Brattle Book Shop

Some of my favorite places to visit are bookstores. Here is why you should visit this one: 1: plenty of affordable books to select from. This place is a treasure hunt and it is so easy to get lost in everything this store has to offer. 2. On days with no rain the lot becomes and open air book market! 3. 3 floors of books. The sections make it easy to find what you are looking for, but again, there is so much to look at you should deticate time to explore. 4. There is a good selection of rare books! These are located on the 3rd floor. 5. Kind staff, I enjoyed the interactions I had with them and they were helpful. Overall I would highly recommend checking this store out! Look at my photos to get a sense of the space.

Beautiful bookstore with all types of genres. Great 5 and 3 dollar section outside. Books are pretty pricey and generally not cheaper than online ordering, but it’s a staple shop of Boston and I’ll definitely come back to buy something when I have more time.

Want to live out a book shop fantasy? This place is it. Every book under the sun.. it’s so much fun being able to look at all the old/vintage books. It’s a nice quiet place to dig around and see if you can find a treasure. We got a Christmas book for our niece that I hope she enjoys for years to come. Definitely a must see if you are in the neighborhood.

Love the idea and the history of this place, it is fantastic. Great location as well. There are some real gems to be found, I really enjoyed browsing. I am not one to frequent second-hand booksellers, but this may have changed that. Extra kudos business-wise, as I forgot to return to purchase something when in town and they accommodated my buy and shipping to me! This is now on my rotation of places to return when visiting.

Great old, interesting, miscellaneous books. Fun outdoor area.

One of the best bookstores I’ve ever been to. They keep repricing the books, making sure things keep moving through there. Lots of interesting finds, everything priced really fairly. And poking through the carts outside is a fun treat. Even if you have no interest in buying anything there, the rare book section on the top floor is absolutely worth visiting. It’s gorgeous up there.

REALLY cool bookstore! It’s one of the largest/oldest bookstores in the country. There’s a massive selection outside where most books are either $5 or $1. You’ll have to do some looking, but there are some gems in there. Especially if you’re looking for anything about American history. If you go inside, the first floor has a large selection that is organized by category and the upstairs has a very cool rare book selection that’s fun to look through.

Do they even need another review? Awesome selection with a great and helpful staff. The shop is the sort where you feel like you’re going to find hidden treasure and when you do the prices are pretty affordable. I made straight for the rare books on the third floor and found a stack of cool things. I really enjoy the hidden staircase feel of going up there and the wide range of stuff to satisfy all of my areas of collecting. Already said it, but even with the rare books the price isn’t what limited me, it was the size of my suitcase.

A must stop. The outside lot is an interesting vibe. There wasn't much I was interested in out there, but oddly I found a book I couldn't find elsewhere in perfect condition. It was like a needle in a haystack! Inside there was a lot to look out and decent prices. I didn't have time to go upstairs but I would definitely go back!

super hole in the wall find but pretty popular downtown! cute lil book shop and much to browse! very cheap/ affordable all outdoor and within the tiny smol streets hehe

Pros: Extremely reasonable prices, helpful and kind staff, cool vibe with many of their books outside. To note: This store only sells classic books. Do not expect to find contemporary fiction or nonfiction in this bookstore. Overall score: A+

Beautiful bookstore! Has so many good rare finds. Please visit if you're in the area.

I recently had the chance to stop by the famous Brattle Book Shop. It's very cool that they have an open air section outside to browse, which makes for a great shopping experience and cuts down on congestion inside. There was a good selection of books, many very old.

