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The Collective Bookstore
Verona's whimsical bookstore for curated reads, gifts, and community events.
4.2
Retail Store
$$
Verona's whimsical bookstore for curated reads, gifts, and community events.
The Collective Bookstore in Verona sits at 460 Bloomfield Ave, offering a well-curated mix of books and whimsical gifts for children, teens, and adults. Customers praise welcoming staff, thoughtful recommendations, and a spacious, inviting layout, plus a Narnia-themed kids’ area, murals, and local-made items. The shop hosts themed events; one review noted a past incident that the owner promptly addressed.
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Curated selection of books for children, teens, and adults with personalized staff recommendations.
A magical, immersive reading space for kids with murals, photo backdrops, and age-appropriate books.
Unique gifts, art pieces, and stickers from local makers, perfect for book lovers and beyond.
Hosting community events, author visits, and literary-themed gatherings to foster connection.
Perfect for gifting, available for purchase in-store or online to share the joy of reading.
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Overall rating
Kathy Rutherford
What a wonderful bookstore! I ventured in because I had received a gift certificate to this store. What a well curated and excellent selection of books and gifts for book lovers (and others). I loved my gift certificate and had a great time picking out books to bring home. I’ll defiantly be back!
Liz V
This local Verona bookstore is a must visit! It is filled with whimsical gifts and a large array of books for children, teens & adults. I visited about a specific author (Richard Chizmar) and the staff went above and beyond to make sure the books would be available. My visit revealed that the store also hosts special themed events and I am excited to explore these more. It is worth a visit!!
Joann Charles
I’m an avid reader and a bookstore enthusiast, and recently, my daughter and I visited this shop with excitement. Unfortunately, our experience was deeply disappointing. While we were there, a white family came in and immediately received warm, attentive customer service. Meanwhile, my daughter and both people of color were completely ignored. At first, I tried to give the benefit of the doubt. I assumed perhaps the older white woman working there was just giving us space to browse. But I was near the front of the store, visibly engaged, and when I smiled at her, she responded with a look so unwelcoming, it truly shocked me. She never once acknowledged us. What struck me most was the large flag in the store proclaiming, “Everyone is welcome here.” Sadly, that was far from our experience. Feeling unseen and unwelcome, I left the books we’d picked out and walked out disappointed and disheartened. I don’t take lightly the decision to speak out like this, and I don’t throw around accusations of discrimination. But the contrast in treatment was undeniable. It’s painful to be reminded that even in spaces meant to foster curiosity and community, not everyone is treated equally Edit:Josh, the owner of The Collective Bookstore, reached out to me immediately and offered what I felt was a sincere and heartfelt apology I really appreciate that and his quick response meant a lot. However, I do want to add that during his review with the staff member involved in my visit, they continued to insist that they had approached me and that’s simply not true.
Indiana London
Our experience was lovely! This store is organized well and has a very funky vibe, lots of books you’d expect at larger stores as well as many art pieces and items designed by local makers. The kid’s area (Narnia) is the real gem here. Plenty of room for a child to engage with books and feel like they’ve been transported to a new world! There are murals and a variety of reading levels available, as well as a cute backdrop to take photos at. I’ll be back for stickers and my next cookbook for sure!
Andrew Singh
Exactly what a local bookstore should be like! The staff was so nice and welcoming as well as knowledgeable and ready with great recommendations for multiple genres. The space was open and lovely, making for a very enjoyable browsing experience and the newly opened children's room is a dream space for kids as well as a homage to those of us who fell in love with reading at a young age.
