Pearl Street Books — Local services in La Crosse

A very lovely book store. It has a pleasingly quaint atmosphere. If you imagine how a bookstore might look in a charming fantasy novel, I imagine it would be somewhat like this one. The ladders lead up high into what seems like endless rows of books. The high ceiling makes it seem very spacious, so that there is enough room for your imagination to wander among the shelves. There is a loft area which is certainly one of my favorite places I've discovered to read books. There is properly calming lighting, very comfortable seating, and it looks down over the bookstore nicely.

A couple things that I found unique, apart from the loft and ladders, include little notes posted by different shelves offering employees opinions of books, or other things like little facts about certain authors. There is also a 'Mask Monday', which I found to be a good and inclusive idea to be considerate of those who may have health concerns. Just because the pandemic is over does not mean there are no longer people who wish to go places, but may feel apprehensive in doing so because of whatever health concerns they may have. Furthermore, there is a piano near the entrance available for play upon request. It was tuned satisfactorily.

There are no public restrooms unfortunately, but that issue is resolved by the fact that there is an awesome coffee shop right next to the bookstore that offers public restrooms (and great coffee). There were also a number of questionable prices on books that could quite easily be found for cheaper elsewhere, so if you're looking for bargains it may not be the greatest place for that. My greatest reservation and disagreement with the book store however, was the choice to take such an obvious political stance. Regardless of one's political leanings, it would seem prudent for a public store to remain neutral on such a topic, so as to not cause distasteful feelings among potential customers of their store. That is not to say they shouldn't stand up for what they believe - in fact, they certainly should if they truly believe these things. I simply don't think the best way to do that or invite conversation and valuable discussion on such topics is to have numerous glaringly obvious opinions on these matters strewn throughout the store. However, these are just my thoughts, and the owner can clearly do as they please.

In summation; a wonderful bookstore with a delightful nostalgic atmosphere, offering a coffee shop right next door and a lovely loft in which you can lounge and linger. You may not find very cheap prices, and if strong political opinions bother you, it may not be the place for you. Whatever the case may be, I highly recommend visiting, if nothing else simply to see such a...

It’s a beautiful and unique book store in a cool spot in La Crosse. Definitely a must visit for a tourist or book worm in town. The only issue is that if you need to find a specific genre of book, it’s puzzling to find your way. The small genre tags almost blend in with the books and if you’re in their to browse a specific genre like usually am, prepare to get in the way of many others as you sporadically move and squint around the book store. I got frustrated trying to find non fiction titles I just closed my eyes and grabbed a book and now I’m reading about Thomas Jefferson? Sure, screw it lol. I think there is a coffee spot...

I get all of my books here! Beth has a large selection of used books, and has recently expanded the new books sections as well! You can also get store credit or cash for books you bring in, as long as they are quality books and the staff feels that they can re-sell them. Looking for something they don't have? Ask to order a book! They get new books in each week, so if you place an order, you're sure to get it quickly! They also host different events throughout the year and do their best to give back to the community in any way they can. Pearl Street Books is a valuable asset to...