- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
The Avid Reader
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
1600 BroadwaySacramento, CA 95818
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Land Park
(916) 441-4400
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 10 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 10 am - 11 pm
Sun 9 am - 10 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
32 reviews for The Avid Reader
Review Highlights
-
"...best thing about Avid Reader is their children's section." In 3 reviews -
"I walked over from the Tower Liquor store and so my..." In 10 reviews -
"This is a great, independent bookstore, run by people who..." In 10 reviews
Loading...
32 reviews in English
-
Review from Bad M.
Sacramento, CA
4/21/2012 23 Check-ins Here
Old fashioned independent book store. Way cool, I'm tired of the mega chains. They could use a little better organization, but other than that, way cool.
-
Review from Corinne L.
Sacramento, CA
Updated - 2/24/2012
I am so fed up with this store and its management practices and inability to provide good customer service. My first experience here was pretty dismal, but my more recent experience was the nail in the coffin.
I called them yesterday for their assistance with an article I'm writing for a local magazine on the literary community - I wanted to know who handled events for local authors. I was told to ask for Sue and that she would be in later. I left my name and number at their invitation, but never got a call back
Fast forward to this morning, when I get a phone call from a local author who had gotten my number from someone at this business - they had told her about my article and gave her my number. They didn't bother to call me first to see if that was okay. They just gave out my number. Can you tell I'm pissed about this?
I head over there this afternoon to find out what they have in stock by local authors, if there is a special section for them, and let them know that passing along my contact information without my permission was not cool. There are two people in the store, one of whom is one of the owners. When I tell her who I am and what I'm working on (mind you, I'm doing the article on assignment, and it would be easy enough for her to call my editor to confirm this), she looks at me as if she's smelled something bad. She answers my questions as if I am bothering her. No, Sue isn't in. No, we don't have a local authors section. Then went back to what she was doing.
I want to support local independent booksellers but you can be sure I will NEVER darken their doorstep again, nor will I encourage any of my local author connections to work with this business.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/24/2010
Walked into Avid Reader a few months ago to see if I could find a few specific fiction titles. The… Read more »
-
-
Review from Bryan T.
Hemet, CA
3/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's a good example of what a modern small bookstore can be. There's an excellent selection of stores nearby that would make a visit to the Avid Reader more than worthwhile if you've got the time to spare. Not the biggest or most comprehensive of stores, but there's enough and the atmosphere is quiet and welcoming.
-
Review from Tiffany L.
Sacramento, CA
6/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
As a book collector, I hate to give this place two stars. I really appreciate that we still have places to go and purchase actually books...with pages.
Alas, there is no life here. Its boarder line depressing, and there is a weak selection, though you can order- but I could do that from home. The several times Ive strolled in on a whim (to get the sight of Broadway out of my head for a second) I have never been bothered with or even acknowledged.
I'm sure Ill pop in from time to time- they did have some nice handmade cards for sale.
If I'm in search of a new book, Id rather check out our local libraries. For a free service you get much more from there. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Sacramento, CA
7/17/2011
2 3/4 stars, all of them for the kids' section, which is quaint, pretty and welcoming. Great selection of books, too.
The rest of the store is sparsely stocked. You could say, well, in this economy...and I would say, yeah, but it's always been like that. The mystery section is good, though.
My main objection is the lack of customer service. The staff don't really seem interested in helping you. I don't need to be waited on or bugged, but I would appreciate a little friendliness and interaction.
Let's just say that there are other independents in town and leave it at that - shall we? -
Review from Alex L.
1/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Avid Reader is a good bookstore for perusers, but maybe not so much for folks with a specific book in mind. The selection is extensive and enjoyable, but it includes a strange collection of books that you won't find at many chain stores. That's why I come here. If I want a selection from Oprah's Book Club I'll go to Borders, but if I want obscure Faulkner in a newly printed edition, I come here. And I usually end up leaving with a newer book that caught my eye.
