Love this place! If you love books, old and new... this is your place to be! The owner is super nice! Always love chatting with them as we walk around and look at their fantastic selection! Def worth stopping in! Jon & Terra Scantic Antiques read more

Well... Size really isn't everything. This warehouse (no kidding--it's huge) full of used and sometimes rare books caters to every interest and every taste in that interest. The staff is friendly, able, well-read, and genuinely helpful. And many of the books are remarkably affordable with some rare gems going for under $10 and more common books priced under $10 (often $6, $7, or $8!) Size, selection, service and value,--well, what could possibly stand against that? On my latest visit to this bookshop after more than nine months, I actually found little turn-over in much of its well-stocked shelves. Indeed, my experience recalled my last experience. And that, the one before... New titles leapt out me as I scanned books that I remembered languishing on the shelves for... well...years and years. Many of the books, while old, are actually rather common and, for the person interested in a deep dive into a subject, not particularly useful. Indeed, the bookstore suffers one of the most uncomfortable drawbacks in the antiquarian world of used and rare books: stale and/or stagnant stock. Now, that's not to say the place isn't worth the trip--it definitely is! One is almost certain to find something in any agglomeration of books this large and varied, but the compelling book, that genuinely rare and special book, is often elusive in the overwhelming power of the seemingly endless stacks of this shop. Nevertheless, it is a great spot to browse at your leisure and--yes, buy at reasonable prices, but don't expect to find the truly fabulous... Though it could be there... Somewhere... Who knows? Check it out and find out. It's well worth some of your time. read more

Over 110K volumes at greater Worcester area's largest bookstore! Lots of vintage books with some of them leftover from libraries with card pockets and stamps intact. The owner is nice. Store credit available to patrons if they donate books there. With endless stacks of books from every genre / category and some media items, that surely is a place for patrons who love reading. Now that is a book lover's dream. read more

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I shop only for non-fiction books. That said, I've been there twice and both times left with a box of books. There are lots of interesting titles - old and new - and prices are competitive. I'll be back. read more

Just now got charged 50 dollars for 30 dollars in books. Never going back. How does 2.50 + 5.85 + 5.00 + 7.50 + 10.00 = 47.48?

Always nice to talk to you very knowledgeable on pretty much everything I've asked well very knowledgeable if you have to go anywhere go here first known them for years wonderful people read more

Beautiful extensive selection of genres! Staff was polite and directed me where I needed to go :) Stop in if you love books!

I have been here twice before when it was the Book Bear, once in the old house (that was 30 years ago), and another time about five years ago. Writer Friend and I planned a day trip to see what we could find, and headed north(ish) to expand the number of books piled on our respective floors. The first thing I noticed when we entered was that it was warm. The last time I was there, they had just moved into this building, and the heating system hadn't been installed yet. The second thing I noticed was that there was now a small inviting reading nook at the entrance. I waited for Writer Friend to take in the whole effect of shelving running the entire length of the building before we started browsing the shelves. We each have our favorite sections, so we split up and started searching in them for anything that piqued our interest. We crossed paths occasionally, and eventually met up in the section on writing, fighting over various books we both wanted, while trying not to drop the armload of books we already found. While waiting to check out, I noticed a rack of CDs, and spent another fifteen minutes searching for music I could add to my collection. Prices were average to a bit high, but bargains are to be had if you know what you are looking for. Bear in mind (see what I did there?) that at the time of this writing, they only accept cash as payment (wifi issues). Props to the new owner, Jay Horgan, who took over the shop, keeping the same wonderment that only comes with confronting thousands of books you can actually buy, while adding touches that makes the place his own. Jay is knowledgeable about books, his stock, and is quite friendly, besides. Interacting with him took our whole experience to a new level. If you're a bibliophile, you need to visit Quaboag Book Shop at least once in your lifetime. read more

Always great knowledgeable service. Very glad that the store stayed opened from one owner to the next and it stayed with the man who worked there. HUGE selection of used books. A comfy area to sit, which is where I was today while my daughter shopped. read more

I could spend the entire day here. They have a great selection of books. There is a wide array of choices for almost everyone. There's plenty of non fiction and fiction alike. Once I got familiarized with the organization I enjoyed just browsing. I probably would have spent more time if we didn't have anywhere to be. While browsing, there were a few gentlemen up front having discussions, which I found interesting (in a good way). Regulars and townies stopped in periodically and joined in. It has a nice library vibe to it. The gentleman that rang me out was friendly. He had helped another patron and clearly knew his way around and where to locate just about anything. Honestly, I wish this place was closer to where I live, because I would make this a weekly stop. There is just something about browsing through shelves of old books that's satisfying and interesting. read more

This place is amazing! Its basically warehouse sized and filled with all sorts of books. Some are super old and some are a bit newer. Prices are reasonable. My only regret is I only spent an hour here, one could easily stay here all day and still have more to look at. I believed the prices are very good, and to my surprise when you spend over $20 on more than 3 books they give you a 10% discount. They only accept cash / checks (aka no credit/debit cards). Thank you for being such an awesome place! read more

Quaboag Book Shop - Book bear finds - Bookstores Near Me - West Brookfield, Massachusetts

WONDERFUL! Big, full of a great stock of all subjects and topics. As someone else said, the cash/check-only and not-dirt-cheap prices help you make good decisions about what to haul home. This is right up the street from the West Brookfield town common, which hosts the Asparagus Festival (May 17, 2014, which I'm dying to get to), and you could also zip along route 9 to route 32 in Hardwick and have the best lunch around at the Rose Thirty Two Bread -- a very happy day! read more

