The Insomniac Bookshop

The Insomniac Bookshop Selling Used Books and Vintage Paperbacks in all genres.

Gettin through the collection adding these to the newbie cart! All in like new condition! Don’t be a Fradie Kat! 🐈‍⬛ 🖤...
08/06/2026

Gettin through the collection adding these to the newbie cart! All in like new condition! Don’t be a Fradie Kat! 🐈‍⬛ 🖤 Hope to get some occult hardcovers out soon!!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6!
Online Orders Welcome! DM or Msg me!

Honored to have an collection come into our shop today! Stay tuned for more like these! Have any needs? We’ve got yo...
08/05/2026

Honored to have an collection come into our shop today! Stay tuned for more like these! Have any needs? We’ve got you covered!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6pm
Online Orders Welcome! DM or Msg me!

Celebrating one of my favorite writers with a nostalgic post from one of my first high school reads… and there were soft...
08/05/2026

Celebrating one of my favorite writers with a nostalgic post from one of my first high school reads… and there were soft rains today at least in Des Moines on August 4th 2026.

Available now in the Bradbury section (yes it’s there in the SciFi paperback shelf) Beautiful copy!

“The America of my experience has worshiped and nourished violence for as long as I have been on earth. The violence was...
08/04/2026

“The America of my experience has worshiped and nourished violence for as long as I have been on earth. The violence was being perpetrated mainly against black men, though [... and so it didn’t count. But, if a society permits one portion of its citizenry to be menaced or destroyed, then, very soon, no one in that society is safe.”

from “Nothing Personal”

James Baldwin
August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987

Happy Bday
I hate it when I run out of JB paperbacks so here’s a fresh vintage batch of some of his best! That and are 1st printings! That bio is really cool and uncommon.
Available now on the newbie cart!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6pm
Online Orders Welcome! DM or Msg Me!!

Adding a new (for me) genre in my vintage paperbacks of novels starting with a few new arrivals. That is very scarce...
08/01/2026

Adding a new (for me) genre in my vintage paperbacks of novels starting with a few new arrivals. That is very scarce and on display in the glass case. I have way more where these came from so stay tuned for future posts in the genre!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6
Online Orders Welcome! DM or Msg Me!

Stocking up the new arrival cart for Saturday! These collectible hardcovers keep coming in! Those literary memoirs won’t...
07/31/2026

Stocking up the new arrival cart for Saturday! These collectible hardcovers keep coming in! Those literary memoirs won’t last long! Feel free to send questions and that Roth and Vonnegut are 1st printings.

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6pm
Online Orders Welcome! DM or Msg Me!

SOLD!Happy Friday fellow book travelers! Just in is this of ‘s (a third printing) and it’s one of the better taken...
07/31/2026

SOLD!
Happy Friday fellow book travelers! Just in is this of ‘s (a third printing) and it’s one of the better taken care of copies I’ve had in my shop. I would rate this as VG+/VG+ The DJ has a closed tear to the rear top-edge. Some light smudging to front and rear panels and some minor edge wear. Book is clean with bright gilt titles. New mylar protective cover to DJ! Creative non-fiction at its best!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6pm
Online Ordering Welcome! DM or Msg me!

New arrival Hardcovers all with mylar protective covers on the DJ’s. A few 1st printings like that and Available n...
07/30/2026

New arrival Hardcovers all with mylar protective covers on the DJ’s. A few 1st printings like that and Available now on the new arrival cart!!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6pm
Online Orders Welcome! DM or Message Me!

I continue to be amazed what walks in the door in this town! Des Moines I love you! Anytime I can get Bukowski it’s a gr...
07/29/2026

I continue to be amazed what walks in the door in this town! Des Moines I love you! Anytime I can get Bukowski it’s a great day! This is a true 1st printing of Bukowski’s Notes of a Dirty Old Man from 1969 by Essex House! This collection is a series of articles Buk wrote for Open City, an underground newspaper in Los Angeles. Scarce to find this edition anywhere. This is available now in the glass display case!!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11 - 6pm
Online Orders Welcome! 🙏 DM or Msg Me!!

Two bangers from last week’s finds! Both 1st printings with good+ and 💎 solid VG with a couple dog eared pages. Happy...
07/28/2026

Two bangers from last week’s finds! Both 1st printings with good+ and 💎 solid VG with a couple dog eared pages. Happy to send more photos. Available now!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-6pm
Online Orders Welcome! DM or Msg Me!

Address

4211 Chamberlain Avenue
Des Moines, IA
50312

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 6pm
Wednesday 11am - 6pm
Thursday 11am - 6pm
Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 11am - 6pm

Telephone

+15153148089

Website

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