Used books with decent prices, but a very random selection of books. A treasure hunt.

the good folks here ALWAYS consistently communicate with us as warm intelligent family friends. They are professional research assistants with a myriad of knowledge. I am looking forward to assisting with a future 2024 in-store book club group. read more

They have a large selection to browse, some dollar bargain shelves outside, and friendly service. Will return soon!

Their resident cat is pure evil, but in a way I find endearing. He bit me when we first met. But it was because I was aggressively cuddling him without first establishing an acceptable level of trust. We're cool now. I hope. In any case, while there may be larger used bookstores south of Seattle, this one has the most interesting selection of quality picks and the most comfortable seating. http://lastwordblog.blogspot.com/ read more

Last Word Books - Bookstores Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Big funky, decreipt, commercial building just off the main drag. Yeah, musty and dusty like used bookstores can be. But what a selection--yeah a lot of the typical mass market dross, but a number of gems wherever you look. The place is a bit of a time warp, and also a community center for local artists and activists. Sky and Rob, who run the place (and are as odd a couple of business partners as you might find) have great knowledge of what they have in stock and books in general, and a really friendly folk. Plus they're also a small press, reprinting various tracts as well as some contemporary poetry. I don't line in Olympia & hte area around the bookstore is a fun place to hang out, with 3 breweries, a couple more bars, real nice coffee place & a number of interesting eateries read more

Awesome books and amazing people! Definitely a place to check out while in Olympia. They have a large selection of interesting books and comics. The staff are knowledge and sweet and there is rare gems hiding in every nook. read more

Best book store I've ever been to. Small, but full of books and helpful people. I could spend hours looking at things I'm interested and finding new interests. Most book stores that have an "alternative" edge to them usually have workers that are a bit pretentious and never smile--what's up with that? Here was totally different. Very welcoming, very sweet. I wish I lived in Olympia so I could come in every day. read more

I peeked in for the first time last weekend. Looking around made me wish I had brought more money. There are tons of interesting books. I wanted to browse through all of them, but my kid had enough after 30 minutes. All of the staff members were extremely helpful. I even found many newer copies of books I had lost during a move. I'm excited about the previous reviews for Last Word Books. If I manage a list of my old books, maybe they can find replacements for all of them. I was pretty impressed with what I had seen during my quick 30 minute trip. I look forward to my next kid-free visit. read more

This bookstore is cool as can be! I didn't think much of the old location (too dark in there), but the new one is pretty fabulous and the staff are friendly as can be. I'm a night owl so I wish they opened a little sooner, but still, a good store is a good store. On my visit I found a rare issue of "Amazing Stories"! There are some other used book entities in downtown Olympia, but none of those is terribly inviting. If you dig old paperbacks and the Olympia atmosphere, drop into Last Word Books. read more

I could spend hours browsing, listening to the music, or just relaxing in one of the old chairs throughout the bookstore. Great selection of counter cultural books. This ain't your mama's book store. Great collection of old typewriters adorn the book shelves. The guy that owns it just seems like a down to earth good guy too. read more

Cool books. I walked in to just browse around and walk out with two books and some Bukowski stickets. Pretty cool shop.

Yuck is all I can say. Upon walking inside Last Word Books you're greeted by the pungent smell of urine, which seems to be radiating from somewhere in the back. There are so many books piled on the floor that its almost impossible to move around. I would've stayed longer but the smell was getting to me and it was damn near impossible to push my sons stroller thru the place--the entire music section was full of stacks of books making it impossible to even look in there. What the heck? Maybe it's time to purchase an air freshener and clean up the mess. Dang. Thank god Orca Books is not too far from this place. read more

This place is fantastic. Last Word Books has everything you could possibly want from an independent bookstore--great staff, fantastic selection and an inviting vibe. From rare zines to Slingshot organizers to used sci fi, I'm always excited to prowl the shelves. Best of all? They're crazy cheap. A bookhound's paradise, no less. read more

This is the only place I could find the out of print title I was looking for. And their description of the book was right on. I asked if the book would fall apart in my hands (because it was so old) and they assured me it would. And they were right! It is now in three pieces and I'm almost done with the book! read more

Great establishment! Check them out whenever your in the area and looking for some good literature.

As a newbie returning to live in the area, Jeremy, Rob, and Sky have received me with open arms. This is the way book peeps operate! Thanks from kennypecksongs.com read more

Wildly unprofessional. Not very good at communication and definitely not fun to deal with. I absolutely cannot recommend them. There was way too much inconsistency in their replies to me. They misrepresented a product online in several ways and stated at first that it was a "quality control issue." After that, they flip flopped and stated that the problem was nonexistent. They said creeping was the cause for the quality, but there is no creeping that causes things to not be lined up before stapling and cut wildly different. They offered a replacement and then after 8 days with no reply from them, they instead said that it wouldn't happen. The books are no big deal. They didn't design a single aspect of what I purchased. It's all public domain and available in .pdf format somewhere. There seriously was nothing done by them aside from an "eh" back cover and a sloppy stapling that looks like it was done by a child in the second grade that still doesn't know how staples really work. My item was really that bad. I had to redo this review because it somehow "didn't make the cut." Funny. Same thing happened to someone else who mentioned misrepresentation of quality. read more

If there's one thing I love, it's an anarchist bookstore. Best display windows in Olympia, great selection, zine library, couches and chairs, hilarious posters in windows, they have those rotating metal wire display things that usually have cheap romance or western paperbacks but instead they're full of Marshall MacLuhan and weird independent press offerings. I have spent many a rainy afternoon here. read more

If you're looking for it, chances are they've got it somehwere. Shit they've probably got five of 'em. Whether or not they're gonna get up and look for it, well, we're all free to make our decisions aren't we? This bookstore has the widest selection of all genres from Aquatic Wildlife of the 1960s to Lorca to CrimethINC. They've got plays, Organic Gardening, Autographed First Edition Kerouacs, Deep SciFi, Anarchotexts, EVERYTHING. They also are home to Rec Tha Place Records in the Back (Big Ups Alex & Erin!!), are almost always blasting Free Radio Olympia, and have the most comprehensive Zine Library I've ever seen. And they'll always have a chair out front to smoke in, a smartass comment from Rob, and the "WTF? Asshole book of the Week" display prominently in the window. And there's always three good books in questionable condition on the 3 for $1 book carts out front. If you are a bibliophile of any type and are near Olympia, you owe it to yourself to check this place out. Intense to say the least. read more

Misrepresented the condition of an Amazon book transaction, overcharged, then had the gall to smartass me for my objection - now I get the Last Word. Two stars are generous. read more

This independent bookstore is truly charming. It is the kind of store you can spend hours in exploring and reading. I always bring visitors here because it is one of my favorite stores in Olympia. Everyone at the store has always been very helpful and knowledgeable. Support local bookstores, this is a special spot. read more