Bookstore Review: Half Price Books (Berkeley)

I am becoming a Northern California person. Meaning, my wife and I have moved many hours up the coast (nothing makes you realize how big your state is driving 6 hours and still not making it all the way to the top) from Southern California to where we are now. Meaning, I could have a lovely day trip to Berkeley, something inconceivable just a few weeks ago, but I digress.

I got to spend a short amount of time in this bookstore and it was lovely. This is a well stocked store. And yet, I didn’t feel overwhelmed. Why? Because it is organized so well. The sections are clearly marked and lots of sections of the store are in these little alcoves, which I enjoyed very much. You can tell what books the people in the area have been reading (some ‘big name books’ like Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez and A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin had at least 5 copies each). This of course also makes you wonder that these books were popular but also given away, says something as well. Just some used bookstore thoughts…

That brings me to the next part: the sheer amount of book donations happening here. There is a whole corner of piles and piles of books that the booksellers hadn’t sorted though. This place is definitely a place where people who love books go. And it makes sense, what is a better place to find books than a bookstore in a college town, where students bring in their books and come out with others (maybe some required reading, like Love in the Time of Cholera perhaps?)

Overall, this bookstore doesn’t have some of the same aesthetic charm of some of the newer bookstores I have seen, but it is part of a family owned chain. I felt like I could spend hours here, and walk away with so many books!

Price: $ (Very very affordable! I was impressed)

Parking: C

Seating/Layout: B

Vibes: B