Books Inc.

Category:	Book Store
Address:	301 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA
Phone:	+1 650-428-1234
Site:	booksinc.net
Rating:	4.3
Working:	9AM–10PM 9AM–10PM 9AM–10PM 9AM–10PM 9AM–10PM 9AM–10PM 9AM–10PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 18

Christine Bui

A few months ago I was studying upstairs at the Cafe Romanza and had run out of note paper. I was happy to find that the bookstore carries 1 notepad, though a little pricey. It was of a good quality so I bought it anyway, plus I needed a notebook for my homework! Now, months later, Im at the same Cafe Romanza upstairs and need a notebook again. The bookstore still stocks the notebooks I like (Moleskine) so I go down to buy one. After I opened it up (its shrink-wrapped), to my horrific surprise I noticed it isnt lined! A second look at the labeling said plain pad! I was scared they wouldnt take back my purchase since I had already torn open the shrink wrap. AND, I noticed a huge gash on the side of the notepad that I hadnt noticed before I bought it. I tried to exchange it for the correct lined notepad anyway. And they gladly took it back! I told him that the shrink wrap was gone (in case he hadnt noticed), but he said it was fine. Thank goodness. I like being in this cafe and I like this bookstore. Now back to work!

Erin Greig

My most favourite location of Books Inc. to visit. Big enough space to circulate without running into other customers. Theres a cute little cafe upstairs to purchase pastries or have them whip something up for you and they have wifi. Theres a room for kids books, most genres of books are split into sections, theres also an area for notebooks and cards, and one more area of nick nacks. The employees here are very friendly, easy to talk with, very knowledgeable, and attentive. After visiting here you can explore the rest of downtown Mountain View, which is an amazing area!

Ivan Yudhi

Had a chance to help a friend promoting his book a few weeks ago. Im really glad in the era of online shopping, there are still book stores that are open. The prices arent that great compared to Amazon, etc, but you just cant replace the feeling of browsing a book in a store. The staff was friendly and even suggested me some books. The store itself is not too big, but feels very cozy. Theres a cafe on the second floor if you want to get caffeine fix while browsing for books. I hope the shop will exist for a long time.

Henry Martin

Walked in this book store and found they have a coffee shop upstairs...how cool is that!? I decided to get 3 princess cakes with almond paste. OOOOO MY GOSH!!!! THEY ARE SOOO GOOD!!!! 5 STARS. The server behind the counter was very timid. For as second I actually thought she did not speak English. Could be she was new. The coffee shop has plenty of seating. Im not sure how the coffee but if its 1/2 as good as the princes cakes I could see myself getting hooked C:

Richard Navarro

Great book store in Mountain View! The staff are very friendly and provide wonderful suggestions and are very knowledgeable of the stores. This is where Googlers can get any books from authors that visited the stores. I love this place for quick book gifts! Pro tip: they offer FREE wrapping for your book gifts! And they do a super awesome job at it too!! Theres a cafe upstairs as well Im a repeat customer and I hope this place NEVER goes away :)

Tyler Richendollar

Great bookstore, but it is somewhat small (theyre moving to a bigger space soon!). There is a second floor with a great little cafe, and the bookstore is probably the best place for postcards and for greeting/birthday cards in Mountain View. Friendly staff, a decent book and magazine selection, a good space for children, and sweet merch make this one of my favorite stops in downtown MV.

Tyler Sheaffer

Theres something magical about a real book that just doesnt come through on my iPad -- feeling the thickness in your hands, watching the pages turn brown -- that connects you with the author in a deeper psychological way. Nice to see such a fantastic little book store not only alive but crowded with young and old in a city filled with technophiles. Service is very friendly.

Sean Hutchinson

A cute little bookstore in downtown Mountain View that offers coffee, books, and a neighborly atmosphere. What they lack in book selection (they typically only have newer or more well known books, not a good place for that niche collectors edition) they make up for in passion. The employees really seem to know their books and want to find the perfect book for you.

Randy F.

Tip: The era of the small, independent bookstore is probably gone in this day of Amazon yet Books, Inc. captures that independent vibe with a smaller footprint, more personal book curation, and low key service. It never feels as big as Borders or Barnes and Noble ever did and while it itself has more than one branch, that is a good thing.

Rion Angeles

This is my favorite bookstore in all of South Bay. It has a small and charming cafe upstairs and the atmosphere is very low key. The book selection is fairly varied with a few more obscure books. The associates are very personable, and I do like the atmosphere of the store area. The lighting isnt overbearing and the store is very clean.

Dave B

Considering the size of the store they have a great selection and will special order pretty much anything you want. The staff recommendation cards on the shelves are well thought out and add a personal touch to the shop. Id rate higher, but Ive never actually gotten coffee there so I cant speak to the service/quality of the cafe.

Thomas Devaux

love this place. I go there at least once a week. Theyre open until 11pm on week-ends, so my wife and I usually land at Books Inc. after dining with friends. They have a decent selection of foreign newspaper as well. And something youll only see in Mountain View bookstores: a section for "Authors at Google"!

Evan Rapoport

Nice place to browse for books and I like the selection they put out on the tables. I would give a better rating for service, but I havent really asked for much help from their employees to see how knowledgeable they are. But I dont recall anyone offering suggestions either, which I do enjoy at a bookstore.

Sameer Ahuja

Small but very well chosen collection of books and stationery. I mostly go here for graphic novels, which occupy a tiny section of the store, but theres an interesting addition or two every time I visit. The in-store coffee shop makes it a great place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Thomas Wysocki

Its a small bookstore which in itself is still a nice find, especially in suburbia, but its the type of books they have, along with their selection of staff recommendations which make me like it so much. Theres also a cafe upstairs which is looks pretty cool.

Lawrence Tom

Scrambling to find kid Christmas gifts the night before. A great little lone survivor book shop. They are well stocked with a little kid section in the bowels of the book store. And, a key thing for us was they were open later then the Los Altos option. Yea.

Raymond Durk

All of the Books Inc locations I have been to have been a good place to pick up popular books. However given its size, you may still need to get lesser known books or specialty items on Amazon. This is the best book store in Mountain View.

Libby Chang

A decent sized bookstore in downtown mountain view. The staff was very friendly and helpful. There is a wide selection of books and gifts. On the second floor loft, there is a small cafe. Its nice to see that these places still exist.