What makes a good bookstore? A wide selection of titles, of course, a knowledgeable staff, a solid roster of literary events, that bookstore smell — all mandatory. But these shops, including some exceptional new players on the scene, made The Boston Globe‘s Best of the Best list because they offer something extra, whether it’s the serendipity of browsing through rows upon rows of worn titles, a special tie to the community, or an exceptionally cozy cafe. Bookmark away. (Afterward, grab a quick bite for $20 or less.)
Brattle Book Shop
Brattle Book Shop Carlin Stiehl for the Boston Globe/File
This 200-year-old antiquarian bookseller is crammed, top to bottom, with rare and secondhand titles. You could spend hours inside thumbing the creased spines of thrillers, romances, and classics, or in the adjoining alley outside the store, hunting for $1 and $3 deals on the shelves. The Brattle made a cameo in the Oscar-winning movie The Holdovers, starring Paul Giamatti as a classics teacher, filmed flipping through the stacks. Giamatti was apparently so enamored with the bookstore that he returned later to do some shopping off-camera.
Address:
9 West Street, Downtown
Phone:
Find online:
Brookline Booksmith
Brookline Booksmith Ellen Johnson
No Boston book lover needs to be told about six-plus-decade-old Brookline Booksmith — it’s beloved for a reason. It’s huge, with more than 50,000 books including the used book cellar, and holds stellar events in-store or across the street at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Buy a book recommended by the veteran staff or a gift from the way-above-average bookstore tchotchke section. Then hit the cellar and join the people standing, heads cocked, scanning the classics bookcase for something they’ve been meaning to read.
Address:
279 Harvard Street, Brookline
Phone:
617-566-6660
Find online:
Frugal Bookstore
Frugal Bookstore Erin Clark/Globe staff/File
In the heart of Roxbury, Frugal is the place to buy popular anti-racist titles, deep dives into the history of the African diaspora, and children’s books that feature characters of color. Come for the readings with poets and thinkers, then stay for the expansive clearance section. Frugal also regularly hosts clothing drives, library story times, and book club meetups for the community.
Address:
57 Warren Street, Roxbury
Phone:
Find online:
frugalbookstore.nethttps://apps.bostonglobe.com/magazine/graphics/2025/07/boston-botb-article-recirc-2025-food/dist/index.html?loader=true&initialWidth=1101&windowHeight=911&parentTitle=Want%2520nonfiction%2520books%252C%2520fiction%2520and%2520more%253F%2520The%2520best%2520Boston%2520bookstores&parentUrl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.bostonglobe.com%252F2025%252F07%252F09%252Fmagazine%252Fnonfiction-books-boston-bookstores%252F
Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store Michael Casey
No, this 93-year-old stalwart is not affiliated with the Ivy League school across the street that shares its name. But the 5,500-square-foot shop — co-owned by John Henry, owner of the Globe — still has a hallowed, scholarly feel, thanks to floor-to-nearly-ceiling shelves packed with bestsellers, academic titles, and much more. For extra credit, catch a big-name author doing a reading near the sizable children’s section, or descend into the used book cellar, where the walls are festooned with bookmarks and other relics discovered inside pre-loved titles.
Address:
1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Phone:
Find online:
JustBook-ish
Lane Turner/Globe staff
It’s easy to spend an afternoon in the cushioned window nooks at this Dorchester bookshop cafe, the brainchild of former Boston poet laureate Porsha Olayiwola. Its collection — a curated hodgepodge of fiction, philosophy, and children’s books — is a celebration of writers of color whose work “challenges political paradigms.” Not in the mood to read? Swing by for a poetry open mic that goes well into the evening.
Address:
1463 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
Phone:
Find online:
Katherine Small Gallery
Katherine Small Gallery
Devoted to graphic design and typography, this bright and tiny bookstore/art space is curated by designer and proprietor Michael Russem, who brings an eye for the elegant to a selection of books you won’t find elsewhere — such as a gorgeous Soviet-era children’s book collection of typographic messages of protest, or a colorful look at the lunar cycle. It’s a singular jewel on the Boston bookstore scene.
Address:
108 Beacon Street, Somerville
Phone:
Find online:
Lovestruck Books
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff
The primary feeling sparked by Harvard Square’s Lovestruck Books is joy. The joy of a quiet patio, tucked under a cheerful floral trellis, offering space for conversation and coffee (or wine and charcuterie). The joy of a selection curated to both its core audience and general readers — there’s Emily Henry and Alice Walker on these shelves. Among romance’s core tenets is the HEA — happily ever after — and Lovestruck delivers.
Address:
44 Brattle Street, Cambridge
Phone:
Find online:
More Than Words
More Than Words
Tucked near Chinatown, the industrial South End storefront is a treasure trove of leather-bound finds (in the back), carts of $1 used paperbacks (outside), and the usual slate of new releases (everywhere else). Each purchase benefits underprivileged youth from foster care or those coming out of the court system, who also help run and manage the $4 million enterprise. The shop has a second location in Waltham.
Address:
242 East Berkeley Street, South End
Phone:
617-674-5565
Find online:
Related: See the 2024 list: These are the 8 best bookstores around Boston
Papercuts Bookshop
Papercuts Bookshop
Behind Papercuts’ unmissable lavender front door is a nook piled high with feminist literature and buzzing with uber-friendly staff. The woman-owned bookshop in Jamaica Plain offers an unmatched lineup of events with female and queer authors. Plus, it runs the indie Cutlass Press (with several in-house titles available for purchase) and sells adorable merch emblazoned with the Orange Line and Papercuts’ signature chickadee.
Address:
60 South Street, Jamaica Plain
Phone:
617-522-3404
Find online:
papercutsjp.comhttps://apps.bostonglobe.com/magazine/graphics/2025/07/boston-botb-article-recirc-2025/dist/index.html?loader=true&initialWidth=1101&windowHeight=911&parentTitle=Want%2520nonfiction%2520books%252C%2520fiction%2520and%2520more%253F%2520The%2520best%2520Boston%2520bookstores&parentUrl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.bostonglobe.com%252F2025%252F07%252F09%252Fmagazine%252Fnonfiction-books-boston-bookstores%252F
Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books
We miss the slightly shabby old Porter Square Books location, but the newer, shinier store on the Lesley University campus is still a delight: a menagerie of trinkets, cards, and, of course, books. You’ll find handpicked reads, new releases, and themed sections that rotate regularly. Many of the staff are writers themselves and give fantastic recommendations. Oh, and the store offers complimentary gift wrapping. (PSB also has a second location in the Seaport.)
Address:
1815 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Phone:
Find online:
