Lafayette Book Store

This bookstore is trying hard, and has a decent selection of new books and fair prices overall. However if you’re looking for used books you should probably look elsewhere (Bay Books, for example) since the selection is very small and erratic.

I went here to trade in some books and get a bunch of new ones. They didn’t have any of the new books I was looking for (some were new out in the last year and others a bit older). The store is very small but cute. The people were helpful and everytime I’ve called they’ve been helpful, although they’ve never had the books in stock that I want. They offer to order them which is nice but it’s still a bit pricier than some other stores. I miss the old HUGE used bookstore in downtown Walnut Creek– that was a great bookstore! I want to use my credit there soon but you can only use the credit on used books and they just don’t have anything I want (I swear I’m not picky– I read all popular reading)!

Aleks and the other people who work there really know their lit! It deserves more than five stars for being the little bookstore that has everything you need… and if they don’t, they know where to find it.

The Lafayette Bookstore is one of the most delightful stops in Lafayette. Tucked away in a parking lot behind Postino’s, this little haven is buzzing with locals.
Dave, the owner knows most people by name. He has an excellent newsletter (you should sign up for this), and somehow crams everything you could ever want into this tidy little well organized space. He and Linda are always so helpful & can assist you easily.
ALL the best sellers are there and available for purchase. And the beautiful thing is, you read your book & bring it back. I turn back in almost all of my books & receive store credit. Honestly, it’s just nice to know they’re being used again (I’d do it without the store credit :-).
2 years ago, they began «Culture Club» to help them survive the economy. With this small donation, you get 20% discounts on all purchases & invitations to special events.
Another bonus: Anything they don’t have? You can get it in 24 hours, no shipping fee & still get your 20% discount. Don’t shop the giant stores, keep the love of books & community alive — stop into Lafayette bookstore for yourself.

I LOVE this bookstore! I lose track of time everytime I’m in this store. It has a quaint feel to it, but there is an amazing (and well organized) selection of used books. They have great deals on selected hard-​back books for $ 1 and the selections are always changing. They also always have their children’s and YA books on sale for $ 1. On top of all that, on Sunday’s they pull a huge selection of paperbacks (including many classics and contemporary books) into the parking lot and sell them for $.50-​$ 1 and they sell even more hard-​backs for $ 2. The prices may change from time to time, but regardless of the actual price, the value at this store is phenomenal for the perpetual reader/​collector like I am.
Like some other reveiwers mentioned, they also have a nice selection of new releases and popular books available and will order anything they don’t stock. The staff are all friendly and helpful. This is a great place!

Ideal bookstore. Fine selection of new bestsellers & potboilers, as well as nice range of used. Professional staff of very pleasant folks who still read. Prompt orders for those items not on the shelves.
Big chains may carry bigger selections but seem full of dreck, which may be OK for an impulse buy or a quick Mall diaper change or caffeine fix. Although something about the intimacy & personalized service here that appeals to someone who still appreciates the heft of a solid binding & tactile feedback of the printed page.
For Readers who can afford it, the Book Culture deal is well worth it– for upfront charge, all (new) books are 40% off (even better than Amazon) for a whole year, which pays for itself at gifting-​time.
A Big Fan of our libraries, I can still spend a quick half-​hour browsing & always leave with something, a slim poetry hardcover and/​or kid’s novel for less than a sawbuck. I only wish it was open all night (but it’s in the ‘burbs, so off-​street parking by the front door is never a problem).

best book store in the bay! dave and his staff are incredible! shop local!

Great little bookstore. Cozy atmosphere, knowledgeable staff. Something for everyone. Great staff picks table, excellent personalized recommendations, dollar bargain books, extensive selection of used books, used kids for a buck. Stopped in last time I had lunch at Postino restaurant and picked up a copy of Olive Kitteridge and signed up for Book Culture. Ended up getting a copy of the new Pulitzer Prize winner for 8 bucks. Beats 15 dollars, or 10 at Target. For those in the know, this is a program that gives you the absolute cheapest price for every book on the planet. But, shhhh, don’t tell anyone, it’s our little secret.

Best bookstore in town! I’d like to see this place stay around. But I don’t buy books much in general (sorry, but the public library is the obvious choice for me), but this one is nicely packed with a range of genres. I’m sure they’d order you anything you want, too.
The location is tricky – only because it’s hard to see from Mt. Diablo Blvd. (Nearby landmarks: the elegant Postino restaurant, as well as other cute shops.) But there is ample parking, if you turn into the lot next to Postino’s.

Last year Dave Simpson, the store’s owner, launched an experimental program to keep his business afloat and keep a local bookstore in Lafayette. He called it «The Book Culture» because it is so much bigger than the store itself. All you have to do as a customer is join The Culture at just $ 10/​month or $ 120/​year which buys you an amazing 40% off list price of any book — ANY book! That’s better than Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders. If you buy three paperbacks or two hardcovers on average per month it more than pays for itself. My Culture membership paid for itself three times over last year. Saving money is all well and good and I really like that about the store, but for me, the luxury of having a local store where the folks know you and the books you enjoy and can recommend books like them, is so much more important than the 40% you save on the books. The entire staff is wonderfully helpful always willing to tell you about the latest and greatest books on the shelves, as well as point out the finer points of the classics. Additionally, if they don’t have the book you want on hand, have no fear, you can simply order it and they’ll have it there the next day. Don’t want to drive back to the store? That’s fine, they’ll ship it to you (there’s a small charge on that). Don’t want to go to the store to order? Again, no problem, you can email them the name and title of the book you want and they’ll order it for you and hold it for you or ship it to you. All in all, highly convenient. Their used prices are excellent and children’s books, ALL children’s books are only $ 1 everyday!
I’m proud to have this store in my town.

this is one of my favorite town haunts. when i first stumbled upon the place trying to take a shortcut through the parking lot behind postino, i was delighted. for such a small space the selection is wonderful. i spend hours getting lost in the tiny aisles of used books. the octavia butler that was missing from my collection, the history of california, the ultimate guide to desert hiking… i always end up taking home something unexpected. incidentally there is also a great selection of new fiction up front if you are in a more contemporary mood.