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Russell Books
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
734 Fort StVictoria, BC V8W 1H2
(250) 361-4447
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 5:30 pm
Sun 11 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- Yes
11 reviews for Russell Books
11 reviews in English
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Review from Siri W.
10/16/2011
This is my favourite bookstore of all time, located in my lovely hometown, and every time I am back, it is a must visit.
They have literally everything you could want. Multiple floors of books stacked from floor to ceiling, with reasonable prices and plenty of books that are hard to find elsewhere.Odds are, if you are looking for a particular book, you will be able to find it here. A lot of textbooks and older books and a staff who are genuinely knowledgeable and very into what they do - felllow bibliophiles rejoice!
The prices are also wonderful - you can get a lot of books for a very reasonable prices.
Does it get any better than this?
No, my fellow booknerds. No it does not.
Go get lost in the stacks :) -
Review from Milt R.
7/25/2011
Used book lover's heaven! Literally floor to ceiling, wall to wall books, all types, all prices. Found two good ones, bargain-priced, within minutes. Excellent, friendly service.
No public bathrooms, no public wifi, but lots of books! -
Review from Amy K.
10/6/2011
My favorite used bookstore in the entire world. Sorry, Powell's. It's finding all the old British editions that really does it for me. My idea of heaven on earth.
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Review from Emily-Anne P.
Vancouver, BC
3/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I nipped in here today to pick up a cookbook for a friend who has just been diagnosed with celiacs. As usual Russell's Books had both new and used cookbooks and the staff were incredibly helpful, offering a variety of different options and even to try to order ome in if I wasn't happy with what they had.
Russell's is great if you are looking for an older book, or text books. They have a really good selection of all sorts of different books, and if they don't have the book used at the Fort St location, they might at the other one.
The staff are super helpful, the prices are great and I generally adore the place. -
Review from Red D.
St John's, NL
5/17/2011
I used to have several favorite bookstores. Over the years they all became very homogenized, and I could walk into any one of them and know I'd see the same books in every store - all at the same "but this is close to what I'd pay new!" prices. I went back to buying at Chapters and scouring garage sales, etc. Always dreaming of finding a bookstore even remotely reminiscent of those I held in my possibly over-elysian memories.
I first heard about Russell here on Yelp. Being in Ladysmith, I made a mental note that I really should visit one day, and consistently forgot to do so on my few trips out that way. This last weekend, I finally remedied that oversight, and I don't think I'll ever plan another trip to Victoria without finding a way to stop here.
I discovered the upstairs area first - the closed in, somewhat mysterious stairway drew me in. When I reached the top I had a moment of giddy happiness. Here was a bookstore worthy of the name. There was wood and books everywhere, and shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling, and where there were not shelves the books were neatly stacked as if to say that if there is a space without books in here, it is a space that needs filling. I picked up a book at random and blinked at the price. $2.99? For a used book, in this day and age? I pulled out more. The same... the same... the same... good lord! This ought to be good news, but at this point, I and my debit card knew we were in trouble.
I browsed for as long as I dared, having other business in town that day. There were aisles that called to me that will have to wait, but I silently promised them I'd be back, and soon. I pawed through three shelves of Agatha Christies, all arranged tidily both by author and title instead of pushed carelessly into random order. I was helped by no less than three people while I looked around - all were enthusiastic and genuinely friendly, while being absolutely unpushy. They showed me what I wanted, and let me loose to take my time looking through multiple editions of what I was looking for.
I finally pulled myself away and asked one of the helpers where the Arts section was, as that was, technically, what I had come for. She explained that there was a whole other level downstairs (!!!) and as I reached for my debit card to pay for what I'd found, she waved me off and, picking up the phone, explained that she'd call down and let them know I was coming down with books already picked out.
