Octavia Books

As a first-time visitor (and customer too!), I was fascinated how big the bookstore was inside. Lovely place - and with a connected cafe too! I was able to pick up a cool board book for a child's birthday, plus a couple gifts for family. Can't wait to come back again!

I first learned of Octavia Books looking online for a Bunny Matthews book. I didn't realize at the time Octavia Books was in New Orleans (although the author was a NOLA cartoonist). On my next visit to NOLA, I made a point to visit Octavia Books. You'd expect the store to be on Magazine Street, in da French Quarter or other prominent location, but it's actually tucked deep into the neighborhood. Given its tony locale, the scale of the bookstore is quite ambitious. Very inviting with large rooms, one after another, places to sit quietly and read, a truly massive collection of books, a real labor of love in what is rare these days, a brick & mortar (i.e. framed & clapboard) bookstore. Most importantly, the local interest section in the front room is well stocked with every title imaginable for readers wanting to learn all about the city as fiction and non, in pictures, impressions and expressions. I'll be excited to visit Octavia often, but I better start putting eyes to pulp.

Beautiful bookstore, and a gorgeous building, with friendly and helpful staff. I hope there's a plan for this bookstore to continue indefinitely as it is a local treasure. The owners are lovely and are always willing to accommodate and help with any book needs you have. My only gripe is that I wish they had some chairs scattered around or a little cafe attached... One of the best bookstores uptown.

Octavia Books is a great independent bookstore that has something for everyone. In particular, the fiction section is quite expansive, and if you're looking for local interest books this is probably your best bet. Octavia also has by far and away the best cookbook section in the area.

This precious independent bookstore made it to our Top 10 on our list of independent bookstores. It is laid out very well with a large and varied selection of books. There is a coffee shop cafe that was packed. You can tell the locals love it there. I found The Big Book of King Cake coffee table book and another Banksy book to bring home with me. I did leave three other books I really wanted so that means I'll have to go back. I highly recommend this little gem to anyone looking for a sweet local bookstore to support.

This is one of my favorite book shops year round (it is so cozy and has an amazing selection) but at Christmas especially! The staff will wrap the gifts at no extra cost and done beautifully. Thank you Corina ever so!

I went to the bookstore for an author book signing. The owner gave everyone a warm welcome and pointed out available seats. I bought the book and had it signed. I'll go back to browse to see all the books available in this expanded store. It's so lovely!

My husband and I stopped in here to browse and look for a specific book. The book shop was bigger than I thought. There were several rooms and a children's section in back. I checked a couple of places where this book might be. A clerk was helpful in locating it. Also picked up a few other books, a sticker, bookmark and a cute cat book bag.

Incredibly local. Delicious food. A real find and special independent store and cafe. Some enlightened photography book selections.

It's been 13 years since writing my first review for Octavia Books, a business so genuinely great that although not much has changed, another review is warranted. Octavia Books is a little refuge Uptown, tucked back from Magazine Street on a residential block. For anyone on a Magazine Street stroll, find your way here for a lovely little break. If you're a visitor to NOLA, you're going to want to check out the array of local authors' work which is extensively available here. Five stars for their strong support of authors and setting up such great reading events! Sign up for emails and you'll be privy to their excellent calendar of events. I love readings here because they transform the space into an intimate arrangement. It just feels really special. I love the owners and staff because they are clearly so passionate about books. They are the real heros. Let's keep indie bookstore culture alive.

What a gorgeous bookstore.. It's organized  and spacious, with wonderful natural lighting. There is street parking, so you'll have to get in where you fit in. The staff is cool and efficient. This was my first visit here, but it will certainly not be my last.

The service and the selection are phenomenal. The book signing and readings are enjoyable and really quite interesting. It's a great independent bookstore.!

I am just visiting New Orleans and I always love finding independent bookstores when traveling. Octavia books did NOT disappoint. The store is bright and well organized. The staff were friendly and helpful. I enjoyed browsing their book sections and definitely walked out with more than I planned on buying. They had a great selection of gift items, stickers, notebooks, shirts, etc that made the book nerd heart of mine extremely happy. If you are looking for a great, local bookstore, come to Octavia Books!

As a book lover, I had to find a shop during my Nola stay. This place is quaint and has something for every one. The employees are polite and helpful! Definitely recommend you stop in here!

Octavia Books is one of my favorite independent bookstores, I highly recommend them. They are always helpful and polite.

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This is literally one of my favorite bookstores in the nation. First of all the staff is always helpful and the store is well laid out and cozy. Second of all, New Orleans is truly a reading city with plenty of independent coffee shops to spend a relaxing day reading.

