Prince Books

Not a friendly service… fun store. Coffee Shop often out of supply. Love the poetry readings there.

Pretty cool little indie bookstore. Nice selection. Needs a little training for the help… clerk seemed a little put-​off having to wait on customers.

Book nerds: this place is for you. I love Prince Books because you can tell that someone is puts real thought into the books on display. I always find something (or multiple things) appealing. It’s not like a Barnes & Noble that only has whatever some algorithm has determined is most likely to sell. I go in there with my Goodreads to-​read list ready but I never need it. The layout is cute and accessible; there are chairs for you to sit down and the shelves are well organized. I haven’t tried the café yet but the atmosphere and selection are enough to keep me going back.

One of the last local book retailers in Norfolk, for that matter the area. You just cannot find bookstores like Prince anymore. So right now I am willing to tell everyone that a half star bump for local is warranted.
Located in the Waterside area of Norfolk in a building that suits it well. Beautiful brick with nice architectural features, even a really cool antique clock on the corner. It has a perfect union with the Lizard Café which I have previously written a review for. Parking is a pain and for the most part off street, but there is garage parking too. Serious construction is going on across the street, unsure what the project is.
The interior is not large, so they do what they can. I did not see a periodical area, but could have missed it. They do have a small children’s area which is appealing to me. The store is old, looks old and frankly is quite dated. However, I will chalk is up to charm and not deduct here. What I would like to see is some updated carpeting, but get it… small business and big overhead in this building.
I’ve been to the store twice and the second time I made a purchase on a book they ordered. No additional cost to order and it was only a few dollars more than amazon, but equal with no shipping. It was in within three business days. So I was happy. Service was friendly by the young woman who waited on me. This is what is a must if your trying stay alive with the huge online and big box book sellers. There must be some differentiation for the little guy trying to survive and it usually is service. I found it to be above average on both visits.
Give Prince a try the next time your looking for something. Keep in mind they can order almost anything they don’t have in stock. Then a selfless plug Lizard Café before, or after you shop… they are so good. I am probably at a 3.5, but rounding up and hope they can old it together through the hard times of the book retailers.

Rarely in my life have I been spoken to as rudely as I just was at Prince Books in downtown Norfolk. While waiting to meet someone for lunch I ducked into this little bookstore (which I frequent and have bought from before) and began browsing through some titles, adding a few to my «To Read» list that I keep in a notebook. After being asked twice by the staff whether I needed any help, I was approached a third time (this time by the owner) who asked if she could provide any assistance in «actually buying anything.» When I responded that I was still looking and making up my mind she replied, «As long as you know that this is not a showroom.» I had her repeat herself three times to make sure I heard her right.
Last I checked, bookstores were supposed to be places that foster intellectual curiosity and a desire to read (and then maybe eventually buy). At what point did the consumer’s dollar become more important than the girl thoughtfully assembling a literary wishlist? I am completely disgusted by this experience and though I have always been happy to support small businesses, I guess I will be taking my money to the big chain booksellers. At least there I can spend an afternoon reading against a bookshelf without getting told to open my wallet or get out.

A charming little bookstore. Not a big place, but they certainly have some cool titles in different sections: history, sic fi, current events, local interest, etc.
The café was closed when I visited (open 11 – 3?), so I can’t comment on that. I obtained an exploring Tidewater book (useful for a new resident — Prince Books is listed in there!), a hiking guide for Virginia, and directions!
And their discount program is a stamp on a card they keep. 1 stamp for every $ 11 purchased. When you have 11 stamps, you get $ 11 towards your next purchase.
Happy to see a bookstore like this, especially in area that does not have many bookstores in general (the usual choices are a national chain or small used bookstores with a limited range). I’ll be back.

My husband and I stopped in here New Years Eve and were quite pleased. They have an excellent selection of local books (which having recently moved to Norfolk, I was excited to see). It was nice to be in a shop with such diverse choices and we can’t wait to go back.

This is definitely not a Barnes & Noble. It’s tiny. It’s adorable. It’s for the book dorks out there. It’s a-​book-​dorkable. Okay, so that’s a little weird. Let me scrape up some credibility here.
I was first introduced to Prince Books through a friend who invited me to a local author’s book debut event. (Lydia Netzer’s «Shine Shine Shine». Read it. Love it.) While browsing the store, I saw something for everyone. Magazines, postcards, maps, travel books, etc. There’s a café here as well, from which delicious smells were issuing like the scent of Granny’s kitchen on Christmas morning. Heavenly.
Sorry (not sorry).
The children’s corner was where I was inexplicably drawn. Or ‘splicably, since I had my toddler along and he’s a veritable book FIEND. They’re kind enough to provide tiny chairs and some toys over there.
On another visit, the employee wo-​manning the register helped me find a book, and ordered a book they didn’t have in stock. I had a lovely call from them when it came in earlier than expected.
Make sure you grab a «Member Discount Card». It’s free, don’t fret. They’ll stamp it for every $ 11 you spend. Ten stamps and you get $ 11 off ($ 15 or more).

