to help and the other lady his not so helpful. He picks up on my confused and frustrated social cues and says they can give me the discount. Special thank you to him for honoring their Educator discount, hence me giving 2 stars instead of just 1. At this point the not so helpful lady looks somewhat upset with me, and responds, "well we STILL cannot process your application because you don't have your badge. I responded, "okay", because reality is I never asked for a new card, I asked only for the discount and I even offered to come back another time and bring my badge, she said no there is no need for that. Then I ask, when I come back, so I still need to fill out another application? She says, "no just take this with you and bring it back with you next time you come" My response was, "no that's okay, because I won't be coming back to this location." If I don't have my badge with me at all times, or that tiny yellow paper card, how does she expect me to have this 8.5x11 piece of paper ready for the next time I randomly walk by a Books Inc. Also, it seems to me their form of "processing the application" is opening up a binder they have at the register, sticking the application into a clear sleeve and putting it in alphabetical order, and then issuing me the yellow paper card with my name on it. What was so hard about her offering to just stick it in the binder for next time and maybe even making a note that I didn't have my badge so that's why they didn't issue me a card. So disappointed at how this women treated me as an educator, clearly purchasing books for a Preschool classroom and shaming me for not carrying my work badge on a Sunday afternoon. read more

Nice environment, pristine book quality, mini cards that we love, moderate variety. Love that they have reader reviews on some titles. read more

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Stopped in by accident (friend late meeting up) - did not realize this GEM of a place was here. Beautiful, beautiful bookstore. Surprised to find a couple Taschen travel and art books... Also, impressive collection of Art and Photography books (perfect for housewarming or just any old gift). Very impressed to find Shaun Tan's Eric book. Children's section very very well stocked. I ended up busting my budget as they were had a good clearance stock. Grabbed a Grids and Guides notebook on sale for $8, a couple more journals, Pendleton Chess and Checkers - all great great prices. Friendly customer service - she was so cute to stand back while I tried to stand back but still loot the postcards/card station at her station. Very impressed with a surprise find read more

Books Inc - My loot at Books Inc. - Bookstores Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Quiet, aesthetic, clean and has a decent selection! They have sections for new books, sale books, fiction, nonfiction and a couple small sections with smaller genres (romance, science fiction, drama, etc). I was sad to see that there was only 1 small row of romance books (probably because the rest were scattered in the fiction shelves) but the store is small enough to look through all the shelf pretty quickly! I wish they had a section just for bestsellers but the store is otherwise very promising for those looking for a new good book to read! read more

Books Inc - Interior when you first walk into the store - Bookstores Near Me - Palo Alto, California

They are great partners with the PAUSD school district hosting shopping nights for schools. Love the helpful staff and great selection.

My friend and I came to check this place out and we realized we weren't missing out on anything great. The entire store felt like a maze and hard to get around with the way things were arranged. This definitely isn't your usual bookstore. They only had 1 or maybe 2 copies of most books and there's about 3 chairs in the entire place. They have toys and nerd desk gadgets that were way over priced and so I had to pass on what I wanted to purchase. The lines that day were crazy. Basically you if you want to avoid the small crowd, which can build up with just 4 people, it might be a good idea to call ahead of time and ask if they carry what your looking for. There isn't even a whole lot of room to stand if you want to browse a book so don't expect to do so. I was in the store for about 20 minutes and couldn't stand being there any longer. Another small downside is that some of the books I grabbed had a lot of shelf ware and so a discounted would be expected if I'm going to buy a book that is in less than mint condition... but that's just me. Anywho, this bookstore might be good for some folks but not for me. I'll only recommend that you check it out on your own and decide for yourself see if it's 4 star worthy. read more

Came in here looking for some creative inspiration to browse and to buy... design magazines and design books ... BUT... they hardly had anything. They didn't even have the normal "Print" "How" and "Communication Arts" on their magazine racks. Their design book selection were non-existent. Probably the least helpful "Books" location I've been to... read more

Great selection of children's books here. Plenty of parking. In an age where everything is bought online, The store gave me a renewed faith in shopping locally. I think their selection of gifts and books Will keep customers coming back. read more

Books Inc - Exterior - Bookstores Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Their sale sections are definitely worth it as you can find some books that are barely newly released in those sections. I don't feel like they are as well stocked, but it looks like they try to stock a little of everything. Everything is kept well nice and tidy though. Staff can be helpful at times. read more

Books, Inc. is a great bookstore chain and one that I like to support as often as I can. This Books, Inc. It's located in the Town & Country Village off El Camino. I think this store is bigger than the one in Mountain View but not as big as the one in Berkeley. I may be wrong though. The store has a good selection of interesting books. I like the local feeling of this bookstore and the friendliness you don't get from a chain. I enjoy the large number of notes and staff picks around the store. If you're in the area, this is the place to go for a good book. read more

I so appreciate having Books Inc in town. It has come in handy so many times when I have needed last minute gifts and for the last 10 years it has given my bookclub a discount on our monthly pics. Books Inc does complimentary gift wrap and their gift cards are the perfect stuffing stuffers. The always friendly and helpful staff are a bonus. read more

Books Inc., is my favorite bookstore. They have a wonderful selection with personalized recommendations written up on notecards. It feels very personal and genuine. I always love to go and browse what's new and interesting at the front near the cash register. I never leave the store without a new book in my hand. The staff and cashiers are all incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. They always ask questions about what my interests are or if I need any help. Or they can help me locate a book instantly. It's just a wonderful experience from beginning to end and one of my happy places. As much as I love Amazon there's nothing like an old-fashioned bookstore that really cares about its customers and its books. Stop by! read more

I love shopping at Books Inc. The staff is always friendly and helpful, with good book recommendations for my kids. We love to browse the bargain mark-down table; we often find books we love on that table. We also buy our greeting cards there. I'm so glad we have them in our community. read more

We love this bookstore! They have a broad selection of books and fun games. They are very friendly, helpful and welcome dogs.