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Raven Used Books
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
52B JFK StCambridge, MA 02138
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
(617) 441-6999
- Nearest Transit:
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Jfk St @ Eliot St (66)
16 Eliot St (86)
Jfk St @ Eliot St (66, 86)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pm
Sun 11 am - 8 pm
- Price Range:
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$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
68 reviews for Raven Used Books
Review Highlights
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"All in all, one of my favorite spots in Harvard Square." In 11 reviews -
"their history and philosophy sections have particularly..." In 14 reviews -
"The fiction and poetry sections are second to none but..." In 18 reviews
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68 reviews in English
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Review from Peter D.
Philadelphia, PA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
When I come to Boston, I always make a point to stop here in Cambridge to pick up a book or two. Don't go to the Harvard Co-Op, it's only good for new releases that tend to be two or three more in the store than at your http://Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble retailer anywhere else. Truth.
Come to Raven instead, where you can find an awesome selection of books ranging from all different types of disciplines and genres. I copped an urban studies, photo-filled awesome book on Montreal in the 1960s here for $20...when it originally retails for $55. Can't complain!
If you're a bookworm, this is one place you must go when in Boston/Cambridge. It's a little off the grid, but the easiest way to get here is if you take the 66 bus conveniently located on JFK Street. Red Line at Harvard is close by as well. -
Review from Becky M.
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Raven Used Books is exactly what you would hope to find in college neighborhood -- it smells like old paper and coffee and is easily a place that you could lose yourself in book looking. The shelves are simple pine wood and overflow with options to choose from. Given that they specialize in academic and scholarly material -- their selection of fiction was fantastic with both well known and not-so selections.
It has real charm. The pricing seemed fair and reasonable for the selection. -
Review from Randy O.
Boston, MA
7/28/2011
The fiction section usually has a lot of quality stuff in it. Much of the shelf space is devoted to the things you've already read or at least heard of, but some linear feet are also devoted to some gems you likely won't find elsewhere.
If you really want to find a gem wander into the poetry or philosophy sections. You just aren't going to find the same titles at other bookstores nearby.
Prices are what you'd normally expect for a used shop like this--about half the cover price. They stock books that are in good to excellent condition, so it seems a reasonable price to me.
You can sell your old books back to the shop for cash (less) or store credit (more), although the offers you'll get for books seem to vary from one day to the next...with the same books in the same condition. How this mysterious algorithm works I do not know. But you're looking at about 13-15% of the cover price.
All in all, one of my favorite spots in Harvard Square.
Find me on Twitter: @onlyrandy -
Review from Eric Z.
Malden, MA
3/1/2011
Of the shops in the region, Raven offers the strongest collection of used philosophy. It makes me tingly in ways that customarily only alcohol can. The fiction and poetry sections are second to none but Brattle's.
The real gem of the Raven, the foreign books, is kept hidden behind boxes of new arrivals. As with the rest of the shop, the foreign selection is small and well curated. And it's the cheapest around. Flimsy French papers that M&M want 20 dollars for? A volume of Zweig's letters that will cost a small fortune at Brattle? Here they're priced modestly. To get to them however you'll have to move around a half ton of paper. It's worth it. -
Review from Sukanya S.
Somerville, MA
4/17/2011
On one glorious day during a visit to Boston 4 years ago, glorious because I discovered Raven. As I descended into the store, I felt my literary heart beating fervently as it never had before. The moment I laid my hand on the door handle, I felt an electricity run through me like I had never felt before.
Once I took a few steps into the shop and laid my sight on the panorama of tomes around me, I felt Cupid's arrows poking into my already-lovestricken heart. The search for my soulmate had ended!
I cannot stop gushing enough about this place, definitely one of my most serendipitous discoveries! Name an author/poet and they have at least one of their works. Everything is carefully arranged by author and genre. Not only that, all the books are in such pristine condition.
Fast forward to one overcast July 2010 afternoon, I went in there and was browsing around casually and I suddenly remembered a book I had been hoping to get for a long time. It was 750-pages long and used copies of it were selling online for mostly 10-15 bucks, but on inquiring with the owner at Raven, he mentioned that they had received a copy of that exact same book that morning!!! And that too for only $7, and in what a beautiful condition. Truly a jaw-dropping-eyeball-popping-out moment.
If you are a literature-loving soul, go here once and you'll never want to leave! Truly a Cambridgean jewel. -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2010
Raven is one of the reasons I would move back to Cambridge.
