Prairie Lights Books

We spent an hour here and could have spent longer. Great selection of current fiction and a focus on local writers and visiting writers. Well worth a stop.

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I like Prairie Lights since it is one of the best non-chain bookstores around. Great selection of books and like a real bookstore, crammed all the way more...

This is a locally owned bookstore with the ambience of the classical small, bookstores that seems to be a thing of the past. In comparison to the larger, chain-type bookstores, this store is a breath of fresh air. The service is comparable to none and although they are smaller than the chain-run stores, they will locate any book that you may be interested in purchasing. The atmosphere supports that of a laid-back, care-free afternoon spent browsing texts of all genres. In addition, their prices are excellent and definitely worth the extra service and friendly helping hand that you will be offered when shopping at Prairie Lights. I would recommend this book store to anyone!

This is the place I go for books when I'm in town. It's a cool little shop, with both national best-sellers and lesser-known independents. The staff knows their stuff, and the prices are competitive with the big guys.

Prarie Lights is the best place in Iowa City to go if you want to buy a good book and enjoy some culture. They have a very friendly staff, and their selection is very good. I am alwyas able to find novels there that Barnes and Noble and Borders don't carry. They seem to carry more intellectual novels vs. popular novels, which is top rate. They also have a Java House on the upper level which is a great place to buy a late and sit with a good book. On a whole, Prarie Lights is one of a kind and a must visit in Iowa City.

Recently my eldest son won a gift certificate from his summer reading program from Prarie Lights. Deciding he had better use the GCbefore it disappeared into GC heaven he and I headed out to Prarie Lights.

I have visited Prarie Lights many times in the almost 20 years that I have lived in the Iowa City area and each time I visit I am impressed all over again by the atmosphere, selection and the overall calm, comforting feeling of the bookstore.

They carry quite a bit of the top run books and have a nice selection of others as well but the ones that impress me are the local writiers and such. They are very willing to special order anything you might need and I have in fact used them in this way many times satisfactorily.

Easily located on S Dubuque street, the only problem might be parking. My advise is to park whereever you find a place and begin to walk. It is usually a realtively short walk and in your journey you just might find another one of IC's downtown stores to check out as well! Good luck and happy reading!

PROS: .nice small store with great selection
CONS: .hard to find parking at times

Conveniently located on 15 South Dubuque Street, this is another store that is an easy walk from campus. In fact, I would suggest to all who more...

I should be honest and upfront here. I don't like going downtown unless I absolutely have to. It can be a real exercise in patience to shop downtown more...

This is a simply amazing place to be if you love books. They have everything from non-fiction to romance, poetry to children's books. There are regu more...

Excellent selection in stock and staff is willing to special anything in print. Authors reading at Live From Prairie Lights often leave a pile of signed books for those that missed the readings in person. Browsers can enjoy coffee on the top floor while skimming magazines and books. Downside? Limited street parking.