Well this place is a wonder in the world of used books. Sensory overload is what you experience going through rows a rows of books. The books are divided by subjects and there are many subjects. Diving in to look for my favorite authors I was successful in findinh three books by Jean Shepard read more

LOTS of books. Workers are very pleasant. Note that the original location has free parking but NO cafe. Book exchange was quick and fair.

Huge selection of used books. Giant variety of just about anything you might be looking for. The only reason I didn't give five stars is because, the aisles are very narrow, which tend to bother my claustrophobia and it's very easy to get lost, which makes me a bit anxious. read more

This place is huge.......their military history collection is huge and I have found many, many old classics here. The history section....their royalty selection is huge. Pretty much everything in here is huge and you are guaranteed to walk out with less money than you came in with. Chamblin is a godsend the bookstore starved area of Gainesville and we make the hour and 45 minute drive here just to get our fix. Since coming here fairly frequently we have had to add three large bookcases to our home. I would argue Chamblin is Jacksonville's answer to Strand Books. read more

Big fan of Chamblin's Bookmine. It truly is a book mine! It's like walking into a different universe. There are seriously thousands and thousands of books along the stuffed aisles. While their organization approach can be confusing, it's almost part of the fun to get lost along the shelves. I always go in to browse or maybe pick up one book, but end up leaving with my hands full! I love that they support secondhand books and have vintage book collections. Another perk is that you can sell your books here too, either to get cash or to use as credit to buy future books. I strong recommend dropping in, even if it's just to walk around and take in the stacks of books. read more

Large selection of books and hard-to-find books its like looking for a lose treasure.

Really wish we had budgeted more time - at least 2 hours - to wander through this cavernous bookstore. Love the blend of old and new with so many charming details. Organizing series of books was awesome for the kids - alas, they had read so many of them already! But we found many new ones for them to take home! A marvelous place for voracious readers to wander and enjoy for hours. read more

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This place is wonderful and is filled with that musty, fusty old book smell that I love. Part of the appeal is the mysterious labyrinth layout, with aisles disappearing into the murky distance. The lack of air flow or decent a/c does tend to be felt at the back of the store or in the steamy romance section where temperatures can soar, and the aisles are closely spaced and sometimes trigger repressed horror film flashbacks. Books here range from a few dollars if they're marked down to the more standard $8 p/book and upwards. Chambin's is a thrift store that doesn't charge thrift store prices. Pricing is a little fiddly to understand and not everything is marked: I picked up a slim non-fiction that had been used as a text book and was underlined, notated, highlighted and folded, and when I got the counter it was entered as $8. The organisation is also a little random and Chamblin's is truly a book mine, adhering more to a jumbled thrift store organisation than anything else. I've been trying to find a series of murder mystery books and the author is somehow cross allocated to 3 different sections. If you visit Chamblin's, prepare to lose a few enjoyable hours wandering around a warren of books. You may find a treasure or you may leave empty handed, but either way you'll enjoy yourself. read more

Chamblin Bookmine - Bookstores Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

These days, I don't read actual books anymore that you can hold in your hand. No, I download them all from Barnes and Noble and read them on my iPad. Yes, it's definitely cheaper to come here to Chamblin and buy the book, but it's much more efficient for me to have ALL of my books on my iPad and that way they're with me all the time. So, I'd just rather give Barnes and Noble the extra dough. Now, having said that, I've been coming to Chamblin since I moved to jacksonville in 1997. I have purchased more used books here for myself and youngest daughter (never could get the oldest daughter interested in reading) than I can possibly begin to count. I also think it's great that we can bring the books back in for store credit. I had fun times with my girls here as they were growing up, we three would browse for a couple of hours at a time. Even though the oldest didn't like to read, she always found something she promised to read (she never did) and I'd buy it for her anyway. Hubby and I use to come here all the time too until we each got the iPads a couple of years ago. He still pulls me in here every now and then. He loves the place, but I always hate him coming in here because he has severe allergies and the dust in this place has him sneezing his fool head off for the rest of the day/night after he leaves. I'm really serious about the dust. You can smell it when you walk through the door. As other have said, there are books everywhere you look piled from the floor to the ceiling and this place goes so deep you may think you'll never find your way up. But piled right along with all those books is dust, dust, and more dust. So a warning to those of you who have allergies: If you are going to enter here, you may want to take an allergy pill before doing so! Someone mentioned in a review about how well organized Chamblin's is. ROFLMFAO! Ummmm.... NO! They can point you in the general direction of where you may find a book. And the sections are kinda-sorta labeled. Good luck in your search! I agree with Jo El. It's best to come into this store not looking for anything in particular and just spend some time browsing around. You never know what you may find and then you'll be a happy camper. If you come in here looking for specific books, you may likely leave disappointed. Again, I have to echo Jo El: Was the book there? Did I overlook it? Maybe.... Maybe not. So, come with no expectations, come with an allergy pill if dust bothers you, and come planning to spend at least an hour or so here. If you do that, you're certain to love this place! read more

My happy place. Worth the drive from Gainesville. Amazing selection of books and great atmosphere (the OG location)! Nice staff. Good prices. Make time to wander and browse and lose track of yourself. read more

