Cambridge might be the best bookstore city in America. Here's every shop worth visiting, from Harvard Book Store to the hidden specialists.
A City of Readers
Cambridge has more bookstores per capita than almost any city in America. With two of the world's greatest universities, a literate population, and a tradition of independent business, the city supports an extraordinary ecosystem of book shops. Here's your walking tour of the best.
The Essential Bookstores
Harvard Book Store
The crown jewel. New books upstairs, an outstanding used section downstairs, and an Espresso Book Machine that can print any of 8 million titles in minutes. Their author events are world-class.
The Harvard Coop
The student co-op since 1882. Three floors of books, Harvard merch, and academic texts. The top floor has a surprisingly good general selection. Members get a dividend.
Porter Square Books
A newer independent that's become a community anchor. Excellent curated selection, strong kids' section, and wonderful author events. The staff picks are reliably great.
MIT Press Bookstore
Specialized in science, technology, architecture, and design. If you want books you won't find anywhere else, this is the shop. Small but extraordinarily well-curated.
Raven Used Books
A Harvard Square institution for used and rare books. Scholarly focus with deep sections in history, philosophy, and literature. The kind of shop where you lose track of time.
Grolier Poetry Book Shop
The oldest continuously operating poetry bookshop in the US, founded in 1927. Tiny, legendary, and utterly unique. If you love poetry, this is a pilgrimage.
Pro Tips for Book Lovers
Harvard Book Store's basement used section is restocked daily — visit in the morning for the freshest selection. Porter Square Books does a monthly book club that's open to the public. And the MIT Press Bookstore has a legendary annual warehouse sale with deep discounts.