Brazos Bookstore

Lovely place, helpful staff, best of the best books, great kids section. Support your local bookstore, come here instead of Barnes & Noble/​Amazon you’ll find great gems you won’t over there. :)

Charming, locally owned bookstore. Great fiction section and lots of great ideas for gifts for the holidays for your favorite bibliophiles!

One of the last real bookstores left in the city! The staff is very helpful and ready to give excellent suggestions.

After 3 years away, I’m back in Houston stopping by the old haunts– Brazos holds up as a very personal, well selected book shop that I could spend hours in despite its deceivingly small size relative to big box bookstores. This time was a quicker trip with a focus on the children’s section. They have a good smattering of classics (I picked up the Stinky Cheese Man) but they had so many really beautiful and whimsical other books as well. They also had a shelf dedicated to baby shower ideas, which I thought was nice. Can’t wait to get back to grab a new book for me!

Most bookstores are too obscure in selection or tote the opposite, and structure to be big-​box, corporate. Brazos has an expertly curated collection that will keep me coming back for more. Cannot wait to finish the book I picked up, so I can select my next read.

I am a book lover, and this little independent bookshop was heavenly! I loved that the staff placed cards around the shop describing their favorite selections… the people who work here don’t *just* work with books. They read them and know them, too! I appreciate that the selection is more curated than just the week’s best-​seller. Rather, they showcase titles that might go entirely unnoticed in a big chain store. I shall return!

Who: boyfriend & I
When: Tues. afternoon
Where: Upper Kirby, Bissonnet St
What: Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon (~$ 12)
Why: In a city where bigger is better, I am so grateful for Brazos Bookstore. Judging by the outside, it is surprisingly large, comfy, and beautifully laid out inside. The staff is friendly, courteous, and knowledgable. This smaller bookstore does a great job of highlighting lesser known publications while stocking the well-​known, as well as nerd-​chic accessories (journals, pens, mugs, tote bags, etc.), making it a great place to find gifts. I could have purchased Steal Like an Artist online at Amazon for nearly half the price, but I chose to buy it at Brazos because it was the perfect surprise for my boyfriend to wrap up our date at this bookstore.

I come here every couple of months to buy a gift or to just peruse. It’s a lovely space and the staff is always very nice and helpful. I love their art book selection. Their graphic novels selection is small but high quality. I wish there were more Spanish language books for adults or kids. Houston is an incredibly diverse city, but Spanish is definitely the second most spoken language here and though it’s a small book store I think it would make a difference. Also, wish there was more diversity in the staff!
PS
Besides the book store being great, you can also order books through their website (aka not through Amazon) which I have done in the past and have been very satisfied with. You can even buy ebooks on their site.
Will come back again and again.

A fantastic little bookstore — it’s like time-​travelling to the 1990’s! They host events with some big-​name authors (Junot Diaz, Gary Shteyngart, etc.), which is a great way to get a more intimate experience with some of your literary idols, as compared with some of the larger readings in Houston. Even though their floor space is limited, I think they have a strong inventory — and the handwritten cards from staff about their recommendations are always helpful. They also have a nice selection of cards and gifts for book lovers. I always feel good about spending my money here!

Ein tolles Buchhändler in Houston seit Jahrzehnte.
(Leider haben sie keine Bücher auf deutsch!)
Brazos Bookstore es una librería orgullosamente independiente.
¡Tienen atención al cliente excelente!
Si buscas algo inusual Brazos Bookstore puede pedir libros y llamar cuando llegan.
Sea para niños o adultos esta librería es una joya.

With the ability to get cheap books online nowadays, some people find it difficult to understand the appeal of independent bookstores. To me, what makes a really good independent bookstore is a good Staff Picks section, and Brazos Bookstore definitely has that. In general, they have a good selection of books and I like the way it is organized. The staff is very friendly and helpful as well. It kind of has the same vibe as BookPeople in Ausitn, so if you liked that store, you’ll like this one!

