Love, love, love! A must-visit if you're in Carmel-by-the-Sea. This is such a unique bookstore…read moreexperience- I'm pretty sure we wandered and explored for about an hour and could have stayed even longer. They have a wonderful selection of books, tarot cards, crystals, and of course, the secret garden... how does it get any better than that? The garden is incredibly peaceful and zen, and every step feels like discovering something new. Tucked in the back is a charming little shop with a cute selection of décor, wind chimes, candles, and more. Absolutely loved this bookstore. As a bookstore lover, this one is definitely at the top of my list

If you're in Carmel, you have to visit Pilgram Bookstore and Secret Garden. Run by a lovely…read morehusband-and-wife team, both spots feel like hidden gems. Pilgram Bookstore is cozy and has an amazing selection of books for being so tiny. It's easy to lose track of time here! Just a short walk away, Secret Garden is the perfect spot to relax. With its peaceful atmosphere and beautiful plants. Both places are full of charm and heart. Highly recommend them!

We found ourselves with some time to kill in between meetings on a trip to Monterey. This place…read morelooks cute and my husband and I are both readers so we decided it would be a no-brainer to stop by. The bookstore section is kind of small, but it is nicely decorated and organized. There's a large children's section that I appreciated and the plethora of plush puppets was something I had never seen before. They had several items that were gift varieties like candles and stationary and crayons, etc. It's attached to a coffee shop so if you wanted to grab a book pay for it and then grab a coffee, you could actually sit and read for a bit.

I love the vibe here at Bookworks, but the Wifi is very poor here. Every time I come to get coffee…read moreand work, I end up finishing my drink as fast as I can, and heading down the street to other places with Wifi. There are folks living here who simply need 21st century pipes. For example, if you're doing university work with Stanford and want to get away from Hopkins. But the Wifi here is from the 1990s. If you don't need reliable wifi, Bookworks is amazing. The food, the service, the bookstore, everything. Unfortunately, living in a "connected" world, I can only give it 3 stars, as cafes are workplaces now.

Great people great service. Great shipping love the book I got…read more Perfect description beautiful bookstore

This is by far the best collection of rare and first edition Western history and classic fiction…read moreI've seen. The store was very well organized and the owners were very friendly and accommodating with my questions. Some of the comments here are negative regarding the ability to actually visit the store. It is only open by appointment, but I found no issue scheduling a time over the phone. The owners were responsive and accommodating. Be sure to call ahead. This is a must visit for any book enthusiast visiting the area!

It's hidden places like The Rose Books that keeps Downtown Monterey so special. I walk in every few…read moremonths and always walk out with my arms full of new finds that I can never find anywhere else. Nearly left in tears last week when I found a signed copy of my favorite novel,The Martian Chronicles. A signed copy I've been searching for over 15 years, truly a gem of a place.

A bookstore so lovely, so perfect, the quintessence of what you imagine when you hear the words…read more"fine bookstore." Everything about it is so spot on, the architecture, the lighting, the soft music, and the eclectic selection of books on offer. The owner, Ernest, was present, friendly, and very informative on questions about books as well as the history of the store. The books are unusual and in several cases rare, the prices reflect the value and seemed reasonable. An unusual first edition will be priced higher but in line with its value to bibliophiles. For example I saw a first edition English translation of Pablo Neruda's "Confieso Que He Vivido" autobiography for $50, in beautiful condition. I said the place looks like it should be in a movie, and Ernest replied that it will be soon. I happened upon it by chance, found a parking place in front of it while going somewhere else. But after running that errand I had to check out this lovely oasis of calm and source of fine books. I ended up buying a paperback novel based on life in Tule Lake during the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, because my father was imprisoned there. I can't imagine finding this tome anywhere else.

Charming bookstore with a large selection of used books, with a back room full of 1960s classics. A…read moregreat place to visit after the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

What a great spot for a bookshop... a huge property right on the corner in a great location. Sadly,…read morethe crypt keeper at the register greets you like the lowly ragamuffin peasant that you must be. I attempted some lighthearted conversation and managed to get a slight laugh... but this particular lord of the catacombs doesn't exactly make you feel welcome. Didn't buy anything and left.

