Tacoma Book Center

Lots of books and a great selection. But overpriced for a used bookstore. And the books are not as organized as they could be.

Best bookstore north of Powells, hell best bookstore other than Powells. They are very selective about the titles they buy so its got good books. Like their emphasis on local authors like Richard Brautigan. They need the traditional book shop kitty though.

If you are the slightest bit claustrophobic, don’t go in here! I like the idea of a lot of books to choose from but not to the point that it is that dark and cluttered. I was very uncomfortable but if you like getting lost in a maze of books, this is the place for you!

I had the chance to pop by today and thought this place was incredible! Like other reviewers have said, this place holds a lot more books than you’d think from judging on the outside. As far as I could tell, most books are priced ½ off what the list price was new. (For instance, a $ 10 paperback might sell for $ 5.) A fun place worth checking out.

Like the Tardis, it’s bigger on the inside!
This used bookstore is a hidden treasure near downtown Tacoma. It’s unassuming exterior hides a great selection of books of all types, and also some movies. If you enjoy reading and want a great deal on a book, this should be your first stop.

It’s worth a trip to Tacoma to see this place. It may not look like much from the outside, but it’s huge. There’s a lot more titles here than you’re going to find anywhere else north of Portland. Prices usually beat Amazon. The only subject I couldn’t find here was Canadian politics. Everything else though, they’ve got.
They’ve got a lot of out of print and rare items, lots of books from overseas. Lots of local authors.
It’s not as big as Powell’s, but it’s bigger than anything in WA.

I actually wasn’t really a fan of this place! I was really excited to check it out, but found it very hard to navigate. When I asked where I could find a specific genre, the employee gave me some vague directions about it being near some «steps.» The shelves are not clearly labeled either. For how huge this place is, I think they need better signage or customer service, or both. The books weren’t that great of a deal either. I was a little let down.

Books books and even MORE books! plenty of books here– yes, there are still book stores around! This is a very good one with a HUGE selection and very nice staff here.
I found a couple books I was looking for, one by Herbert W. Armstong so went and got them, I personally prefer real books then books on the Kindal or whatever on the tablet.
If your looking for books at a good price, you need to head over to Tacoma! This store is pretty much next door to the Tacoma Dome.

HUGE store. Everything is sorted for the most part. I’m impressed with how many books they have it is organized pretty decently. The employees are never afraid to let you know where sections are and encourage browsing if you enjoy it! Outside the store there are 3 carts all books overflowing from them are $ 0.25 each. $ 1 books are also available in the very front of the store.
Once I thought how big the store was, I was surprised to know it has another end. Almost got lost once. It was a fun adventure.

I was driving around Tacoma, saw a sign, followed it, and hours later, was still rummaging among the stacks in this oddly organized, unassuming heaven. No used bookstore I’ve seen in Seattle comes even close to the selection and great prices you’ll find here.
Well worth the drive south.

I normally only read the back of cereal boxes, soup cans, and shampoo bottles, however, today was odd. I decided to drive from Portland to visit as many libraries possible in a span of 4 hours. So far, one. I’m really glad I found this place. Although, I did think this area was Seattle. I like pizza.

Just got back from here and WOW. I was just amazed at how much was inside. Looking from the outside. this place doesn’t seem that huge. but like that old saying, «Don’t judge a book by it’s cover»… this place sure packs in A LOT! Seems like endless miles and miles of books everywhere… going in every direction. I literally could get lost and spends hours and hours here looking through every nook and cranny to find a treasure. The rows are a bit tight. and being that I have a bit of claustrophobia it can seem overwhelming, but this is still a great USED book store. I highly suggest bringing a bag with you to carry your haul of books I’m sure you’ll find here!
**A word of warning tho: Don’t bring a backpack or big bag/​purse… you’ll have to check that in at the counter!**

Thousands of books. Sometimes hard to figure out where the books are that you want… it would be awesome if they had printed maps like at Powells. Even a map on the wall would be awesome.

What a gem.
I did not know this was in Tacoma.
It’s like stepping into something on Diagon Alley. Is Ollivanders Wand Shop close buy? Dropped in on a cold fall evening only to see what they had. Ended up shoving myself in a dark corner surrounded by books for an hour and a half. Truly an awesome place. And I ended up walking out with a $ 2 spanish dictionary for school! Take that B&N!!!