Cute little neighborhood bookstore! Many local books and a nice selection of other topics/​genres. The kids corner is also tucked away in the back, which helps increase the distance between them and a quick escape out the double front doors. Haven’t had a chance to check out the café, but it’s nicely sized and well lit. A very quiet, nice place to browse and likely do some silent reading or study.

I love this place, a great, locally-​owned bookstore. If they don’t have it, they’ll order it.

I Love Local Bookstores! I was in town for a few days and ordered a book I wanted the first day, which they said would be in the next day. Well, as (my) luck would have it, their shipment was lost by FedEx for a few days. When I went in, they offered to call regular customer who had ordered but not yet picked up the same book and see if they would mind if I took their book and they waited for mine. No problem! Outstanding service! Would one of the big chains done that? Don’t think so! Shop this place… support great customer service!

We all know that reading is not the most popular activity in America and with the advent of monster bookstores like Barnes& Nobles, the mom and pop neighborhood bookstore would seem about as profitable as the bookmobile. But leave it to Norfolk to have a store that may be more nostalgia than commerce and leave it to Norfolk to show us what a bookstore can really do.
If literature and haughty intellectualism are now hip, then Prince Books is on the forefront. I came here for a poetry reading by the great Tim Seibles (creative writing professor at ODU and amazing poet – check out his books at all the major booksellers) and it was awesome! Seibles fit perfectly with the laid back décor and if smoking was allowed, the whole night would have had that beatnik feel. I’ve never bought any of their books (which I’m sure are a bit pricier than other places) but they definitely have great events for the artsy set or even just us wannabes.

I don’t have the emotional attachment to Prince Books that a lot of my Norfolkian friends seem to have. But it is a very nice little bookstore.
And of course they are holding the flame for indie bookstores everywhere.
The addition of the Lizard Café right next to to this location (it’s an open layout where the two are connected) in downtown Norfolk was a great choice.
They do a lot of in-​store readings and author appearances, which is cool.

I love this
bookstore SO MUCH that if bookstores were a fandom I would join it just so I could fangirl this one. Knowledgeable, friendly staff, fantastic organic and locally grown food in the coffeehouse, a varied selection and a tiny wait time on all book orders – all these things make Prince one of my favorite bookstores, anywhere.

A great little book shop. I’ve been going there for years. I always used to enjoy the poetry readings when I was in high school. The shop is small, so expect to get a lot of personal attention. The employees love to help you out and make recommendations. They’ll also leave you alone to wonder around. Prince Books has a good selection of new releases, but it’s not big enough to house everything. They will order you any book they don’t have. Nowadays, it’s easier to order online or go over to Barnes and Noble across the street. But it feels good to support a local shop that brings so much culture to Hampton Roads.

It was Sunday morning and I was waiting to pick up a book before my flight back home. The door says they open at 11am on Sunday. I tried my luck at 10:58am to see if it was open. No such luck. They opened at exactly 11am! I walked in and the café was not open. I’m not sure if they open on Sundays, but my friends have eaten here for lunch and they tell me that their tuna salad sandwiches are OUTSTANDING. Unfortunately I never had a chance to try it. Maybe next time?
I wanted to get a word search book. They only had one, and it was 10 lbs heavy so I decided to skip it. I walked around and saw a lot of interesting reads as well as cards for every occasion. They even had a shelf of sale items. I perused over these books, and just my luck found a really great deal on a book I’ve been meaning to buy!!!
Whats great about this store is that it is a local independent bookstore. This helps the economy because 68% of the money spent goes back to the local community. This helps to create local jobs as well. It also helps the environment because less packaging and less transportation equals less of a carbon foot print.

A great little book store. The people who work there actually read books and make interesting recommendations, which will not be the usual best seller/​new release fare. An excellent shop.

Definitely the best indie bookstore in Norfolk. Good selection and friendly service. The coffeeshop had local, sustainable food and a cool atmosphere. Norfolk doesn’t have many of these alternative outlets, so I was pretty happy to find this one. Highly recommended!

MY FAVORITE! Prince Books almost always has what I’m looking for, if not they will order it. The staff knows you by name within a few visits, and are so very friendly and helpful. They have discount cards they’ll keep on file for you at the store. They carry lots of local titles and are always bringing in new authors and having events that are free to the public!
(edited to add ⁹⁄₀₇): A new and huge Barnes & Noble just opened in MacArthur Mall across the street — NOPE, still going to Prince Books! They know me by name and I feel at home here.
The food and drink in the coffeehouse is excellent. Grab one of the coconut macaroons from the jar on the counter, you won’t be sorry. Also some of the best coffee around.