My entrance into the lower store, which I had somehow completely missed on the way into the top, was greeted with the songs of angels and a bright glow of heavenly light. Well, sort of. As I stepped in and instinctively looked up and to my right - at the first of yet another entire level of floor-to-ceiling shelves - I discovered an entire collection of Folio Society books. Dear. Sweet. Lord. I have found Nirvana. It is a Nirvana that is technically out of my financial reach for the moment, but just to see them, real and whole in front of me - until that day I'd only seen them in photos online, and drooled shamelessly over the spectacular covers and breathtaking illustrations. Now I was standing before, if not an entire wall full of them, a collection that made my heart stop. Wisely, they were out of the reach of customers without assistance, but just to stand there staring at them and imagining the pleasure of holding one and maybe even owning one was enough. And that they had so many - it seemed to me the final signal that here at last was a bookstore that not only met, but surpassed anything I'd ever seen before.
I once again had to restrain myself - the children's section tempted me, as did that wall full of old/rare/collector's books, but I very firmly placed myself in the Arts section and found what I was looking for - and more, really, although once again I (mostly) restrained myself! I ended up spending about $75 in that place, where I had hoped to spend $30, but I don't regret it, and I certainly feel that I got my money's worth. If I ever go back I'll bring some trade-ins and schedule some more time there. And possibly, for my own safety if not happiness, make sure there's only a certain amount available on my poor debit card - if a mere hour spent inside could find me that many books, I can't imagine what an afternoon of slow and careful browsing could do to me.
There are only two downsides to this tale. The first is that now that I've found this beautiful little dream, I'm now going to live in fear of the day it closes its doors or, worse, changes hands and becomes yet another 'just another bookstore'. The other downside is that on my way out I spied a dutch bakery with the most extraordinarily delicious looking chocolates and cakes and other sweets in the window - just a few doors down. No time for that on the day in question, but I know in my heart it will be a temptation too powerful to resist the next time I'm in that part of town! -
Review from christine c.
Victoria, BC
10/5/2009
It makes me ecstatic when I can buy a Jamie Oliver cookbook brand new for $24 even though it retails for $45ish, give it to my boyfriend as a gift, then have him cook incredible meals for me every day. *sigh. Thank you Russell's.
This isn't always the standard discount on new books, but you get the gist. I dream of the very expensive, very discounted atlases they occasionally stock. There always seems to be something new I 'need.'
I do also enjoy getting a decent price for selling back my own piles of books. Omitting the very special ones of course.
Upstairs is the fairly extensive fiction selection. They don't always have what I'm looking for, and though I don't fault them it still brings the rating from 5 to 4. I'm not that obscure. -
Review from Weirdie B.
Victoria, BC
12/19/2008
If you're looking for something out of print or obscure, you can more than likely find it at Russell Books. Very well organized with a ridiculous selection of new and used books, it's at the very least the best locally owned bookstore in Victoria.
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Review from Jennifer H.
Victoria, BC
10/24/2009
I've been a long time customer here and have even sold back some of my books in exchange for store credit. I love the thrill of the hunt for a good book. Russell's has everything and the staff tries their very best to help you find that book whose author you've forgotten, or a rare publication. And although it's mostly used books there are plenty of new ones in stock, many of which sell for up to half the retail price.
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Review from Amanda C.
Victoria, BC
5/14/2009
Excellent selection, friendly staff, and fair prices. Not only do they have a great variety of new and used fiction and non-fiction titles, but they also carry a good selection of books in other languages. My daughter loves this place for its young adult section (Pretty Little Liars, anyone?).
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Review from Heather S.
Blainville, QC
1/22/2009
I stopped in to sell back some books i had read recently and lighten my knapsack and got a reasonable price for them in cash (more would have come my way by store credit). I was pleasantly surprised by both the size and the organization of their stock. Too many used bookstores are impossible to navigate. The staff behind the counter was very friendly and i intend to return.
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Review from ANDREW N.
Victoria, BC
12/18/2008
The largest used book store in Greater Victoria and probably Vancouver Island. Well organized with a number of useful sub-sections. In the interest of full disclosure I must state that I used to work there. However, the store has been praised in Stuart Maclean's radio show, the Times-Colonist, etc., so my opinion is backed up by a number of sources with no direct connection to the store.