The books are a little pricey overall, but can you really blame a small independent bookstore for charging a bit more? That's the sacrifice were supposed to make to support local businesses.
The Avid Reader is a great addition to the small block of intellectually-minded businesses (including the Tower Theater and Records) that has sprouted up in the middle of a downtrodden street. -
Review from Dan Y.
Sacramento, CA
6/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
When I shop for books I usually know what I'm looking for. I don't often impulse buy books, so I'm pleased to say that any time I've been here they usually have what I'm looking for. There have been other occasions where they didn't have what I came in search of, but they are incredibly helpful and they always order me a copy. I've come to rely on them having what I need in a day or two.
These other reviewers are insane for criticizing the store for being empty. People aren't reading books anymore, and if you came to a book store looking for a calender or some reject vampire novel, then you aren't to be taken seriously in the first place.
If I were to walk into a used book store, the chances are that I wouldn't find what I needed, and that they most certainly couldn't get it for me, so I say support The Avid Reader! -
Review from Sassy S.
Sacramento, CA
12/22/2010
I wanted to give 2.5 stars. I love independent bookstores but this one needs improvement.
1. Make it more comfortable. Add comfy chairs, tables, wi-fi. Check out Shakespeare and Company in Paris. They have many cozy places to sit and read.
2. Get more books, new and used. What one lacks in quantity one can make up for in quality. If we want brand new bestsellers, we'll go to Borders. I wouldn't mind floor to ceiling books as long as they were organized.
3. Train your employees--even the people working at Shakespeare and Company in Paris had better people skills.
Thumbs up for their literary journal selection. You can't get this stuff at Borders anymore. -
Review from Eduardo C.
Sacramento, CA
8/29/2010
My quest for new fiction brought me to Avid Reader. I walked over from the Tower Liquor store and so my messenger bag was full of clinking bottles of booze. I must have seemed quite the shady character. I thought though that the opportunity to check out the bookstore was too good to pass even though I was laden with spirits. After reviewing the bookstore selection of new fiction I was heartened though overwhelmed.
There were two bookshelves of new fiction available. However, I did not know what to choose. I don't judge a book by its cover nor by its jacket summary. I needed a recommendation from a reputable source of culture like a newspaper or magazine. The Avid Reader actually provided a section for recommendations of the Economist, Atlantic, and NPR but they were all non-fiction. I wanted a recommendation for new fiction. I had to retreat and regroup with my New Yorker magazine hardcopy and online to get an idea of what to buy new fiction-wise. I also decided to find some other cultural sources which may provide me with recommendations for new fiction.
I shall return! -
Review from vince v.
Sacramento, CA
2/6/2011
I came here the other night in search of a calendar on a spur of the moment idea. In walking in the place I found it utterly deserted, which isn't necessarily bad but if no one is in your store you should at least get up from your game of scrabble you're playing and ask if your only customer needs help finding anything. Don't get me wrong I'm all for supporting small independent businesses but there should be some effort for customer service.
I ended up finding a calendar but I'm not sure if I will be back here. I might try it again just to give it another chance in the event that I need to find some hard to find books but otherwise I'm just not sure. -
Review from Man of Leisure M.
Sacramento, CA
7/2/2007
I'm really glad another bookstore, and an independent one at that, is doing business in the building formerly occupied by Tower Books. Avid Reader's Broadway store is in the bright, spartan, open layout vein--while it's not exactly my idear of what a cozy bookstore oughta be like (I like 'em well stacked!) it's great that the owners of Avid Reader stepped up and filled this niche in the Broadway/Land Park area.
The best thing about Avid Reader is their children's section. They have a fairly broad selection and the store appears to be very kid friendly--we went to a reading/book signing over the weekend and both kids and parents alike seemed to have an enjoyable time. I hope they continue with these readings.
