Dan has the best prices and and a superb selection of books ,postcards , pamplets and CDs along…read morewith thousands of books including fiction ,history and science . His selection of books on ships , trains and WW2 can not be beat.The best place in the Bay Area to find valuable gems . There is something for everyone at Dan's on 15th St ( plenty of parking) in the middle of Oakland's Cultural District

The best selection of books on war and the military in Oakland. Covers many wars historical and…read morecurrent, many countries armed forces. Both old and new editions. Great place to browse.

I heard about Clio's via an instagram reel and I was hooked. My friends and I went to see if it…read morereally was a book bar and lo and behold, it WAS! The ambiance was great. The space is decent size and the drinks are great. My friends and I brought books to read while we had a drink but I did like that the shelves were stocked with books you could purchase. The bartender and host were amazing, I got an old fashion and a charcuterie board and had an amazing conversation about our books. I like that you could come by yourself or with friends, it's very low key and intimate, so this would be a great place for a small after dinner drink spot.

I have waited to write this review, but I'm seeing that other bipoc customers have had similar…read moreexperiences. I went to Clio's in the first 6 months of them opening and my partner and I have not been back. When I entered the space, I was excited to try something new- but it started when I went to order tea- I know now that the guy at the bar was the owner- I asked what kind of teas they had and he seemed annoyed at my question- like I was wasting his time. I had to ask again but then asked my partner who is white to deal with the rest of the ordering. We are a queer couple and both felt the vibes were hella off. Lots of white men in the space at that time. I also remember they didn't used to have any books by people of color. They had a "world" section of books though (lol) and throughout the rest of the place, a bunch of stuff written by white men. I feel like the stuff they have up now is a performative attempt to not appear what they actually are. I have not gone back since and don't recommend it

After all these years, Walden Pond Books is still a place I like to go into to see if I can find a…read morebook to purchase and read on BART. I always find a good book to read. Good reason to take BART and walk over is the Grand Lake is a great place to sit around as if we are tourists from a planet named Saturn.

The store is surprisingly big and has a pretty solid inventory. Their used books are in good…read morecondition, so you can expect to pay more for them than you would at an old-timey used bookstore where some of the books are pretty seasoned, but also will get them in better shape. I had a super negative experience when I went during their book buying hours to offer them some books, though. Their buyer was out during the buying window, and the person they had step in was shockingly rude. I was offering six recently-published books in new/mint condition from a popular radical independent press. She took one look at them (I'm pretty sure she had no idea what she was looking at), spat out a bunch of gibberish about different types of store credit so quickly that no one could have followed a word she was saying, and when I asked whether the amount they would offer in cash was the same as store credit, she basically sneered at me and said she would offer me maybe $6 (for three of the books I'd brought, about $75 worth), clearly implying that they were garbage and not worth anything. It was such a needlessly disrespectful and off-putting way to talk to someone for no apparent reason (if she wasn't interested in the inventory that's of course totally fine, but the rudeness was completely uncalled for). I haven't had my day ruined by someone working in a shop like that in a really long time. Obviously I said no thanks. I had just found this store for the first time a week ago and bought a haul of books, and was looking forward to being a frequent customer, but I won't be going back.

I often went to the Fox Theatre but somehow always missed the bookstore across the street! So often…read moreolder books (those published 20+ years ago) are often super pricey. But many of these books are very reasonably priced, like $7.50-$25! Almost all of the stock is older, even obscure books. But it's a book lover's treasure hunt. I picked up a really interesting book about San Francisco's history from 1948 for only $10! Definitely recommend this place and it's a very quick walk from the Broadway BART station. The only thing I'd "change" is recommending that the owner put more of their stock on ThriftBooks.com to enhance their profits. But that would be at the peril of Bay Area bookworms! :)

I ordered a book from them in Aug 2024. It never arrived, and after multiple attempts at contacting…read morethem, they finally said they had moved and couldn't find the book at the moment. (Luckily they hadn't run the charge through on my credit card yet). Every couple of months or so I'd follow-up--sometimes they'd respond, sometimes they wouldn't. Still couldn't find the book, and kept asking me to be patient. I was patient for a long time. Now it's July 2025, about 3 weeks shy of ONE YEAR since I ordered the book. Wrote to them again, no response. But they still have it listed for sale on their website, so I took a shot and ordered it again. Then they wrote me a snotty note and told me to quit ordering it, they haven't found it yet. I wrote back and asked how they can possibly still be looking for a book after one year? Then they wrote back and said they were canceling my order! Very crappy customer service. Zero stars.