It's such a lovely, aesthetically pleasing book store to walk into. All the books are lined up neatly and organized that you don't even want to touch it. They have all books of all kinds. If you can't find a book, Just ask for the people at the register to help and they will kindly assist you. You can also order a book and pick it up here as well. This place is lovely to stroll into to find your next to book to read and maybe snap a few pictures too (cause it's just too pretty not to!)

Wow 12 years later for this review... Octavia books is my go to local book store mostly. I like their local sections of cookbooks, fiction, history, whatnot. They also have a great section of staff recommendations. I've always had great service from the staff here. I recently needed to order a few things as a gift and it was easy peasy and quick. I've also pre-ordered books with them to pick up as signed copies when they are released. The store is large enough to for almost everyone to find something of interest and yet small enough to be very accessible. Parking is mostly on the street. There is a very small parking lot on Laurel St and you can enter the store by the backdoor, but right now that space has some outdoor tables for the restaurant in the same building. Even in normal times I would not try the lot with a large vehicle.

What a lovely bookstore! I always love coming here. It feels like a comforting blanket coming in. They have a wide variety of local writers and national writers. Very neat, clean and well organized. The employees are a bit stand offish, but I enjoy that. It gives me time to look and smell the books. They always have something that I want, and I always seem to want way more than I have funds for. I love a good local bookstore. The prices are the same as most other bookstores.

Classic local, small-ish, neighborhood bookstore. The kind you wish there were more of. I still try to make a point to order from them, even if they don't have what I want in stock, because I do want to support local, and I do want to avoid Amazon. It's just a shame that my presence there always seems almost like an annoyance to them. They just don't seem to be happy, and on my most recent trip, the dude behind the counter seemed bothered by having to figure out which two books were mine on the completely disorganized special order shelf. With so many "one click" options out there, driving across town to shop here should feel a little more gratifying, and should come, at least, with a smile and eye contact.

11 out of 10. Outstanding bookstore with cheerful atmosphere, great selection, funs gifts and friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Love this quant little shop. Lots of selections & very pleasant employees! I will be back.

I recently went to Octavia Books. They are stocked with all the books you'd want. The bookseller was giving me details and good recommendations. The space is bright with light which is great for pursuing. They also have your non book essentials like notebooks, bookmarks, and puzzles.

This bookstore became an instant favorite for me. They've got a variety of books from a wide range of authors. You can also find lovely gifts, cards, stationery, and journals. I enjoyed taking my time to decide on a few books. Normally I run in and out of bookstores, but here, I felt comfortable taking a seat in one of their large wooden chairs and perusing the books I had pulled from the shelves. My point is that I appreciate being able to go into a bookstore and not feel like I can't take a seat and make an informed decision about what I want to buy. Octavia Books is a beautiful shop located on a residential street and I sure wish I lived next door to them.

I love that it's tucked into a neighborhood and truly has the feel of a local bookstore. The selection of New Orleans books is fantastic. However, the overall book selection is not ideologically diverse. Everything on offer leans WAY left and if you're searching for something from a different perspective, I don't know that you'll find it. I'm sure they can order anything you want, but I can do that on Amazon. The joy of a brick and mortar is the browsing of physical books and discovering something new. It's painfully obvious that the goal of their curation is not to expose people to new and varied ideas, but to reinforce a political agenda that further narrows the echo chamber of many in this beautiful city.

Cutest little local bookstore hidden in the uptown neighborhood. They have a wide range of selections to choose from. I came here looking for books that talks about New Orleans and learn more history about the city. Found a few that interest me. I will definitely be back to pick up more books from them. Friendly service that inform me of their newsletter and invited me back for their events. You can go to their website for more info on their books and musical events. Street parking.

This bookstore is incredible! I needed to buy a gift for a holiday gift exchange, and I wanted to send something from a local business. I decided to shop online with Octavia Books. They had the books I wanted, and their website was great. In the notes section of my order, I mentioned that this order was a gift and asked if they could include a gift receipt. When I heard from my friend, I found out that not only had Octavia Books done the gift receipt, but they gorgeous gift wrapping free of charge! This was such a lovely and unexpected touch, and was much appreciated by me and my friend. Would definitely recommend shopping at this lovely little store. Thank you!