As a student at the University of Texas, one of my favorite Friday afternoon activities was going to Book People on Lamar to peruse the staff fiction picks and ultimately walk out of the store with a heavier back pack and a lighter wallet. I have read many great books that I otherwise would have not picked up had it not been for the insightful BP staff.
Upon moving to Houston, I was concerned that I would not find an independent bookstore that measures up to BP in Austin.
My fear has been put to rest with the discovery of Brazos Bookstore.
The staff are friendly and passionate about their literature I must say! The staff pick section is very full, and the rest of the store has shelves of interesting books by less mainstream authors.
My first trip to the store was prompted by a current promotion called «blind date with a book» — a selection of titles are individually wrapped up and each book has a staff review written by hand on the outside of the wrapping paper — you don’t know the author or the book, just a genre and a short description. I think that this is a fantastic idea and I ended up buying two! Super exhilarating!
I have a feeling that this will become one of my favorite places in Houston.

Stopped in to pick up tickets for Terry McMillan’s Book Review/​Reading sponsored by Brazos… very helpful staff… I haven’t had a chance to attend but I love that they have a book club… I have read a few books that were recommended by the employees… I have a love affair with books, so I’ll be back very soon!

I honestly hope this business is around for a long time. It maintains its status of being one of the best independent bookstores in Houston, with a nice selection and friendly staff. Being a bit of a Herge fan myself, I am also pleased to usually find at least one of my beloved Tintin books in the back for an extra treat. A honest little nook of a bookstore.

I never thought that I liked «books» but I do. I love the smell of them and the crispness of them when there new. now do I care to read them. no, but I could use a bookstore scented wallflower!
Jeremy Ellis is the store manager and he is super cool. If you love bearded men, this is the bookstore for you. They lady didn’t have a beard, so if you like ladies with out beards, I guess this would be your kind of place too!

Simply put, this is one of the best independent bookshops in America. The staff is extremely well read, so they are very capable of giving excellent recommendations. The poetry section is unlike any I’ve seen. They have small volumes of self-​published and small press work that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. The atmosphere is quite welcoming and unique with a wolf’s head of books greeting you upon entering the shop. I traveled to Houston for work about once a month for two years and this was always a stop I needed to make before leaving.

I’ll admit it – I’m a Kindle owner and an avid Amazon shopper. But I have to say that after coming in here, I do get why independent bookstores like these are still important.
I came in here looking for a copy of Houston, It’s Worth It and found a treasure trove of other books about Houston and Galveston (there was an interesting one about Glenwood Cemetery, as well as as a book about old black and white pictures of historic Galveston mansions). They have a nice arrangement of art, history, and architecture books that are well-​curated and easy to get lost in. Their magazine section contained plenty of quirky ones that I’ve never heard of (I guess I won’t find the National Enquirer or Tiger Beat in here…), and they even had a children’s section in its own room in the back. Their staff picks are prominently displayed as soon as you enter the store and don’t seem to be whatever’s on the bestseller’s list — just good books that they think people should read.
The store itself is small (it’s not a Barnes & Noble, that’s for sure) but it’s bright and cheerful in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a library and shouldn’t be talking too loud. The staff are friendly and helpful, and, after conversing with my friend who had tagged along with me about several novels I’ve never read, convinced him to join their monthly book club since he would obviously enjoy it (sigh, nerds…)
As the staff member rung up my copy of Houston It’s Worth It (or HIWI, pronounced high-​why, as he called it), he turned to me and said «It’s definitely worth it.»
Why, yes indeed.

Huh… BookCourt, my favorite bookstore in Brooklyn, appears to have a twin in Houston, with the same kinds of readings, patrons books and layout. Who knew?

