Boswell Book Company — Local services in Milwaukee

Boswell is one of my favorite bookstores. They have something for everyone, and I've never been disappointed when I've asked staff for a genre recommendation. Staff also label shelves with their book summaries/recommendations - I love that touch. If they don't have a book in stock, they'll gladly order it for you. Last time it only took 2 days for my book to come in. I encourage you to sign up for their rewards program - you can get coupons after spending a certain amount.

I've been to an author event of theirs in the past and they run their events very well. They host events to highlight an array of topics and voices, which I love. This is an inclusive space and it's clear how much the community values that, myself included. I love that they highlight heritage months with authors of those heritages (i.e. I was thrilled to see an Arab American Heritage Month table in April).

Other notes:

Their kids' section is bright & fun. You can order online and they ship. I wish they had seating options inside, but the shop is in a great, walkable neighborhoods and you can make your way to a local coffee shop or restaurant with your new reads. (There's a St*arbucks right next door, but I encourage you to walk the block to the locally owned Stone...

Boswell has a great selection of books in every genre. Their fantasy section is particularly robust, and they have several great popular and lesser-known series. However, you do get the sense that they are slightly overpriced. I understand overhead is a concern, particularly for used bookstores, but the purpose of a used bookstore is to get quality, used books at a reasonable price. I couldn't help but feel that I was not getting a reasonable price, particularly for books that had been lightly used. For example, several of the books I was interested in were priced at the retail price or even slightly above (usually a dollar or two) in some cases. I like and support used bookstores, but if you are looking for a typical bookstore charm/price, I am not sure you will find...

I moved to Milwaukee recently from a small town with no bookstores, so I was delighted to find that there was a store less than half a mile from my new home.

Turns out, not only is there a bookstore, there's Boswell! It has a selection comparable to large chain stores and is right in the heart of the Upper East Side. It was no surprise to read in Shepard Express that they are Milwaukee's best-ranked bookstore.

I usually get hard-to-find magazines from B&N because no one else carries them, but Boswell does. They also have a great selection of recommended books from the staff that makes it real easy to choose your next read.

I'm grateful places like this exist!!!

Edit: I stand by my original post and double down. Best...