Love love love this bookstore; lucky to not live close by as I'd be spending $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ constantly! Huge selection of books, lots of in store events, great card selection, local items, novelties, and things you didn't know that you needed!!! Plus Brontë Bistro !!! The BEST customer service, specifically Yetter who gave me lots of recommendations ( which I bought!!) as well as lots of of author suggestions, and Bethany for her friendliness and helping me navigate the store as well. Great membership incentives as well. read more

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This is such a large and well-stocked book store. There set up is great. Their pricing is great. They had some fun stuff in the kids section that included games, stuffed animals, and some toys. They have fidgets there too. The adult section looked nice, but I didn't get to explore it yet. Service was great. Everyone was very friendly! We will definitely be making a trip down to visit again! read more

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Huge selection, helpful staff, lovely store. Enjoyed browsing the books and gifts for well over an hour. Bought four books and a pretty little bag for makeup. read more

Pretty cool experience, this bookstore was huge. I thought they had a wide-range of book. Service was good. People were really friendly and the book store was packed! In a day in time in which everything is online or digital. It was a joy to see people buying books! read more

Joseph-Beth Booksellers - Inside bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Service is excellent both in person and over the phone from a distance. Selection is excellent not only for books but for magazines and souvenir items of Cincinnati read more

Best Bookstore in the USA!! It is where I go whenever I am looking for a book! The staff is also excellent!

Ummm.. this place is a gem! It restores my faith in brick and mortar stores. Vast selection of books like a big box bookstore, but with the added layer of a local, independent store. So friendly. We came Friday night and they had live music with chairs for patrons to sit and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere and sound. You could easily spend hours browsing books here. They have a cafe and a sepearate kids bookstore. We came to let our toddler pick out a book. He went to the front desk and asked for a book about gruffalos and the employee behind the counter looked it up and showed him where it was. He had a lot of random questions about books that she patiently listened to and answered. We appreciated that extra help to encourage our toddler to find his book by asking for assistance. The toy section of the children's bookstore has a bunch of curated and gift-able options for young kids. The toys are reasonably price and comparable to online and other places around town. No complaints about our first visit. Definitely won't be our last. I wish I had known about this place sooner! read more

Joseph-Beth Booksellers - Bookstores Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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What a fantastic find! A wonderful book store with a huge kids section and multiple author visits (signings) a month. The staff were all very helpful and the author meet and greet I went to was very well run. I had been missing my favorite old bookstore in Seattle and was THRILLED to discover this treasure trove. I'll be back often. read more

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Wide selection of new items, historic books and a fun area especially for children. An area for story time and one on the big kid side too. Plenty of gifts, toys, puzzles and a special Blenko glass area, wow! There is a information desk and was friendly and helpful. I hope book stores survive, there was a huge selection, are they pricey yes. read more

Joseph-Beth is my favorite place to spend a rainy Saturday morning. This independently-owned store is a book lover's paradise. There's so much to love ... from the wooden shelves to the nostalgic decor ... from the carefully placed reading nooks to the carefully curated children's section. I always find a new book to take home whenever I visit JB ... and it started to become such a habit that I joined their Gives Back program. For $25, you get special discounts on certain books, and at the cafe. You also get to pick a local charity or organization to give back to ... I selected ArtsWave. I have yet to eat at the cafe, but I have ordered coffee here several times to sip on while I browse (also discounted when you're a member). The staff members are extremely helpful whenever you have a question ... at times, they've been completely sold out of popular books I'm interested in, but they're always able to order it for you. You won't regret stopping by JB ... buying stacks on stacks of books is one of my favorite ways to support local! read more

Super cute bookstore, very spacious and organized into tons of sections. Has a great selection of gift items toward the register, as well as a bunch of stickers for sale. The shop is connected to a bistro named after the literary Brönte sisters, which I have to try next time we visit, but from the name alone it feels like a wonderful touch. Clean bathrooms!! read more

Wow a bookstore. Love it. Can get a coffee and browse so books. Now that everything is online its so nice to have this slice of yesterday. Its in area with several other stores and a couple of restaurants. Free parking. read more

We went here to meet Colleen Hoover the author and I love going to this wonderful place. I read non stop so this is my happy place. So many books and many other things to buy like socks pictures mugs etc etc I want to rave about the restaurant in the library. It's delicious and has so many options to choose from. I ordered the Mediterranean pasta so scrumptious. They have crab cakes quiche salmon pork chops and so much more. I will be returning here just for food and of course a book read more

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So much to explore and discover! I love the vibe of the store; it is warm and cozy. The workers are incredibly kind and helpful.

