Nice atmosphere, fun to browse, but they didn't really have the selection in the genres I'm…read moreinterested in.

This is the best used book store in Ann Arbor. When I was here, I would visit weekly with my…read morefamily. The owner is great and will curate things for you, in a tasteful helpful way.

Great workers, great values. I love this place and always go here when I need a book.read more

Great bookstore with friendly staff. Decent selection of books and comfortable place to browse…read more Only downfall is no food/coffee or bathrooms.

My heros of a bygone era, local and mega chain bookstores used to be where you'd go to find the…read morelatest and greatest print media. Used bookstores on the other hand, were where you'd go digging for treasure among aged tomes and other peoples' cast offs. Perhaps that's what's keeping West Side Book Shop around. When the instant gratification of new novelty is clicks away at your fingertips, the promise of unpredictability, mystique and snippets of nostalgia draws customers to enter its doors. The space isn't large, really more of a living room transformed by wall to wall shelves and mini mountains on the central surfaces and displays. Here you too can own a piece of history or simply extend the life of a book or periodical. Sometimes you can find a rare edition or obscure title. Past times I've been there I haven't had much interaction with the staff though they were pleasant when checking out. The shop is located in downtown Ann Arbor so parking can be a pain, though if you're not too picky and prefer not to pay, you can always park a little further in the more residential areas and walk over. There are plenty of structures and lots too. They'll be celebrating 50 years in 2025. Hope they continue to be celebrated in Ann Arbor for years to come!

What an amazing little gem in the heart of Ann Arbor! There are so many books stacked all around…read more Had a great feeling and I have bought some great books from there. In my experience, this is one of those places where the "book will find you." Great place to stop in and look around. Prices were not too bad on the purchases I've made. Highly recommend! Will definitely be back!

Local black-owned bookstore in downtown Ypsi. As soon as you walk in, you are welcomed by a…read morewonderful aroma and chill music. The shop is small but stocked with a nice variety of books for the casual readers and those readers who want to dig into some deeper, intellectual, or political material. They also have art, apparel, jewelry, music, incense, and body care products for sell.

The store is a BLACK book store. It is meant just to be that. It's purpose is to get books to US…read morethat may not be available in main stream stores. For Charmaine to give a three star review based on the fact the book store is purposefully not catering to those outside of this is an issue to me. More than not things are catered to everyone BUT us. We have someone who opened a store to do this and you get someone non melanated who wants to criticize. Do like we do and MOVE ON, it's not catered for you, accept that and keep it moving. I LOVE this bookstore and the owner, Carlos as well. I find what I need/want, and also can grab body oils that smell so nice. In fact seeing Charmaine's review makes me know I need to get my but in there this week and make a visit. This store prospers just fine without you Charmaine. It has been around for years. We know where to go. KRS-One and J Prince found it great enough to come visit, and drop some knowledge. Had you bothered to ASK you would have seen, what you were looking for wasn't there he can order and get. Instead you leave a mediocre review.......darn shame. I guess the name of the book store did not give a clue...BLACKstone Bookstore and CULTURAL Center. Did you really think it was your culture that he was speaking of with this name?

The store has flaky hours, rampant clutter and mediocre prices but an eclectic offering of used…read morebooks in a unique space. Overall, Cross Street Book Shop is worth a visit, but be prepared for it not to be open when you think it should be. It wasn't until my third visit that I found it open, and even then, the owner said he'd been about to shut the shop up for a few minutes while he ran errands until he saw he had potential customers coming in. I could barely get in the door because books were piled everywhere. There are uncategorized books in the aisles as well, though the books on the shelf are in some semblance of order. Literature is grouped together, and non-fiction books are grouped by subject, though they aren't rigorously alphabetized. I have shopped at Friends of the Library shops where paperbacks in really good condition are 50 cents and hardcover books are $2 or $3, so I find the prices at Cross Street Books to be a little on the high side for used books which aren't even all in great condition. Some books are indeed in great condition, but in other cases, paperbacks are yellowing and curling around the edges and are still marked for $2-3. On the other hand, there was an outdoor bargain table the day I visited, and the owner said he often will haggle if you buy a large batch of books at one time. There are some pretty obscure out of print books here, so it's worth a look if you can't find the book you want elsewhere.

I have no idea how this place is still in business. No one is ever in the store because it's almost…read morenever open. For a while back in the day the building was condemned as a fire hazard because it's literally packed to the rafters with books, and the aisles are packed with books. 17 years ago I gave him my number and asked him to keep an eye out for Tolkein's Histories of Middle Earth. I saw him write it down on a sheet of paper. Still haven't heard back.

On recommendation from a bestie, I popped into this shop and it instantly made me wish I lived in…read morethe area! Upon walking in, I was greeted by my loves Hudson, Connor, and Pedro so off to a phenomenal start. There's a lot of natural light the pours into the shop, a cute and quaint seating area in the back, book/character themed artwork (adored) and so much more! I loved the book selection as well given I love reading romance books and that's what the shop is known for! I had to narrow it down but settled on Please Don't Go thanks to the help of the shop owner. Who btw, has the cutest shop dog! Also, got to obsess over some fan fictions I've read with the owner and it made me so happy. They had flower bouquets for sale by the door which I thought was a really nice touch! Such a treat and anytime I'm in the area I will definitely be back!

Mon Coeur has been open almost a year and I've been a patron for about as long. It's great having…read morean independent bookstore local. Yes, it is romance only, so if that isn't what you're looking for you'll have to head to another bookstore. Carolyn is fantastic! She has an amazing selection of indie authors and trad pub authors, and is always available with a recommendation when asked. If she doesn't have something available ask and if she can she will order it. Check out the stores website for author events, preorders, and book club events.

This was the cutest little bookstore!…read more Everything was so organized and clean, the owner didn't hover and was extraordinarily kind and patient when my kiddos used their chore money to pay for their books. There were lots of gift-type items and a great selection for a small town bookshop. It was cozy and a lovely addition to Dexter. Can't wait to come back.

Always a happy, pleasant welcome. Broad enough to meet my reading needs but very amenable to order…read morewhat I wanted. It's a delightful new business in town.

I have volunteered for this organization, so I know it well and of course am biased ;-), but the…read morequality, selection and prices of the books here are second to none. Lovely staff, clean, cozy space conveniently located off Jackson Rd.

If you love books, the best discoveries in town are at the Friends' Bookstore in the basement of…read morethe Ann Arbor District Library, downtown. They sell books, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes. Most of the books cost a dollar or two. When the shop opens in September the book buyers from the bigger used books shops line up at the door and buy boxes full of stuff. The shop goes through mountains of books every month, and a lot of it sells for less than what you would end up paying anywhere else. The best part is that the money you spend goes to the library. Only open on weekends, and hours are not the same as the library's hours: Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The bookshop closes during the summer months, so do your shopping between September and May. Full disclosure: I'm a paid employee of the library. And an avid supporter of the bookstore.