This is my last Boston adventure review in which I can make an NYC comp. When I was in college, one of my favorite places to visit was the Strand, an iconic bookstore on Broadway just south of Union Square. It was very close to campus, and my friends and I would often try to find used books here for our classes instead of paying an egregious amount for a brand new one at the NYU bookstore (they took so much of my money I can't even). I knew so many people who applied to work there - it seemed like the dream part-time job, with books stacked up to the heavens and a $0.48 bin on the sidewalk for the novels that needed a little more love than the average tome. All of those memories flooded in when my top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I came over here toward the tail-end of our trip - another place with history, another place where you can grab a super affordable book that someone else had a journey with in a prior decade, another place with personality oozing out of its pores. We stopped by on a dreary Monday morning - dreary enough where there was a bit of concern that the skies would open while we were perusing the outside wares, of which there were many (we actually had to cut that portion of the visit short because the books had to be wheeled off to the side to allow for a truck to come in). You can see from the attached picture that there are wooden bookshelves built into the sides of the outside lot, along with partitions/coverings that are easily placed in front of them after business hours, so the books probably get more fresh air than me. That was my favorite area - also similar to the Strand, it can get claustrophobic inside when you're navigating around narrow piles of books - and it was nice to stroll around and look for a new/old literary classic to add to my own shelves. The interior section was more organized (though I kind of liked the adventure of roaming around not exactly sure what I might stumble across - one of my purchases was a new/old copy of Grapes of Wrath from 1939. My literary expert chum isn't convinced it's a first edition because, "Viking Press used to play fast and loose with that stuff," but if it's not, it's super close) and it was easy to find specific genres that piqued my interest, notably a fun bookshelf for presidential-related books that was in chronological order, exactly how I have it at home. My only nitpick (per the attached picture) was that Obama intruded on my chum Nixon's shelf. Not all of us were allowed to finish two terms, Barack. Brattle boasted a third floor, which apparently had some very edgy first editions, rare books, etc. You needed someone to accompanying you up there, understandably so, but neither of us was so invested in gazing upon an autographed Henry James or whatever was on that floor to initiate a conversation with an employee. (And full disclosure - I was starting to get a hankering for lobster.) Maybe next time. Everyone we interacted with was very nice. I've had some run-ins with the snobby Strand employees who think they're living on a higher plane of existence because they can quote random chunks of Moby Dick, but no such issues were encountered on this visit. I'm trying to curtail my literary hoarding problem, but my chum merely contributed to hers, practically staggering under the weight of her purchases as we left. This was a great find, and had the added benefit of featuring many great finds within it. Definitely stop by if you still enjoying turning ye olde pages with your paws.

I've been here a couple times and have loved it each time. I didn't realize there was an indoor store (located adjacent to their outdoor section) until this time--I thought it was just outdoors. There was racks and racks of books. The only downside is that it seems at random outside so you might spend some time closely looking for what you want. The inside is very organized by genre. It was a beautiful day so we spent most of the time at the outdoor section. They have stands with books for $1, $3, and $5 and I'm sure the prices can be higher than that.

Best bookstore ever! You could spend a day here - both inside and out! Classic Boston!

Friendly staff, they open on time, lot of discounted books, even ones for $1, $3, and $5 on carts to browse outside. Lot of history, political, and military books. They even have free book markers at the register. Great stop when in Boston!

After watching The Holdovers this summer, we were excited to see this iconic bookshop in person. We love used books and they had so many awesome selections. The vintage paperbacks were very cool. They even had some Easton Press Shakespeare, which were beautiful. Prices were decent.

You could definitely get lost in this bookstore - while not overly big, there's an upstairs and downstairs and the books just seem endless. I loved that there was an outside portion as well! Not huge indoors, but with the tall shelves, it definitely feels like a stuffed bookstore (which is every true book lovers dream). Stop on by! Cool history.

Great book store with so many old books. 3 flights of stairs would be hard for some to traverse but there is also a cool outside addition between buildings. My 17 year old was in heaven and picked out some really old books she was so excited about.

The ability to have an old school book shop in downtown Boston is amazing. Cool selection of books and a great value

The bookshop does not actually sell magazines. The salesperson I asked about this was rude and dismissive towards me, telling me that this was a bookshop and not a newsstand.

