Porter Square Books

this is a great bookstore with a tasty coffee shop attached. I always see something interesting I want for sale on the front tables and I love the feel of this independent bookseller.

A great place to browse and buy — independent brick-​and-​mortar bookstores are getting rarer and rarer these days, so I’m pleasantly surprised that this place is still standing, especially considering the fact that they opened well into the Amazon age.
Very helpful, knowledgeable staff. A great selection. Clean, organized, and it always smells great thanks to the store’s café. My one complaint is that the café is always packed and it’s almost impossible to get a seat. But that speaks to its quality and popularity — definitely not a bad thing!
They also have an excellent audiobook lending program that’s very affordable.
Highly recommended.

Wow, guys. I don’t go to book stores much anymore. I’m an efficient technophile. Dammit be to Amazon, but they satiate my efficiency needs. That can never fulfill the deep recesses of my underbelly that absolutely crave and adore the smell of a book store.
And it isn’t even just the books. Sure, all that inked up and bound paper is a crafty metaphor for little old me. But there’s so much else that fills in the gaps. I love that there’s a little café inside while there’s a Starbucks right across the way. (Take that!) They invite you in where you reminisce with a long-​forgotten fetal warmth that only physical books can provide.
I lingered for a good bit of time. An hour, maybe? Book stores could easily be my financial ruin. I haven’t read every book I’ve ever purchased. I dream to do so one day as they fill a massive library in my future estate home. (Ha…) But I don’t give a shit, I still love them.
So I linger and stare and peruse and browse. I pick up this and that. Make exchanges before the final transaction. I love that I found some gift items for my best friend and sister. I love that I found some books for me.
Oh, and one of my old favorite reasons to visit a book store: flyers, flyers everywhere! I found several events to which I now look forward to attending.
Thank you, friendly neighborhood bookstore!

Stopped in today for some quick breakfast and learned they have $ 1 any size coffee on Monday with purchase. I mean, yeah. Sure. I’ll buy a bagel for a large delicious coffee. Move aside McDonald’s, my Mondays now belong to these guys.

Good selection, especially for a small bookstore. I found everything I was looking for, and more besides. Prices compare to Barnes & Noble, so average, not great. Their small selection seemed more intellectual than B&Ns, perhaps due to their independence and proximity to Harvard, so their books were far more appealing to me. Fewer bestsellers and Oprah’s book lists, and I found some good books on various classical music topics. There is also a small place to work and a fairly decent café with gluten free and dairy free options.

Awesome book store! They always have a great selection. I tend to meet friends here and when waiting for others browse the *new* book section. Café Zing is also sweet. Their Aztec hot cocoa is oddly delicious and the Vietnamese rolls a staple.

Best card selection ever. A nice mix of clever, artful and original. Sometimes all in the same card.
Worth going out of my way and braving the dodgy parking lot.

I really enjoy coming here, and plan to attend some of the events with authors in future. The bookstore is small but what a cosy place! They never wonder if I spend a lot of time just looking. The personnel working at the bookstore is always polite.
Mostly I browse since I love reading and always look for novelties.
The front display always looks nice. Last month it was all about feminist movement, I think. And that caught my eye too.
Got a few of greeting cards, a unique selection.

Best part of Porter Square. Small but wonderful selection. Bright, well-​organized, fun to roam around looking for a new book to read! Also love Café Zing in the front…

This bookstore is my happy place!
I considered only giving 4 stars because my ideal might have a bigger/​quirkier selection that includes used books. But given the space available, they have an excellent and well-​groomed collection.
I’ve never ordered online, but the staff here have always been friendly and helpful with recommending and locating items.
Thanks, PSB!

I’m reviewing the coffee shop, not the book store. I ordered a «dinky» hot chocolate — and it was very small and yes it was with almond milk– but it was 3.50! Seriously not worth it. Sorry

Small but wonderfully stocked bookstore! Everything is well organized, and employees are helpful and friendly.
Cute coughie bar/​café area too! Good snacks — I just wish they had more vegan options!
Wifey and I found some great books for our young nieces. I love this place! Highly recommended!!! Spend your $$ here. Support a great local business!