I've been following Jessica Hische's work and career for a while now, and I was super excited to…read moresee that she opened up a shop. At the time, I was pretty sad, because I lived on the east coast. Little did I know, I'd find myself in the area after all. This shop is a nice little oasis for designers who just love nicely designed little every day objects. Hische stocks this place with all kinds of delightful things. I think the best part is that there are things at all price points. It's not just some snobby place, where nothing costs less than $100. There are solid quality and affordable pens, as well as some specialty items that are on the more expensive side. There is even original designs/works of art from Hische herself. Definitely a fun spot to check out if you're in the area. Highly recommend!

Do people give any less than 5 stars to local arts and crafts, woman owned businesses? Anywho, any…read moredesigner knows who Jessica Hische is but her store is for anyone. There's actual art supplies, pins, art books and kids books, some branded items like shirts, totes, onesies, and cool stuff like gorgeous desk clocks or hourglass timers that I can't afford lol. Anyways, worth a visit if you're in the area. I ended up getting a bunch of my holiday shopping done for my creative friends.

Very helpful staff, lovely selection of new and used books. I got help finding a very niche book as…read morea gift and was directed to exactly what I was looking for.

I fell in love with Spectator Books as soon as I walked in!…read more I love that there's a station to leave your water bottles and drinks. I also appreciate that they have masks available if needed and offer them proactively. On top of that, they provide free drug testing kits, like fentanyl test strips -- which is so vital, especially with the spike in fentanyl overdoses and contaminations in recreational substances. It's just really nice to see that kind of care in the community. The range of books is massive -- both new and used. The selection of new books is decent, but the used book selection (and price) is phenomenal. They also have a whimsical collection of bookmarks, stickers, and random stationery, which is super charming. Honestly, it's just a really solid bookstore. The first time I visited, I'm pretty sure I spent like two and a half hours just browsing all the sections I was interested in -- and there were so many. Lots on religion and spirituality, metaphysics, physics, psychology, cookbooks, music, art, fashion -- so many topics that caught my eye. I took my time and walked out with maybe $125 worth of books and oracle cards, which was such a joy. They also have a book exchange policy where you can trade in books for store credit, but you need to make an appointment to do so. The last time I visited was maybe a month ago, but I'm thinking about going again... tomorrow! XD

PROS: Clean, working escalators, friendly staff. Well stocked. HUGE! Great selection of games and…read morepuzzles!!! They validate your parking in the front during check out! CONS: No seating on the 1st floor. After a day of shopping I wanted to relax with a magazine while my sons checked out the books and other items and there was absolutely nowhere to sit downstairs. I don't know if that is purposeful but it didn't seem to make sense. We did find some cool items to purchase and a card game so that was a plus.

The service was wonderful and the books are great. But, I wish book series were together in the…read moresections of the store to be a little easier for me. However, it is still a nice place.

This is another good bookstore to spend time in browsing. I like their selection of books. I spend…read moreat least one hour browsing each time I show up and I usually purchase at least 1 book. I am on a budget when I arrive and I bring cash with me to keep me from purchasing too many books. The books are heavy to carry home. One book isn't every too heavy to carry down to BART and onto BART and then start ready on my way home.

I've been to the Shattuck Ave Pegasus a few times, but there was something about this location that…read moreI loved. I walked out with only one book, but it could have been a dozen. Maybe they get a better selection of used books from the neighborhood? Or perhaps I prefer density in my bookstores. Whatever the reason, I left there without having looked at half the store, because that would have been another half hour at least. In summary, great selections, a layout ideal for bookworms, and a friendly neighborhood vibe.