This location is conveniently near restaurants in the Valley River Center area Theres a great children section where children can freely go find a book they like and look at it. This place has a little something for everyone when it comes to books. I called on the phone asking for a specific file they told me over the phone they had it both in new and used when I got in there they didnt have either the new or the used but wanted to charge me $6 to order it online and then wait for it I told them thats not what you said on the phone bait and switch is what this place didīooks, books and more books. I placed an order Thursday or Friday, it was supposed to be there in 5-8 -business- days, and was in by Tuesday with a friendly phone call by a person (not some robot) in the early afternoon, like it always tends to be. I also know that everytime I go there I can check out their game section which I enjoy.Īlways clean, very helpful staff, selection is well organized, and ordering books from there is a snap. I like that B&N has a raised Cafe in the back of the store with nice seating.
Going into a book store to me is a great experience because it means that you get to explore the many different sections for something new, its a kind of browsing that you cannot do on the internet. The staff is very knowledge and eager to help you find what youre looking for. That said, certain in-store deals and promotions are a good way to get a comparable price. Unfortunately the prices here are pretty high in comparison to Amazon, Right Stuff, and places such as the online Crunchyroll store. I like manga/anime so this is the perfect place to check out a variety of new titles. until the inevitable unsupervised brat starts beating the crap out of the toys for 20 minutes, anyway. Still, though, it can be nice to take a plush chair with a book for a while. but then again, I go to this place, see the surprisingly limited selection, and am quickly reminded why Amazon is the beast it is today. Its been a sad thing for me, witnessing the decline of books in society. An in store Starbucks makes it extra tempting to spend an entire morning here searching for that perfect book. Go and snuggle up with your little while you hang in their cozy book nook or take a moment to browse for yourself while the littles play with their pretty awesome Thomas brand train table for kids. Throw in the ubiquitous elderly person who thinks they have to scream into their cell phone to be heard and you have a place that is no good for just trying to relax with some coffee and something to read and more like sitting it the middle of a mall.Īesthetically, its pretty much just like every other Barnes & Noble however, their kids section edges out most of the book stores in town. Granted, a lot of the toys are educational in nature but they also have a lot of cheap stuff from China thats packed onto the shelves. The toy section is massive and incredibly overpriced and every time I come here it seems like its gotten a little bit bigger and more cluttered. There are electronic toys everywhere beeping and talking and little kids everywhere who keep them beeping and talking. As a result, Barnes & Noble (or at least this Barnes & Noble) is more of a toy and electronics store than anything else. Ebooks, video on demand, Redbox, Google play, etc have nearly made a book store an anachronism. The problem is that this place has had to try to remain relevant in a digital world.
It was pretty busy in here with a lot of people but that wasnt the problem. I came here for a quiet place to study and read but didnt find it.