I was debating writing this review, but I just read Jason L.‘s recent review of a similarly bad experience with an online order and wanted to add my own story.
I used to live near this bookstore and loved shopping there and hanging out in Café Zing. I was glad to see they were an exclusive pre-​order spot for a recently released book, so I eagerly placed an order. Before my book could ship, there was a fire at my apartment, and I had to place my mail on hold for several weeks while I lived at hotels between apartments.
Upon picking up my mail, I saw that the book I’d ordered was not in the mail though I’d received an email that it shipped. I contacted the store to let them know what had happened, even offering the incident report number for the fire. I did not appreciate being treated with the skepticism that I encountered during this whole ordeal. There was no kindness or give or understanding or even a terse «sorry about the fire;» there were just a lot of attempts to make me feel like I was just trying to inconvenience them.
Before agreeing to ship me another copy, they even wanted me to return to the property where I had the fire and look around to see if I saw the package left there anywhere. They had me make a few phone calls trying to track the package down locally at the mail carrier annex. I felt like I was being asked to go above and beyond my role as a customer when simply reshipping the book would have been easiest.
Dina, the customer service rep, was very firm in letting me know that, while they would eventually reship the book, I was expected to ship back one copy of the book (on my own time and expense) because they didn’t have the wiggle room in their inventory if I ended up with two copies.
I like to support small businesses, especially bookstores, and I’ve seen a lot of friends put a lot of heart and time into their work with used bookstores. it makes me sad that Porter Square Books missed a chance to be kind or even compassionate, and their customer service was significantly lacking.

Would not recommend ordering books from them online.
I’m from Columbus, OH, I ordered two signed books from Porter and had nothing but problems with them. I called them with a change of address (which they failed to update in their system), and they even gave me some flack when I called about it (like it was my fault), they didn’t respond to an e-​mail inquiry, then when my copies came, they had sent me four copies instead of two, so now I have to fed-​ex them back the books on my own time.
When I explained that I didn’t appreciate my customer service experience with the store in detail, they didn’t try to make it right or even respond to my e-​mail. I’m sure they’re perfectly nice people, but definitely not happy with my purchasing experience overall.

My Top Ten Favorite Things About Porter Square Books:
–Indie Book Selection
–The Ginger Lemonade
–Events/​Readings
–Fresh Rolls
–Sandwiches from Oxford Spa without having to go to Oxford Spa
–Greeting card selection
–The people that work there are nice
–Location
–Their reading suggestions…
–Local author appreciation

Cute little bookstore with a good selection for a small store. Organized well, reasonably priced. N

Check out this lovely, charming independent bookstore and café in Porter Square. They have a great selection of new books – the place isn’t huge and neither is the inventory, but what’s there is of high quality. Just about every time I come in here to browse I end up finding at least one book to buy (or want to buy). They have a nice assortment of cards and fun, unique gifts (stationary, little toys, novelty items, etc.) too. The place has a sunny, cheery atmosphere and the staff are polite and informed. They host great events and readings, too. There is a personal touch on everything here.
The café is a nice touch. There are a couple of small tables adjacent to the café, but most of the seating is at the inviting wooden counter that runs the length of the front of the store overlooking the square. A great place to grab a quick snack or coffee and sit for a few minutes. (Although, can I just say: the drinks come in two sizes, «middy» and «sumo.» Ugh. Can we please be adults and go back to calling things small, medium, and large?) Food options are somewhat limited, too; mostly baked goods (muffins, croissants, etc.) and (weirdly) Vietnamese spring rolls. In other words, not really an ideal dining option. But it is a great place to kick off a weekend morning.

A great place for the latest book titles (along with Harvard Square Bookstore) and the best hangout for authentic hipsters, intellectuals, activists, scientists, yuppies, soccer moms, Cambridge liberal types, geeks, nerds, coffee drinkers, students, artists, children, townies, writers and general people with laptops, smartphones and tablets. We are extremely lucky to have this bookstore, I am so glad it exists. You will really enjoy this place.

Okay so I have to admit something before we go any further: I’m a writer and I use porter square books frequently! I use it to find inspiration, to read amazing novels, sip yummy coffee and sit for hours in their floor to ceiling windows people watching and writing all morning.
If the parking lot allowed you to stay for more than 2 hours I would be here daily for 5+ hours. I love the smell of the bookstore, their café is seriously rocking it (although more treats please!!) and the coffee is amazing. Plus it’s in a shopping plaza that includes a crystal store and a natural food place next door? Sign me up. Frequently.

I will 100% be the first one to admit that I miss reading. Now that I’m in the real world, I work and then go home to crash. Not that that’s an excuse, because it’s not, but I have tragically let reading fall along the wayside. Once in a while though, I’ll be able to throw «Do Not Book» on my calendar and be able to head out to a park or the beach and sit, real, and read. When I do, I head to Porter Square Books first. I have never encountered such a nice and friendly staff across the board. As other reviewers have noted, the staff is very dedicated and so knowledgeable about their inventory and have no problem recommending things. I have made three recommended purchases and have loved them all.
Having it right at the Porter Square T stop, I don’t think there’s any excuse to not pop in here once in a while (even if only once).