11/2021 We were in Boston so I had to check out this local popular book store. So many options that we picked up a few books. They have the lot next door and had An outdoor book market type of thing. Very unique and cool. I'll be back

Came for the Instagramability, stayed for the selection! Overall this bookshop doesn't really carry your typical Stephen King and Agatha Christie, but it's super cool to browse and read through the antique and vintage titles. We ended up picking up a few new reads based on the interesting covers. Under $10.00 little haul, so super affordable. Joe from YOU would be in H-E-A-V-E-N Also we did not get to meet Duke, the Bernice Mountain dog that's in charge of customer service, but I'm sure he's lovely. 11/10 good boy.

A solid spot for browsing a variety of classic books at affordable prices. The outside book carts make it easy to explore before stepping in. Not a place for modern reads, though.

While visiting Boston, I wanted to stop by some cool bookstores and saw this one on Yelp. The pic of the outdoor section looked familiar but couldn't place which movie it was from (The Holdovers). We got there at around 4:55 pm--the store closes at 5, but they were already pushing the library carts into the store and closing up the outdoor bookshelves. Then, once inside the store, you couldn't browse half of the bookshelves because the aisles were being blocked by the outdoor library carts they brought in. Why not just close at 5 and then bring the outdoor stuff in, instead of impeding people's ability to fully shop at the store? Very disappointed.

Bookstores are always special places to find great reads and resources. I've passed by this place so many times in my brief visits to Boston, so I took a few minutes to peruse and read for a few minutes. It was worth the time.

Brattle Book Shop is a cozy tucked-away-in-a-corner book store with an abundance of old and out-of-circulation books. As an avid reader of geopolitical history and military history, I can find older publications here. Especially for politically themed works, this helps me avoid "fad" books tainted by contemporary biases. Many older books have their prices penciled in on the first blank page. I bought 9 books, ranging from so-old-that-there's-no-cover-jacket to published in the last decade, with the older books costing ~$10-15 ea.

Love this place the books are plentiful and lots of options for low price even autographed copies

Adorable used bookstore in downtown Boston. They don't have many new books, but they have a wide variety of older books for a very good value. Definitely worth stopping here if you're in the area.

This book store is super cool. It has both an indoor and outdoor section. The third floor on the inside features rare books. Here, I found a Puss in Boots popup book from 1977 and it made my day.

This bookshop is located off a side street in view of Boston Commons. The collection of books is huge, there's something for everyone. It is very clean and well organized, although standing is required for you to flip through the potential treasures. A definite must see in Boston if you're a book lover!

Very reasonably priced. Good selections and lots of old books. I loved the vibes on the outside book selection.

Really cute outdoor and indoor bookstore. I have never seen a bookstore outside so it's a great concept.

Very interesting book store that has outdoor shelves. Sorting system was good "indoors." I was able to find a book from one of my favorite authors - Wallace Stegner. Price was fair. Friendly staff. Surprised to see they have a podcast and will definitely check it out!

So cool place to visit! If you looking for used books, this is a place to go. And take some pictures if you couldn't find any books to buy.

This is such an excellent book shop I've had bookmarked for years and finally made it here. Lots of cheap cheap books here. Old books. New books. It's awesome. Nice outside browsing area with lots of books and an inside area with even more. I'm definitely putting this on my list for buying books once I finish the one I bought.

Date of visit: 8/30/21 This was a stop on our tour of Boston and seemed very cool. It didn't disappoint; the outside clearance area was very cool and I found something that interested me for just $1. The permanent shelves built into the side of the building were very cool, though by the time I was done, my neck was killing me from turning it to see the titles facing sideways on the shelves. They could definitely be displayed in a way that allows for better browsing. As cool as this place was, their customer service leaves much to be desired. While we were shopping, a man came in with a guitar case on his back. He was minding his own business when the woman behind the counter shamed him in front of the whole store: "Mr Guitar Man! Mr Guitar Man! You need to leave that outside or bring it up here while you are shopping." Had I not been ready to check out, I would have probably left in solidarity for how rudely this interaction was handled by staff.