As Leon and Amy pointed out, their mag selection is a bit thin. They've got all the obvious and mainstream periodical choices covered but are lacking in the specialty/hobbyist/collector/obscure type rags. Tower was great in that regard and it used to be my main stop for picking up the firearms classifieds such as The Gun List or Shotgun News. I also bought Giant Robot, Small Arms Review, Primitive Archer, MaximumRockNRoll and various toy collector mags on a regular basis there. Tower carried a pretty decent zine/underground/diy selection as well. If Avid Reader would eventually work on a more extensive mag selection (something close to what Tower once offered), that'd be pretty dang swell.
So yea, they're new and their selections are still a bit skimpy but I'll stop in regulary and give Avid Reader the time to grow and establish their own feel.
--------------------------
Updated January '08 to add:
We needed to special order a book just before Christmas and Avid Reader came through for us on time, just as promised. Also: their periodical selection seems to have broadened quite a bit since they opened... -
Review from Pippi L.
Sacramento, CA
7/1/2007
Avid reader hosted children's book author Oliver Chin this weekend, so we bought some of his kid books (Wonderbaby from A-Z and Train of Thought) and got them signed.
They have gutted the layout of the old tower store. Tower used to feel big, even though part of the store was pushed smaller by the back storage room (this area is now the children's books area, and it's REALLY extensive, and super cozy.)
The check out and registers are in the center of the store.
You can see across the store because all of the shelves are about 5.5 feet tall and it's got an open feel that Tower never achieved because Tower always felt jampacked.
They have a frequent buyer card, which we signed up for, it's totally diy with a stamp thing, you don't have to buy it like at B&N and you get a discount on a purchase when it's full.
It appears they are putting in a cafe. I am opposed to this, but I understand it creates a draw. I prefer bookstores to use all their floorspace for books.
2 criticisms: they don't have a large collection of anime books (not MY personal critique, the the one of the 13 year old we were with was complaining "4 books! That's it?! Screw them! Borders is wayyyy better." )
They don't have a large selection of hobby mags, like guns and ammo or fishing or whatever you are into. They probably have knitting mags though.
Avid Reader is a Davis based bookstore. This may explain the lack of guns and ammo type mags and lack of anime crud.
That said, this store is MUCH better than the old one on 10th and L, because it's much bigger. And the kids selection is really wonderful.
I think we have to go back and buy Walter the Farting Dog because beanie was very attached to it. -
Review from K. D. H.
Sacramento, CA
4/1/2008
Oh, I hate writing this review. That's because as much as I want to give AR 5 stars (being that it's one of the Last Independent Bookstores standing) I just can't. I can't even muster 4 stars.
Mostly that's because the inventory for books for grown ups (I'll get to the kids' books in a moment) is just so meager and so strange. New releases are relatively well-represented, but when it comes to the backlist in some sections (Nature, for example, or travel), the pickings are quite slim. This makes browsing (one of my favorite sports) kind of...anticlimactic.
I haven't been to the AR in Davis in a while, but I don't recall the shelves seeming so light; the selection at the old L St. location even seemed better. I'm not sure what's going on with this, but I fear it's a sign that the store might be on shaky ground, economically, and has decided to skimp on certain sections to save $$$.
Now, about the young 'uns. Children's books is where AR really does shine. Their collection is extensive and, most importantly, very high quality. They also make the space a welcoming place for families to read to their children. If this review was based solely on the kids' section, AR probably would get 5 stars. -
Review from Jocelyn M.
Sacramento, CA
6/11/2007
Thank you Avid Reader, for filling the hole left by Tower's demise! This is a great, independent bookstore, run by people who love books. The owners, Stan Forbes and Alzada Knickerbocker, also own the Avid Reader in Davis.
The new store is a refreshing change from the old, cramped, claustrophobic Tower Books, where the stacks were so high it made you glad Sacramento gets very few earthquakes. They have a great local section, a much improved children's section (also a specialty in the Davis store), and will order any book for you and ship it to you free of charge.
I do know the owners and they told me they're planning outdoor reading areas, lots of author events and hopefully a cafe, although that may take a while because they want to make sure they do it right.