This place was totally kewl. I loved it because it was so so kewl. This is my favorite book store in new Orlands because it is soo kewl

Great bookstore! I appreciate that they have a section on local history, politics, etc. But I did not expect their fantasy/ fiction section to be quite so large. It's a little ways away from the French quarter but I think worth going

Octavia Books is such a gem! I've made it my mission to make more of an effort to shop local. Instead of running to Amazon to purchase books for 50% off their face value and having them delivered to me in 2 days, Ive decided to patronize local bookstores. The upside is you're keeping your money in the community, getting to know your neighbors, and local bookstores often have the deets on book clubs, author signings and new releases. Octavia was such a breath of fresh air. The interior is so clean and organized, the salespeople are friendly and helpful, and the major plus is that their website always has an accurate inventory of what is available in store. I can't wait to read through my new classics so I can make another trip to Octavia Books.

Octavia Books has a great selection for a small, local bookstore and are always happy to order anything you want that isn't in stock. This week, that included an esoteric book on canning and preserving. I ordered it over the phone (I didn't know the exact name of the book, but the owner helped me figure it out), my books came in a few days later, and I supported a local business instead of helping a billionaire send himself into "space".

I have lived in NOLA for many years now, but somehow only recently went to Octavia Books. It is easy to miss at first, but once you make it inside it is a rather large bookstore with so many great options. They have books of all genres for anyone. They also have some games and puzzles. I placed an order for a book when I was there and it arrived the next week. I love supporting local bookstores and Octavia is a great place to go!

Wide selection of books. Useful online ordering from their website. Active in the community with many author-themed events. Pleasant setting, with attentive and helpful staff. My bookstore of choice!

Cutest book store, lots to choose from especially New Orleans history and gifts.

Adorable book store with a decent selection of books in a cozy part of the city. Unfortunately, the service doesn't match this humble book store. My mother went to pick up a book she pre-ordered and was completely ignored by the female employee who was working August 13th. She was not acknowledged until a guy came from the back of the store. Upon leaving, the woman who was now behind the counter, still did not acknowledge her. A simple "thank you for coming in" or "sorry for the wait" would have sufficed, but nothing. There are many other book stores in the city with much better service to patronize.

Best selection of contemporary and modern fiction in the city. They also have a solid classics section. The whole shop is beautiful, clean, well-organized. Any book they do not have, they will order and notify you in less than a week. Will pick Octavia over Amazon any day!

I think that Octavia Books sets the standard for independent book shops in New Orleans a little higher. The store is well organized. Walking in you don't feel overwhelmed or like there are just books piled everywhere. Everything is clean. There are a good number of popular books, older books, and local books. The staff were nice but not overly pushy. There are very few seats for grabbing a book and flipping through it- only two wooden chairs. I feel like I'm cheating on the Garden District book shop in my neighborhood, but Octavia is just larger and more organized, offering more of a selection. Of course, if Octavia doesn't have what you're looking for they'll order it asap. Also gotta love that Octavia Books is right around the corner from Laurel Street Bakery where you can bring your new purchase to read outside at a quaint little table while you snack on brioche and coffee. I'm not sure about parking in the area- since it's bikeable distance for me- but it might be difficult because it's located in a neighborhood. But, once you find parking the walk in fresh air to find Octavia will be nice :)

Great selection of sci-fi and fantasy. Very friendly staff. I like their 3D popout style birthday cards, I got the dragonfly one for my mother's birthday and she loved it.

Octavia Books....located on Octavia Street.. Convenient.. A plethora of books tucked away in this cool shop. This was my first time visiting this store. I liked how bright and organized it was. It had a really nice feel to the place. They have a large area of local books to choose from as well as an array of everything else. I noted quite a bit of autographed books too. The staff was attentive and helpful. I look forward to visiting again.

This is a great local bookstore that adds to a charming neighborhood. To find Octavia Books you need to venture off the beaten path, a short way down Octavia St from a busy commercial section of Uptown's Magazine St, you will find this gem chock full of wordy delights. When you walk in you can expect to be greeted by a genuine, helpful staff. These guys know their inventory, they can assist you with items in stock or with ordering that tough to find or out of stock book. Octavia hosts author events and readings. They carry and impressive selection of fiction, nonfiction, bestsellers, children and most notably local authors and local interest. If you enjoy the printed page I highly recommend spending some time exploring this space.

Its sad that a store like this is becoming less and less common even in cities, a full service book store that is focused on local books and authors. This is one of those kinds of stores, its really a gem and a store I will return to whenever I am in New Orleans. Great books on local history or all things Louisiana. Excellent service from the staff, everyone is very helpful and knows their inventory. If youre a book person, this place is not to be missed.

I was excited to come here when I moved into my new condo on Magazine street. It's the only bookstore that is nearby and I'm an avid book collector and reader. When you come into this charming little bookshop you are greeted by well... no one. The staff seems pretty preoccupied with the computers and telephones more than their patrons. To see if this were true, I asked if they had a book I was looking for. She looked at me completely puzzled and said they didn't have it but could order it on Amazon. Ah, she said the answer. I can order this book on Amazon with a lot friendlier service and a cheaper, better experience.

