Walrus & Carpenter Books feels like stepping into another world. The shop has this wonderfully historic, slightly chaotic charm where books are tucked into every corner and stacked on nearly every shelf. It's the kind of place you could easily get lost in for hours. What makes it especially interesting are the unique and obscure sections. You'll find everything from Japanese writing and culture to American war documents, along with fascinating historical materials. There were even vintage Pocatello postcards and books featuring famous photographers like Edward Weston. They also host open mic nights, which feels so friendly and community oriented. Honestly we didn't even see a single employee while we were there, but we had a lovely time wandering wherever we wanted and exploring the space. Cozy, a little wild, and completely packed with things to discover. A dream spot for curious readers. Great finds and used books are priced well. read more

Walrus & Carpenter Books - Warriors Series!! - Bookstores Near Me - Pocatello, Idaho

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I thought the inside of this bookstore was pretty cool. I love bookstores and this one in particular had an interesting layout and a variety of book topics that I enjoyed looking through. However, when I went to the counter to buy a few of my finds the owner Will seemed to be friendly and we seemed to have a pleasant conversation until it turned slightly political and he suddenly had a profane outburst (calling half the country "Motherf_____s). I don't care what side of the political aisle you maybe on, I think it is inappropriate, unkind, and intolerant language. Also, I think using vulgar name-calling to describe people you might disagree with discourages thoughtful communication. And without thoughtful communication developing love and understanding becomes more difficult. I love and care for many different people with many different varying political views. What someone believes politically does not make them less worthy of love and understanding. I'm unlikely to visit this bookstore again because of the interaction I had. read more

I'm obsessed with this book store!! My sister moved to Poky about a year ago and every time I visit I make it a point to come in here. This is a used and rare book store. Has been owned and ran by the same guy who will probably be in there About the selection: if you get really turned off by chaos this might not be the place for you! It can be a little overwhelming but to me it makes it all the more fun to look around. I found this incredible Capote hardback biography as well as two Eudora Welty special edition books! Those are just the ones I bought. I was browsing for about 40 minutes and then worked up the courage to bug the owner and it was worth it Will Peterson was born and raised in Idaho and actually has two books out and working on a third! He commented on my book buys (the capote biography, two Welty novels, and an Agatha Christie) and the conversation went to Mississippi gothic writing, scotch vs whiskey, and yes I told him he had some harsh yelp reviews! And I gotta say all of these reviews that are mean I don't understand if you want an experience and truly love books, you will have a fantastic time here. 5 books for 35$ and they will stay in my collection forever read more

Walrus & Carpenter Books - Bookstores Near Me - Pocatello, Idaho

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Great book store a must see if you love books !! It is cluttered full of books and every book you will want to touch and open ! It smells of books just like us readers love ! The best smell ever ! So many to choose from , ask for help to find specific titles ! Don't miss it , a Pocatello treasure. read more

What a remarkable store! It's like a mini Powells bookstore. No tattered romance paperbacks or former "best sellers". I got 3 books for 24$ They were like new and from respected authors like Alice Munro. If you like obsessive order and the latest diet book this is probably not for you. I'm a book fiend and found it amazing Will was just a kick! He belongs to what my sister calls "our tribe" a little unusual but very smart and educated. . I enjoyed sitting with him and another customer talking about western history and favorite hikes. read more

Notice how all bad reviews are from people who were on their phones in the store? Yeah. Follow the rules and this will be the most lovely little book adventure you could ever imagine. The owner is absolutely crusty and cantankerous. He also doesn't need your business. He's in it for the passion of books, music, and art. Slow down. Put your phone away. And enjoy the adventure that are the stacks of the Walrus and the Carpenter. You may enjoy yourself. And if you're not an ass you may even find yourself having a pleasant conversation with the owner, an artist, or a local. This place is a must stop for anyone traveling through Pocatello. read more