Great book store to return and get credit for other books. With young readers this is a must! Our family loves it here to get awesome used books for less! read more

I was in the roosevelt location one week ago. I went in with my family and found some good books. we made our way to the counter to pay and one of the cashiers made a comment to another worker about me and the worker said"why do we have to accommodate someone like that?" The coworker she said it to told her to be nice she is a customer. I'm Muslim. I will no longer step foot in either location again. If I'm going to be treated like that they don't need my business. read more

My first experience was awful. Some random guy kept on following me everywhere! Every time I turned around he was there. It was very creepy and uncomfortable. I had to have someone escort me to my car since he followed me out. Second time was a much better experience. I roamed around the whole place. It is an amazing bookstore. I love the variety, and most of the used books look brand new! I would definitely recommend this place! Will come here again. read more

I love book stores and I read a tremendous amount. This store is one of the most incredible things I've seen. It's more tunnels than book store. My anxiety didn't allow me to relax and shop because of how the store was arranged in skinny aisles that just kept going. But it's really an interesting store. read more

Get lost in knowledge and adventure. Literally lost. The place is a maze. Fantastic nonetheless. Cool feature: you can turn in old books for store credit towards your next read! read more

Cool spot to take a deep dive through used books. The store is clean and tidy, neatly organized and arranged making everything easy for browsing. They offer an impressive assortment that truly would take days to fully browse in its entirety. I've found quite a few rare gems from this particular store and it keeps me returning for more glorious treasures. Staff is enjoyable and have been helpful on every occasion I've requested assistance. Interactions have been a real joy, and its wonderful these stores are around for us book lovers. If you're in the area and enjoy a good book then you certainly should check it out. read more

Great selection. Literally something for everyone. It's a labyrinth of wall-to-wall books. Prices are a little high for used books, but they will have almost every niche title you're looking for. read more

My wife and I visited different used book stores every weekend. This is hands down the single best one in America. The pulp western section alone is a larger and more diverse selection than most stores have in their entire catalog. read more

Pro tip: plan on hitting different sections on different trips. Or else wear your best walking shoes, because you will get sore feet traipsing hither and yon to find books that may be in different sections than you would think. read more

Love this place, I always go here whenever I'm in the mood for book shopping. Manga is especially cheap here, only around $5 for each one and they're in great condition. The only downside is that this place is so huge and very easy to get lost in if you aren't familiar with where to go. But if you find an employee they'll help you find your way to where you need to be :) if you want to go book shopping but don't want to break the bank, definitely check this place out !! read more

This is one of the true treasures of JAX. Well worth the drive but expect to spend hours if you are a true print lover like me. I have made many trips to locate rare and out of print volumes and have never been disappointed. Often I will go to find a particular volume but leave with multiple other volumes. Okay, I admit searching for something in particular is just an excuse to go since I could call and ask: but then I would miss exploring my favorite areas to find unexpected treasures... read more

Until today, I was a fan. I want to buy local and will go out of my way to do that on a regular basis. Grabbed a reread paperback, $ 2.40 on the cover. The clerk rang it up ay $4.00 and I pointed out the price and the fact that it is used. I thanked them and told them that I do not want the book and left. Got home looked up the ISBN and the used version of the book was .25 cents with the collectors edition being $4.25. The staff is courteous and helpful. From now on it is online and more money leaves the local economy. read more

If you are a book lover, book miner or book bargain hunter then Chamblin Bookmine is a must visit place in Jacksonville! This one of a kind "bookstore" if you will is a treasure trove of stacks and stacks of great reads crossing every subject imaginable! The Bookmine is a worthy name for this place because your quest to "Bookmine" begins by deciphering the layout of this huge place which contains corridors and passageways which are interwoven to create the coolest maze of bookshelves. Or just ask a staff member for assistance -they are all supremely helpful! In addition, Chamblin's Bookmine has a terrific book buy back Program in which you receive $ credits (all electronic mind you in their Bookmine system) which you can redeem for purchases! Spend some time here in Chamblins and get lost in the stacks. You'll enjoy the bookmining adventure especially when you discover that treasured book find that you believed was "long lost!" read more

Have you ever gotten lost inside of maze of books? Well, here's your opportunity. It's like corn mazes during Halloween, you won't know your left from your right, your up from your down. You're just surrounding by literature. They have nearly any book you could ever think of... and if they don't have it they can probably get it. For those that still use them they also have DVD's buy 5 get 1 free! read more

Chamblin's is my only choice when I'm looking for books and by far, the best bookstore that I've ever had the pleasure of finding. I can easily lose myself inside this store for hours. Let yourself take that detour when something catches your eye and you may find something that you never knew existed. On the contrary, anything that you are looking for, they will most likely have a copy. It might take a little bit to find some items, but the journey to finding them is well worth it. One of my favorite things about Chamblin's is the ability to bring in your old books, audio books, or movies and exchange them either for store credit or moolah. They will usually take most of what you have, just don't be too upset when they turn away your copy of "Anne of Green Gables" or other popular books. read more

Awesome bookstore! It's really big so it can be easy to get overwhelmed but it's organized into sections. They have a good selection of manga to choose from and the prices were very reasonable. Will definitely be back. read more

Great experience, but be careful a few books are a little overpriced but there are some great gems too!