We came here for the Mamrie Hart "I've Got this Round" book tour in early February 2018. There wasn't a whole lot of space for the event, but the show wasn't going to be terribly long. There were a few short rows of chairs but not many. The store manager was funny and friendly. The store and the staff did a great job of organizing the fans and setting up a smooth flow for the meet and greet following the show. It is a good book store, I am sure you will be able to find what you want or need. They have a nice coffee shop with friendly employees, and clean bathrooms. It was a bit of a strange venue for the kind of show we were attending, but I wouldn't be against returning again for another tour. read more

Joseph-Beth Booksellers - Bookstores Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

One of my favorite places to spend a rainy afternoon browsing. So many books...so little time. Love the Cincinnati section of books and locally produced gifts. My favorite high ball glasses with Cincinnati landmarks on them, Rookwood Pottery, Charlie Harper art and so much more. Planning on holiday gift shopping here this year. But it's all about the books. And if you want to read it, you'll find it here. Enough said. read more

I'm really a big fan of Joseph-Beth Booksellers. I've come here a lot over the years and I really enjoy the atmosphere here. It's kind of a slightly more independently run version of Barnes & Noble..or Borders from back in the day. I know it's still basically a chain bookstore, but they don't have a ton of locations, and..I don't know..the overall feeling you get walking through is that of more of an independent bookstore. Their kids section is pretty amazing. They have so much stuff to browse, and a wonderful play/storytelling area to entertain the kids. I've personally witnessed kids just absolutely having a blast in this area. Book-wise they have a very decent selection. A mixture of more common classic and contemporary books and authors as well as some smaller, less known, and interesting ones. It definitely takes me back to the 90's hanging out in here..back when these types of bookstores were all over and very popular. They certainly do a good job of recreating/maintaining that cool, nostalgic, atmosphere. They have a decent bargain section..they also discount a lot of their books..but for the most part they sell books at list price..which can be pretty expensive. I mean, yeah you could probably get the books cheaper online..but that is precisely what killed this kind of store. Look at it like this: you're paying slightly more for a book here because you're also paying for the atmosphere they create, the knowledge and assistance of the staff (which, btw, at this location the staff is great, very knowledgeable, friendly, and eager to assist you in figuring out something you're looking for or making suggestions on stuff they think you'll like), as well as the opportunity to look through books and browse things to really get a feeling about what you want to read next. It's really important to support stores like this, especially if you enjoy them and don't want the rest of them to shut down. There will always be people that will always prefer digital books so that stores like this are meaningless to them, but there, I feel, are enough people who feel the opposite way and will always love and patronize these places as well. Enough to keep them open at least..as long as they start supporting them more and are willing to pay a little bit more for their books. This location also hosts a lot of amazing author events, has a great coffee shop, and a restaurant attached to it that I've always wanted to try and need to one of these days. All these things combine to make this Joseph Beth Booksellers one of my favorite stores in all of Cincinnati. read more

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We were in town visiting and loved this bookstore! Great selection, live music on a Friday night, so fun! Can't wait to come back again.

As one of Cincinnati's highly rated independent bookstores, you would think they would carry more diverse authors. Sadly, this bookstore reminds me of a lot of bookstores you would find in a tourist vacation destination: Overflowing with NYT bestsellers and overpriced trinkets. I used to really enjoy browsing this store because even though it's overpriced, it's still nice and clean, I like looking at the new releases, and occasionally, I find a nice item to gift. However, I had a really strange experience recently. I tried to purchase a book last weekend with a gift card that my boyfriend bought me. The employee at the checkout counter (white lady with glasses and spiky purple hair) told me the gift card was only for Brontë (the cafe) and couldn't be used at the bookstore. I explained that my boyfriend told me it could be used in both places, and she insisted it could not. She was unfriendly and didn't look me in the eye. Today, my boyfriend and I went in the store together, and he talked to THE SAME EMPLOYEE I DID, and she was all smiles and said oh yes, this gift card CAN be used at both the cafe and the bookstore. He said, an employee told his girlfriend she couldn't, and she repeated, yes you definitely can. I spoke up and said, "It was you who told me I couldn't." And she denied it and acted shocked. The very least she could have done was apologized, but she did not. Unless there's another older white lady employee with glasses and spiky purple hair, it was this employee that denied me (a brown woman) a purchase but told my boyfriend (a white man) he could use it. Guess I have to use up this gift card and take my business to a different and hopefully better independent bookstore in Cincinnati. read more

Great bookstore with a few unique sections such as the Cincinnati section including local books and gifts. The seasonal gift section is also very impressive. Every time I visit Cincinnati I make sure I make a visit to Joseph-Beth and an extra bag to bring back Cincy gifts. Love the staff they are very helpful and super friendly. read more

i always love coming here to grab books that are on my tbr. the staff is always friendly and it's a great place to get gifts for people!

