Maple Street Book Shop

Great shop! I’m kinda new to the book store scene so I don’t have much to compare it to but I really enjoyed it. A good mix of new and used. I was pleasantly surprised when my stack of new and used books only cost $ 45.

I love bookstores and love to support local shops, but customer service is a HUGE deal for me. Maple Street is a cute little bookstore selling new and used books; however, I never get that warm fuzzy feeling when I walk in there. I have been in twice promoting a friend of mine who is an author and each time I don’t feel the warmth. I even bought a book to support local business. They have a nice selection, and I would go again, but I hope the workers can be a bit more upbeat!

3.75÷5 cozy
I kinda wish they still had their used shop, as i found that one much more engaging. you’ll still find some used books on the shelves here though. their main is still a cute little spot where it seems every wall is lined floor to ceiling in books. the folks are pretty friendly and greet you right as you walk in, and are more than happy to order something for you if they don’t have it. i like the little shelf they keep in the front of their staff picks — always a good place to start browsing.
oevery $ 10 gets a stamp on their frequent buyer card, so you may keep that in mind as you shop. i wish I knew as I was already close to $ 30 (but didn’t tip over), and only got 2. while i browse a lot of stuff on amazon, i still make it a point to visit here every so often.

This is a great independent book shop with knowledgeable staff and a wide selection of books. I always find something good on the recommended shelf and like to browse around the New Orleans/​Louisiana shelves to find something by a local author I hadn’t heard of before.
They fairly recently combined the new and used book stores, so now you can just browse in one place for any book you want. And they don’t mind when you take your time looking around — the staff members I’ve interacted with have all hit the right balance of helpful but hands-​off when you just want to do your thing. And if there’s something you want that they don’t have, they’ll order it for you — even if it’s just a different edition of a book they already have in stock.
Their «frequent buyer» program gives you a good excuse to get just one more book so you can get a discount ($ 10 off for every $ 100 you spend). And then maybe just one more…

On Famed Maple Street
Shelved with Both New & Vintage
Staff Versed with Best Reads
#Haiku #NOLA_​Haiku
#NOLA_​Reads #MapleStBooks

Stopped by this morning. Seems they lost or closed the used book building and now it’s just one, very small store. Lost all the charm of the used book store and just seems kind of sad now. :(
The girly was very disappointed.

This is a great local bookstore. Wide selection of used and new books, with a great selection of local interest books. I picked up a great local almanac and had a nice conversation with the owner. Also in a super cute cottage. Highly recommended!

I went to the recent book signing for the history of beer in New Orleans and Eat Dat. The po-​boys were amazing! The presentation by the writers was very informative and they provided great feedback to my questions about good burger and steak places in NOLA. Now about the bookstore itself, while it is crammed into a single shotgun house, there are still plenty of quality works on the shelves. And I was able to sit down on the front rocking chair and read the books I had just purchased while sipping on some tea from the nearby PJ’s and munch on some pastries. I will definitely be back soon…

Great neighborhood book store with a fantastic selection of local books (both by local authors and based on NOLA). I was told that they combined the new and used stores together so now used books have a red sticker on them. They have a recommended shelf and so far all have been good ones! Its a converted house so if nothing else, go and check it out (but you will end up buying a book when you do). Decent kids section as well, with all the local kids books you know you need.
They even wrap your books for free and have a cute little stamp for the wrapping paper. Go check it out… you will be glad you did.

Don’t sell your books back here, I think you will probably get more money if you sell them back on Amazon. I have been going to this bookshop to get free time reading material ever since I moved here three years ago. I’m going to be moving soon so I decided to give them a call and tell them I was bringing a few books in. The person at the desk was very rude when I asked her about selling the books back. I had 8 paperbacks in good condition and from well known authors, even a few New Orleans local authors and was totally willing to get store credit. They only offered me 4 dollars for all of my books in store credit. That’s not even enough to buy another book. I know how much their used books go for because I’ve purchased a few from them and I knew that they would sell my books for about $ 6 a piece. When I asked why the price was so low even for store credit. The girl working the desk got really defensive really quickly. I wasn’t arguing or trying to get more for my books I was just a little surprised that I was only going to get less than 50 cents a book. She started to explain why she couldn’t give me very much money for a few of the books and when I offered to take them back she cut the offer in half. That didn’t make any sense… I just ultimately decided to take all of them back and sell them on amazon. I don’t think I’ll be buying anything else from the store mostly because of the way I was treated.
I recommend Crescent City books in the quarter. Their books are way more reasonably priced and they have an awesome kitty that lives in the store. Octavia is good too if you want something from New Orleans that is new. The people working at the store have great recommendations if you need them.

