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    Renaissance Book Shop

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

    Renaissance Book Shop Photos

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    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.

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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

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    9 years ago

    Excellent science fiction coverage. Best in Riverside by far.

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    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.

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    15 years ago

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    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… Read more

    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… Read more

    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.… Read more

    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… Read more

    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… Read more

    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… Read more

    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… Read more

    How is their non-fiction section?

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

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    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 7 reviews

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    I've been to the new location a few times now, and it's a great space--easy to get to, well…read moreorganized, and with a fantastic selection across a wide variety of genres. On my last visit, Liz helped me out, and she was awesome. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and took the time to make some excellent recommendations based on what I was looking for. It's always nice to shop somewhere that feels welcoming, and her enthusiasm for music really made the experience even better. I'll definitely be back and highly recommend stopping by if you're a record collector or just looking to discover something new!

    Is this store owned by or affiliated with the Rhino Records label? I don't know. It would seem…read moreso. It doesn't really matter. This is a an excellent shop. You walk in and vinyl, some merch, cassettes, and books are to the right and CDs, DVDs and posters are to to the left. The vinyl selection is very nice. Don't sleep on the books. They are excellent. Do people actually buy cassettes? I don't think I want to meet those people, no oiffense. The CD collection was bigger and better than I expected. They have both new and used CDs. The prices on the used CDs were reasonable. Music will be playing during your visit and it will probably be good music (on vinyl, of course). The store is spotless and the workers were very friendly and helpful. The vibe here is very good. If I lived closer, I would come here a lot and I would buy a lot. Free and easy parking in the lot. If you love music, you have no excuse for not visiting.

    Photos
    Store Front
    Store Front
    Rhino Records
    Tapes, cd and other mixed items to the left

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    Tapes, cd and other mixed items to the left

    Renaissance Book Shop - bookstores - Updated July 2026

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