Astoria Bookshop

Finally made it over here today before heading to a film screening at the Museum of the
Moving Image, which was rather irritatingly and improbably, sold out. Only at such
a museum would a documentary by some obscure director actually sell out, I imagine. A bit cooler was my visit to this bookstore, so at least something went right. As an incurable
bibliophile, book collector, antiquarian, and still an occasional freelance critic/​journalist (mostly fanzines, on horror fantasy fiction, critical work, music, and film, and my
Unilocal ranting and ravings, of course), my assessment is that Astoria Bookshop is a fine, small, cozy indie bookshop. If one is expecting a Strand or Book Revue (the L.I. shop that’s been a fixture for decades) with a massive warehouse/​selection and multiple floors, you’re bound to be disappointed, but Astoria Bookshop is a fine location to find new books, general literature, poetry, YA and children’s books, gifts, cards, humanities books, a table of new
books on music/​rock/​pop, history, books on NYC and Queens, and some local literary journals and Queens-​centric academic and grad student writing anthologies.
I do wish Astoria Bookshop would feature some rare, out of print, and/​or used books, which I don’t believe they do, at least not in-​store, and there’s no magazine selection, which might be nice. I found a nice fresh new hc copy of Joseph Campbell’s essential The Hero With a Thousand Faces, so that justified my visit, good enough. This shop also seemed a tad light on the Fantasy, SF, and Horror fiction (this shop needs more
Lovecraft! and Machen, Aickman, Blackwood, Straub, M. R. James, Moorcock, Ramsey Campbell et al.) departments, though they did stock some true crime, a good graphic novels selection, and no rare/​antiquarian means I doubt I’d be returning very often, myself, just given my own collecting and genre proclivities, but I enjoyed the shop otherwise, and it struck me more as a family-​friendly shop, if anything. I know they have events and readings etc., here, so that might greatly expand interest in the shop, for those who can get here more often, or live in the nabe. This store reminds me a bit of Oscar’s Bookshop on L.I. which closed
in the later 1990s: the thing that made Oscar’s better though, since their
main floor was just standard general interest new titles, was their downstairs
basement of used, rare, and antiquarian and OOP titles and pbks. Mainly though
this shop is quite similar to BookCourt over in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
The shop itself is small, a bit cramped, but clean, neat, and the staff are friendly
and helpful. I used to live in Astoria for several years in the mid-​1990s, and wish
that shops like this had been around then, to alleviate boredom! All we had
in those days was a horrid White Castle (still there on 21^st St. or whatever, near
30^th Avenue), a lame diner or two, a tiny short-​lived and a somewhat useless
CD shop on Ditmars Blvd. that was just… dodgy, and a Wiz shop on Steinway St. that at least stocked CDs/​music, but is long gone, of course. We just lost all the Queens Barnes and Noble
shops this past month, so we need local stores like Astoria Bookshop more than ever,
I would say. You can get things cheaper on Amazon, yeah, but you’re not supporting
your local biz, that way. Unless they’re also selling online, of course. Parking was
a bit challenging, but doable, not many amenities right near the shop, but a few blocks
south and north there’s plenty, including pubs, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. I
recommend walking south to Broadway for the best array, before or after your visit.

Astoria Bookshop is a book lover’s bookstore. There are literary events (readings, book signings) but also participatory events like story telling open mic events.
The selections include childrens, young adult (YA), best selling fiction, as well as literary fiction. I find the employee pics very helpful. There’s also a small «writing» section for those who enjoy creative writing. The vibe is upscale and clean. There’s also a nice section of NYC childrens books, walking tours and Queens history.

This bookstore is adorable, and as someone who works in publishing, I feel a little ashamed I haven’t been in here since moving here. I stopped in to browse and found a few signed new releases in some of the hardcovers I pulled off the shelves. I haven’t met the owner, but he/​she clearly knows the recent trends in the market, and that’s really exciting to see as a book lover. I’d be excited to hear what they would recommend to me. The paperback selection also isn’t bad, but those hardcover selections really shine. I’ll be back!

This little shop is one of my favorite spots in Astoria. It’s really charming, helpful and nice employees and great selections! The location is kind of hard to find if you don’t know it’s there, I wish that doesn’t keep people from discovering this gem as new neighbors move into the area.

