Capitol Hill Books

This place is full of what every quirky bookstore should be! Snarky comments scrawled on papers randomly taped about, a charmingly grumpy owner, and walls that seem to be reproducing books. It is definitely a place to spend some time getting lost.

Very cool, tightly packed with books and incredibly helpful signs everywhere, which surprisingly tell you everything you need to know. Sometimes you can find some rarer or older texts here and it really is a treat to visit. I recommend anyone who comes to DC should go to the Eastern Market on Sunday and see this store while here!

This place is a must see in Capitol Hill and instagram-​worthy! It’s really a unique bookstore to visit for pure fun or for purpose as their collection is pretty extensive. I love their art and cookbook section, it’s full of treasures. I wanted to take home everything I found, but certainly couldn’t due my very limited impulse shopping budget. Everything is reasonably priced and in great condition. The quirkly signs all over the shop are fun to read. Don’t forget to check the bathroom for books too!
My only concern regarding this place is the cramp walkways, and the stacking of the books. It’s definitely a hazard if you are not careful. Most certainly not suitable for children.

An odd place. My friend and I were at the eastern market and she suggested I check this out as I’m from out of town. There are books everywhere. no real organization. literally books piled to the ceilings and wall to wall. Very narrow walk ways. Books in the Windows. Books in the bathroom. Books everywhere. It felt like I was in a house that should have been condemned ! I don’t mean that disrespectful, as the staff seemed nice enough and all, but it just seemed like a goofy place !

So much character. It’s really a house full of books, stacked from floor to ceiling in all the nooks and crannies. It can be a bit tough if looking for a specific book with the way the books are organized but there is so much charm in the quirk of the place. It’s easy to get lost in the collection when browsing the bookshelves. Not a bad way to wrap up the afternoon to escape the crowds of Eastern Market.

If you love digging for treasure, you’ll love this bookstore. I must confess, I’m a bit obsessed with books, my favorite being City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers. It’s a tale about a city that smells of old books, books that are dangerous to read… where you have to search through the catacombs to find the book meant to take you on your next true adventure. Sure, there are stacks of the classics from Toni Morrison to first edition literary classics –which are priced fairly reasonably– but the joy of this bookstore is rifling through the stacks.
Fairly unorganized to the untrained eye, you’ll have to be in the mood to search through books. After about three visits, I feel like I have a map in my head that will allow me to find genres fairly quickly. They even cross merchandise to make it a bit easier (ie– placing Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ «Women Who Run With the Wolves» in both the literary crit section, women studies/“weird section”). You’ll find comic relief around the store in the form of signs which I find incredibly delightful.
The staff has always been delightful & helpful when I’ve gone in… not always sugary sweet and pandering to fussy and entitled customers, but it’s not hard to coax a true smile out of any of the workers here. On the top floor there are chairs to sit and leaf through the treasures you’ve acquired.
Go in when you’ve got some time, preferably a weekday morning when it’s a bit empty and there’s room to spread out. Another perk for being an early bird is the table of free goodies outside the shop — they tend to be better in the morning.

I don’t often go into bookstores, but when I do, it’s pretty awesome.
My last trip to DC, I went to an awesome hole-​in-​the-​wall bookstore, and didn’t think I’d find a gem similar to that one. After getting over the overflowing shelves, piles upon piles of books, and the confusing layout of the store, I was able to catch my bearings and finally figure out where I wanted to start.
If you’re looking for a specific book, you probably won’t find it here. There were some newer titles, but you’re going to have more luck if you walk in with no expectations, because the selection is across the board. I found a ton of great books on cooking, politics, and policy; and a women’s study section too! I was able to find a book on educational policy in excellent condition, and for a very affordable price.
The man behind the register was also funny as well. Take a second to have a conversation with him, and remember to put things back where you found them. If you don’t remember to do that, there are plenty of well-​worded signs to remind you to do so.

The place is probably going to kill someone at some point. Most likely cause of death will be crushed by bookcase given that the bookshelves lean every which way but straight and the ones upstairs are bolted to the wall to prevent them from tipping. The owner can also be a tad crotchety (it feels like a version of Seinfeld’s soup nazi) but he loves his books, probably a little too much, and he and the staff do have a sense of humor.
The place is good if you’re looking for a hard to find book but you’ll probably be stuck searching for a few hours in the store before you find it.

It’s great. It’s so great. It’s so unbelievably great. Concerns? What is there in place to make sure this place isn’t squeezed out? Capitol Hill Books should be on a protected sites list. There should be people in line to step up and make sure that its legacy can be preserved for new generations.
You see, it’s really great.

There’s that old school charm here: too many books on one shelf, a bit of a mishmash arrangement, crooked stairs… you know. That charm.
I find it a nice place to stop by when in the area but it gets crowded too easily and too soon.
What I loved most? There are some books near the cash register where the owner (s) have made some funny remarks. I’d check that out before you leave.

This place is crammed full of books. Wow. They have quite an impressive collection at pretty darn low prices. If I was on the hunt for a first edition or a cool gift, this would be my first — and likely only — stop. I also love, love, loved the snarky little signs scattered throughout the store delineating sections and books.
My only issue with this store is I feel a little scared for my life when I step inside. The basement ceiling is incredibly low, and that is coming from a short person. The steps upstairs are also slanted, and I feel as if they could collapse at any moment. While this might be scary, in a weird way, it just adds to the charm.

There is not a single bookstore in this city that can compare. Selection, price, character. You aren’t going to have your hand held or emotions coddled by the staff — but there’s a reason you’re here and Barnes & Noble is going out of business. Don’t miss the downstairs, after leaving you’ll be thrilled to be alive.

