Subtext Books

Lovely little bookstore downtown St. Paul. Small, but good selection of new and used books. Well organized, appreciated the employee recommendations. Nice alternative to chain stores!

Cozy and personal, this bookstore was a delight to go in! Loved the handwritten notes on shelves from customers and staff giving recommendations or thoughts on the books they've read. The lady behind the counter was so thoughtful and kind -- she knew so many of the books by heart and was amazing at helping me find a book to fit my wants. She was also ridiculously sweet to my daughter, who was celebrating her birthday that day!

I love independent booksellers. I wish I wasn't so enamored of my Kindle. The bookstore has a large selection of a wide cross section of genres. Something for everyone!

Quiet, cozy, intimate, great book selection. Everything you want in a local bookshop.

Love this quaint book store! Stumbled across it near the Ordway. Person at the register was so friendly and it's just a perfect place to stop for some books.

The sweetest little neighborhood bookstore. Good used section. The nicest workers.

Amazing neighborhood bookstore. Lots of charm, good selection, excellent staff recommendations, and fun place to go.

And, reminder that they can order books for you!

I was visiting Minneapolis/St. Paul this past week for work and I wanted to check out this locally owned bookstore. I originally arrived after store hours and the bookstore was closed. I ran into the owner (?) and she graciously reopened the store so that I could browse. We were able to chat about books and I was able to pick up a few books. Fantastic customer service (one of the best I've had in a very long time) and the owner's knowledge of books is unmatched. Highly recommend if you live in the Twin Cities!

Went to a book reading here. I found myself admiring the great book selection during the reading. In addition my daughter amused herself in the kids section. The staff was friendly and personable.

fun little bookstore with a great vibe. make sure to bring a couple quarters for the poetry machine in the back!

Sue is incredibly knowledgeable, generous of kindness, and a spark in any conversation, book related or not. We appreciate always our time spent here at Subtext Books, and so happy they are able to serve the surrounding community and beyond.

We were tourists visiting the downtown St. Paul area and lucked out on this find. Book stores have absolutely lovely vibes about them, even though I don't read as much as I used to, and this one was no different. We interacted with Sue at the counter and she was delightful to our whole group of seven people. I actually picked up a new fantasy series thanks to one of her recommendation notes, but I haven't yet started it. In any case, we felt super welcome and it was all a great time. Support indie bookstores.

The best bookstore in the Twin Cities. Cozy, great collection, excellent staff picks, and one of the kindest, most knowledgeable, and delightful staff I have ever had the pleasure to talk to. If I'm buying a book, this is where I go.

Have been twice so far. Got to hear a new release reading and signing with the author. Parking is pay in the area but plenty available on non-sports days. Patrick was a kind host, clearly passionate about making this a lively little escape for book casuals and avid readers.

I'm a huge fan of Booksellers Choice which make an excellent gift! You are supposed to submit things a person likes to read or favorite books/authors and they will select a title, but I prefer to provide random facts about a person and then have them select 3 titles. They hit it out of the park every time and it's such a fun gift!

This is such a fun bookstore and the staff are very nice. The selection here is broad considering the actual size of the store. What is also good is that they have a surprisingly wide variety of titles they can order for you, and they can do it in person or you can order online, although there are some titles that need to be delivered to the store.

The atmosphere is very relaxed and it's fun to come in, browse and use the sitting area to read for a bit and "take a test drive" before buying. The folks who work there are very knowledgeable about their selection and have great recommendations, even when you don't have anything in particular in mind. Everybody is vaccinated and wear masks anyway as a courtesy.

Lovely little out of the way bookstore with a nice selection and helpful staff. Picked up a new copy of Good Omens to replace my old one that mysteriously disappeared.

I love this place. They always have a great new selection, and they have a lot of used books you can buy in bulk--handy if you or someone you know reads fast. If you are a local, I highly recommend joining their rewards program. Every 10 books you get a reward. The owner is a book matchmaker. If you don't know what to get, she can match you with the perfect book if you describe things you like or how you want to feel. Every book she has recommended to me has been spot on. I love supporting this bookstore.

Friendly staff and enticing book reviews...I went in for a gift purchase and after reading Matt's reviews I ended up with a great read for myself too. Handy store for cards, so on my last visit bought gorgeous embroidered hand towels that are so colorful and cheerful! Subtext Books supports local writers and they are worth checking out.

Fantastic book shop nestled in St. Paul's downtown - helpful staff and the perfect size for a bookshop. I appreciate the curated book picks to guide your reading journey.
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