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May 2024 by Johan Lorenzen
Incredible selection of used books on race and politics and much more.
Wonderful staff.
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April 2024 by Abigail Aragon
Always a great selection of new and used books. Staff picks are well curated
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April 2024 by Arthur Glauberman
Spectator Books has a fabulous selection of new and used books. The store has many little rooms and feels both welcoming and challenging since there are so many different kinds of books to examine. It’s very possible to literally spend hours reading and exploring in this delightful bookstore.
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April 2024 by Sam Scheffler
Really cozy and well-organized bookstore that fits a lot into a small space. A favorite to stop into when we’re in the area
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April 2024 by Altay Hagverdiyev
Avoid this place if you expect any level of respectful customer service. Absolutely appalling service at this bookstore. I asked about purchasing old books for my library and was rudely brushed off by the staff who insensitively mistook my intentions for seeking donations. The staff was dismissive, refusing to listen and instead chose to repeatedly interrupt me with the same misguided assumptions. This is no way to run a bookstore; their blatant rudeness and lack of professionalism were shocking.
***Update Following Store’s Response:
-Your response clearly uses the language barrier excuse to deflect from your rudeness, a tactic that feels discriminatory, especially given the subtle judgment based on my name. This evasion not only highlights a deeper issue of prejudice within your establishment but also unfairly insinuates to other readers that my language skills are lacking because of my name. This clearly shows that the problem isn’t just poor customer service, but an underlying discriminatory attitude.
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March 2024 by Richard Haig
Love this bookshop. Best one in the area. And with the frequent customer card, they’ve incentivized me to be loyal!
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March 2024 by Richard H.
Best local bookshop! They've got a great selection and are always friendly. The frequent customer punch card is a nice incentive to be loyal.
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January 2024 by dhawan g.
The staff is very helpful. They have an amazing collection of children's books and the ww2 selection was great. I'm glad I got a book on General Patton and the battle of the bulge. The pricing was very reasonable and just an absolute delight seeing so many books in such packed shelves. Just an amazing experience. We must support more such indie bookstores. It's 70 mile drive for me but well worth the effort.
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January 2024 by John Miottel
I love this book store for personal and gift buying. Incredible depth and breadth of available new and used books. Very well curated and organized.
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January 2024 by Charles Johnson
More please :) get a ?️ calendar @Least! Looking forward to my next visit.
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December 2023 by Patrick Brennan
What a wonderful store full of amazingly thorough genre sections and helpful staff.
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December 2023 by Ella G.
My favorite bookstore in Oakland!! They have a great selection of both new and used, including mainstream titles and a more curated variety. They've got wonderful literary fiction, fantasy/sci fi, and art books in particular. I love the layout of the store; it's easy to navigate and the signage is very fun and personalized. The staff picks area is always great as well, and they are friendly and helpful, always offering to special order titles when possible. The back room of children's books is fantastic and so much fun to browse. The nice thing about Spectator is they also stock cards, wrapping paper, stickers, pins, and other great gift items (that don't feel like filler--you can tell they are thoughtful about what else they bring in). Their Christmas/holiday card selection is always stellar. Plus they carry vintage postcards, etc. I find that their used books are priced very fairly and I also love that they offer a punch card reward system--$10 store credit for every $100 spent! I've been going to Spectator my whole life and I really appreciate the direction that Stacie has taken the shop in during recent years. It is so vibrant, welcoming, and well maintained. I am so happy to have the option of buying books at a brick and mortar like Spectator--please shop small!
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December 2023 by Grace C.
I was visiting Oakland and realized I needed a book for book club and found this shop on accident (Thank You Google Maps) I really loved the clear labeling of sections of genres and that the shop is deep, it felt like a pleasant surprise as I was exploring and found the 2nd and 3rd rooms. Something that I thought was cool is that this shop also sells new books in addition to reasonably priced used books! They have cute knickknacks like magnets, greeting cards, stationary, and bookmarks. I saw a selection of tarot cards that looked interesting! Unfortunately, I only packed a carry-on otherwise I would have come back with a lot more!! Oh and finally they have a punch card where they punch out for every $10 you spend pretax and you get $10 off when it's full. I love that, especially if I lived in the neighborhood!!
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November 2023 by Flicker/Bas Ob
Phenomenal little bookstore. I was worried that the shop would be too small/narrow for my rollater walker, but I can squeeze through just fine. Larger/wider wheelchairs may be an issue, but I'm sure the folks inside would be happy to help-- the staff here is incredibly kind and accommodating. They also offer punch cards for regular patrons!
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November 2023 by Ro
Such a cute shop but unfortunately kept by extremely rude staff. I walked into this shop with my partner and was so excited to explore this shop, but was quickly let down. Shopkeepers are entitled white workers who need to check their privilege. As a chicana woman, I am infuriated by white workers who choose to be rude to customers, especially those who are going out of their way to be nice. Check your privilege!! Non-white folk have to work SO hard to act a certain way in work settings and cannot even dream of getting away with the amount of rudeness and dismissiveness that y'all have! SO upsetting!! Definitely not going back here again, regret supporting this shop 100% and will be sharing my thoughts with anyone who brings this bookstore up in conversation. I even overheard the shopkeepers talking about how they were going to put up a sign at the front to just help yourself.... are you serious?? Not a safe space and definitely not a welcoming environment.Check yourself please!