I am an avid reader and the kind of person who likes to get lost in bookstores, Powells in Portland Oregon with its city block size will always be no 1 for me, but this warehouse style store is great, with an amazing selection. And helpful and friendly staff. They need to get the square so they can take cards tho, not easy to find an ATM in the sticks. Well worth the ride and a nice drive to boot. Dunkin donuts right next door for your coffee needs. read more

The Book Bear is your classic great-warehouse-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-filled-with-books. A bit of a grab bag, you are not necessarily likely to find anything in particular that you thought you were looking for, but given the shear volume of books and the breadth of subject areas covered you are bound to find something. Given the prices, probably quite a number of things, probably things you didn't think you wanted, maybe you still don't want them, but they're so damn cheap you don't really care. Though organized by subject area, literature and poetry are the only sections that are even remotely alphabetized, so plan on spending some time combing through the shelves. Nota bene: cash only, though there is an ATM a few miles down the road. Website (thebookbear) says over 90,000 volumes; Mon-Sun 10am to 6pm. read more

Great place to browse. Tons of books. CDs, DVDs and audiobooks. Great prices. Staff is kind and helpful. Bring cash or a check because they don't take cards. read more

I am not an avid reader, nor do I pretend to be, but even so, I have found great enjoyment in browsing the shelves of a local book store. The Book Bear always has something to interest everyone from their incredible selection of well-priced books. The Book Bear is located conveniently on Route 9, and always has plenty of parking. From the outside, the building looks a little like a warehouse; long, short, metal siding, and a distasteful color of beige. Upon entry, a familiar musty smell clings to the air, the facility seems mediocre, mostly from disorganization and clutter, but with such an incredible variety of books, it is next to impossible to categorize everything. Rows of pine bookshelves are stuffed with every subject from science fiction to cooking to history to graphic novels. The price of the books has several deciding factors, hardcover or paperback is usually the primary one, and older books are less expensive too, although the range rarely exceeds $12 and is more often around $6. The comic books are 50 cents each or 3 for a dollar. If you desire a certain book, expect some time searching, very often with fruitless results. The staff is light as not many are needed to run a bookstore, but they are all helpful and enthusiastic about reading. They will help you try to find a book if you have one in mind or they will lead you to the area where you might find something else of interest. They are all well read and could easily suggest a book from any subject to fit your taste. The book bear is an excellent store for people of all ages, that is why I gladly rate it 5 out of five stars. read more

This is a treasure island for all book enthusiast. You will find rare books, books you did not know existed that you must have now that they have found you. The prices were generally less expensive than I could find them on line and there are no shipping costs, plus I could see their condition. QBS is fast becoming my favorite shopping spot. read more

As an avid fan of used bookstores, this is one of the best I've been to. I'll happily drive the 45 minutes it takes me to get there because they have an excellent selection that spans every genre you could possibly be looking for. Their prices are extremely reasonable too and will allow you to pile up a whole slew of books, so remember to BRING CASH. Unfortunately they still haven't caught up with some of the easy to use credit card technology that small businesses can use. But all in all, I loved this book store. The only hallmark that they're missing, that all used bookstores should have, is a cat :) read more

If you're willing to go to West Brookfield, this is a great place to stop. The prices are excellent, and the selection is enormous. It's basically a warehouse for used books, with shelves full of everything you could possibly want to read. Foreign language novels, children's books, sociology and history texts - they're all here. I wouldn't go in looking for one specific book, but if you have a general idea you will find something to take home with you. The books tend to be in very good shape, though the paperbacks do show some wear. Plan to spend some time looking through, as it's easy to get drawn in and keep browsing for a long time. The staff will help you find anything you're looking for, which is great since not all the sections are perfectly organized. They take cash only, and will hand write receipts if you need them. read more

I purchase loads of books from here. They have many different sections. Sometimes it can be hard to find a book since they are not in a beat order but if you have the time to stay and look, you just may find what you're looking for or at least something else 5hat catches your eye. read more

I make the trek over to the store every time I'm back east visiting my son in Worcester. Very large collections including military history, biography and fiction. Jay is constantly getting new books in and he knows his inventory and is very helpful. Prices average 7-10 dollars for hardcover and there are some great deals on multi volume sets and a few hidden treasures. I like to browse new sections too and discover something novel and interesting. read more

Huge collection of used books and a big section on local books too. It says 90,000 books and it looks like even more! My only suggestion would be for more seating. There's a couch and a couple stools but I'd like to have spent a few hours perusing. read more

The prices are relatively high for used books, which is excellent because you will not buy too much. e.g., $3 for a paperback vs. $1, which would lead to oversearving yourself. so, -1 for being expensive. the choice is overwhelming, it seems like a warehouse, of 50' x 150'. so -1 for being able to get lost in a grid layout. truely, -1 star for not sortign their books well enough. that guy should stop reading and start sorting. I gave up on some of my hunts because I was unwilling to go through a 6' wide by 10 row high double placed (ie two rows of books) to find an obscure scifi book. if you don't go, they will close. (if you don't buy this magazine....) also, also see the seafood shack in town. Be aware, they only take cash, so +1 star there, in that you are less likely to overserve yourself! They are not on abebooks, so you can't find their stock online. This is comparable to Powell's, but is not nearly as nice, and not nearly as sorted, and not nearly as far away. ps. I believe that it is in West Bookfield, not Brookfield read more

Sweet people running this place. Very kind and pleasant. HUGE selection of all kinds of books, from all different time periods! Also they have a big selection of new/used DVDs and some CDs. It's a gem of a store, and a blast to wander through. read more

I always run out of money because they always have so many books I want. Helpful and friendly staff.

Very poor customer service, in my opinion, when selling books. The older gentleman, who I assume is the owner, came across very pompous. This is the second time we have had this experience in less than a week and would not recommend it if you are looking to sell books. Donate them, but my advice is don't go here..... read more