I'm a bookstore loiterer. I love to walk around, touching books, discovering new authors, and exploring all the various sections. As a writer, I'm inspired by the tactile experience of a bookstore. Joseph-Beth is one of the best places to just wander around and take it all in. With its two floors and comprehensive sections of books, there's something for everyone here. I picked up three books because they were having a sale but I could have easily bought a dozen more. The staff was friendly, asking if I needed any help, but respecting that I was savoring the atmosphere and taking it all in. Stores like this inspire me. read more

A city is only as good as it's best independent, locally owned bookstore. By that measure, Cincinnati's doing A-okay. Joseph-Beth is topnotch in every way you can imagine. They've got a great selection of titles, and if there's anything in print they don't have, they can order it. The staff is knowledgeable, well-read, and, just as importantly, they understand the importance of the culture of books and reading. They're not just hocking hunks of tree pulp and ink here. When you say Dylan, they know you're talking about Dylan Thomas, whoever he was. The children's section is well-stocked with books and stimulating, creativity-developing toys, and it's all organized in a way that helps kids see that the fun and wonder of reading is something they take seriously. Bronte Cafe is a good place to grab a bite to eat and a cup of coffee. It's really a fully functioning sit-down restaurant. It feels almost like a separate entity, actually, which is a welcomed change from the typical bookstore cafe where the bookstore seems like just an excuse to have a coffee shop. Can you get it cheaper ordering it on Amazon? Maybe. But have you ever seen They Might Be Giants and Penn & Teller doing a signing on the same night at Amazon? Probably not. You should probably read more books. Go buy some at Joseph-Beth. read more

The best bookstore in the area! Great place for books of all kinds, games, calendars, local gifts, etc. One stop shop! I always find myself paroozing much longer than I plan! Lots of cozy seats throughout, as well. They have a coffee bar with baked treats and a sit down bistro connected(Bronte Bistro). Parking can be tricky as it's in a strip mall area with other restaurants and big chain shopping. I just get such a warm excited feeling when I walk in. Love this bookstore :) read more

I love this bookstore!! I recently joined a book club and have purchased several books from Joseph-Beth! The store is easy to navigate and they always have the book I'm looking for! They have a membership program that has benefits for those who join. It's affordable and offers discounts! They also have a little restaurant inside that serves delicious food! read more

Joseph Beth has become a constant fixture in my life as an active bibliofile. They are the go to place in Cincy for author talks and book signings. Now while a chain bookstore they truly have none of that large box feel. It's a very cozy atmosphere with chairs galore and a friendly staff. You can easily find plenty to read on every subject and their magazine collection is diverse making it my go to place before vacation to pick up goodies. My only complaints stem from the amount of clutter the store has and the cafe. There are a ton of tchotchkes that litter the store and main walking areas. While some are book related like bookmarks, covers, mugs, etc many are just random making shopping a cluttered experience. When I go for books I'm not considering buying a $150 Vera Bradley purse. The cafe is a go to spot if you want something prepackaged to drink (coke, water, juice) or a baked good. Multiple times I have attempted to order made drinks the bar and have had them taste funny and remade. Its irritating. The staff needs more training on how to make what's on the menu. Other than that go in, buy books, and make sure to check out the clearance section!! Always good stuff hiding in there! read more

Now I know what all the big deal is about this independent book store! I went for the first time today and spent easily over an hour browsing both floors. And that didn't even include the kids' book section next door or the cafe, Bronte's. I liked the atmosphere and the extensive selection. I noticed the events calendar, as well as prominent posters announcing upcoming author events. I also saw many patrons seated on the plentiful, comfortable chairs and benches placed around the store. I'll be back and I'll definitely recommend the place! read more

Joseph-Beth Booksellers - Bookstores Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Joseph-Beth Booksellers is one of the nicest bookstores in Cincinnati. It is located in a busy shopping center so sometimes parking can get a little hairy, but once your in, you'll have fun! The front of the store features a lot of displays of books and they are always interesting. I really like the local section that features books about Cincinnati, most by local authors and photographers. There is also a good deal of non book related items such as water bottles, bath and body products, and a giant purse collection. The magazine collection is extensive. There is also a CD section towards the back. They seem to have a lot of the classical genre but probably feature lots of other styles of music. The kids section of the store is almost like it's own store The cafe called Bronte that is attached to the bookstore is wonderful! They have a great menu that features interesting entreees and dishes (some cooked up by your favorite food network stars) to suit every taste. Go check it out! read more