I loved digging through the many old books at this store. Many hard to find treasures. The staff…read morewere friendly and very helpful. Prices were very fare. I truly love this place.

I was so bummed when I learned that the Old Capitol Bookstore would be closing. Local bookstores…read moreare a gem and Old Capitol had some awesome bundle deals during the early days of the pandemic that helped with boredom, but apparently wasn't enough to keep the doors open. There is something about being able to flip through pages or find books you otherwise wouldn't have bought when you browse the aisles of a bookstore (I judge a book by the cover, guilty!) On a walk down Alvarado Street this past weekend, I was excited to see that Old Capitol 2.0 has opened in the shopping center by Lallapalooza. I popped in and got the same great service with the excitement that comes with a new, clean space. They are also apparently still doing the book care packages!! I look forward to seeing what they will do as things open up.

I think it's important to support local nonprofit stores. I give this place two stars because…read moresometimes they have amazing things that are not. I have held off on the review because I thought that my first couple of times was a fluke. I happen to visit the store during one of their 50% sales. I felt very lucky, until I realized that they are charging $28 for a book that is originally $19.99. Sure if it was vintage I'm all for it. It is not vintage. It is as if I walked into a bookstore and purchased it for a dollar off. I think that is astoundingly vile. I would support this bookstore more often, if I did not find that they double their prices from the original price, on items that are not vintage items that have been printed past 2020. Cookbooks, journals, art, books, etc. In addition, they have someone who destroys vintage books by using duct tape to fix bindings. They will take an antique (over 100 yrs) book and use duct tape to keep the covers together and they will have the audacity to charge you as if the book was worth anything after they've done that to it. They will have a little note inside the book that says "Rare Book, etc., etc. repaired and charge you $80 or more and the book looks like a monstrosity. It is not done well. It is not accurate. It is not decent. It is not within boundaries. This is not repair, this is sacrilege. I would rather receive the book bound with a rubber band holding the two covers together and I could take it to a book maker and have it fixed. Once you use that kind of tape on the covers, they are ruined. Do not double the price on modern books at sale times. Do not double the price on books that are not vintage. That is just wrong. Do not try to put 15 books in a paper bag. It's not going to hold. Give more than one bag. If somebody's willing to buy many books, give up some bags. We spent the money we are worth more thane one paper bag. You guys need to work on your customer service.

We always stop here whenever we're in Carmel. It's a fun shop, it has a great collection of…read morethrifted items. Prices are a bit high, but most items are in great condition. It's well organized, merchandise is well set up. I worked retail for years so I'm familiar with merchandising. It's important to be able to attract shoppers and make them want to come in and browse the aisles. One thing that is also important is making your shoppers feel welcome. You have a Karen in your store that made shopping uncomfortable. No friendly greeting, just a stare. Being followed--and very obvious about it--was a total turn off. You have a Karen, and she needs to be trained. The big Texas blond wig needs to be taught not to be suspicious of brown people. I have never been treated so rudely and poorly in a retail establishment. This Karen is bad for business.

The owner is genuinely kind -- she even guided me through some tarot when I opened a set I probably…read moreshouldn't have, which I really appreciated. And showed me how she shuffles decks, had me use her cards to try myself - very informative. If she offered some classes of some kind or just events at the shop- I feel like that would be beneficial and of interest. That said, I can't personally shop somewhere that doesn't allow returns once something's opened. The policy makes sense, it's just not a good fit for me. There are quite a lot of items as far as selection for what from the outside looks like a very small shop. Most items are available for much less online, and in my opinion, the value here simply doesn't match the prices. This is really only a place to shop if supporting a local business matters more to you than what you're getting for the money.

They're just not here during business hours. It says they'll be back but not. They've lost 3…read morecustomers in the time I've sat here in the parking lot. Don't know what's happened to them. I drove in from out of town just to come here.