This store has every book — in the world!
Ok maybe not every book, but truly ½ million books. And the guy knows where every single book is located in his store in the blink of an eye!
By the way, I forgot to pick the 4^th book in the McMurtry’s Barrybender series — could you send it to me?

well… It’s a used bookstore. All the things us book-​adicts have come to expect… large wooden shelving, narrow isles, stacks of books, a valiant attempt to organize seems to have been made, and of course, that unforgettable old book smell.
Normally, I’m nothing but a fan of used bookstores. I’m a bit of a book junky, so if I can get my fix on the cheap I’m always happy… but…
This being Tacompton, they’ve found a way to make me want to stay away. For one, it’s the only bookstore in which I felt like I was an outsider. To start with, the proprietor was sitting in a lawn chair in the parking lot selling spots for the evening’s event at the Tacoma Dome. I’m not a fan of it, but it’s normally no big deal, but I wanted to get my book fix, then get a hamburger next door, too, and I was told if I left the bookstore I would have to leave the parking lot. Greedy old bastard cost his neighbors business as there was no way I was making a left to go next door in Dome traffic, so bookless, I drove to Frisko Freeze instead.
Thus far I’ve found little merit in Tacoma’s used book community, but if you absolutely must visit a used bookstore here, I’d recommend the one by Wright’s Park.

I just realized that I have not reviewed this place, and I really should have.
This place might be a little hard to navigate, but they have such a huge variety, that it makes it well worth the trip.
I’ve sold books, and they’ve been very fair in the trade.
We took our kids here several times over the summer, our whole family would always leave with something, and we’d leave very happy with our purchases.
I like to check out other book stores, but I always find myself right back here.
I love it, crammed packed and all.

After paying a visit to LeMay-America’s Car Museum, I noticed the funky warehouse-​like building called the Tacoma Book Center which stated it had over 1 million books inside. Not knowing what to expect, my curiosity got the best of me and I entered the business. Half a hour later I walk out with two books and I make a mental note to favorably review this place on Unilocal later!
That old expression «never judge a book by its cover» holds true of the Tacoma Book Center. The outside of the building makes it appear as if these guys sell nothing but crappy romance and science fiction novels but inside you realize immediately that this is not the case. There are aisles upon aisles of every type of literature you may be interested in. Unlike your typical used bookstore, the Tacoma Book Center has at the very least three shelves full of books on every subject. And the best part is, most of them are in excellent condition and are reasonably priced.
I was won over by the depth of one of my favorite subjects, military history. There is an entire aisle dedicated to World Wars I & II, general military history, Vietnam, espionage & counter-​intelligence! It figures that since Boeing is not too far away that there would also be a large section on aviation, both civil and military! But these are just a few subjects that interest me as there was plenty of other stuff to check out here too!
The building is spacious enough that you can easily get lost walking down certain aisles. If you come here with friends or family then you better rely on an arranged time to meet at the front! That being said allow 30 – 45 minutes to browse here because the Tacoma Book Center is an epic used bookstore.

We hadn’t heard of this bookstore until we drove by it en route to the nearby car museum. We stopped here after our museum visit —
This place is deceptively huge! 5000 square feet – it is jam packed with shelves of books on every topic under the sun. It is clean and well lit despite its cavernous
interior.
It’s probably best to go here in the morning when you are well rested since there is SO MUCH to see here. Our energy was a little low by the time we entered the museum around 2pm but maybe that is just as well.
I focused on the music selection and found several songbooks, harmonica instruction and recorder instruction. I must be an optimist who thinks she can still learn to play those instruments.
Nice staff, great selection, great prices!

King’s has my heart, but I always have more love to share. That love I share with Tacoma Book Center. It’s HUGE. Big wooden shelves much higher than your head, overflowing with books. The smell of the place. Mmmm. I can’t leave without at least two books.
They have a huge selection in every genre. Excellent variety of children’s books, including favorites from our childhoods.
Super cheap.
A great place to spend a rainy afternoon.