The nice thing about an independent bookstore is that they're not slaves to buying pressures from the corporate office in Cleveland or where ever. They buy what they what, what people ask them to stock, what they think appeals to the neighborhood.
The prices are higher than Amazon it's true, but isn't wonderful to have a neighborhood bookstore where you can go and actually browse in person? -
Review from Winnie F.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2009
Do you listen to NPR? Read the Economist or the Atlantic?
Then you will appreciate Avid Reader because the first thing you will notice when you walk into the bookstore is a section of books featured or recommended by these three news media. When you have a few hours to spare or feel the need to open up your mind, this is the place to be. You can spend hours here alone browsing through books in peace. No disruption. No crowds. Just you and the books.
The advantage of a smaller and independent bookstore is that you can find books a lot easier, compared to a cluttered Barnes and Noble and Borders where books are often misplaced. The store is well-organized and offers a great selection of interesting books and recommendations that you can't find in those annoying big box bookstores. That's how I discovered two really good travel photography books.
In addition, they do have a rewards program, which makes it an incentive for you to come back. If you purchase a book, they will give you an Avid Reader Club Card. You will receive $7.50 credit when the card is full or with a purchase of $150.
So come here and support your local independent bookstore. -
Review from Sal L.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2011
Worst costumer service I've ever exerienced. I just got off the phone with a member of their staff. I was calling to check their inventory and as I was in the middle of reading off the isbn, the gentlemen on the other end of the line rudely says he is going to put me on hold. He clicks me without further hesitation as i'm still reading the numbers off. Two minutes go by and... Dialtone. Oh well, by now I'm more than happy to take my business elsewhere. Even if it means driving across town.
-
Review from Allison B.
Portland, OR
4/11/2008
This place is local. I like supporting local shops. So I'll start with the good things ---
+ great magazine selection
+ i love the tables up front. they have an NPR table right now. it's like it was made for me.
As for the not as good things... sometimes the sales staff can be a little snotty. There selection is great in some sections, sort of lacking in others. But I think it's sort of what happens with a small bookstore. -
Review from SHANNON A.
Sacramento, CA
12/19/2007
Avid reader? More like "weekend reader", or "when-I-have-time reader", or "This-is-the-second-time-I am-reading-this-book-because-the-selection-is-so-p oor-here-reader".
Since I am cheap and an anti-hoarder I don't buy that many books. I get all the books I want at the library but sometimes if there's a cookbook or an art book that I keep borrowing from the library I'll buy it.
The craft section consists of only knitting, crochet and quilting books that have all been published a minimum of two years ago. Boring. The art and photography section was minimal - I didn't see a single new title there either.
Even the bored sales associated were talking to each other about just putting in their time at the Avid Reader until they get another job.
This place makes me want to watch a movie. -
Review from Jason M.
Sacramento, CA
7/3/2008
The Avid Reader is a clean, friendly place to find unexpected literary treasures.
Web-wise, product-on-demand consumers should note that the Avid Reader will not have every book that you want. Then again, neither will any bookstore outside of the brick-and-mortar big box chains and http://Amazon.com. My recommendation is to call ahead if you're searching for a particular book.
The Avid Reader shines in two distinct areas - magazines and books for kids. The magazine selection is 80% of Tower Books' selection (which was cluttered), and the books for kids are unparalleled. The quality and the diversity of the children's books is excellent - from classics to contemporary soon-to-be-classic tiny tomes. Thankfully, not every book is related to a television or movie franchise. If I read one more story about a princess with a dead mother and a mean step-parent, and who finds redemption and the love they always wanted through a quickie courtship and wedding to a man she barely knows, I'm going to pull out what's left of my hair.
I'm thankful to have a respectable business at the main corner of the Tower District. If the space was left dormant long enough, you just know it would have turned into another check cashing store; one Payday Loans will do, thank you.
Unrelated, but who's on the planning commission for the Tower District? Broadway could be a gem in Sacramento's crown, but instead we're stuck with Joe Marty's on perpetual hold and a number of other restaurants (no, not all of them) of questionable regard. -
Review from Stephanie B.
