Riverby Books

Beautiful used bookstore, friendly staff. I bought a 1^st edition Washington DC by Gore Vidal which I’m very happy about. I go to bookstores everywhere I go and this was probably the cutest I’ve been too. If you like really old books this is a must-​visit.

I’m a big fan of bookstores, especially the indie variety that tend toward the eclectic and collectible. I just happened to be walking by while killing time waiting for a train, and wow! What a gem! The shop is much bigger than it appears on the outside, with 3 stories chock-​full of amazing titles and neat collectibles. Even though there’s a lot of product here, the layout is great — spacious and open, and doesn’t feel cramped or crowded. I love the décor and the touches of the owners personality throughout. I’m SO glad I wandered in!

Ordered from them through AbeBooks site. I had some special requests and the folks at Riverby were very responsive and helpful and the item arrived well packed, on time and as listed. Very happy with their customer service. Thanks!!!

Found this little gem while walking the streets of Fredericksburg. I like that layout of the store, and the various displays are always changing for seasons and trends. The layout is cozy in a way that it provides little nooks or areas to curl up with a good book.
The colors of the store and the architecture remind me a bit of the toy store in the move «Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium». A place with awesome things just waiting to be found and explored.
The staff is always helpful with locating things, and I feel like I could talk to them for hours about books. A great place to go and find something new, however if you are looking for something specific you may have a bit of a challenge.

A must stop if in the area. Cool and organized place with awesome customer service. Great for browsing!

By far my favorite bookstore I’ve ever been in, with how it’s set up– organized shelves, piles and piles of books stacked up on the stairs, with the quirky decorations and descriptions of books, and great customer service, you really can’t go wrong here. They may not have everything you’re looking for but overall, I just love how unique it is. My boyfriend and I went recently and he purchased a really nice cookbook for $ 15. Reasonably priced, always clean, and playing great music, I will always stop by Riverby Books whenever I’m in Old Town Fredericksburg.

Nice book store. Well organized. Great selection of history, current events and military books. A little shy in self improvement and business books. Prices are fair.

Kinda stumbled across this place while wondering around Caroline Street, and I wasn’t disappointed. Multiple stories high, it’s surprisingly large on the inside. They seem to focus mainly on history/​local books, which is a plus for folks who find that most used book stores only devote a small section to them.

Great bookstore. I was stuck in my hotel on a snow day and ventured out to find this store open. I could’ve browsed for hours. Cool bookstore with great prices.

If you like used book stores get in here ! The prices are very affordable and they have a great selection spread over three floors. It is in an open space so feels quite airy. They are very involved in the community. The best part is that during the holiday season they give you store credit for bringing in pie and unwanted gift cards. How cool is that?

I love used bookstores and I’m the first to take a paperback over a PDF, especially when dealing with classics. The least we could do to honor artists of the yonder years is read their words transcribed on pages, considering they once used typewriters for our own entertainment!
But that’s just me…
Riverby honors the time honored tradition of the book in it’s most beautiful form. They have an extensive selection of classics, fiction, non-​fiction, cooking, political, etc. and the inviting layout of the store really is a joy to wander through.
The second floor of this two-​story haven is hollowed out, leaving room for natural light to seep through. There are little reading nooks everywhere and record players spin timeless tunes. It’s pleasing on so many levels (ha!)
Price-​wise this place is a STEAL. Considering it’s the most popular bookstore in Fredericksburg, they could inflate their prices tremendously. But in order to continue breathing life into the book, their paperbacks, all of which are in great condition, average $ 5. That’s INCREDIBLE. And considering the extensive selection, you’ll want to bring a tote along as this is the place to begin building your library.
All this aside, my favorite thing about Riverby is their «buy back» policy. When you’re done with a book you can exchange it for store credit at a rate of about 75% of the purchase price. Meaning, I’d be paying ONE DOLLAR to read a paperback and could then exchange it for another book. AWESOME. If you don’t want store credit, you can sell your book back for about half the original price. AMAZING!
By far one of the most inexpensive and expansive bookstores I’ve been to. Thanks, Riverby!

Riverby, Riverby, Riverby. I’d been to a few used book stores here and there on trips and vacations, but I grew up in barren suburbia-​land. No independent bookstores of any kind. Riverby changed everything.
A moment from my first time at Riverby:
After hours of browsing, I made my way back to the register, barely visible behind the tower of books I had accumulated.
«Uh, do you take credit cards?»
«Yes.»
“In that case I’ll be back!” And I disappeared back into the stacks for more.
I live in Boston now– relatively speaking, a haven of used and independent bookstores– but none of them quite hold a candle to Riverby. I picked up a set of picture books retelling the epic of Gilgamesh, a novelization of A Hard Day’s Night, gorgeous matching hardcovers of the Wrinkle in Time trilogy, books on magic and fairy tales, and… And so much else I can’t begin to list it all.
Prices are fantastic, and the student discount is much-​appreciated.
And the layout is ideal: quirky stacks of books that enable hours of idle browsing and discovery. No matter how long I spend in there, I see something new every time I turn around.
I hear tell that they will also barter books for pie as winter draws near. How can you not love that?

Nice collection of Civil War books which was a great plus considering I’m a Civil War buff.

Seriously, I’m the first to review! This is THE BEST EDITED USED BOOK STORE I’VE EVER BEEN IN (sorry for the over use of capitalization but this fact can’t be overlooked). I’ve picked up The Great Gatby, A Moveable Feast, A Peoples History of the United States and many more for $ 5 each. There are very few items in the store over $ 5 and they are picky about what they buy, which means you don’t have to browse through piles of junk you’d never read. Honestly, it’s a better deal than the library down the street b/​c you get to keep the books.