I’m not sure how I’d never written a review of this place before! I first visited the bookstore in 2013 and just visited again yesterday. I’ve never bought any books from here, but I’ve really enjoyed walking around the store and glimpsing volumes and volumes of old and new books alike. The store winds around quite a bit and the shelves /​genres seem to be completely mish mashed.
My one qualm is how cramped and disorganized the bookstore is, and how the walls and staircase seem dilapidated and are falling apart. But I suppose that’s part of the old school charm of the place.
There aren’t many wonders like Capitol Books left, in an evolving world with Kindles, Nooks, and online ordering. But when you do stumble upon such gems, it’s truly magical.

This Eastern Market book store is so small yet so packed with excellent, hard-​to-​find titles in almost every subject area. Those with broad shoulders should be wary of knocking over the precariously stacked books that line the walls. The upstairs section is my favorite because it has just about every classic novel you’ve ever heard of organized neatly by author. Where else can you can get a William Dean Howells book and have the store keeper recommend it as you purchase it? I’m knocking one star off for the prices, which are sometimes pretty high for old softcovers that I can find for a lot cheaper at the Friends of the Library bookstores in Montgomery County.

Fiction upstairs, non-​fiction 1^st floor, but more downstairs and for Pete’s sake, remember to close the door.

Wall-​to-​wall, floor-​to-​ceiling, books crammed into every possible nook in this two floor treasure right next to Eastern Market. You have to be patient to navigate your way around all the people jammed into this relatively small space, and if you get claustrophobic steel yourself. It is beyond worth it, though, as this store has an amazing selection of fiction, history, thriller, biographies and every genre in between.
On my last visit I was able to find both of the books I came in for, and get them at great prices ($ 4 for a paperback of Lonesome Dove and $ 8 for a hardcover of IT). As a frequenter of used bookstores I’m confident in saying it is rare to encounter such an extensive selection. And for added fun the owner (who appears to be the only employee?) has a wicked sense of humor that can be seen on cover notes throughout the store. If you leave without purchasing a book don’t be surprised when he calls you out for it!

THE GOOD:
This bookstore was amazing & definitely was unique. Wall-​to-​wall books — to the point where the bathroom was a section for books as well! It’s definitely a sight to see. It’s definitely like a treasure hunt where you never know just what amazing book finds you’ll encounter! However, if you don’t like «organized chaos» you probably won’t liek Capitol Hill Books. But it’s great to note that there’s sometimes free books on a table outside!
THE BAD, THE UGLY:
So you’re probably wondering… why such a low rating?
Before leaving Capitol Hill books, I witnessed the most rude and disrespectful scene of the store worker with a man trying to sell his books to the store. When the man wanted to use the restroom while the store worker (and possibly owner, I’m not too sure) examined the books, the worker immediately started yelling at the man. He was talking about «Why the f_​_​_​_​would you leave if you want to sell these books to me!» «I don’t want no god damn hardcover mysteries, who the f_​_​_​_​wants that» «Are you stupid?» I’m not quite sure how else to say this nicely, but it just felt like there was an undertone of racism when the store worker was dealing with this seller. It was unprofessional and it was rude.
And with all that being said, it made me feel super uncomfortable and if I were with kids, I am not too sure I would be willingly to take them here with me. Or to be honest, if I’ll even come back. When I go shopping for books or whatever, I like to feel comfortable and this event just didn’t cut it for me… no matter how unique a bookstore.

Capitol Hill Books is one of those bookstores where used books are piled everywhere, in every conceivable space. Hardcover, paperback, first editions, literature, philosophy, history, everything! Great for the literate reader, the bargain hunter, or even the collector, but probably terrible for those who are claustrophobic or who don’t like to hunt for their interests.
My wife and I stopped by here on our way to the Eastern market fleamarket in the morning, and I absolutely fell in love with the place. I am a consummate collector, and I am always looking for first editions or new books to read, especially those in worn states they can be read without fear of damaging quality. I easily scouted out a couple of books I would’ve otherwise bought had I not needed to carry other things that day. Prices are inexpensive, although if you manage to find a first edition they generally seem to know what it’s worth.
The only downside to this wonderful repository of used books is the somewhat haphazard layout of all the different subjects. The three levels, each with their own different layouts and small spaces, are somewhat strangely arranged and it’s hard to pass even one other person in the narrow walkways. That being said, I enjoyed the seclusion from the bustle of the outside street in a series of rooms filled with books.
–1 star for the sometimes difficult-​to-​follow layout of the store and the shelves. Otherwise, this shop is a true gem, and I hope to find my way back here soon.

I really want to like this place because it’s so wonderfully scruffy. I think of it as the polar opposite of Amazon. But I’ve found that it’s totally hit or miss whether I end up finding what I went looking for. When I went in search of books by Barbara Kingsolver, I came home with several. When I went in search of books by Garth Stein (The Art of Racing in the Rain), I looked through hundreds of books by «S» authors but went home empty. As long as you go here accepting that you may or may not find what you’re looking for, you’ll be fine.

This may not at first appear to be a review of Capitol Hill Books, but it is.
«L-​space manifests in our world in those obscure, hidden bookstores that, logic and the laws of physics insist, cannot possibly be as large on the outside as they appear on the inside. Somehow, after scraping one’s shoulders against the improbably small door, one finds one’s self turning one unseen corner after another, seemingly going on forever into further and more obscure sections as yet unobserved by human eyes. The town of Hay-​on-​Wye, known for having more bookshops per square mile than anywhere else in the world, contains many examples of this, and may be a substantial access point to L-​space. Essentially, all bookstores are potentially infinite in extent; gateways into literary hyperspace: «[a] good bookshop is just a genteel blackhole that knows how to read.» — Discworld wiki
There are so many books in CHB that even if you don’t accidentally wander into another dimension, you will find time passes differently there. You’ll come out hours later and say «I could swear I was only in there 10 minutes!»