Let me say at the outset, that I adore small independent bookstores. This place was awesome! There…read morewas a great banned book section and the saleslady showed us an interesting website that explains why (or at least the supposed reason) books were banned. They had a nice selection of books for all ages. A balance of best sellers, classics, and other books. To find such a gem in a small town in Iowa (without a big college) was a treat.

A very adorable bookstore. We enjoyed visiting. Visited there for the Iowa independent bookshop…read moretour this summer.

We've been here before and that's the reason we've returned. Yes, you probably could find almost…read moreany book on the Internet and order it to be delivered to you, but what if you really weren't sure what you were looking for? You need to find a small, curated, family friendly book store. Well for us it's Galena Book & Paper. I'm a true history buff and my partner is into fiction, opposites in the same place. We both love to browse the selection, read some, then make some choices. Jason, the clerk, welcomed us as we entered and asked if there was anything we we specifically looking for. We smiled and told him we're browsers who've been here before and we're searching for some special reads. After about 45 minutes of browsing we found our choices for this trip. Six books and two note cards(plantable seeds inside) for less than $150. They are always welcoming and have a great variety in all categories. So happy they are in Galena. Thanks for all you provide for the greater community. Us too.

Charming independent bookstore, compact but compelling. They seem to specialize in self-help/modern…read morephilosophy/social issues type of titles, but there is plenty of fiction, history, local interest, and any other genre that you would expect. They sell beautiful posters at extremely reasonable prices as well as framing kits for them. There are offbeat greeting cards and writing supplies too. And quaint jigsaw puzzles! Back in the children's area there is a small shelf of graphic novels. However, some of these titles are definitely not for kids, e.g. The Road and 1984. Yikes!

Attention Crock Lovers!! Wonderful store full of real…read moreantiques, quality used current and old books and friendly staff! Highly recommend!

There are two Peace of the Past locations here in Galena. While the shops are both fun to look…read morearound in I can sum up my visit in one word... Overpriced! Lots of books... I'm more of a hard goods collector so right off the bat I wasn't impressed. The South location has a large collection of vintage fire extinguishers. Somthing I love to look at and own a couple of. Then I looked at their prices... WAY over market price for an item I am very informed on. Maybe It's a personal collection they don't really want to sell? I found a lot of the hard good items like this... I won't discourage you from stopping in. You might come across that one of a kind treasure you are looking for and you are willing to pay whatever it takes to get it home... I would encourage you to get off of Main St. and find some of the other off the beaten patch antique and thrift shops the Galena area has to offer. If you want my terribly honest opinion... Head to Missouri. The antique malls and shops in the Springfield, Ozark, and Branson area are second to none! And they don't charge you champagne prices for their beer selection...

Great place to look at fun books to have. Every time I go I…read moreleave with a handful or armful of books.

I've purchased phenomenal books from them, the Book Rack selection is flavorful and diverse…read more I found The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh and The Zero-Waste Lifestyle by Amy Korst. Both books were barely-used, appeared new and were reasonably priced.

Fireside Books in Monroe, Wisconsin, is a little treasure. Owner Kathi Spaeth offers a wonderful…read moreassortment of current, recent and vintage/collectible books in all subject areas. She is a gifted craftsperson; a quilter, rugmaker and fiber artist who also teaches at some regional and national craft schools. Her shop is charming and cozy and a perfect place to spend a few hours browsing the book selection and chatting with one of the most interesting and engaging shopkeepers you'll ever meet.

I love independent book stores! This place has great unique authors and multicultural stories! I…read morelike how they have staff recommendations to help with the decision process. They also have fun gift stuff for every age group. If you are in town this is the must stop shop!!!

What a treasure we found in McGregor!!!! The minute I saw their window displays, I knew I would be…read moreleaving money to fuel the local economy. It is three floors filled with amazing art ephemera, stickers, books, special gifts, and more. I visited twice during our visit to McGregor and bought several Christmas gifts and even some treasures for special little ME! The owners are over the top marvelous and friendly. I thought if I lived in McGregor, they would be in my girl squad!!

I had an amazing experience at this store. The employees are very respectful and non-judgmental…read more The young man who helped me I think his name was Grayson was very attentive and welcoming he made sure I found the perfect book for my niece. This store is much better than Barnes and Noble except for the lack of coffee shop.

Riley was very helpful in helping me find an Orthodox Bible. I was looking for maybe 5 minutes and…read morehe came by and immediately jumped in to help me and looked diligently until we found. He was eager to help and I could tell he works very hard. Thank you Riley!

Wow I had no idea how big it was inside, and so cool. This building use to be Threshold a…read morecommunity gathering place. Very well organized, wonderful nooks for reading, pleasant staff and nautral light with the abundant windows. Great selection of calendars and day planners at reasonable prices. They even have a selection of free books for neighborhood library stands that you can take and share. Easy to park too!

Huge independent bookstore with an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity! We stopped in for some…read morebrowsing and were impressed at how expansive the store is. Note they do encourage mask wearing at the front and provide masks - when we visited, every person was masked. Tons to look at here, with good organization into categories and staff recommendations. I liked that they had a tarot/witchy section, huge kids section, RPG section, and variety in themes. Great spot to browse for a gift or new book for yourself.