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About the Business
Now and Then Books is a bookstore featuring gently used and collectible books. We are located at 56 South 4th Street, Emmaus, Pennsylvania. We sell used fiction of all flavors, including science fiction & fantasy, horror, mysteries & thrillers, children's & young adult, romance, contemporary fiction & literature, mass-market paperbacks, trade paperbacks, hardcovers, audiobooks, and collectibles. We also carry a small selection of new books and a variety of gift items for booklovers. Now and Then Books has comfortable seating, sections with recommendations and award winners, and a friendly staff, creating an environment we hope will encourage booklovers to return again and again.
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Recommended Reviews
Overall rating
6 reviews
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1 star
- Joshua J.Emmaus, PA4205359Jun 22, 2018
Definitely worth checking out if you're a local and need a book. Huge selection of fiction, and was also pleasantly surprised with the selection of Philosophy and history books. Owner was also friendly, and offered Victor Frankl. (A great blend of both based off my interests.
Prices were also great. $6 for Being and Nothingness. $7 for American Prometheus.
I will definitely be heading back.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Lauren F.Slatington, PA01Apr 28, 2021
There are soooooo many books! It's amazing, and you can tell the books are chosen intentionally. You don't have to rifle through to find good books or recognizable authors. They're just there! There's a really cool section of vintage, collector style books. The selection also changes much more quickly than you might expect. AND! The books are inexpensive! I really couldn't recommend it enough.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Kelly W.Stroudsburg, PA18212Aug 13, 2014
I used to frequent Carroll and Carroll in Stroudsburg but recently moved to the Lehigh Valley and have been hoping to find a used bookstore with a selection of things that I like to read. Many used bookstores are heavy on the romance, crime novels, etc. and light on other genres, which I find frustrating. But not this one!
Now and Then has a wide selection of genres, all clearly labeled and in very-gently-used condition. Prices are decent; most of the books I picked up were between $6 and $7.50, and they looked barely touched. That means you can get a paperback for less than half price and it's only a tad less glossy than if you had bought it brand-new.
The owner was friendly and eager to talk about the history of the business as well as other local venues, which I appreciated since we're fairly new to the area.
My favorite feature is the fact that literature is shelved separately from general fiction. It's always irked me that I have to sift through so much popular fiction in order to find the literary fiction titles, both in new and used bookstores, so this was a welcome surprise. I read a little bit of everything, but Confessions of a Shopaholic should not be shelved in the same section as Zadie Smith's books, you know? (Note: I've read -- and enjoyed -- both, but they are wildly different and should be shelved accordingly.)
Okay, rant over. All in all: Clean, well-lit, excellent selection, good prices, friendly staff...what's not to like? I'll definitely be back.Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0 - Tom B.Portland, CT77123May 15, 2016
(New location on 4th) Used books- mostly paperbacks and recent. Back room had some decent older hardcovers, seems to be getting more stock since the move. Friendly owner, uses Internet and can track down books.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Plato W.Palo Alto, CA15757Sep 29, 2009First to Review
Very accommodating local bookstore in the basement of a strip mall. Selection was very good. It touts itself as 2100 square feet in size, but is a little small compared to the used bookstores I'm used to in the San Francisco Bay Area. Of the three bookstores I checked out it was the largest and best organized. Contemporary used paperback are about $4.00 a pop. It's just a little far off the beaten track for out of town travelers.
Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Kaitlin L.Allentown, PA4227Mar 10, 2012
Update: They moved to 4th St. in Emmaus, just a block down from the Emmaus Theatre. The new space is really nice - bright and airy.
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The books are reasonably priced. Some are as cheap as $1. Most are between $4 and $7. Most of them are in very good condition.
If you bring in books you don't want anymore they give you store credit for a portion of the price they're going to resell it for. You can then use that towards new books (you can pay for up to half of each purchase with store credit).
The owner is helpful and friendly.
I love local, independently owned bookstores like this one and like to look there before buying used online or downloading to my Kindle, and this place is usually cheaper anyway.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0
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