Whenever I'm in the area visiting I make it a point to stop in because I know they'll have at least one or two of the philosophy titles from Oxford University Press that I've been salivating over on Amazon for a month, and undoubtedly cheaper -- and likely one or two I hadn't been looking for but nonetheless can't live without.
The staff are helpful and friendly (Without being overly solicitous thank G-d). I was very pleased to find they'd opened another location in the Back Bay on Newbury Street (which cannot be cheap to rent) and wish them every success there.
When I'm _not_ in the area and am salivating over books on Amazon (see above) I will make it a point to check the marketplace listings to see if Raven has the title for sale. Yes, it may be a little more with shipping &c. but I would like to support them. -
Review from Rachel M.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2006
I was excited to find this place last time i was in the square. I used to go to Raven Used Books in Northampton and Amherst all the time, I am pretty sure this is the same place but don't take my word for it.
It's got the used bookstore feel down perfectly... I wanna go back!Listed in: Shops and Diversions
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Review from Jennifer H.
Minneapolis, MN
4/4/2011
Raven was one of the highlights of my trip to Cambridge. It's not quite worth the plane fare I'd have to pay just to go back there, but it comes scarily close. Every section I looked at had interesting things and there were more than a few books I carried around before making my final selections. They even happened to have the exact academic book I had just been drooling over on Amazon, but at one fourth the price.
Anybody have any good excuses for me to go back to Cambridge? -
Review from M R.
Cambridge, MA
4/2/2007
I am sad that I can't add another star. Every shelf is packed with gems. Raven doesn't buy mediocre books and definitely doesn't stock them.
The shortcoming of most used book stores is the sheer quantity of crap that lines the shelves. To some extent part of the joy of browsing a used book store is to try and find the rare gem hidden in a massive section. It is fun, but gets old fast.
Raven bookstore is obviously very selective about what it buys and what it stocks. Their store is one eighth the size of Rodney's, but incomparably better due to their expert filtering. -
Review from Tom E.
12/17/2007
Three stars is the calculated mean value of two ratings:
Taken in the context of Raven vs all the other shops in Boston metro area, then yes - Raven is cool. Four stars just for being an independent shop stocking interesting items.
Taken in the context of Raven vs all other used/discount book shops in the world, then no - Raven is not all that good. Two stars for that one and here's why...
Raven is a lovely clean bookstore, but is small and thus is limited in choice. There are no travel guides, no bestsellers and very few textbooks. Another reason for this is that a large fraction of the books Raven sell are not used at all, but unwanted print runs and unsuccessful books. This is good in the respect that the books are clean and intact, but it does mean there is a lot of obscurities too and seems to give Raven a license to charge much more than I expected for used books.
Good for picking up a medium-priced random book on an interesting topic. Bad for getting a cheap version of a specific title. -
Review from Daniel M.
3/16/2009 ROTD 5/10/2009
As a reformed bibliophile and former bookseller there are times when I want nothing more than to browse through tons of books looking for...well nothing really just looking.
This is where Raven comes in. Not only is the selection fun to browse but it feels as if they were all hand selected with me in mind. It's not like the rando free book stand on Mass Ave where you'll find ancient IBM typewriter manuals and decrepit children's books, no. This is a wonderland of glorious proportions all tucked neatly in to a smallish spot off the square.
Walking in off the street I was immediately stuck by how calm it was inside. Not creepy calm but nice. They had some funky jazz fusion something-or-another playing in the background just light enough to help drown out the street but not enough so as to drown out your thoughts. Well played.
I browsed and browsed and sat and read and never once felt like I was under any pressure to buy and get the hell out or that I needed to do anything other than what I was doing. Their fiction section is awesome and contained far too many books that I want. I found a cart overflowing with art books at more than 50% off list price and tons of history books. Since I was on my own impromptu book store crawl (yeah, I'm awesome like that) I eventually had to limit myself and get out. This is fine though because it means I now have to come back.
In a time where newspapers are dying and it seems fewer people are reading books it's so great to find a place that still maintains their passion for reading. Thank Jebus for spots like Raven. -
Review from Cara P.
Cambridge, MA
10/19/2007
Yikes! Raven!! Why? Why did ya do this to me?
Raven, you took my money, time and attention away.
Yes, I spent hours prodding through 1000's of books, in such a small cluttered store. Armed with nothing but a latte and a few book titles that are on my ongoing "check out" list....I slowly came to the realization you had not one book on my list.......
I than realized you had the most diverse selection of used books .........from art to philosophy........architecture to religion........You were small, a bit cluttered, yet lively and friendly.