BEWARE of the Owner/Manager- Will Peterson, started off okay, but got very rude within the first 3 minutes. Which was sad, this little shop appeared to be a fun store having a good selection of reads. Believe me I wanted to buy several books for our road trip across the country. We were the ONLY patrons in his establishment, my wife received an extremely important phone call. Next, all hell broke lose. He told us to leave and never come back. Believe me I/we won't ever step foot in there again, EVER! Trust me, I will be sure to tell ALL about our poor experience with Mr. Personality on every social media available. Honestly my 1 star was far too generous, he personally deserved crap! I don't care what good others have said about this guy, truth be said, he's a powder keg... Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He definitely needed his medication that day. "Enter with caution!" read more

Wonderful bookstore in downtown Pocatello. Don't let the clutter fool you; Will knows where just about every book is located. Come at 5 on Fridays and maybe you'll be lucky enough to hear a music jam while you peruse the aisles. read more

At first the stacks of books are overwhelming and you might think you'll never find anything, but after looking for a moment you will see whatever book you are meant to see. The lighting and plants are lovely and the service even more-so. The owner was the absolute nicest and I would not mind just spending an afternoon visiting with him. Overall: lovely store, lovely service. read more

Visited this quaint bookstore, what a hidden gem! So many new/used books. Reminded me of Powell's in Portland Oregon. Nice gentleman reading at the checkout, he was very nice to our 11 year old who picked 2 books. Had we not been passing through would of bought many more! read more

I just wish I could give this place a zero! I'm a huge fan of bookstores and I would never recommend this place! The proprietor was engaging in a loud sexist and crude conversation while I was browsing through the books. My daughter happened to call me while I was in the store and he didn't say excuse me or anything just said loudly,"I'm sorry but cell phones aren't allowed in here." I stepped outside to talk to my daughter. When I returned, he and his guest continued their loud and offensive conversation. As my husband checked out, I tried to tell him his conversation was offensive but he just said, "I don't want to talk to you, there's a sign on the door and I apologized. If you like abuse from an uncouth individual, this is the place for you. Otherwise, there are many other places to buy books! read more

I have been to the book store twice. The guy who runs it was nice both times. The first time I went with my boyfriend and the place seemed cozy with pleasantry and a warm fire place. It was just so amazing to see so many old and out of print books that are hard to find. It reminded me of Powell's Books in Portland. The second time I was with my daughter. She was interested in Harry Potter and the guy who runs the store talked to her all about it and gave her positive feedback about her wit. He was playing guitar in the background and was certainly entertaining. I told him I was interested in a particular book and he said he will look out for it and pick it up if he sees it. I think he meant it. He did ask me to step outside when on the phone, but I think that it should be expected as a way to respect the type of atmosphere revelled by intellectuals. read more

Where words aren't minced or muffled and expressions are encouraged; a true gem and must visit!

The proprietor didn't speak as I entered, but I could feel him watching me as I browsed through books. I was the only one in his shop, and it felt kind of uncomfortable. As for the selection, there are a lot of books, but there didn't seem to be much order to the way books are located. They are also WAY overpriced. Because there's a no-phone policy, I checked prices after I left, and I could get new books for almost the same as he wanted for used books in poor condition. read more

Wow!! Thousands and thousands of old and new books. Great prices and wide selection. I will stop every time I'm through Idaho!!!

Misleading place. A huge storefront with tons of books, but hardly anything that you'd want. The few things that got my eyebrows up turned out to be overpriced. read more

There is such a good array of vintage and new prints of books here. The owner, Will, is super nice too. My girlfriend and I always make sure to stop by whenever we are in the area. read more

Avoid this place at all costs. When I entered the store the guy asked me right away annoyingly what I wanted. So I asked if he had anything by two particular authors and the guy seemed to sneered at my request from behind his 80's sunglasses. The guy was very rude and seemed very displeased I would interrupt his boosting about himself to someone upon entering his store. Not to mention there is absolutely no organization to this place at all! There is no way to find anything in this store, and I would have had as much luck finding a book on my own if I had closed my eyes and threw a dart blindly with hope. read more

