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Book Nook
Rating Details »
Categories: Bookstores, Music & DVD's [Edit]
3073 North Druid Hills RoadDecatur, GA 30033
(404) 633-1328
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for Book Nook
Book Nook has disorganized bookshelves. Emory/outside Decatur hangout. Quirky and friendly enough staff members, who won't usually walk you back to help you find the title you're looking for, but who won't bust you for spending an afternoon reading in the stacks, either. Staff talk behind the counter tends to be politically conservative of all things.
I have better luck with used music, vintage vinyl, and cds, which are, comparatively much better organized. A winner.
The shelves are not well organized, both as a whole and within individual shelves. You really have to dig to find something you want. If you do find something, it will probably be pretty cheap, which is the only plus about this place.
As for their claim that they "buy" books, they'll offer you THREE TO TEN CENTS per book. I came in with two bags of books, and would have maybe gotten $3. I was able to go to A Cappella Books in L5P and get $20 cash (or $45 store credit). If you actually want to get some money for your books, don't go here.
Although they are picky about books to sell, if you bring in DVDs or CDs, they take all of it for great prices.
The shelves are somewhat disorganized, depending on the section. Plus, I've sat around for half the afternoon just because, and no one bugged me about it.
I love independent book stores -- I only wish there was an easy way to scale them so that they can more easily make profit on economies of scale. But because they don't typically have loads of "popular" titles, you actually have to go to a good independent with time on your hands... that way, you can really browse and savour the hidden gems that abound in places like this.
And that's exactly the kind of place it is. So, instead of shopping at a mall, or watching a bad B movie, entertain yourself for a couple hours looking through every aisle and shelf. The pleasure in reading books from here is at least partially in the search.
Considering how much I love Book Nook, it's hard to imagine that the first time I visited I was forcefully dragged by my ex on one of his three hour used cd expeditions.
And I love cds, don't get me wrong, but I also love...efficiency.
Once inside, it soon became apparent to both of us that we'd be spending some time at Book Nook. What was going to be a cd browsing trip turned into so much more!
It's like Book Nook and I are on the same wavelength, we just get each other, and like the same stuff. Great books, great used cds (depending on the day), lots of records, and decent prices.
If you've ever heard of or visited Chamblin Bookmine in Jacksonville, this is a similar experience. Twists and turns and aisles of books. A large music and movie section, including records (!) is at the front of the store, along with an extensive comic selection.
The prices are either really good (for vinyl), or really bad (for books and dvds). This is not the place to go if you know exactly what you want and don't have hours to spend getting it. It's a place to wander and explore, though it can be overwhelming.
A big drawback is the lack of reading areas. With that large of a selection, this is a necessity. You might find an occasional chair that was probably brought out of the office by staff, but that's about it.
This is a browsing bookstore. It's not organized, and the staff is not helpful, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Every time I come, I inevitably spend at least 45 minutes wandering the stacks and picking up interesting-looking books. This isn't Borders, don't expect it to be.
Book Nook is a nice quirky shop with a quirky staff. The trade-in credit helps cut your bill almost in half, at least down to a reasonable amount. I think some of the books are a little overpriced, but I recognize that it's probably hard to break even, much less make a profit, in this business, and I appreciate the service they provide.
I've been going to Book Nook for over ten years (since I was a kid and it was located in Chamblee). I've stayed loyal over the years mostly because the location is convenient and they allow you to use book credit towards half your purchase, which makes the final cash price quite reasonable.
Recently, though, my loyalty is beginning to waver. Despite the literally hundreds of times I've been there, not a single employee has learned my name or even acknowledges my regular visits. They don't know what kind of books I'm looking for, and they don't seem to care. It's extremely disappointing to such a long-term customer.
The selection is excellent, though it's not all that well-organized. Books are in categories, but within the categories they are not alphabetized (with the exception of fiction titles). Their strong points are film, music, comics, and paperback fiction. Vintage and rare books, not so much (try Atlanta Vintage Books for that).
UPDATE: There's now a guy who works there who is the hipster/book-store equivalent of Comic Book Guy on the Simpson's. He's been rude to me repeatedly, and acts like he's better than the customers.
Book Nook is a giant used book store that is also loaded with vinyl and comics. It's a really cool place and if you come there without a list of stuff to find, you'll come out with some great deals and a smile on your face.
The biggest problems are how over-priced their DVD selection is (you could probably buy 4/5 titles new cheaper on Amazon or DeepDiscountDVD) and how most of their older comics are sorted (or should I say, aren't).
A book lover will undoubtedly find something to love on the stacks. However, it may take them an hour and a half to sort through everything to find it.
Pros:
Trade-in credit is generous.
Selection in all areas is broad.
Prices on individual used DVDs are low.