I felt extremely at home amongst your small space full of such an impressive collection......though I wish you had more fiction, I can't hate. ........I felt welcome to enter, even though I was nervous I just might not be good enough for you Raven. Alas, I was. you took me in. I stayed. It was all good.
Sure, I will come back to visit you and buy a book...you ARE in Harvard Square, you ARE open until 8, you DO offer to buy books and pay well for that matter...that is cool of you. I foresee you keeping my attention. What other small independent store will have 1000's of new titles every other week? Only you Raven. Only you.Listed in: Penny Pincher
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Review from Priya C.
Santa Monica, CA
4/10/2007
This place has great used books in amazing condition for cheap! My boyfriend spotted it from the Bombay Club while we were eating and I am so glad we went in!
They actually have pretty new books for half the price and in immaculate condition. -
Review from Sean O.
MA
5/5/2007
What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said?
It rocks. The selection is awesome.
I guess the best compliment I can give is that rarely do I ever leave this store with fewer than six books.Listed in: Born to Shop
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Review from Cy K.
9/18/2011
One of the last legacy used bookstores left. In addition to the array of common books, this store has some real treasures that make for amazing gifts (first editions of varying types). The staff is extremely knowledgeable and able to conjure any book in their collection by some mechanization of a magical memory.
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Review from Claire Y.
Chicago, IL
5/28/2007
My friend and I were strolling about in Harvard Sq. and ended up ducking into this hole-in-a-wall used bookstore to avoid the unexpected rain. Upon walking in, I was immediately consumed by the unidentifiable, and yet charming hum of the music playing off the owner's IPOD and - more importantly - the beautifully shelved books of all categories before my eyes. I must've spent about two hours looking through the entire store - especially the fiction and photography sections. Great selections, great prices and great staff.
This is by far one of the best used bookstores I've ever been to. Period. -
Review from Matty B.
Marlborough, MA
11/18/2010
Raven Used Books, located on the sub-sidewalk beside Planet Records, is a small independent book stop with a guise of beaten paperbacks and broken bindings. As soon as you walk in, you realize something much different.
This place is a small, quiet joint with floor to ceiling wooden shelving. Sections are appropriately labelled, from various religions, to regions, to contemporary fiction.
Although this store claims 'used,' the paperbacks look more like unsold new. Most fiction paperbacks are between $6-$8 and change. The staff, although quiet, are helpful and kind.
It may not have the selection of other bookstores in the area, you should know which I'm referring to, but it is a great place to pick up titles that would be well over-priced at a Borders. -
Review from John L.
9/17/2008
I remember Raven Used Books back from when I was a wee graduate student in Amherst, Massachusetts, at a little place called UMass-Amherst, in the fall of 2004. It was a more innocent time, when George W. Bush was on the verge of finishing his first, and what I had hoped, only term, the Red Sox were still lovable losers, and I had not been turned bitter to the world of political theory by the works of Michel Foucault and my lack of understanding herewith. Political theory is my kryptonite, my heel, my "Oh, look, my blonde country-singing girlfriend is at the game" (that one's specific to Tony Romo).
Entering into the Cambridge Raven Books tonight before going out to dinner, I was taken back to those days, into that sort of used book store where the store itself smells of older tomes on 18th Century rococo architecture, where cash is king, and where the walls are lined with a variety of different works on a variety of different subjects, all of them relatively affordable. Down the stairs from a bubble tea place, Raven itself hearkens to the days of older bookstores, where readers would look over tomes in secret, dusting off volumes that had not been touched in months, nay, years!
The one major drawback I have is in what they have for what I want. Yes, it's used, so I'm not expecting to find any of those vampire books the kids like. I'm thinking more in terms of scholarly-related endeavors (I'm applying to grad school again, so I'm exploring a bit for more scholarly political stuff that will whet my desire for statistical wackiness). So, I hopped over to the Poli Sci section, hoping for some older (read: 1990s-early 2000s) texts on electoral politics/voting, or media politics (my areas).
Instead, the Political Science selection screamed of the days of 3 hour classes where I had no idea what was going on, while students would discuss theoretical maxims as though they were discussing the Patriots' QB situation. Foucault greeted me, mocking me for my misunderstanding of "Discipline and Punish". Arendt continued the assault, and Leo Strauss, he of the building of the neoconservative movement, finished it off with a swift kick in the butt. If not for finding a single political-statistical-scholarly work on red and blue states within the sociology section, I would have left :(.