Joseph-Beth Booksellers - Bookstores Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Adorable store, very nice people. Joseph-Beth does look like a large chain, but they're an indie chain and you can find cooler stuff inside than you can a B&N. I went to see Roxane Gay speak and really enjoyed my time. One chief complaint though--the folding chairs were SO uncomfortable. Also, I couldn't actually see Roxane speak most of the time because of the way the chairs were situated. But she's still made of magic and I still had a great time, and everyone working the event was really, really nice. Joseph-Beth also has a cafe and a full restaurant/bar. I like their book selection more than a big chain store. I often can't find a book that really catches my eye in a B&N, but I always find things I want to read at Joseph-Beth. They have interesting graphic novels (not just Batman and other superhero comics), a big selection of sci-fi and other genre fiction. I didn't see at this location, but I have noticed other locations have pretty decent selections of small press books, as well. Overall, love this store. Wish I lived closer! read more

We have been coming here weekly for at least five years for "date night" and have come to know the staff and management quite well. Everyone here has exhibited the highest standards of product knowledge and customer service. Along with an impressive inventory of reading material they also stock a wide variety of jewelry, art, and collectibles. Be sure to check out their 'local' section of Cincinnati-themed items including beautiful glassware and Rookwood vases. We top off every visit with cocktails and dinner in the Bronte Bistro, a rewarding experience of it's own. This place deserves TEN stars!!! read more

This is a beautiful, cozy bookstore. I honestly didn't get to see all of it, but the books I saw all had gorgeous and unusual covers. I came for a book signing and all the employees involved were excited and helpful during the entire event. The coffe shop had delicious coffee and coureous staff. I only wish I had come to the signing earlier to spend more time amongst the books. read more

Joseph-Beth Booksellers - Mostly Void, Partially Espresso. - Bookstores Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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This place looks like any old large chain Barnes & Noble from the outside, but is a pleasant surprise inside! Aside from books, you can find anything from unique fair trade and handmade goods such as jewelry, baskets, bags to Vera Bradley goods. The books are well organized and seem to have more selection than even a Barnes & Noble. I was impressed with their cookbook selection. There is also a cafe and entire restaurant plus bar connected to this bookstore! I had breakfast there this morning. $7 for creme brulee french toast with bacon. Not bad. The waitress gave us a free coffee to go too. Extra star. read more

This is a big bookstore. I was pleasantly surprised when I first went in. I did not think that it was as big as it was or as nice. Also they have a nice restaurant attached called bronte which was better than I thought as well. I envisioned a little cafe with few selections but they serve all meals and breakfast all day with a full bar. Two thumbs up for Joseph beth. Also I love to read and liked the fact that they have loads of choices in addition to other things for sale like trinkets, clothes, accessories. It's a nice place for a leisurely day on the weekend or in the winter with some hot chocolate to just get away from the crazy people and christmas shopping. A temporary break from the madness before you have to go back into the fray. read more

We'd visited this bookstore 9 1/2 years ago and somehow we'd neglected to visit it during our subsequent stays in Cincinnati (obviously a huge lapse on my part). I remembered having liked the store very much, but today's visit convinced me that this is surely one of my favorite "independent" bookstores in the U.S. It's quite large (with a *huge* children's section [which not only has a terrific book selection, but also a really good toy selection]) and the selection in all subject matters is really impressive. Also; there are many lovely gift items, a really good card selection, lots of comfortable seating, a very appealing-looking café and a really nice-looking restaurant (we would have liked to eat dinner at the restaurant, but we already had plans to meet a friend for dinner elsewhere). I *love* this store! read more