Cozy little bookshop right around the corner from my apartment. As a bookworm, I love it and I try and stop by whenever I can. It’s no Strand or Barnes and Noble, but they have a great variety of books and always seem to have the book I need. Whatever books I can’t find, I can always ask them to provide and they have great books by local authors which I think is great. I love coming in here to read a bit while waiting for my laundry to finish at the laundromat next door and the owner has never had any problems with it. Sometimes I stay there for an hour or more sitting in the corner and reading. I probably should just buy the book and take it home, but being a slightly broke 20 something, sometimes you just can’t afford to buy the book. But I’ve never gotten yelled at or anything and whenever I do want to buy a book, I always try and find it here first. The owner and other store clerks are always so helpful in that they’re willing to locate any book that I need and if they don’t have it they always offer to order it for me. They’re always so kind and welcoming that I just want to stay in the bookstore forever. I’ve gotten books for friends and I love that they also offer gift wrapping and have other items aside from books like candles, notebooks and cards, which I love.
In addition, the bookstore runs weekly literary events, workshops and supports local authors. I have yet to attend a event (maybe because I’m a little shy), but it seems like people enjoy them.
This bookshop is definitely worth the visit! It’s a gem!

The staff is really nice and helpful. I like to pick my books based on the handwritten reviews attached to the shells. Great neighborhood store.

Their new arrival and curated book tables are always on point for me. I never leave empty handed. There’s a local writers section that makes me proud to live in this neighborhood. So many awesome creative people live around here. I really want to start going to more events here — they look awesome.

Such a cute bookstore! It has great unique selections and the staff was super sweet. Yay to supporting local bookstores!

This little bookshop is turning into one of my favorite places in the world.
I moved to Astoria from Atlanta, GA almost ten months ago now, and found this place right away. Since then I’ve been doing an informal self-​guided tour of New York’s independent bookstores, and while they are numerous, fascinating, and really well curated, this is where I come back to. Every time. And not just because it’s only a couple blocks from my apartment (though that certainly helps).
As other reviewers have mentioned, the selection is small due to the store size, but very well-​curated. The owner does a great job of bringing in both well– and lesser-​known new releases on a weekly basis, as well as including lots of local authors on the tables that I wouldn’t have heard of otherwise. If there’s a book that’s just been released that I want, it’s likely to be there.
And if not, having the store order it in for you is incredibly easy. I stopped buying books from Amazon and Barnes & Noble a few years ago — I’m a die-​hard bookworm, obsessive book-​buyer, and buy books by odd, somewhat archaic standards of my own device. If it’s not in stock, a quick request at the desk brings it to the store in less than a week.
They even have a customer loyalty program where you get $ 5 off for every $ 100 spent. Which may not sound like much, but when you’re buying several books every Saturday for ten months, that adds up in savings.
I also have to mention that I don’t understand the review or two I saw saying that the customer service was disgruntled or unpleasant. I’ve come to know the owner from my frequent trips to the shop, and she’s absolutely wonderful. Fantastic taste in books, extremely pleasant and helpful, and she also runs the entire place by herself. Which is amazing.
Bottom line — absolutely worth the visit. I decided to stay in Astoria when my lease was up in part so that I wouldn’t move away from my favorite bookstore in the world.

Very helpful, informative employee. She shared a lot of information about their book club, resources on the website, ways to receive discounts, etc.
I will definitely be back when I finish this Whitey Bulger book…

What a lovely little neighborhood store, with high quality merchandise and friendly staff. They have a weekly reading session for babies and toddlers with volunteer readers. What a local gem of a store!
I’m updating my review just to note that the owner really seems to dislike having the reading session for kids so I wonder why she continues with it. I do understand it must be annoying to have all these kids in your store with their caregivers/​parents for half an hour and then make one or two sales only and suffer the likely damage from little hands on your books during that time! But she really seems miserable to see us, she does not want to greet us and for many weeks has given a very stern warning that if kids continue to touch the books, she may have to discontinue story time. I’m just waiting for the day she says ‘no more’!
I do get it though — people need to control their precious offspring better!