The staff was great and very helpful. Although I was impressed with their History section, which is what I was looking to navigate, I really wish their New Age and Religion sections offered more selections.

My friend works up the street from here and I always offer him rides home from work just to give myself an excuse to come here. It’s pretty much two quaint old neighboring houses — one stocking new books, the other all used ones. I adore bookstores built in old houses, especially when they stretch and span around various corners, each revealing another surprise topic to explore. I often hear the employees chatting about books and authors they love with customers. They have a true passion for reading and will get every bit as elated as you when the two of you bond over a book or writer you both love. These things all make me happy and are big reasons why, when I have a perfectly good Kindle at home, that I continue to purchase books, even though all of my many bookshelves at home are jam packed.
The selection is a good mix for a small store and the very knowledgable staff will order whatever you like (and can get it in remarkably fast too). Their Mid-​City location is much, much smaller but has a good selection for the size. Their Marigny location is the tiniest of the three and for some reason has a really oddball selection (lots of young adult books, a bit too much generic paperback fiction, little to no small press or McSweeney’s-esque stuff). Sad to realize bookstores like this are a dying breed. I try to support them whenever possible because I want to be able to share this place with my son who is due in August. It’s nice that we have the convenience, portability and cost-​effectiveness of e-​readers these days but it is places like this and the tangible quality of picking up a book and turning the pages that stirs the soul and plants the seed for a lifetime love (admittedly bordering obsession) with reading.

I LOVE it here…
I love the staff recommendations, the quirky selection, the large local NOLA offerings.
I love the smell, the creek of the floors, the rocking chairs out on the front porch.
I love the handmade signs, the small business feel, the personal attention.
Oh, Maple Street Book Shop, let me count the ways…

As a lover of books (my parents brought me to the public library every week where I was delighted to wander around the kid section and awed that could check out books!) this is one of my favorite bookstores to just hang out. Now that I live in mid-​city I was excited to discover the branch near Café Degas! What I love about this location is that the new bookstore is right next to the used books. It’s like twice the fun! I’m really anal about my books and only like used ones in newish condition and Maple Street Bookstore fits the bill! Before ingot my kindle I brought tons of books here to sell and they even tell you where you can donate them if they can’t buy it. Plus street parking usually isn’t a problem during the day. The staff are really helpful and nice. Could spend a whole day here!

Great spot to buy books locally! They have two cool shotgun houses next to each other on Maple Street. (Why is it most of the local books stores Uptown just name themselves after the street they’re on?) One house is the used book side, while the other house is the new book side.
The used book side is filled to the brim with books. There are all kinds of interesting pictures and poetry that decorate the walls as you make your way thru the place. The girl working the day we went seemed to keep to herself. We found the staff on the new side to be friendlier.
The new book side has a cool little wraparound porch where you can hang out with a free drink and a rocking chair. Inside, it’s very bright and spacious compared to the used side house. They have a decent selection of books to choose from. We focused mainly on the local books.

In an age of e-​books it’s a wonderful thing that this book shop exists. It’s essentially two beautiful homes gutted out and crammed full of stacks of books. There is one building for new books and one for used book and rare books. My personal favorite is the used book house, you never know what you might come home with. Last time I was there I left with a book of poetry by Pablo Neruda, An illustrated guide on tying trout flys, and a book about the metaphysical properties of crystals and minerals. My only complaint is that it is a little tight packed to accommodate an excess of patrons and, more often than not, you’ll find that you are not the only one in the shop. Regardless of that Maple Street Book Shop comes highly recommended.