Beyond the surfeit of political theoretical texts about power and leadership and panopticons and whatnot, and the lack of hard statistical tomfoolery, the selection is quite good in most other sections. Music seems to be particularly tight. Therefore, I can't take off for my own lack of finding what I wanted, because it's all in the luck of what people bring in. For the most part, the selection is incredible, especially considering the small size of the space they're working with.
Overall, It's an ideal and kickass bookstore for a variety of different works. For me, it might not totally serve my purpose, but it's a place I could return to try to find a great addition to my scholarly reading. -
Review from Jennifer N.
Washington, DC
5/19/2010
In those moments when I fear Harvard Square is becoming a home for ATM machines and burrito stores, I remember Raven and smile.
Love this small basement shop packed with books. Love that they have so many current, interesting, well-priced academic books (social theory section, hooray!). Love that they only buy good books (second hand bookstores, please note that this, I think, is the key to survival. No one wants to pick through piles of crap to find a good book. Customers want to see lots of good books that indicate some intelligence and aesthetic on the part of the buyer).
Points for always having amazing art books, points for that really nice guy who works there lots of times (shaved light hair, very friendly), points for good music, points for that big comfy green chair in the art section, points for the terrific music section and the great books on jazz.
Raven, please continue to just absolutely rock it.Listed in: the things i'll miss when i go
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Review from Michael G.
Dorchester, MA
7/7/2007
Today was my first visit to Raven Used Books. To echo other reviews, it is small, but titles seem to be carefully selected.
It was a nightmare for me personally as their fiction hardcover selection is close to nill. Even major authors like Murakami, Zadie Smith, and Philip Roth had no titles in hardcover. Larger contemporary writers like Shteyngart, Messod, and Pessl had zero titles as well. Though this isn't too much of an issue as most buy in paperback.
My trip wasn't worthless though as I picked up Richard Ford's 'Women With Men' in excellent condition for the fair price of $7.50. The store is extremely clean and well-organized, two features that allude most used bookstores and that alone makes it worth a visit.
(On a side note, the clerk who was working had great taste in music. Not the usual Philip Glass or Cecil Taylor used-book material.)Listed in: Boston Book Stores
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Review from David R.
12/17/2008
A nearly perfect medium-sized bookstore. Now I'm conflicted about my favorite bookstore in Boston--Raven or Brattle. They're different enough that I can love them both equally, I hope.
It all starts with the astonishing prices. In relation to its other attributes, the stickers ought to be much higher. Every book is in pristine condition; many are remainders, but even the used volumes have been barely touched. Recent medium-sized fiction paperbacks are $6 or $7. There is a sale rack of $2-$4 books that were just as shelfworthy as the rest of the stock.
They have a great selection, too. I spent about thirty minutes perusing the fiction section. This store contains, by far, the best selection of the recent New York Review of Books Classics series. I've seen these a bit in libraries and chain stores, but they haven't filtered into any of my usual used bookstores yet. Raven had dozens and dozens. They had three by Georges Simenon but, sadly, not the one that I've been seeking for months. I ended up with a collection of short stories illustrated by Edward Gorey, Warlock by Oakley Hall (both NYRB), The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles, Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth, and a couple of others.
By the time that I found my way to the modest (but still enticing) history section, both my hands and my spare luggage space was full (alas, that always happens when I visit used bookstores on my travels). However, I couldn't resist a great little Short History of Scotland.
So this goes on the short list with Brattle and a couple of spots in San Francisco as the best bookstores that I have found (after Powell's and The Strand, of course, which are in their own league by a million miles). Solid A.Listed in: Boston in Winter
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Review from Nicolas C.
Cambridge, MA
8/19/2008
Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!! (As I fix my spectacles)
I'm fiscally responsable to the max and this place is cheap, especially if your not looking for something in particular. Finding something in a broad category is easy, for instance if you wanted to read some existentialism you would find that easy. However, if you want to get very specific it will take longer to browse or you may be better off looking for something online first and then coming in. I was looking for a book in regards to the philosophy of emotions and what cognitive scientists/philosophers/linguists had to say on the subject. The store clerk tried his best to help but I left their with some other books instead.
Still a good place and if you love books and knowledge you will be with people who have the same mindset.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from stephanie t.
Brooklyn, NY
9/26/2008
Overheard at Raven:
"Excuse me, where would you have Marx?"
"Oh, that would be in our Marxism section over this way..."
