Amazing Books

The collection of books was not at all what I was looking for or expecting. I was hoping for endless pop books like Nicholas Sparks ad Diane Chamberland. However, my disappointment was short lived. I told the employee what types of books I typically read and she suggested 4 – 5 authors and books off the top of her head! Even though there were several customers in the store, she took the time to pull several books for me to choose from. I ended up buying 3 books and so far, I’m pretty pleased with the recommendations! I will return with an open mind ready for more unexpected recommendations!

Bring a backpack. This is the place to spend an hour happily browsing before carrying off an embarrassingly heavy armful of the books you just had to have. They’re especially rich in philosophy and religion and other scholarly nonfiction. This store isn’t so big that you’ll lose an entire afternoon there, which means you can justify visiting more often. I especially love coming in when the staff is sorting and pricing the contents of an estate sale haul, surrounding the front desk with boxes and heaps of unknown treasures with that inimitable private-​library scent of dignified decay. I’d pay them to let me help out, not even kidding.
Do check the hours on their main website, rather than Google. The Jewish Sabbath and holidays are observed, so you’ll need to get there before sundown on Fridays and plan on a nighttime visit on Saturdays – they stay open late then, so stroll over after dinner.

Amazing Books is true to its name. Go visit – there’s always parking within a block of the store on Murray. The first amazing thing is the variety of books. In a moderately sized space, packed with books from floor to ceiling, you can find a long wall of fiction, an array of mysteries, a remarkably rich section of Judaica, aisles of new additions, a healthy handful of new releases, and hefty shelves full of poetry, biography, lit crit, African-​American, music, drama, art, gardening, kids, travel, sci-​fi/​fantasy, American history, European history, religion, sociology, and philosophy. There are also interesting selections of LPs and DVDs. ***That’s the key – the books are indeed well chosen, and the selection is constantly changing.***
Almost all of the books are used, and thus sold at good prices. And the prices are discounted if you buy a handful or join as a member. Used books are bought and sold there all time.
The next-​to-​best thing about Amazing Books is the staff, who are great folks – friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. They throw parties about once a month, and the store is always up to something fun and interesting.
Finally, I don’t want to ignore the obvious. The best thing about Amazing Books is that it exists at all, in a great location, providing Squirrel Hill and all of Pittsburgh with a constantly changing selection of classic, popular, academic, rare, new, and always attractive books. Thank you, Amazing Books, for making Pittsburgh an even better place!

Amazing Books is a fine book store but it can be a bit difficult to find specific titles.

BEST STORE IN PITTSBURGH
This and the one in Downtown on Liberty Ave have the best selection of books for a good price. Politics, Science, Philosophy, fiction you name it. Classic political science, the classic philosophers, existentialism, utilitarianism, etc. Classic novels like Orwell, Vonnegut, Steinbeck, Twain.
Went there today and came back with 6 books all for a great price. Gave me a 20% deal off too, I’ve heard they usually have deals. Overall happy, not crowded, room to move. Went to Caliban in Oakland and it was by far the worst bookstore I’ve been to. I’m new to Pittsburgh and from the six or seven or so stores I’ve visited in the area, Amazing Books is my favorite. Will be visiting again, since I haven’t visited the one in downtown in a while.