I admit that I’m terrible when it comes to local bookstores. Being a computer geek who reads mostly from his Nook, I buy a lot online. Still, I love going up to Maple Street Book Shop. Their selection isn’t as broad as a big-​box store or the online vendors, but that’s not a problem. These days, what I want from a brick-​and-​mortar bookstore is inspiration. A new local-​interest book, perhaps, or a cookbook from a chef/​author I’ve never considered before. A novel someone mentioned on GoodReads that I otherwise might not pick up is now staring me in the face.
I’ve noticed a couple of comments about service at Maple Street, and they confuse me. Maybe it’s because I’m the type that prefers to be left alone with my musings while wandering through shelves of books, and these folks let me do that. Still, I’ve always found the staff to be attentive.
Last spring, my second book for Arcadia, «Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans» was released, and Maple Street Book Shop was kind enough to hold a book-​signing event for me. I’m no Drew Brees, so the lines weren’t wrapped around the block, and that left me with a bit of time to observe the comings-​and-​goings of the shop. When folks came in with questions, the staff gladly helped them. This was consistent over the 2 hours I was there. When someone wanted a book that wasn’t in the store, they offered to get it for them in a couple of days. By Amazon standards, that’s not bad. Yes, it’s not coming to your doorstep, but between the lovely ambiance of the book shop and the coffee shop across the street, there are worse outings one can make.
And while Maple Street is a brick-​and-​mortar indie bookshop, they also have a great social media presence. They’re on Da Twittah at @fightthestupids (the shop’s long-​standing slogan), as well as on Facebook. They’re also moving into online e-​book sales, so that now I can stock my nook from them rather than using nameless/​faceless corporation.

Maple Street Book Shop: Fighting the stupids since 1964. I must say, I totally support Maple Street Book Shop in this mission. Their weapon of choice? Why books, of course! You know… nonviolence.
I love the homes converted into a duplex new & used bookstore and every other charming part about this place. As for the selection of books, it’s better to come browsing and not just for that one book you’ve been looking for– a free spirit in search of a good read.
Their events are definitely worth checking out for any book lover. Plus, they often provide food at them! The owner and employees are very friendly and knowledgable. Anddddd, my boyfriend painted the hours sign outside so that’s just an extra plus in my book.
DISCOUNTS:
10% Discount for Students and Seniors on Tuesdays!
Daily 10% Discount for NOLA Volunteers!
Daily 10% Discount for any teacher or faculty member (including school librarians)!

There are two buildings that make up the Maple Street Book Shop, and if you stand out front there’s a sign directing you to «New» or «Used» sections of the shop. On the right is where the used books are stored, and this is what I hope my house will look like someday. Narrow, cramped aisles with floor to ceiling books. Definitely somewhere I could imagine myself living someday.
The «New» books side of the bookshop is evidently where they do readings and book signings, which I highly recommend in part because they’ve totally got a cooler full of beer out on the porch. How very New Orleans, right?

I think that my love for books and bookshops is directly related to the MANY times my mom would take me to the Maple Street Bookshop as a little kid. When I was slightly older, we moved away and I sadly hadn’t been back until a few months ago. It hadn’t changed a bit. It was odd, when I walked inside the main store, I was hit by waves of nostalgia. Replete with the dressed up, life-​sized stuffed doll with no buttons for eyes. (I was terrified at age three.)
I really like the two houses. I like that the children’s shop is in its own house. Good for children to enjoy story time on the front porch, and good for not disturbing the adults perusing and reading in the main house. The main house, over a hundred years old, is chock full of books. In fact, there were so many bookshelves full of so many books, that it was a little hard to stoop to see the bottom shelves in the main room.
I love that they are supportive of local and sort of local authors. There is a large selection in the front room dedicated to several authors, including Walker Percy and Ellen Gilchrist. There is also a rather long list of local authors in the front garden. There is another list of the authors on their website, along with a note, «Local Authors: Please come in throughout the year at your convenience and sign your book (s) and let us know if we are running low on your titles, or if we have left you off our list. Thanks!» How cool is that for supporting local?!
If you are in need of a book on any aspect of New Orleans’ history, you will find it here. There’s an entire small room brimming with such material.
Finally, do not miss the back room. Full of couches and chairs for reading, creaking floor boards, and window unit. Another reviewer mentioned the room is creepy. It is, but it also contains the history of the store. Definitely worth a gander.
Oh, don’t forget to buy a t-​shirt or bumper sticker. How can you not with the phrase, «Fight the Stupids!»