My last couple visits to BAM have been accented by a really friendly and engaging guy who has come…read morefrom behind the counter to help me find a particular book, magazine, or gift. And last week, he was wearing a cool Puerto Rico baseball jersey (Santurce Cangrejeros) with Roberto Clemente's number (21). BAM also has an extensive magazine collection that you just don't see anymore. It's right next to the coffee shop, which accentuates the book and periodical browsing experience.

I love that there's still a bookstore in town. There used to be that amazing bookstore over in the…read moreLincoln Center mall, and we had Borders, but now this Borders has closed and turned into a Books a Million. Everything is laid out about-ish the same that Borders used to have it laid out. There's music and movies in the same spot, the children's area in the same spot, the coffee and seating in the same spot, and of course, the bathrooms haven't moved. Shopping here is nice. They have a ton of clearance, but that seems to be standard for a lot of bookstores. Prices are pretty standard for books (higher than online), but they also are lower than prices I've seen at Barnes & Noble, so that's a positive. It was easy to locate the area that I was looking for. There are large signs on top of shelves that let you know what type of books are on there. They have a pretty large biblical/Christian section which I found surprising. It's larger than quite a lot of the other sections, and I think it actually might be getting close to the size of some of the fiction sections. Over in the Transportation section, I found what I was looking for pretty easily. They even had a good selection. However, the books were not in order like they should have been. Books about airplanes were strewn throughout and between books about motorcycles, trains, and cars. They were in the right section (Transportation), but definitely not organized how they should have been. So if you're looking for a specific book, make sure you look through the whole section. There were quite a few Clearance books, and I came out with 5 books instead of the original 1 I was looking for. Most of their clearance is very reasonably priced at about 50% to 75% off the original price. The books are in decent shape too. I had a really fun time looking through clearance. Check-out was nice and simple. They asked me to sign up for their membership program which I declined. They also offered me to sign up for their "3 free magazines" deal, but none of that was particularly pushed on me. They were really friendly about it and didn't push when I said no. Staff was extremely friendly and I was greeted on multiple occasions. Didn't try out the coffee area or look through the Children's area. Final thoughts: I'd definitely come back. The prices are higher than what I could get online, but there's something to be said for in-store book stores. I love being able to buy a book locally and help support the local economy as well. Plus, looking through Clearance is easily one of my favorite aspects of bookstores. I came out with 5 new books at least than $40; that's definitely amazing for book prices. I'm glad Ames still has a local bookstore.

Selection? Unmatched! Quite literally walls of books! Just when you think you've browsed every…read moreisle, there are little hidden rooms with more books. They've got every genre & even an entire section for the little's. The little lounge area and table with chairs is quaint. Finding this place was worth it & we will be back! They'll even take your used books for credit. Everyone who worked there was very helpful!

It was nice to find a terrific Ankeny bookstore on a recent weekend. Walls of Books combines book…read moreknowledge, comfort, selection, solid pricing, and atmosphere in its venue. Plus, they have Isa (pronounced "E-sah"), the German Shepherd, one of the sweetest and friendliest dogs of all time who wanders the front of the store, greeting customers! I appreciated their selection of new and used book options, and I enjoyed interacting with kind and helpful staffers. I also loved their layout. I plan on returning frequently and will enjoy hanging with Isa!

The worker was very nice and the cats were super adorable! Great selection of both used and new…read morebooks. They also offer more than just books. Puzzles, socks, and toys as well!

Excellent used & new bookstore, can browse for hours and always find stuff I want and stuff I did…read morenot know I did. Two gorgeous white shop kitties too. We drive over from Des Moines just for this bookstore.

Very large selection of everything a Christian would want! Good service and hours open.read more

I like to give my business to local stores and when I was able, I used to come here several times a…read moreyear. I really didn't want to make money for Amazon or any on line business this year when I bought Christmas cards but did want to get them on sale. The manager of this store worked with me so that I could do so. Friendly, well stocked but will probably order, nice other customers, support local!!

I always enjoy visiting this little shop in the East Village…read more They offer a wide variety of books unlike so many stores that simply carry current bestsellers. While the prices are not discounted, I am willling to pay them because the staff makes great recommendations and the store carried some edgier writing that I can't find everywhere.

I popped in here with my sister for the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour and this is definitely one of my…read moretop 5 favorite shops. It was a very chill and calming shop in the middle of the East Village. The table in the front had so many books I'd never seen before and it was hard to choose one book to bring home with me, so I had to choose two! It's hard to put into words but I really felt recharged when I was in there. Can't wait to visit again!

This has to be one of the worst "Used" book stores that I've ever walked into. "Half Price Books"…read morehas always been highly thought of by members of my family. I've always been told it's the place to shop for used copies of books at good prices. So I thought I've swing by today and give them a once over. I honestly couldn't be more disappointed by what I saw and what I was told by a staff member. (Here's just one example) They were selling a used Hardback copy of a Warhammer 40K novel (Belisarius Cawl) for over twice the retail price of when it was released. They wanted $55 for a used copy that retailed for $27 when it was released in 2024. (major red flag) I asked an employee if he could show me where they keep their Warhammer 40K paperback novels as I've had a few on my want list for awhile now. He showed me a very small collection (3-4 books) of paperback books. When I asked him why they had so few I was told they kept them in back since a lot of them sold on Ebay for between $50-$100. He then asked me if I wanted him to go look in back and see what they might have. I told him not to bother, if I wanted to pay ebay prices for a "used" copy of a book I wouldn't have come to their store. And truth be told after walking around for a bit longer I quickly realized that this place isn't anything close to a "used book store" where you're going to be able to find a fair price on a used book. This store also places giant barcode stickers directly onto the covers of nearly all their books. If this place wants to charge "Ebay" prices for all of their used books go ahead and close down your storefront and stop trying to fool the general public into thinking they might find something at a good price. They're not. After leaving the store I've concluded this place should change their name IMHO to "ripoff books" as it seems more appropriate given my experience there today.

I love bookstores, particularly used bookstores. Half price books never disappoints. There is a…read morehuge selection. It isn't the most affordable used books you can buy, but it is always fun to come and hunt for treasures. My kids all went home with new (to them) books.

A cute store in the Drake area. They have stones, herbs, incense, soaps, books, and much more. The…read moreatmosphere is cozy with a nice ambience. I mainly go here for incenses and stones, I definitely recommend stopping in if you're new to new age stuff. Masks are required. I think there's a sign that they'll give you a discount if you have your student ID for Drake kids. There's street parking right in front of the store. So far my experience has been good.

Kal was absolutely amazing. A very nice and genuine person who took her time with palm and rune…read morereadings, never made us feel as if we were being rushed and took the time to converse with us and make us feel welcomed. Truly an amazing person :) All of the items there are also pretty genuine, unlike other places that either have books on closed practices/ racial wording like "ind*an" when referring to Native American inspired works. The shop is very respectful in not selling what should not be sold :) and they have a very gorgeous mural inside. the kitty is no longer ):

Calling to the book seller to place books on hold is quick and easy. As a Premium Member you can…read moreget 10% off books and merchandise. The options available are bountiful in a clean, safe and serene environment. Picking up a hard bound book is a choice and well worth the value. Not only are the words on the page everlasting, but you are bound to cuddle up with your choice selection over and over!

Just wanted to shout out Declan for helping me find a book tonight. He is such a nice guy and went…read moreabove and beyond!