A book lovers paradise. Be prepared to spend some time, you could lose a day browsing. Good helpful staff. Will make it a regular stop

The book lover in me loves this place. The magazine lover in me loves this place. The cheap textbook wanter loves this place. The vintage collector in me loves this place. The explorer in me loves this place. Although you may feel overwhelmed with the amount of books, magazines and more covering the shelves and floors here, don't be alarmed. The staff is beyond friendly and willing to help find anything you are looking for [even if it's a text book...like i was on the hunt for!]. Their system is a bit outdated [they use actual card catalogs to organize their inventory and not computers!] but they seem to get the job done :) Enjoy, my friends! read more

You can definitely lose track of time in the rows and rows and rows of books here. And then you can get lost in the rooms connected to other rooms leading to other smaller rooms deep in this book jungle. I still love the feel of an actual book so this place is a secret sanctuary for me. But then I start to think about the potential fire hazard and how I could get trapped in their extensive book maze. And I quickly get what I came for and head home. You can usually find me in the self-help, occult, metaphysical, esoteric, spirituality section sitting lotus-style on the floor. ;) read more

One of a kind!! I have been coming here since the late 80's and have never left unimpressed. Selection is massive. Staff is friendly and helpful. Went in yesterday looking for something specific and spent an hour wandering around. Its a drive from the beaches but always worth it. Even if I can't always find what I'm looking for, the experience of just being there is worth the trip. read more

Chamblin Bookmine - Obligatory photo at Chamblin. Can never capture the depth of this place with one photo. - Bookstores Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Inconsistent. The Downtown Chamblins has given me deals if I buy a certain amount of books or magazines. This Chamblins told me their prices are set and "that's just how the cookie crumbles" as stated by one of their employees. I'm all for supporting local businesses but I can surprisingly get better deals online and that's including shipping. You would think with all the used books they have in their shop, not to mention multiple copies of, that they would be willing to bargain with you, especially if you're buying in bulk. I can easily stick to shopping at thrift stores and eBay with the attitude I was given. They can keep their books that they're clearly hoarding on account of just being way too overpriced. read more

They have books. Lots of books. It is happy place and I wish they had hammocks and couches you can sit in all day and night. It's difficult if your looking for one book, so look for many. They can find it for you or you can jump into the wardrobe and just run around with Pan. Focus on what you want or give yourself the whole day to look around. Some aisles will give you panic if you are claustrophobic. Didn't like that at all. Go with a friend and tie a string to the entrance and use that to get back. ignore them if they say you can't or let them know you watch survivor and want to return to your family in the evening. read more

Chamblin Bookmine - Bookstores Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

This is the best bookstore ever. It's been in Jax for many years. I used to go as a kid and get DVD's. I fondly remember getting The Lord of the Rings trilogy on DVD in middle school. Nowadays, I am still going, but for their awesome selection of movies. I always get 4K Blu-rays from them. Their prices are fair and the staff is friendly. The selection of movies and books are insane. It's like a giant maze inside too. You'll definitely get lost lol. read more

This place has EVERYTHING! It's a huge space with, what seems like, never ending shelves. The prices were reasonable and they had a decent selection of new releases that are 10% off the cover price. I very much enjoyed my 2 hour peruse and had to stop myself after picking out 7 books. read more

Always love Chamblins. The selection of books is just amazing to me. I don't ever leave without spending $60. It's not too hard with how many books they have. Such a great place to get lost in. Would recommend this place over and over again. read more

This place is a national treasure and a dream for book lovers. We live in STL and have very few good used bookstores here to pick from so this place was heaven. The prices are totally reasonable and the staff is helpful. It's definitely a labyrinth and confusing if you don't use the signs posted above all the aisles (and sometimes even if you do use the signs), but it's a fun confusion and you'll happen across fun new sections. AWESOME selection, not just mass paperback and Harlequin books like many other places. A must visit for anyone who loves books!!! read more

Chamblins is the best book store in Jacksonville. It can be very overwhelming on your first trip. My advice would be to go with a plan, ideally pick a couple genres you enjoy or one, maybe two, books you want. You will be able to spend hours browsing after that. Our personal favorite is the kids department. We love Mrs. June. She has turned it around! It is is easy to find things and is organized logically. If you want recommendations, ask! Have books you don't want or need? They also have an amazing trade in program. Bring the books in a box, leave your information and they will call you with the store credit. You can pick up what they don't want or they will donate it. Easy. read more

This place is simply insane. Don't come here if you're short on time because you can get lost in here looking at the countless books they offer. read more

Largest bookstore in the Southeast and the city's largest supporter of writers and locally based literary arts. I've been shopping at Chamblin's for more than 30 years now. When I travel to other cities, I'm sometimes shocked to find they don't have a bookstore like this one. In fact, I can honestly say that the only bookstore I've been in that's bigger is Powell's in Portland. Jax would be a very different city without Chamblin Bookmine. read more