Anderson Book Company

Today (Sept 15th, 2020) they are open!nnSince the beginning of the pandemic we've been home-bound. We haven't been to THE BEST USED BOOK STORE EVER since the beginning of the year and selfishly its the only business I've been terrified would go under because of the virus. My heart swells with joy when we step in this little treasure. I feel like I'm walking into my friend's cozy library where the books are reasonably priced and I can gather up trinkets and books to my hearts content.nWhile we are still social distancing and staying home for the majority of the time as my husband does the grocery shopping, this store I was finally willing to make an exception for. However, you may notice when you call that it goes straight to voicemail and the voicemail is full. I was so worried when I tried calling on two different days and got the same thing, so I jumped in the car and drove by, holding my breath in anticipation of yet more bad news. But there Larae was, in her lovely shop, and as we tried the handle it opened and we were welcomed in. Larae explained she closed her store for 4 months and during that time had packed away some boxes and in one of them the store phone and she hasn't been able to find the box since. So please know she's there! And her beautiful book collection is still there! And it was just the tiny piece of hope I needed today to walk through her doors. Thank you so much, Larae, for your lovely treasure of a store. We are lucky to have you.nnEdited to add: I take my 5 year old daughter with me all of the time and Larae is always welcoming even to my daughter. I make sure my daughter is careful with the books, but Larae has never seemed upset by her looking at all of the books. I'm sorry the one reviewer had a different experience, but we have been here many times and this has never been our experience, but far from it.

They’re phone number has a full mailbox.nWish I could contact from my phone!

I love this shop, & the owner is nice. The window displays are bright & seasonal. You could spend hours in there browsing. At the same time: there is so much crammed in there, watch where you're walking. There are usually boxes everywhere. Convenience & accessibility is also an issue. For someone who works & isn't in downtown Centralia, plan on going on Saturday because that will be your only opportunity. Much as I support locally owned businesses, I just ordered the remainder of a series online rather than going there just to see if she has them, because the phone is set to forward to voice mail & the mailbox is full. You cannot call & see if she has what you want; you have to go there. For me that's 1/2 hour drive in the opposite direction from where I intended to go today.

I always find at least one good book whenever I stop in. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The prices are good, and the owner is always willing to help find things, or just have a friendly chat. I will always stop in whenever I'm in town.

Love this place! Blow paychecks here way too often. Inexpensive. I got a ton of books for a little over a hundred. Found books I have been looking for for ages. Basically floor to ceiling book shelves and lots to choose from. It's small but packs a bunch in its small area. Only ever ran into one very friendly person who works there same person every time I have been. Only problem I have with this place is totally personal I spend all my money here. But totally worth it. My book collection has more then doubled its origin size thanks to this place. Due to its small size I always seem to get a little hot in there when I do go though, but that's probably because I'm usually frantically searching for new finds our beloved books that I have always wanted to own. Book lovers need to try this place I fell in love.