Sacramento, CA
6/25/2010
I really enjoy a good book store.
I have found the Avid Reader's owner (who always seems to be there) to be very attentive to my queries. I like the small environment, the local feel and the locally printed books that are so interesting. (Found a great book about Sacramento street names that I'm sure I wouldn't have seen at a chain store. It was great!)
They've really gone the extra step for parents. They've organized books by reading level and identified them with stickers. No need to wonder if my kid can read it.
Plus, as we're entering the 4th grade, they've reviewed school standards and organized them so we can purchase 4th grade books on CA missions! (This I learned just recently but I'll be returning to grab other curriculum-supporting materials!)
I like supporting them because they've always been generous with the rewards program and directing donations to my kid's school. I really appreciate that. -
Review from tami h.
Sacramento, CA
7/20/2009
I, like others, really want to like this store. The selection is mediocre. The attitude is mediocre. The everything is mediocre. Meh.
This is a serious "me too" review I know, but it had to be said. Again. -
Review from Greg B.
Sacramento, CA
7/22/2007
Tower Books goes bankrupt and is replaced by a dull, lifeless, BLUE bookstore from Davis. Actually I'm just venting because I crawled out of my sick-bed to purchase Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the Broadway Blue Bookstore on Saturday(aka "the bookstore that shall not be named") and they DIDN'T HAVE A COPY FOR SALE. It's the biggest book of the year. Order extra copies! They DID have a big stack of them on the counter taunting me, but those were for people who had reserved them in advance. I guess I could have used a summoning charm on the guy behind the counter..."Accio!" Instead I went over to Beers Books downtown and they had plenty of copies.
-
Review from Steven M.
Sacramento, CA
Updated - 6/17/2010
Boycott the Avid Reader! Its owners support ultra-right wing political candidates by appearing at their press conferences as a small business to help them legitimize views that those of us in Land Park and Sacramento do not support. I'm taking my business to a business that supports the values of our community, not the ultra-right.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/21/2008
A few things to know about this bookstore:
The owners regularly appear at press conferences with… Read more »
-
-
Review from Mattie P.
Sacramento, CA
12/25/2007
Christmas is a great day for motorcycle riding (no traffic!) but there aren't too many places open where a couple of bikers can stop, stretch their legs and warm up. The Avid Reader was open today, hooray!
The store is rather sparse and I was disappointed by the limited selection of art books. My friend was sad that they only carry three motorcycle magazines. Still, it was a nice place to browse for a while. It's spacious and tidy; it just needs more stock.
The Avid Reader gets bonus points for being open on Christmas and two big thumbs up for carrying a rack full of Arcadia Publishing local history titles. The cashier didn't tell me about the frequent buyer card so I'm deducting a star for that. My Arcadia habit could fill that card very quickly. -
Review from Franco D.
Sacramento, CA
12/22/2008
I'm not sure if I can adequately express how much I dislike the Avid Reader. I didn't like it when it was across from the Capitol and I downright hate it now (will explain that in a bit) Before I begin I just want to get it out there that I'm not a book snob and I don't think chains, B&N, Borders and the like, are evil. Yes I prefer to support local business but chain stores serve their purpose too and I do frequent them. That said onto the Avid Reader...
To me the Avid Reader reeks of pretentiousness. Upon entering the AR (both at the original and then after the move to the former Tower site) I had to ask myself "Where the hell are the books?" Now I am not saying I want row after row of floor to ceiling books but the place looked damn spartan. It looked like a specialty bookstore not a general bookstore.Now as always quantity is always secondary to quality for me. That said the AR failed spectacularly on this front as well. It had a tiny section dedicated for local authors and the rest of the store was "filled" with incredibly boring standard fare. Try as I might I couldn't find any book in any area of personal interest to me (politics, history, theology, photography and travel) that was worth buying, nothing I couldn't find elsewhere and certainly nothing unique or special. To top it all off the prices, while not astronomical, weren't good enough to entice me to make such standard reaching purchases from the AR. I probably should just end my review right here because if a bookstore has a shitty selection of books then everything else is moot but I just can't!