When I first moved to Jackson Heights, I was surprised to learn that I had to go to Barnes & Noble in Forest Hills or Manhattan for books. No bookstore in Astoria especially to serve the surrounding communities, where within a 2 mile radius there is a vibrant community of writers and artists?
Well, I lucked out; I didn’t have to wait for long, for the Astoria Bookshop was born shortly thereafter! And it has grown very nicely. Apart from the smart selection of books both old and new, it hosts literary events, runs workshops, and supports local authors. The bookstore also carries writers’ favorite tools of the trade, like Blackwing pencils.
It may be be small, but it is an inviting, cozy space for my fellow bookworms to burrow into.

This bookshop is quaint, well-​organized, clean, and stocks the latest and greatest of what’s hot now. You might not be able to find Michael Chabon’s earlier stuff, for example, but his two latest novels will be there. There are some staff picks but I wish they would do more of them.
Astoria Bookshop, I implore you, include more blurbs about books you wish to highlight!

Quaint, little bookshop with plenty of awesome books, best selling titles, along with random finds. Long live the pleasant bookshops that have the most helpful, informative staff. I am excited about the variety this bookshop has to offer and the fact that it’s right off of the Q/​N train stop is a plus!

Awesome! I love this place. I find that the ladies who work here are super helpful and friendly. I always come here for books. :) And presents for people!

This place is such a little gem! I went in for some baby books and the selection was awesome. There were no books I wasn’t interested in– they were all adorable and expertly curated. The woman who owns the shop was super helpful and sweet. I feel good about supporting a local business. I can’t wait to go back again and again, especially for story time with my baby.

I love that at long last Astoria has a bookshop again, and one that has oodles of community events going on all the time — such as the Newtown Literary reading I went to last night and read a short story excerpt. It has that beautiful new bookstore smell, and it’s great to see all the immaculate volumes on the shelves. It didn’t occur to me until I visited this store how most bookstores — even those that sell only new books — have books showing signs of age with creases on the spine. Not so at this place.
Like another reviewer wrote, the selection is on the small side but well curated. My only real complaint is that the temperature and airflow have been on the warm and stuffy side both times I have visited. But that minor concern won’t stop me from popping in every now and then to pick up some new reads from the comfort of my home borough.

Pretty good selection considering their size, nice enough ambiance, and I appreciate the various events they hold (and plan on holding), but I just experienced some of the unfriendliest service I’ve ever had in my life!
I was all set on making a bunch of purchases and the owner’s (and only worker at the time) tenor, body language, and unfriendliness, etc., makes me never want to come back.
Maybe she was just having a bad day, but this is a small business — a community bookshop — they can’t have such unfriendly disconnected awkward borderline rude service from one of the owners. I’m actually shocked. And really disappointed. And upset. :(

I was so excited and hopeful when I heard Astoria was getting a bookstore and this place did NOT disappoint! We stopped in right after it opened just to browse. Although the shop is obviously smaller than box chains, I love that about it. Rather than being inundated with every possible option, you are offered the very best of a carefully curated selection of titles. They have several genres, including history, travel, cooking, gardening, parenting, and I saw some cool feminist-​type books. Good young adult and children’s section in the back.
My wife really wanted the new Neil Gaiman book, but they had already sold out. The super friendly owner apologized and asked if she’d like to be notified when the book was re-​stocked. They notified her within about 4 days and we went right back to pick it up! Totally love the friendly neighborhood vibe. The owner also mentioned they’re toying with a customer loyalty program, which is awesome!
They have an online store, which I would absolutely use that for books that aren’t in the actual store. Plus they’re doing a book club as well as offering cool classes and workshops like mindfulness meditation and memoir writing.
I love this shop and can’t wait to see what’s next!

This is a well-​curated bookshop for browsers who want to discover new authors and books. My GF saw a table of books here, half of which she has read and loved, so she knew if she chose something from the table, there was a good chance she’d enjoy it. That’s a service I don’t think the Internet can provide.
The woman at the counter was great — knowledgeable, and with good people skills. She handled me with aplomb, and I am grumpier than average.
It’s not the most exciting space but they’ve used it well. They are still putting on the finishing touches, so I expect it will only improve.
Free tip for The Astoria Bookshop: Consider including a table of remaindered books. A friend with a bookshop told me he does some of his best business in remaindered books.