The best book store in Iowa, and one of the best in the nation, combining awesome architecture, a…read moregreat inventory, phenomenal awareness, and a wonderfully unique vibe. An elite level of customer service is always present. Led by their manager, Linda, this place is really special if you're a book lover, but it's also a terrific visit if you enjoy writing or Journaling, or if you are a Connoisseur of architecture. Great value abounds, and it just rocks.

This is the most incredible book store ever! I absolutely LOVE the architecture of this building…read moreand the gorgeous (original!) visible bank vault doors--vaults they turned into book sections (one is a crime book section... I love that!) They have a fab cooking section and an adorable kids section upstairs with seating and perfect ambiance. Amazing book selection throughout the very large store. It also connects to a very cute restaurant, that I will be trying next time! It's honestly so much better than even the best "big box" book store! The prices are exactly the same, so why NOT shop where you will also have an amazing experience?!? And support a local small business! One more HUGE plus: there was ZERO Trump/MAGA propaganda sold here. NONE! This deliberate choice to lose a few sales rather than sell poison to their community is...priceless. That's the difference between small businesses and corporations. They CARE! They also feature books which have just been tragically banned, like Maya Angelou & various diverse/inclusive genres. I have a renewed faith in Americans today thanks to this Iowa bookstore, or Book Vault i should say Im already planning to go back with my whole family. You should too. Worth the drive!

Lovely collection to browse for yourself or as gifts. Loved their puzzles and candles as well as…read moresoaps and lotions. They also have an espresso bar upfront - nice touch!

Such a cute little store with a coffee/drink shop inside. I didn't take any photos inside but they…read morehave a lot of fun Knick knacks like books, small gifts, jewelry etc. as well as a coffee shop. I enjoyed coming in with my sister-in-law and checking out what they had to offer.

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!

Wall of books is cool if you're searching for that new book to fall into, but even though all the…read morebooks are used, it is often going to be close to the price of a new book. Wall of Books is like the Gamestop of Bookstores. Sell your used books for a few bucks and they'll resell them for 90% of msrp. Also, lucky finds are rare too because they adapt to secondary market as well so there are even books above that.

While from my first order with SB they didn't have the books I wanted onhand, they ordered them and…read morewere available at Amazon prices within a couple days. When I picked them up I swear I was treated like their favorite customer. The woman who helped me also helped me get an account on Libro.fm because I have trouble reading with sight alone. A+ all-star performance and I'm so glad this store exists in Des Moines.

I loved our initial visit to Storyhouse, as it's loaded with great vibes and a superb selection…read more This independent bookstore has an outstanding leader in Abbey. Located adjacent to the legendary RayGun store, this shop feels good. Abbey knows her inventory and is dialed in on authors and topics to lead you to better reading options. Her pricing is solid, and a vast children's section is separated from the rest of the store. I know that we have found our DSM Metro bookstore!

Passing through to Des Moines, we stopped at Dog Eared Books. What a lovely shop! The exterior is…read moreso fun and welcoming and the inside is just the same. We were warmly welcomed by the staff. They have a great selection of books, including a shelf of previously loved with discounted prices. They have a great variety of merch too. Stickers, socks, t-shirts, etc. I will visit anytime I am down that way.

Welcoming and fun atmosphere, great bookstore to browse, shop and hang out. The dog theme and…read moremerchandise have won me over.

Service here was pretty sad. The employee did not greet customers and provided poor interaction…read more She wasn't paying attention and also took forever to check us out. Book prices are amazing here, though. I have trouble understanding how they stay open with prices so cheap. If you don't care about customer service and want cheap books, I'd recommend book warehouse.

I was really excited to see Book Warehouse in the Outlets of Des Moines. The store is fairly large…read moreand has a lot of good books. However, I did not see any any newly released books though. A lot of the books were 60% off and because I had a coupon for the store I was also able to get an additional 20% off one item. I purchased a book that was retailed at $27.99 and after all the discounts it ended up being less than $10. What a great price! Much cheaper than Amazon too! Service was fast and friendly here. I'd definitely recommend any book lover to check this place out.

Great store. No…read moreJapanese-language books at all, which was a bit disappointing, but tons of puzzles, and a great way to spend an hour or five.

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.

Every time I am in the Valley West area shopping I must stick my head in this great store to find a…read moretreasure I can't live without. I love the variety of their selections.

This is a cute little bookstore, with a coffee shop. While we meandered most of the stores, this…read morewas by far the busiest one. The staff was attentive and helpful. While there wasn't a depth of books on any particular topic, it seemed all the topics were covered here. And if you want advice, it seemed the other patrons were all friendly enough to share their favs with you. There are several small niches to sit and read, or people watch and enjoy your beverage. This store had a very welcoming and open vibe.