Basically, the Raven is heaven on earth for humanities type grad students. (I.e. broke but buy a lot of books anyway) The staff are super helpful, the prices are fair, the selection is relatively small but highly curated (with a focus on intellectual history/philosophy/academic press type stuff)...I can't really ask for more. Definitely my favorite bookstore in Harvard Square. -
Review from B. B.
Somerville, MA
Updated - 4/14/2009
Strange, this.
I had exactly the opposite reaction to Raven as I did when I last documented one, but my star rating is exactly the same. This time, I found four titles I had been actively seeking, but the floor was too dirty for me to sit on to browse the low shelves. And this was after I had gotten on hands and knees to fix a piece of equipment in a wet lab earlier in the day. Truth be told, I think I prefer them dirty and well-stocked. But not enough to add a star.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/18/2007
Small but friendly.
Other reviewers were not kidding about how clean this place is. It's pretty… Read more »
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Review from Eve L.
Brighton, MA
5/15/2007
Nice to see a bookstore in Harvard Square actually opening up, not closing down.
I was pleased to see Raven move in after visiting their Northampton store, which is much bigger.
It's not as extensive as Harvard Books down the street, which has way more space, and hence way more used, new and remaindered books, but it's a pretty good bookstore and well laid out so it's easy to find your way around. -
Review from SD J.
Middlesex, MA
Updated - 7/20/2010
I have to write an update because the owner of the bookstore sent me an email and apologized for his employee's behavior. He seemed genuinely upset and had assured me that this wouldn't be happening again.
If we were in the neighborhood and looking for a book, I would probably give this place a try again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/22/2010
Rude, arrogant and because of this, we will absolutely not be going back.
I used to like going here… Read more »
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Review from Alex S.
Brooklyn, NY
9/22/2008
For such a small shop, Raven has an amazing selection of used books; it's by far my favorite one of its kind in the Boston area. Their products, which are often in excellent condition and are reasonably priced, cover a wide range of genres. From photojournalism art books to the collected works of fiction, to politically radical literature, Raven has it all. It's a great place to drop by and browse--chances are, you'll leave with something awesome.
Also, attention Emerson College students: I've noticed that books from various graduate literature/media courses are often available here. If you don't want to buy new school books (because who does?), and can't find your materials in the library, be sure to hit up Raven.Listed in: Reading Is Sexy
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Review from Rob G.
Boston, MA
3/5/2010
The only reason that Raven is not getting a 5 is because they don't electronically catalog their stock. I live in South End, no where near Harvard Square, and going all the way down to find out they have no new poetry is always a disappointment. However, the staff owns. They know what's up with their stock once you get there and they are all pretty eclectic readers as far as I can tell.
What's really cool about Raven, well, most used books stores actually, is that there is a gem that you find every once in awhile. An old Robert Browning hardcover is my favorite find so far. The books aren't all old though. The word used is used lightly by Raven. If some of the books on their shelf are used than they were used once at most or I'm Robert Browning myself...which I'm not. I'm Robert Gewirtz.
They do have their share of the oldies though, and another plus for Raven is that I have never seen something ridiculously priced. If you find yourself getting oddly sentimental about old looking books and don't want to pay "antique" prices I recommend checking this spot out. -
Review from Leigh G.
3/29/2009
For a long time after going, I dreamed of Raven Books. We stumbled upon it a couple years ago, and it was absolutely the best used bookstore I'd ever been to. Their art book selection was fabulous, and the prices seemed fair. Since I was visiting from out of town, I had to resist the urge to buy all the titles that I wanted (which would have ruined my bank account, of course), but even so, I couldn't resist buying one large monograph that was worth the price to haul around town all day and back to California.
More than any other bookstore I've been to - in Boston or elsewhere - Raven Books is definitely worth checking out if you're in the area! -
Review from Kim K.
8/27/2008
Though I never buy anything, I always come back.
Raven is cool because it's small and quaint, and totally unpretentious. The selection is kind of small, and sometimes hit or miss. But the prices are good and the value is worth it. Also, I agree with whoever else said the dudes that work there are hotties. -
Review from Dorothy W.
Cambridge, MA
12/11/2009
Another subterranean used book shop filled with all kinds of titles.
But do keep in mind that this shop, along with its sister on Newbury Street, orders most of their inventory from places that sell cheap books. Many are over runs, remainders and close outs unwanted by the publishers. Many have a bright red line or a dramatic black one slashed across the pages on the bottom. So while they do offer some gently used books, most of the items in here come from places like Powell's and Daedalus.
So the bulk of their "used books" are not used at all.