Threatened by closer, this place stayed open when a group of people decided to purchase the store and give it a make over. Now the place is very open, lots of room to browse around. It still has a homy, cozy vibe that I love with independent book sores. The people working the counter are very friendly, and it is clear from the moment you walk in there are regulars here that converse and are taken care of by the staff. Though they do not ignore new people that come into the store as well.
There is a selection of staff favorites, a small rare first editions case, a large home, gardening, and cooking selections, and of coarse fiction. Me, I am a fiction novel freak. The fiction selection here is a bit on the skimpy side for my tastes. Though they will help you find anything and order anything as well. You can’t go wrong with first editions of Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian or Joseph Heller’s Catch-​22 though.
Overall, I really do like this store. I mostly see new releases, which are a bit more pricy than say the same book used at Kaboom or Half Price. Though that is miner. Still an excellent book store.

So let’s take another look at Brazos Books. Quite a few changes have taken place since my last review. People have come and gone, the bookstore rearranged, a new on-​line posting.
I have heard voices raised in dismay. It seems human nature runs true-​we don’t tolerate change very well. Especially when it comes to something as beloved and familiar as our Brazos Books.
I am trying to be objective in wading through the pros and cons. I admit my own dismay at the total make-​over of the store. Gone is the cozy, libraryish feel. The sit down a while, linger, enjoy a cup of tea and browse a book (well not really tea, it just felt that way). Now the feel is slicker, hipper, edgier. Not quite as warm. But I have to say the children’s/juvenile lit room was way overdue for some attention and it is really refreshing and inviting. Before it was a mishmash as if everything had just been tossed into the room. If you were serious about looking for something you had to wade in and start digging. I always got the feeling it was only a nod to children but not a serious attempt to attract that market. For myself it was a serious oversight and slight.
I also liked the original staff. Very, very helpful, friendly. Well-​read and could recommend or advise on demand. But alas they fell by the wayside one by one. I was always a bit sad to walk in and discover they hadn’t been on vacation or had a day off. They were gone! I have discovered some at other places local and enjoy their continued help and knowledge in books.
I have to say I understand that in the cutthroat world of books and dog-​eat-​dog business world one must do their level best to bring in what will appeal to the largest market. I travel extensively and have seen many small, local bookstores. Brazos Books is trying to reimagine itself as a modern, younger place to attract the younger people. And they are right to try because obviously that is the future business that will keep it open long after I am a memory. But really what everyone should realize is that you live or die by reputation. Not by whether you had the hippest blog with all the latest catchphrases and obsure books. Not that your store was spare and slick. Instead of tea perhaps a glass of champagne while you browse?(Well, that’s not half so bad either come to think of it!)
Nope what will keep Brazos Books going is good books, a larger selection of magazines and news papers (just thought I would throw that in if anyone is listening) and super friendly, super efficient, super knowledgeable staff. So far (even though I truly miss my familiar faces) I cannot complain about the people I have met. I am willing to give all this change a chance. If the staff is up for the challenge and keep their smiling gameface on they just might win over all the discontented doubters.
I though will have a harder time w/​the on-​line blog which seems only to cater to a much younger set. It would be nice if they could reset the tone to be more all-​inclusive of all age groups.

If you are looking for the best independent bookstore in Houston, look no further.
Houston is lacking in independent bookstores. Sterile chains put together using a marketing formula are the norm. Obligatory coffee shop, Information Desk behind which staff members have to refer to a computer for book recommendations, homogeneous music is piped over the tiny, hidden speakers. You won’t find this at Brazos. Thank goodness!
I’ve meant to stop by here for quite a while. Oddly enough, I forget about it; it’s on an awkward part of Bissonnet. I finally made it here about a week ago; I was on the quest for a book that is sold out almost everywhere in Houston. This was stop four on the quest of six stores.
There was a author talk the evening I visited, with a nice-​sized crowd of about twenty or thirty people. They ALL turned to look at me as I entered the store. Lovely.
The employee was really nice and helpful, but alas, no book. As he looked up when the books would arrive (they were already on back order) I looked at a few of the display tables. Almost everything I read the back of looked interesting. A whole table and surrounding section of employee favorites. I didn’t have the chance to browse around the store much, but almost did anyway out of curiosity and a little spite. (The twenty to thirty people kept eyeballing me every time I whispered something to the employee.)