The Best Local Bookstores in Boston

If you are like me and you love to read, then it’s becoming harder and harder to find places that cater to the avid booklover. Instead you have to choose from Barnes and Noble, and B. Dalton where you’d be hard pressed to find someone that is willing to give you the time of day. However, Boston is a hotspot for shops that are a bit quainter and user friendly. Take the Trident Booksellers located at 338 Newbury Street. Open from 9am until midnight every day of the week, its been one of Boston’s most unique places to get your favorite book for over 21 years. It offers a wide selection of books, as well as some delicious and wholesome foods. The staff is helpful and friendly and will do pretty much anything to help you find the book that you want. If they don’t have it, they’ll order it and you can have it in a few days. They have a wide array of magazines as well, including a number of international flavors.

If old fashioned and antique books are more of your thing, then you need to check out the Brattle Book Shop located at 9 West Street. They have one of the largest selections of antique books in all of New England, and their knowledge is extensive. A great aspect of this bookstore is that the staff is all licensed to tell you the value of your older books. If you have an expensive one and are interested in prolonging its life, they’ll tell you the best ways to care for your books. Or you can sell it to them! They buy pretty much any books, including single volumes of all sets, even if you are missing some of the set. They also have a great selection of back issues of Life Magazine available for $20, a great gift idea. They are open from 9-5:30 Monday through Saturday.

One of the most historic and renowned bookstores in Boston is the Harvard Coop on Longwood Ave. originally started as the bookstore for the students of Harvard, it has become one of the largest and best run sellers anywhere. Not only does it have a great place to sit and talk or have a cup of coffee and just read, it offers any book or magazine that you’d want. It’s always buzzing with intellectuals, so it’s a great place to go and meet people that share similar interests as you. The Coop still acts as the Harvard bookstore, so if it’s a textbook you are looking for, then they will be sure to have it. Located just minutes from downtown, it has easy access and the staff is very friendly and will cater to your every need. My favorite part of the Coop however is the walls of Harvard gear available for purchase. Hats, shirts, mugs, shot glasses, and pretty much anything else with a Harvard logo on it can be purchased. It’s a great place to get that gift for your favorite Harvard alum.

Go to Boston if you want someone to listen to you needs for books. You’ll be treated with respect and courtesy and your book will be in your hands faster than you would expect. Avoid the big sellers and give back to your small booksellers.