Unique and fun book store to explore. The outside shelves were fun to go through. Inside was well organized.

Fun bookstore to explore for interesting old and rare books you won't find in a traditional barn and noble type of store. Great for finding coffee table books or stocking up books in a bundle ss they keep their prices pretty low. It's a unique store that everyone should check out at least once!

I love book stores and the history behind it. I definitely had this on my bucket list. I loved everything about it. I went through all three floors and enjoyed looking at all of the books inside as well as the books located outside that are priced $1-$5. This is a must see!!

This was surprisingly the highlight of my Boston Commons trip. I could stay here for hours and their collection is pretty extensive. They have a $5 sale on some of Thur books but most are $10-12. Definitely worth the visit! 5/5 for its interiors and my Muhammad Ali hardcover

I absolutely love this book store. It has such a cozy cool feel, absolutely packed with books on all sorts of cool topics. It's not a place to find many copies of the latest popular book, but it's perfect for spending some time exploring cool, rare and/or used books in a broad area of interest. It is particularly great for finding books about local things. The rare books section on the top floor is the highlight for me, but there's also something great about the regular outdoor section selling books for below $5 ! Any book lover should definitely check it out!!

I wanted to like this place more but I found it to be a bit claustrophobic with high shelves and narrow aisles. It is organized but it was impossible for me to find what I wanted, which was a female biography or autobiography as a gift for a friend. They don't have a specific biography section, the young lady working the register said, "It depends on what they did." So I wandered through politics and art and film, not finding anything. I ended up leaving without a purchase.

While I do love a good outdoor bookstore, this one was just ok. Just felt way too crowded, but maybe that comes with the territory of being in a compact space. For any of you bibliophiles who also do a fair amount of traveling, you should check out Bart's Books in Ojai (California). It's a larger open-air space with an even wider collection of books to spend hours in.

Brattle Book Shop is one of the coolest bookstores in the USA. It's just off the Boston Common on a historic side street. The bookstore itself sells used books on two levels. There's all types of books and you can easily get lost in the mix of it all. The store itself is no-frills and a book lover's dream, but the real magic is in the parking lot next to the shop. With brick buildings on all sides, books are on display on carts and in shelves built into the walls outside. It's so picturesque! If you love bookstores, this is one NOT to miss while in Boston.

This place is very cool. They have an outdoor area with books and inside is packed wall to wall. I would say if you aren't really into reading probably not the place for you though. It's definitely not a Barnes and noble, you won't find New York best sellers or Reese Witherspoon's book club recommendations but it is a very cool spot to check out. And some of their books are as cheap as $3!

It's a decent book store, but the collection of academic press books is relatively thin compared to other used book stores. Very few books in Analytic Philosophy

Quaint book store that is brimming with personality. I spent a couple of hours here just scavenging around and exploring the various books that they have! It's a cute little place that I will definitely be coming back to. It's not the kind of place however, that you go to with something specific in mind, but if you love discovering new old books, then this is the perfect place.

Everything about this place is 5+ stars: the amazing outdoor shelves in a book-painted lot, the reasonable prices, the beautiful old hardbacks, the sign, the little magnet you get with your books. We first stopped by on Sunday (then realized they weren't open) and got a chance to see the bookshelves and bookcover "art" that usually can't be seen when the bookshelves are outside. Came back the next day and spent a half hour gawking over - and ultimately purchasing - two books.

I absolutely ADORE this place. I've been meaning to stop by for ages but finally stumbled upon it as I was exploring downtown crossing area with a friend. They have all sorts of books that you are bound to find a hidden gem you will take home with you to enjoy in your reading nook. Even if you aren't into reading or interested in buying books, it's worth just looking around (both inside and outside of the shop) and taking in the history of the location. I was able to find some really good vintage postcards (all for $1 each), which I am so excited to send to my friends and family. I hope to come back to browse through more of their books.