As if the shitty selection weren't enough whoever owns the Avid Reader must have thought to him/herself "How can I make this the worst bookstore possible? I know I'll create an environment of unjustified arrogance, elitism and top it all off by hiring the biggest snobby douchebags I can find! Yes; that's just the ticket!" Now I know it's hard justify this criticism because it is only my perception and gut feeling when I'm in the AR, save for the critique of the employees. they're snobby assholes, but that's my feeling on the place. Nothing about AR or it's employees is the least bit welcoming and hospitable; on the contrary it's elitist, cold and unfriendly.
Finally, the topping on this shit sundae, is that the Avid Reader is located in the former home of, what this not so humble reviewer, feels was the perfect bookstore, Tower Books! Though I could easily do so I won't go off tangent and write a detailed love fest of an obituary to Tower Books. Instead I'll end by quickly listing some of the things that made Tower the best bookstore in Sacramento: A LARGE, DIVERSE and EVERY CHANGING book selection staffed by an eclectic, FRIENDLY, DOWN TO EARTH and KNOWLEDGEABLE staff, housed in an UNPRETENTIOUS and FUN environment. -
Review from Bakari C.
Elk Grove, CA
1/9/2009
I rarely shop at Avid Reader. The staff is not that friendly, and the book selections are not great. I am surprised that the store has remained open for so long. I hate to see bookstores closing in Sacramento, but I don't see stores like this remaining open when the prices of their products are high and they don't offer incentives for customers to shop. Avid reader could be more upbeat and friendlier.
-
Review from ordulph o.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2009
I want to love this place, but I can't. The inventory is geared towards the casual, best-seller-centric, reader & Ordulph O. is a heavy reader. The staff seemed distracted when I asked direction to a section. I will not be returning.
-
Review from Brenda F.
Sacramento, CA
2/12/2008
I just moved back to Sacramento and I have fond memories of the old Tower Books. Sorry, but Avid Reader just doesn't do it for me. They have an average selection and nothing that compels me to shop there except that it is local and I prefer to give my business locally. I do however like that they have kept a decent selelction of magazines.
-
Review from Elijah F.
Sacramento, CA
7/16/2007
Thank goodness for another independent bookstore. I think the size of this is just right. The magazine/journal selection is impressively independent, the size is just about right and the staff is smart. They are going to begin bringing small press authors in so this excites me. I wish they carried a few more small press titles but they'll order anything with no obligation. Cant beat that.
-
Review from John H.
Davis, CA
1/4/2009
I didn't have the same sense that the bookstore was understocked that many of the reviewers seem to have had. Maybe AR has upped its inventory, or maybe I was just delighted to see lots of new books after spending an afternoon in used-only establishments. It seems to be a serviceable independent general book store that sells new books - perhaps the only one of its kind in Sacramento, a city of nearly half a million people. I'd be reluctant to slag it off too much.
-
Review from Johny C.
Sacramento, CA
5/12/2011
This place is great for those with a childrens book in mind. Otherwise, the adult section is rather...small. However, if they dont have the book you want in stock, they will gladly ordeer it, which is convenient.
-
Review from Happy C.
Sacramento, CA
5/30/2008
I'm SO happy to have an independent bookstore in town so I can avoid stupid Borders like the plague that it is. I agree it doesn't have everything. Neither does Borders. But, like any good book geek, I love a bookstore for readers-by readers, and only independents fit that bill. If I want something obscure, they'll order it and have it pretty quickly, or, if I'm desperate for instant gratification, Amazon is always there as a backup. Plus, although I feel guilty for speaking an ill word against Tower, I have to admit it is significantly...cleaner. The children's section is excellent, good local things, and while not as many periodicals/papers as Tower, definitely a good selection.