This is a wonderful old-style used bookstore with piles of interesting finds. I was so disappointed that I had too little time to enjoy it all. I bought one book of western poetry and talked to the owner about this being a labor of love. We had a great, interesting conversation, and he was very helpful when a young couple asked for a certain philosophy classic. It was clear he enjoys bibliophiles who appreciate quality. He is a writer himself and showed me his own work and we discussed writing and history. Unlike others here, I DID NOT use my phone and instead engaged with another human being in person, to my intellectual benefit. I'm driving 2 1/2 hours one way to go back. If you enjoy classic used bookstores where you can spend hours in the stacks, then this one's for you. Unfortunately, there are too few of us left to keep these places going. read more

Very cool and hefty used book store, with a gallery in the back, but just a wee-bit too cluttered for my tastes. The joy of coming into a bookstore like this one is the joy of discovering something new at a decent price. No, I did not walk in knowing what I wanted to buy, so asking the owner for something in stock didn't occur to me. There really isn't any organization, as some shelves are stacked pretty high, with other parts just having books stacked up like a Jenga game. It was neat to come through and am glad that Poky has a bookstore to draw knowledge from just like their library. I'll write up a list next time I'm here. read more

Great bookstore! If you're a true book lover, the book smell will pull you in! I was searching for books for my granddaughter and my classroom and the owner was very willing to help me and offered to order me a set of classroom books at a discount. I couldn't choose for my granddaughter so I brought her back, she is 10 years old, and she insisted on sitting in his chair in front of the fireplace. He didn't bat an eye at it and kept going about his day. She loves to read and danced through the aisles and he had no problem with it, even when he had a businessman came in to conduct old town business. We love this store and if you spend more than five minutes the shelving system is easy to figure out. We will be back again and again. "The only thing missing is a bookstore cat" according to a ten year old. Happy reading!! read more

A book lovers/hunters bookstore with a wide and large used selection. If you are looking for the new in demand books, the owner will special order but often wont' have on hand. The real pleasure at the Walrus is in enjoying wandering the store, surveying the stacks, and digging through some dust and loose stacks. The owner, a local musician and poet, usually knows where to look if you need guidance ... and you might need some help if you are looking for a particular book. Overall, it is a classic independent bookstore ... a dying breed ... that helps bring some culture and flavor to old Pocatello. It even has a small art gallery in the back of the store for local artists. read more

Awesome store!!!! He has an amazing selection! Wished i had know about it sooner!!

I love the store. There are so many books that you really have to look to find anything, but the easy way to find something is to ask the owener. Will knows the exact location of every book in the store. read more

I rarely write bad reviews but this is a place to avoid. I also rarely encounter businesses where the owner is so willing to be rude and put so little thought into what they are saying. My wife and I are the only people in the store and the owner is talking to a friend loudly about women, which I am trying to tune out. Then when our daughter calls and my wife answers he walks over and rudely says no cell phones allowed in his store. While my wife walks outside to see what my daughter wants, I listen to him loudly explain to his friend that he made the cell phone rule because of the college kids that would come into his store and pretend to look at books while talking on their phones. We are in our 50's and we have 4 children and were visiting Idaho from Texas, so naturally we would answer our phone and clearly we don't fit into the group that was bothering this guy. So here is the deal, it's your business so make up whatever asinine rule you want, but applying it irrationally is ridiculous and stupid. But wait! Checking other yelp reviews this same thing has happened apparently to other women whose cell phones have rung in his store. Based on the sexist conversation I was trying to ignore, this owner dude clearly has an issue with women as well as college students. My family are book lovers and I wish the book police could come clean out his store and make them available to both men and women, young and old, so no one has to deal with this sad individual. Bottom line, all the titles in this store are available elsewhere so make your life a little more pure and avoid this idiot and his store. read more

Couldn't disagree more with the previous review. It's a big, rambling place full of unexpected finds and great prices. A very friendly atmosphere as well. read more