Raven’s Book Shoppe

I’ve come here a lot over the years, now less then I would like because my work hours clash with their business hours. But I love this place, great deals, and a supply that is better then the 29 palms library. I own a lot of books, and probably half of what I own has come from Ravens. I grew up in 29 palms and you couldn’t ask for a better used book store.

A little gem in the desert. Stayed in 29 Palms last w/​e for my wife’s birthday & she forgot her book for the trip. Googled this place & went to take a look. There are a load of books, lots of variety, they seemed to be in generally good condition and (perhaps?) unexpectedly well organized for a used book store off the beaten track. The owner assisted us and we both found books by authors we were looking for within 5 minutes. Great condition and bargain prices! Could not ask for more.

New owner is doing a fantastic job of upgrading and organizing books. Going in to look at all the little cubbies filled with books and overflows of books in the building could keep you busy all day just browsing. I usually stop by on the way to visit Joshua Tree and could get so absorbed and never reach the Park. Absolutely fascinating!

I’ve always driven by this place and wondered what it was like inside. It looks so random and sketchy looking from the outside that I was nervous to go in. However, once day I put my big girl panties on and decided to go in and have a look around. I’m glad that I did.
There are so many books. The owner has them pretty well organized. It’s a little overwhelming when you first walk in. I looked for about 5 minutes before I decided I’d be better off asking the owner where my genre was. She was able to lead me through the maze of books to my section where I found a lot of good books. Then I wondered around checking out the other sections.
There is literally something for everyone. There are bibles, sci-​fi, romance, history, horror, cultural and everything in between. There are old books and then new books. There were some new Stephen Kings, Dean Koontz, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and George R.R. Martin.
I can’t believe it took me so long to go in there. I will definitely be popping in from time to time to see what’s new.

Great place for used books! Plenty of classics to choose from & all for a great price.

Ravens Bookshop is still open, but only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s also still for sale, and the owner jokes (or is he serious?) that you get the inventory too.
It’s a well-​stocked place, full of all sorts of books, organized by categories but a bit of a jumble within those categories and very, very dusty. There are lots of mass-​market paperbacks but also tons of old classics and pretty high-​brow works. I found two fairly esoteric translations of literary works from Edo-​era Japan. I wasn’t looking for current books, but it looks a little skimpy on those (though I did see some Twilight titles). If you’re an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan, they have a huge collection of old titles, both paperbacks and hardbacks.

Paradise for book-​lovers of all kinds. Books are stacked to the ceiling, and the layout can seem like a bit of a maze at first, but everything is well-​organized. And, if you’re like me, you don’t mind getting lost in stacks of books. It isn’t unusual to find old editions of books from the late 1800s. I visit here every time I’m in the area and I never come away empty handed.

Note: As of yesterday (10÷2÷10), this place is for sale, and the owner seems eager to unload it.
It was a decent browse. But the collection seems like it should be culled a bit — there are too many books taking up space that are the kind of outdated (not timeless) junk that you can’t imagine anybody actually buying (e.g. AAA travels guides from the 80s, 70s books on ESP, some textbooks in not-​good condition).
Of course, there are good finds too: my traveling companion picked up a poetry collection he’d been looking for. But if you only have time for one used bookstore in this area, I recommend the Sagebrush Press Book Store in Yucca Valley.

This place is great — I always find something I’ve been looking for for ages. A great place to browse; you will walk out with a stack of books. One caveat: CALL BEFORE YOU GO! My friends and I drove all the way out from L.A. one happy morning only to find it closed: his hours are, shall we say, eccentric.

Raven’s is a great used bookstore. The guy who runs it is helpful and a cool dude, and the place is jam packed — but well organized! — with books of every category. Viva la used bookstore!