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February 2024 by Christine D.
Politics and Prose (specifically this Conn Ave location) is my favorite bookstore - not just in the District, but nationwide. They've got so much more than just books to offer, although of course they've got plenty of good books. I love that they have an entire area of sale books, where I can always find gems, especially with cookbooks. They can order pretty much any book imaginable if it's not on their shelves, and if you pick it up at the store, there's no delivery cost. Beyond books, this location has a great cafe in the basement. Perfect for a sweet pastry or a glass of wine. And, most importantly, Politics and Prose has an incredible offering of classes and events each season. I've taken 4 classes (all online) so far, and loved every one of them. They are able to attract great instructors, and they have a wide range of topics for all interests. I particularly enjoyed the Art of Food Writing class I recently took with Nevin. Forget Amazon - come to Politics and Prose (in-person or virtually!) and support a wonderful local establishment.
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February 2024 by Anne K.
Wonderful bookstore, helpful staff, and great place to just sit and read or browse at you leisure. The cafe downstairs has fresh, tasty fare. Wish they'd turn off the Wi-Fi, however, because people park there on their laptops and stay for hours. Sometimes on weekends, I can't get a seat.
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January 2024 by Celina G.
Underneath a busy bookstore is the coffeehouse that is equally as bustling. A wintery Saturday afternoon draws the laptop crowd, families and friends catching up, and me, just reading a book as I waited for the author talk upstairs to start. I was lucky to find a spot to sit as someone was leaving. Then just as I left someone else claimed my table. I sat near the entrance, where there seemed to be a constant flow of people coming in and out. It's a decent place to work or read if you don't mind some chatter and light music in the background. Latte was good. The menu has a good variety of options for breakfast and sandwiches, plus a selection of pastries.
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January 2024 by Quay D.
Outstanding selection of books for 1-2 yr old. Politics and Prose offers a service of sending gift books monthly to a child. After taking information from me about my preferences and the child, they send 2-3 books a month for a year. The parents of the recipient said the choices were unusual and outstanding, so much so that they recommended them to their friends with similar aged children. The books are always on time and reasonably priced. It was such a successful gift, I decided to continue for the next year. Thanks to the Children's' Book Section, Politics and Prose.
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November 2023 by James H.
I came and sat in the cafe downstairs to do some work, and I was pleasantly surprised by the service! The baristas were super nice and attentive with a long line of customers, and my latte was soooo delicious. There were a lot of people there for a weekday morning, but I found a seat near the window and found it a great place to focus. Will be coming back! :)
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November 2023 by Aditi K.
really cute store with an equally cute coffee shop below!! i came here with a couple of friends who were visiting dc and had wanted to come here for ages. we all got coffees and wandered around the bookstore. my lavender latte with oat milk was excellent and the book selection is huge and diverse. we spent hours here and i easily could have spent hours more. it's a little far from my neighborhood but i would love to spend another lazy day here :)
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October 2023 by M.R. Long
Had a great time, met with Tika the Iggy and her dad... Fun!
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September 2023 by Lakiesha Henry
Last night's author launch of Ciera Burch's debut book, Finch House, was amazing!! What a talented writer, I can't wait to read my book and see what more comes from this thoughtful talent!
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September 2023 by Michael Lyman
This has to be one of the better bookstores in the DC area. In fact, it's more than just a bookstore- if you need more than a bookstore. There's a cafe here as well.I think the thing I was most impressed with was the staff. They are kind and friendly and most of all they really know their books. My kid got a great recommendation from a kind woman, which was very useful since he is not really a reader. Maybe now he will be.
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September 2023 by Keara W.
The staff is fantastic. I went to a book signing, but I arrived too late for a seat. I'm disabled and the staff was very accommodating. They had some seats reserved for those with disabilities. When it came to the book signing, I wasn't able to stand in line. One of the employees offered to bring me toward the front of the line. The customers in line were very kind.
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August 2023 by Judith D.
Politics and Prose bookstore has generously donated many brand new books to The Fostering Health Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. One of the staff members at the bookstore (Susan) reached out to our clinic asking how they could help. We were able to share with them a wish list of books that our clinic gives out to the patients we see. The patients we see in our clinic are children who are placed in foster care in the city of Philadelphia. It is our mission to make sure these kids have access to books with diverse backgrounds and cultures. Every child that is seen in our clinic is given books and learning toys as they leave. We are eternally grateful for anyone who makes a donation to this program so that we can continue to do this work. Thank you, Politics and Prose Bookstore for your generous donation. We would not be able to provide these books without help from generous donors like you.
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August 2023 by Library Card Holder
I’m a 45-year-old black man who stands 5’9 with a slim build weighting 175pds with a bald head and beard. Basically, I thought for the most part I didn’t look like a book thief.I currently work with adults with disabilities and my client who likes to read books, so I thought Politics and Prose was a safe and welcoming environment, but I was wrong.Shortly after entering Politics and Prose I started to be followed throughout several aisles of the store.Initially when I noticed the young lady was in every aisle, I was on myself. First thought “I hope she does think I’m following her” then when I move to another aisle, and she follows me at that time I realizes what I was going on.At that time, I stop and asked the women was she following me. She said no, as her mask cover her mouth and you could only see her eyes, her eyes told the truth, she looked a little shock that I ask her this question after catching her following a black man around a bookstore to make sure he does steal.Should I be flattered because a white person thought a black man was going to steal a book, since the saying goes “if you want to hide something for a black man put it in a book”.However, I’m not shocked this incident happened.Even though this goes against Politics and Prose mission statement, who has been in business since 1984 not 1894, I guess things haven’t changed. For any critics you can pull the video it happens 8-21-23 between 6pm to 7pm at the Connecticut Ave location.
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August 2023 by Grace B.
An American University student must visit, I frequented Politics and Prose's main location regularly. It's huge. It has every book under the sun, making it very overwhelming. Another bookstore that definitely gets paid by publishers to put the popular hits on their front and center tables. They do have a cool sales section in the very back which I like. While the staff is nice, because of the sheer size of their collection, they aren't very familiar with it, so they are not the most helpful sometimes. When they have events, it makes the space very difficult to move around it, too. I do love The Den- their coffee shop space in the basement. It's a good size and great ambiance. I love love love their grilled cheese there.
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August 2023 by Kim McNamara
We visited this bookstore for the first time today. It was lovely. The staff were super knowledgeable and friendly. The book selection was amazing. I can't wait to go back.
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August 2023 by Elle
I'm just a huge fan of this place, their selection of books, and their booksellers. Could spend hours in the stacks. My only possible complaint is that the membership fee is incredibly pricey, but totally get that independent bookstores need the funds. I also adore the downstairs cafe; great atmosphere with solid wifi and a fantastic staff.
