SERVICE IN FALL 2021
We will allow in-store browsing by appointment starting October 15 (subject to pandemic conditions). Thanks for your continued support!
Puzzles Puzzles Puzzles
We have over 400 different jigsaw puzzles in stock, with piece counts from 36 to 2000, plus puzzle toys for little ones!
The Original SURPRISE ME! Bag
Tell us what you like, what you do for fun, what matters to you; give us a budget. We'll build a selection to suit. Let us surprise you (or a friend)!
FREE LOCAL PICKUP & DELIVERY
Shop by phone or email noon-7pm, Mon-Sat. Curbside pickup, delivery, & shipping available.
Iowa City area: When you get to Shipping Options at checkout, select "Curbside or Delivery". $0.00!
IOBA Member
You should be able to trust that we care about your books. When you buy a book from us, it will come from a collection curated for content and physical quality, and it will be shipped to you with the utmost care, regardless of price.
Selling Your Books
We are not purchasing books from customers at this time.
Walk-in selling hours: Fri-Sat 3pm-7pm. Donations accepted at any time.
Browsing by Appointment Temporarily Unavailable
For the health of our patrons, staff, and 8mo baby, we only allow browsing by appointment (click for details). Due to the escalating cases and test positivity in eastern Iowa, we have temporarily suspended in-store browsing appointments. We will begin taking appointments again when cases have stopped increasing and test positivity is 5% or less.
The Haunted Bookshop, Iowa City's oldest secondhand bookshop, carries over 50,000 used, rare, out of print and antiquarian titles in over 50 different subject areas, including poetry, fiction, plays, history, religion and philosophy, cultural studies, sciences and languages, art books, children's books, literary nonfiction, Iowa-related books, and more. Looking for a newer title? Now you can order new books from us on Bookshop.org!
We continue to offer shipping, curbside pickup, and local home delivery on thousands of books, puzzles, games, and more. Do you have favorite subjects or authors and want to try something new? Try a Surprise Me! bag! Set any budget you like - $10, $50, $76.39, it's your choice - and we'll fill it with books you'll love!
Thank you for your support and caring. We miss you! We completely understand your frustration - it's not much fun to be a bookstore without patrons - and we will reopen appointment bookings as soon as it's safe to do so. Be healthy, be patient, and we'll see each other again soon!
We are located in the Northside district in the historic Wentz House (1847), its rooms lined with shelves and comfortable chairs, its walls offering toys, games, cards, and more. Our friendly and quirky staff delight in helping visitors to find old book-friends and new, and we pride ourselves on resourcefulness and individual attention to our guests.We're fond of avid readers, browsers, families, students, teachers, literary reviewers, artists, writers, and other good company; we welcome book groups and community organizations; and we delightedly encourage storytelling, reading aloud, book recommendation, puppet shows (use ours or bring your own), and spontaneous performances by visiting piano players.
New Books through Bookshop.org!
You can now order new books from us through Bookshop.org! Here's how it works: search for the books you want, buy them, and have them shipped directly to you. If you use this link to start your search, we receive a portion of the sale. Easy! - Check back soon as we begin expanding our recommendations on the bookshop.org website!
Sell Your Books
If you want to sell your books, you can bring them to the shop between 3pm-6pm Fri-Sun, or call us for appointment options.
We strongly advise that you call ahead every time you plan to bring books in order to check wait times.
If you have mobility concerns or a large collection (>10 shelves/boxes), please contact us about scheduling a buying appointment at your home/office.
We are still accepting donations of quality used books, but we are not purchasing additional inventory at this time.
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