Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Renaissance Book Shop

    4.6 (45 reviews)
    Closed • 12:00 pm - 7:00 PM

    Renaissance Book Shop Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Renaissance Book Shop

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Adriana S.

    A very nice little bookshop. The owner Gene is extremely nice and knowledgeable. He knows exactly where everything is in the store which is very useful because it's a small store crammed packed with books. The prices are a bit higher than you might expect from a used book store but that's because so many of the books aren't actually used! There are lots of brand new books for sale at several dollars off the cover price. I'd most definitely give my business to a local shop than a corporation.

    Qiuyuan C.

    We came here to get some books as gifts for a friend's kid who is an advanced teenage reader. I was surprised we were able to find most of the books we need here. The owner was very helpful too as it's not so easy to immediately find a book we were looking for. Considering this is a secondhand book store I do feel it's on the pricey side. Overall it's worth checking out because you can spend a day here easily and find so many books you would like to read with better looking covers on them (compared to the new version book covers on Amazon).

    Paul S.

    Bookstores, particularly used bookstores, have taken a heavy hit the last twenty-years or so. Many found it cheaper to sell online via home than operate a brick and mortar storefront. A little caveat: Browsing through often unwieldy collections means the look, feel, heft, and curiosity on the next rack are not possible. By now it is probably clear that entering what you think are specific keywords often does not take you directly to the desired item(s). That's where a loaded, clean and well organized shop, such as Renaissance Books comes into play. In books, there are a few types of shops, such as big retail (Barnes and Noble outlived Border's), online options typified by Amazon, discount (aka remainder) stores where 20-80% discounts on all books are offered as-is, and finally, used sellers specializing in out of print, collectable antiquarian items. In some cities the selection is a pell mell mess of uninteresting bestsellers, romance, self-help (people who read those buy and sell lots) and old tired textbooks. There are more but this list suffices. That's where I pivot towards the merits of this "clean well- lighted place" (Hemingway reference). Gene, the proprietor, is a native Riversidian, Libertarian and proud of dodging the draft during the Vietnam Conflict. I first visited his old, considerably smaller location in the early 90s on a visit and still have that rare book on Roman glass work (which resembles Murana glass thousands of years prior). At some point he wisely moved and now occupies a rather large, two-room space absolutely chock full of books. The store takes an interesting approach by mixing some new titles with used and aforementioned 'remainder' books to round out sections such as World War 2, Science and Math, and Fantasy to highlight a few. Additionally, there are CDs for sale, especially in the jazz and classical genres but also some rock and boxed sets. While it's easy for a used book seller to reach maximum capacity in a short while, this store, although full, isn't terribly cluttered. Prices are fair and sometimes you'll find stuff seen on Amazon for less. Support the local shops first.

    See all

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    They have a very big selection of books but they are twice as much money as I'm willing to spend.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Excellent science fiction coverage. Best in Riverside by far.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Video time was a good place but I get my fix here now. Nice place, people, and very helpful for an old guy.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - Renaissance Book Shop

    Do you guys sell blu-ray dvds?

    Hi, Renaissance Book Shop offers hundreds of Blu-Ray discs for sale - movies in several categories, along with concert videos. We also offer more than a thousand movies of DVD, as well as used DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. Renaissance Book Shop is open… 

    Do you buy old cds? I have about 300 of my parents music cds. Easy listening, Mexican music and Christmas music.

    Hi - thank you for contacting me in regard to used CDs. I do sell second hand CDs as well as new CDs. I no longer buy second media for cash. I do take books, CDs and movies in trade - I offer about 10% of the original retail as trade credit, which… 

    Do they trade? Or give store credit for books in trade?

    Hi, Thank you for contacting Renaissance Book Shop. We deal in new & used books. We take books in trade selectively - they must be in very good or better condition, and the types of books we sell. We offer about 10% of the retail price as credit.… 

    Typically how well is your classics section stocked, particularly Russian classics? Thanks

    Thank you for your inquiry concerning Classic Literature @ Renaissance Book Shop. I normally have a decent number of American & English classics. I have lots of French classics and German classics, in original language and translation. I keep in… 

    Do they have manga?

    Thank you for inquiring about Manga. Renaissance Book Shop offers a small selection (about 70 titles at present) of manga in English translation. We also have about a dozen manga titles in Japanese. In addition we stock anime - Japanese animated… 

    Do they carry new releases as well? There are a few new release books I'd love to purchase and I really don't want to support amazon or Barnes and noble.

    Hi Samantha, Renaissance Book Shop carries new books along with second hand books. I order new releases for stock in a couple categories - current events and science… 

    Do they have K-pop cds?

    Thank you for your inquiry regarding K-pop CDs. I am sorry to tell you that I do not have K-pop CDs in stock. I do have Korean movies on DVD, a small selection, and I do have world music, but I am not familiar enough with K-pop to stock them. I… 

    How is their non-fiction section?

    Hi Tim, Renaissance Book Shop offers large selections of books on History, every part of the… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Renaissance Book Shop

    “Gene, the proprietor, is a native Riversidian, Libertarian and proud of dodging the draft during the Vietnam Conflict.”

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Bookstores 1,858 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Rat Nest

    Rat Nest

    4.8(64 reviews)
    16.5 mi

    This is a very cool little shop. It has a niche mix of games, music, and related regalia…read more The vinyl section has a curated selection of punk and metal records you might not find elsewhere, along with a few used records from a variety of genres. The staff is always kind and welcoming. Great to have a shop with "character" like this here in Chino. Check it out!

    What a uniquely cool spot to hang out at. I was in the area during Easter visiting family, so I…read morefigured I'd explore and see what was out here. I looked up "records" on Yelp since I've been looking to rebuild my music collection with the termination of Spotify. It's got this old school arcade vibe, but there's a small rack with CDs, a section for records, another section for manga, merch and t-shirts in the back, and old school video games, consoles, and other stuff you can buy. There are two cabinets that allow you to pick games that you want to play, but don't take too long or you'll lose your credit. These games take quarters, so that's my gripe and what the minus one star is for. The workers here are cool and chill. There's a vending machine for snacks. I'll probably come by again one day when I'm in the area. It reminds of of the small arcades back in the day, so it's a nice trip to Nostalgia Town. There were two buddies who came in and got what sounded like was $20 worth of quarters to play. That was really awesome to hear a big chunk of quarters get dispensed. Have fun if you go!

    Photos
    Rat Nest
    Rat Nest - Great selection of old and new school records

    Great selection of old and new school records

    Rat Nest

    See all

    Renaissance Book Shop - bookstores - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...