Wow. I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary from a bookstore, but I was pleasantly surprised. Local bookstores usually can't compete with the B&N's in terms of price, but where they can distinguish themselves is in the experience, and this is where Joseph-Beth's won my wholehearted support (though even the price is fairly comparable to B&N from what I could tell). First of all, this is an eye-candy store. As soon as you walk in, it's like you don't know where to turn your attention, there's so much cool stuff everywhere! Who knew walking into a bookstore could be so exciting??! Okay, so there are the books, and then there's also, not-so-hidden among the books, items like cool stationery, bookmarks, yummy chocolates, gourmet gum, local granola, even kitchenware. There's a tiny cafe inside the store and also attached is Bronte Bistro (love the name), which is fancier than I'd expect and supposedly quite delicious. The store is very well organized into sections like Fiction, Young Adult, Food and Cooking, Health and Fitness, Travel, Business, History, etc. There are some comfy couches upstairs and a table where you can do work. Free wifi. It's a comfortable place to sit down and read because they also play good music: relaxing indie remix and variations of popular hits. If you sign up for their rewards card, you get discounts on popular hardbacks and the staff picks, which are posted throughout the store. They also invite authors to come in and speak sometimes, so be on the lookout for those events! read more

It's always interesting to see the organization of various bookstores. Unlike a library, the books are allowed to fly free from the shackles of the Dewey Decimal System, only to be drawn back in and randomly stuffed into whatever space the store has available. Most chain stores have a method to the madness, the most popular books up front and things like World History stuffed into a dark, cobwebbed corner. Which is why my soul cries a little to be greeted by Miley Cyrus books and the magazine racks near the center. That being said, there are a wide variety of non-Disney books throughout the store as well as a number of books of local interest. Over the years, I've been able to find most of the books I was looking for on site and they do a good job of picking and highlighting interesting books of certain genres. Again on this trip to the bookstore, I found both books that I was searching for. Success. Since the last time I was here, they've expanded the restaurant part. It used to be a small coffee place, set up to counteract the coffee shops that sprung up alongside all the other chain bookstores. Now it's evolved into a full fledged restaurant ("bronte"), even complete with a greeter and an umlaut. There's also a separate kids section set in an adjoining room from the main books. When I was here, they had a staff member reading to a gaggle of kids and their parents complete with sing-a-longs and apparently some sort of dance (to me it looked something like the Teletubby dance, but I really shouldn't be guessing at popular kids dances these days...). As they left, most of the kids exited happy with some sort of book clutched in their palms or tucked away with their parent. Although it's Nora Ephron-You've-Got-Mail level sappy, it's hard not to like a place that gets kids to read. read more

Joseph-Beth is proof that bookstores can still thrive if they do it right. I've been coming to JB all my life and it has ALWAYS been a magical experience. Right when you walk in and smell the books, you feel at home. The place is huge, with stacks upon stacks of books in every category (my favorite shelf is the sale shelves, obviously, the local Cincinnati books section, and the Staff Picks shelf!). I also love all the puzzles, games, and other knick-knacks they sell. They also have Bronte, a nice cafe so you can get something to eat/drink while you immerse yourself in whatever you came to JB to do. All corners of the store have a place to sit or tables to work at. I could go on and on about how Joseph-Beth is one of the most calming places to be, despite the size and amount of people perusing around. But the best part? The staff. The staff is SO incredibly helpful, it's like they have read every single book ever published. Sometimes, it's better to just go in and start talking to them. Whether your looking for something in particular or you just want a page-turner, they will be able to help with anything you need. They are so friendly and knowledgeable, I love it! I hope Joseph-Beth sticks around for a few more lifetimes. I can't wait to take my kids there in the future, just as my parents did, and pick out some good books. read more

Need more seating, however, a great atmosphere with a great selection of books.

Now, this is what a book store should be. I love that there is a prominent information desk, where a group of helpful employees will help you track down the book you're looking for. If you just came to browse, the store has plenty of signage to point you in the right direction. I just dined at Bronte's for lunch and was delighted with my meal: quiche du jour (spinach and artichoke with three cheeses) served with salad and fruit. The quiche was rich with a buttery crust--I ate every bite. I loved the salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette, which I wish there was just a little bit more of the dressing. Though the restaurant is often busy, at least you can check out really cool books as you wait. read more

From the outside, you would not know that Joseph-Beth is the kind of bookstore it is. It's cloaked in generic strip mall styled clothing but when you walk in, surprise! Super-cool, huge, independent bookstore. There is a great selection of neat gifts and stationery, and if you happen to like Vera Bradley, there is Vera galore. For some reason, the books they highlight or put on display all look so appealing to me. Plus, there are plenty of places to hang out and read. And the added bonus of the cool little Bronte cafe really seals the deal. Finally, and probably inconsequentially to anyone else but me, they have on display artwork of independent bookstores across the country, including Strand and my own very favorite Tattered Cover in Denver. I wish Joseph Beth was not in the Rookwood mall because the parking is so damn awkward. But I can deal with it for Joseph Beth. read more