Nice used vinyl selection.
Cons:
Comic back issues are spread into arbitrary pricing bins, making finding things hard.
Books are, as everyone else has noted, jumbled.
Used DVD box sets are ridiculously overpriced.
The staff would rather complain to each other (loudly) about "libruls" than help a customer.
If you are a book lover, especially a comic or genre collector, you've found your home.
This place is huge and chaotic, packed floor to ceiling with books and comics. The new sections are pretty paltry, not really the reason to visit. The movie and game sections aren't the focus, either, but they are a good place to dig for ancient, obscure finds. The used sections, however, are amazing. No matter how many times I browse through the shelves I always find something new. Comics are mostly of the classic cape and tights variety. There are whole aisles dedicated to genre fiction, containing works from all eras: SF, fantasy, horror, crime, romance, you name it. Also, plenty of non-fiction and textbooks. Toward the front there are carts brimming with rare books, series (Conan! Doc Savage!) and old issues of magazines such as F&SF and Analog.
Since these are used books representing the taste of the public at large, Sturgeon's law is in full effect. Be prepared to spend a long time weeding out the best picks. No matter what, though, you're sure to find something interesting, or at least hilarious in its weirdness. (I keep seeing this whole collection of "V, The Series" novelizations. When I'm bored and have a lot of time to kill I will buy and read them.)
This place is amazing and is easily my favorite bookstore. It is classified as a used bookstore, but does not only carry used books. It has new books, comic books, music CD's, and even movie DVD's but the primary money maker here is their extensive repository of used books. The used books are typically organized by topic and then by author and for the most part are well organized. The pro is that there are few books you will not find here and the price is almost always a good bargain.
The one con is the sometimes hapless stacks of books. A few book sections are in no particular order, though this is usually limited to the less frequently shopped-for book sections. However, if your interest just happens to be that very area, you might find yourself having to search through endless stacks and stacks of books to find what you're looking for. The bargain price might just be worth it to you though, in the end; it is for me.
Additionally they are not computerized, so you are unable to ask if they have a particular book available, which is unfortunate to an extent. On the plus side it is helpful consumer-wise because this prevents them from selling their bargain stock as online sellers through seller programs such as http://Amazon.com, http://Half.com or http://eBay.com, so we still get to shop there without having to compete with the world.
Finally, they are open late (usually open until about 10:00 p.m.), which is always a plus.
Personally, I shop there all the time and am always pleased when I leave. I've been introduced to a number of books, and authors, that I probably would not have normally read, had I been forced to pay full price.
As of this writing, the current address above is incorrect and I've requested an update. It is located on the SE corner of North Druid Hills and Clairmont Roads next to the gas station, in Decatur. If you map it, you'll see the SE corner easily. :)
The Book Nook was huge and well stocked, but very overwhelming because it was a big, unorganized mess. Still, if I lived closer I'd probably come here all the time. They carry movies, cds, and comics, along with their massive collection of used books.
I thought their comics selection was kinda "meh", but what can you do if all you're getting is used stuff right? I also don't really read a lot of super hero stuff and that's pretty much all they had. But super hero stuff is what most people read so I bet most people will find something they like there. They did, however, have a very ridiculous Grateful Dead comic! HEEHEEEHEEEEE!!!!!
All in all, this place is awesome and if you're a student it's got to be your savior (like Myopic Books was to me back home). Cheap, tons of stuff, in a comfortable setting! The only reason I take off a star is because of the disorganization.
Book Nook is your old fashioned, no frills, but very organized used book store. If you collect books like I do, you need local and affordable used bookstores to find your discounted gems. This is one of those places. Don't expect to be pampered here or get into literary discussions with the staff - just buy something. You will get a deal - especially if you have trade credit, which is easy to get from books you don't want anymore and give to them.
I've worked at my fair share of independent bookstores, and some of us book lovers, well... we're just snobs. Just how it is. Thus, I never get my feelings hurt about service at any bookstore. The experience for me is a lot about the lone browsing, the wandering of terribly unorganized books. It is the thrill of the hunt, the gem in the stack. So yes, the staff has been a bit "introverted" at times, but I always leave with finds that make me extremely happy. I love sending postcards, and this location has many to browse through. Records as well. Tons of movies. Laserdiscs for the uber-nerd ;) And let us not forget the books.
I went here once. I found a couple books that I wanted. They were decently priced, but it's not the cheapest used book store there is. The fact that they carry more than just books makes it better. They carry music, books, movies, comics, and pins. Overall, I agree that it's just a blah store.
Nice people, tons of books...I always find stuff I'd never expect, which is great for making altered artist books. The best thing about this place is that you can sell your old, useless books to them. They don't really give you much money, but what can you do?