Definitely one of the coolest places I've been. The outdoor book selection was super unique, and they've got practically every genre you could think of in the interior. Super sick selection. Wish we had it in my hometown :)

I honestly only came here for a photo opportunity while exploring Boston. It felt so "Harry Potter", like an alley street way with a little box store. Little did I know that there was actually a box store building and an outside area with books. I didn't purchase a book (which I should have) but they prices were very cheap and so many genres. However. Awesome spot for a really cool photo, if it isn't busy.

I actually like this store, but am giving it only one star, because of the following. I've shopped at Brattle Books a number of times. Some of the staff people are as nice as can be, they actually act human, not like robots, but my God, some of them are sullen, surly or even rude. I just called (at 9am on 2/9/23) to ask if their outdoor area was open. I did so because it was overcast outside and I would be traveling from a distance. The woman who answered the phone sounded annoyed, telling me, "It's open unless there's precipitation." Maybe they get this question a lot, who knows, but the needed information wasn't on their website at any rate, and this area HAS been closed at times because of a "chance" of rain, even when it didn't rain. As I started to say, "thanks for your help", she abruptly hung up on me. Some who work at this shop - like this individual - come across as being highly educated people who couldn't find work in their chosen field and who ended up at Brattle books, disgruntled as hell.) One time I bought a stack of books, paid for them, and browsed in the immediate area while the clerk bagged them. I thanked her, left, and discovered later that I only had half of my books. She had filled two bags, put one on the counter and the other on the floor behind the counter, neglecting to say anything when I left with the one bag. When I came back hours later to get the other half of my purchase I saw owner Ken Gloss standing there. The clerk in question was elsewhere. I quietly explained to him what had happened, and his response was, "Um..okay". After a few more awkward seconds he added. "Sorry". Don't even bother trying to engage some of the clerks in a friendly way as they ring up your purchases, unless they engage you first. You can say, "Good morning!", "I really love this store" or "So happy to have found this book.", and you'll often get no response, not even a nod or a smile. No, I don't expect them to be my "friends". Yes, I expect some degree of friendliness and civility during a business transaction, a transaction that keeps them EMPLOYED. If robots ever replace humans in book stores, it will be because human "robots" like these folks helped pave the way. I don't know if the work environment at Brattle Books (a great book store, otherwise) is toxic or if a lot of customers are jerks, causing staffers to become withdrawn, sullen, surly or outright rude, but this is no way to warm yourself to people who would like to be repeat customers. Not at all hard to exchange a few polite words or to not hang up the phone abruptly.

I'm a sucker for book stores and libraries. I made it a priority to hit up Brattle Book Shop while I was in Boston. It's easy to find and looks tiny from the outside but inside there is much more room since they have more than one floor. There are also cheap books outside. You can trade in old books here which is pretty cool. They have some unique and rare books if you are looking for something like that. I spent a while browsing and found like a million things that I wanted to buy. I didn't really have space in my suitcase to bring back books but did I still buy four of them? Yes, yes I sure did!

This is a book lovers dream. Brattle has an outdoor book market with racks of books for $3 - $5 and a some cool art work. This is a fun thing to do and definitely offers a unique experience. Once you go inside the book shop you will find it divided into 3 floors. This is kind of the tj max of book stores. Every rack is broadly labeled and there is some attempt to organize by last name but for the most part it is organized chaos. This means there are hidden treasures all throughout. The top floor is a special room of rare books and there was an incredible selection up there. Overall this is a nice way to spend a couple hours and you may even find a few gems to take home.

So many used books and even series in very good conditions. Unlike some of the reviews here, I find the outdoor book shelves are sorted by genres. I didn't have to waste time digging each shelf for some random gem. There are even more inside the store, which is right next to the outdoor garage. They have some seriously good collections. I can spend more than an hour just looking at books and still feel silence very charming.