You'll find lots of paperback fiction at roughly half the listed price, several hard cover books (especially art books) and lots of good non-fiction. No scribbles or notes in the books. And most are paperbacks.
It's well-organized and easy to navigate. While you will not find any unique treasures (signed/inscribed or limited editions, for example), you will find good reading copies of some classics.
This shop does not have the personality of some of my favorites and as a collector, I am not totally captivated, but I like to stop in and browse when I am in the area of Harvard Square. -
Review from Mike C.
Dorchester, MA
3/1/2008
To be honest, I don't fully understand why everyone is so crazy for this place. Don't get me wrong; I like it. It's cozy and subterranean, and it has a small and well-chosen inventory. I've found some really interesting urban studies books here. But I mostly read fiction, and I find their selection to be lacking.
As a used bookstore, it gets four points just for being organized. -
Review from Annie P.
Cambridge, MA
10/20/2006
Oh my gosh. Can I tell you how glad I am to see Raven with only the best reviews....
This place rocks. They use the human index guy to find all the books you need in there but it's totally worth the time to look yourself. Great selections every single time I stop by.
For a used book store, I hardly notice the used part. All the books-- hard cover, paperback are in good shape. This place really makes you feel like a thousand bucks with a good read when you are poor. For a small place.. nobody gets on your back if you hang out forever either. After searching long and hard in every nook of each Harvard Square's book stores (and they have some good ones in the hood) for that certain perfect book you usually end up finding them here. If you don't,.. they probably have something similar or better. I have no problem packaging it as gifts to friends,lovers, family or even to myself. holler.
Adore this place.Listed in: Death In Beantown
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Review from annie k.
Los Angeles, CA
4/9/2006
Yep, cleanest bookstore ever. And the selection is just wonderful. Somehow this place manages to stock high-brow AND interesting books on neat topics like neuropsychology. I picked up a book here called "The Illusion of Conscious Will," and it was one of many intriguing books on the same topic. Rarely do I walk into a scholarly bookstore like this and see tons of stuff I want to buy. The books are generally from big-name researchers at major universities, so it's not like other scholarly bookstores where you have to sift through professors' vain attempts to make names for themselves. I don't know who's doing the culling, but they're doing a great job.
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Review from Ligaya T.
San Francisco, CA
7/21/2007
Not the type of bookstore that you'd want to come to with a particular title in mind, exactly the kind when you want to browse and return home, triumphant and excited knowing you got a good deal and a quality read. The books are in good shape, and if not, they acknowledge that in the pricing. Their staff has solid taste in music too, so it's easy to get lost for a while. The stock leaves the shelves quickly, making there sweet finds to be had whenever I drop by.
Listed in: Inspirations
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Review from Shannon C.
Cambridge, MA
2/27/2006
This is quite possibly the cleanest bookstore I have ever visited...eat off the floor, the books, the shelves, whatever. The books are generally in great condition and the place is easy to navigate. It is really small, and there is usually only one person working there, so sometimes it's hard to ask questions.
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Review from Joanna C.
Brookline, MA
10/14/2006
This is the littlest bookstore, but I always find something I desperately want. It's as if they took a huge bookstore and picked out a couple thousand of the best books for you (Rodney's and McIntyre & Moore, you should do this). The smartest selection in town.
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Review from Kasra G.
Washington, DC
9/15/2007
Agree with other Yelpers that it's extremely clean and well-organized with a pleasant, faint scent of wood, an amiable staff that are more than happy to offer up all manner of special this-and-that price reductions on current and future purchases, with a great pre-filtered selection of 'like new' used books. My first impression walking in was that it wasn't that impressive, but read my overly long first sentence to see how I was quickly won over. I walked out with $150+ of art books alone and arrived home with a massively flexed left bicep. Now the question to answer is how quickly the inventory turns over. I'll be going back in 3-4 months to scout out that art book section again.
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Review from Francis C.
Lexington, MA
1/3/2011
This place is awesome. You can find all kinds of good books for absurdly low prices; a few weeks ago I picked up 3 of Kurt Vonnegut's novels for less than 20 bucks. You do have to put up with the hipsters working the cash register scoffing at your literary selections, but I'm guessing that's a staple of used book stores everywhere.
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Review from John W.
Los Angeles, CA
8/30/2007
This is the black hole of Harvard Square, pulling in unsuspecting literati and loiterers, and not allowing them to leave until hours later. Raven Used Books is a cluttered yet cozy bookstore with an impressive selection. Simply wandering through their aisles is 100 times more satisfying than shopping at Amazon.