After driving by this place place multiple times I finally stopped in to grab a few books for my wife and I could not have been more impressed! The two women working the store were super helpful in helping me find exactly what I Waac looking for. The customer service was the best I have encountered In a long time. The shop itself is very clean and inviting! I would highly recommend checking this place out!

A beautiful store! We enjoyed coming here a few months ago. Always so nice to see independent book stores thriving.

Uh pretty garbage. I ordered a book and it took three months to come in. Never buying from here again.

4/5 solid corner shop i always forget that this is just a block or so away from some mainstreet action on magazine, and usually make it whenever there's an event (read: author discussion, snacks, drinks). (i've also gone to their offsite events, and those flow smoothly.) there is a ton packed in here, and it's easy to find things. they are also pretty helpful when you are looking for something specific. they also carry a decent stock of "book-ish" stuff (journals, other book-related things, etc.), what i think of as "fun books" (equivalent of impulse-buy stuff?). writing this after indie bookstore day, and i've found that they also carry the largest stock of all the goods you might be looking for, so keep them in mind for that!

Such a local gem. Well organized, clean, and great selection. I could (and have) spent hours here. They often have a great selection from local writers to national bestsellers, as well as a large inventory of signed books and not-to-be-missed events. They will even gift wrap beautifully for free and will order in anything you need they may not have. They are attentive, clearly passionate about the written word, and knowledgeable.

This is a fine, even lovely neighbourhood bookshop. Great selection and everything you want as a reader. Why the 3 stars? Well, the surliest employee gave me a "howyadoinletmekonwifyouneedanything" as I walked in the front door. Went & picked up my new hardback ($28 there, $17 on Amazon/B&N), and just had gruff, surly service, as though the man would rather be reading his book. This is why people shop at the big box & online retailers. It's unfortunate. Contrast this to Maple Street or the much-missed Little Professor, where staff are knowledgeable, reading, and can't wait to help you.

This was such a precious book store! Great selection and a lot of local authors! What a sweet surprise after having breakfast at Toast!

Nice selection and some interesting local books that were new to me. A obviously grumpy employee abruptly ended my shopping experience after a holding a 5 minute defensive & condescending phone conversation to tell us it was 5pm and they were closing. I had one $30 book in my hand and was looking for more to enjoy on vacation. Looks like I'll keep using Amazon and McKeown's. I get that people have a closing time, I don't get rushing people out the door of a brick and mortar book store unless there's been an industry shift I've missed.

On second thought I think they deserve a full 5 stars. Really nice indie bookshop with a nice selection of books. I went in search of some reading about New Orleans and wasn't disappointed - walked out with 4 new books. Their local section had books covering local history, art, food, etc. They also have a nice current events section. Will definitely stop by again next time I'm in town.

A blink and you'll miss it place, but worth the trip for the book selection. We had breakfast around the corner at Toast, which is the only reason I knew this place existed. They have books on every topic you could imagine and don't seem to be bothered by those lingering around, choosing just the right title. In fact, the two workers on the day I visited didn't seem bothered by anything, completely ignoring the patrons in the store, not even thanking me for my purchase. While I love supporting small businesses, especially independent bookstores, the customer service needs improvement.

What a great bookstore! They have a wonderful local section and host a lot of local book signings as well as big book signings such as Stephen King and Alton Brown. They also facilitate a lot of book clubs. The staff is very helpful without being pushy. There are some fabulous picks on the "staff recommendations" shelf. It is always a good sign when a bookstore hires people who actually like to read! (tip: if you're looking for McSweeney's, they've got it)

Best place in the world. It's very hard to find stores with such excellent service that know exactly what you're asking for! Can't wait to go back!

Octavia Books is a great independent book store. The staff is friendly and helpful when I need to find a certain book. They're located close to the Laurel Street Bakery, where i like to go after purchasing a book and enjoy a cup of iced coffee and a pastry while I read the first few chapters. They also have a quaint little courtyard. I've never seen anyone use it, but htat doesn't mean no one does. They always have what I'm looking for and give me space if I'm just browsing.

Octavia is a quaint little book store with a great "local" section... kinda like the sweet, somewhat shy girlfriend who likes to stay in a lot, cuddle and read. That's nice and all and everyone is happy. But what do you do when the big tittied blond with a fantabulous personality, who drives a 65 Shelby, takes care of orphans, cooks like Ferran Adria and parties like a rock star moves in down the street? Well... She just did.