I stopped by the Barnes & Noble at Ala Moana Center and it remains one of the most comfortable places in the mall if you want to slow down and spend some time browsing books. The store is spacious and well organized, with clearly arranged sections that make it easy to explore different genres. Walking through the aisles feels relaxed, and there is a wide selection of books ranging from best sellers and new releases to classics and specialty topics. One thing that stood out to me is how the store still maintains the traditional bookstore experience even though it is located inside a busy shopping center. The layout encourages browsing, and it is easy to spend a good amount of time looking through titles and discovering books you were not originally planning to buy. Another highlight is the range of non-book items available throughout the store. You will find journals, gifts, educational toys, and other reading-related merchandise, which adds variety to the experience. The atmosphere is calm compared to many other areas of the mall, and the store tends to attract a mix of students, families, and casual readers looking for a quiet place to browse. Overall, Barnes & Noble at Ala Moana Center is a great stop if you enjoy bookstores and want a comfortable place to explore books while spending time at the mall. read more

This specific store is noted for being a unique "cultural hub" in Honolulu with several standout features that distinguish it from a standard mainland location. 1. It serves as a major community gathering point, often hosting local author signings and cultural events that reflect the islands' literary scene. So now you can get your copy of Eat Lava Pray signed. 2. The in-store café serves official Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes, so you can skip the restaurant lines. 3. Reflecting Hawaii's deep cultural ties to Japan, this location features an exceptionally large manga and anime section that rivals international bookstores. 4. The store maintains a robust physical media section with a curated selection of vinyl records. I found Pois Don't Cry and Lei Lady Lei. read more

Barnes & Noble at Ala Moana is my happy place. My only real complaint? There's only one on the entire island. The store is spacious, well organized, and has a solid selection. Sometimes they don't have what I'm looking for, but then the staff is always helpful, checking their database and offering to order it online. But I don't usually come here looking for something specific. This is where I treat myself. I love spending time flipping through coffee table books. I mostly read e-books and listen to audiobooks, but i believe coffee table books need to be real, heavy, and beautiful. Their selection is huge, and it's one of my favorite parts of the store. The kids' section deserves special praise. It's not just a great book selection, it's truly kid-friendly. There are toys, space to explore, and a very welcoming vibe. I love coming here with my child, watching him look through books and seeing other families reading together. They even have a stage for story times and events. I haven't managed to attend one yet, but it's definitely on my wish list. read more

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I don't spend enough time here. It is on my list of things to do. I have great childhood memories of Barnes & Noble. I was in the area and I was able to come in for just a sneak peek. I walked around and immediately had a surge of emotion. All I wanted to do was immerse myself in books. I wanted to grab a strawberry Frappuccino and read a vampire book, maybe grab a journal or two, learn a new language, eat a pastry, and just get lost for hours here. At least that was what I would do in my teenage years. Me and Barnes & Noble have a date very soon as you can tell I am Ms. Sentiment over here. There is public parking here, which I am very grateful for. I will be making a visit very soon! read more

Barnes & Noble - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I had no idea that Barnes & Noble still had a brick & mortar store in Ala Moana Shopping Center--did you? We were hanging at Ala Mo a couple of months ago and decided to go in. It had all the familiar smells (coffee, books) and so many of the things I used to go to B&N for, besides just books. I love the gift/stationery section! It's still a cool, relaxing place to hang out and easily spend a few hours browsing. Remember when you had time to just go do that? Remember when we used to go to the shopping center for the whole afternoon instead of just to go & grab what you needed on the way to some other event? If you want to go back to that simpler, slower time, let's support B&N and hopefully they'll be around for a long time more! read more

Rudest interaction I've had in my entire life from some cash register lady with a red shirt. Never caught her name, I asked if there was another pokemon product that they had. She told me to go off to the side rudely said she's not gonna hold up the line for me. I never said hold the line all I asked was if there was something else. I walked all the way back to the line and waited again for no reason. If you hate your job quit! read more

5 stars for the customer service Asian woman (50-60 years old: can't tell with Asians) with short silver streaks, wearing glasses. She assisted me with knowledge, friendliness and professionalism. The other two I interacted with during this visit was subpar. Bit on the rude side. If there were more work ethics as the helpful staff, there would be more people buying more items here. read more

One of the the few remaining B&N stores anywhere. What a great location in Ala Moana! I wanted a specific book and found it here. The attentive store associate who helped me knew exactly where to find it on the shelf and did not even need to check their system. It's quite a large store and very busy! read more

I never thought I would be writing a review on a bookstore as I don't think I have actually gone in one in years. But I am not a grandma of a toddler and it is all about the "experience" with the little ones. I LOVED THIS STORE!!! and more importantly, my little one did too. We spent over 2 hours here and the staff are so friendly and nice. This store is located in Ala Moana, street level and parking is a little tight but you can find. It is a pretty big store, even has a Starbucks in it. The kids section is great! There is an area for kids to sit and read/play. They have so many children's books all sectioned off my age and type of book. They have toys, backpacks and so much more! Go around the corner from the kids area and they have like 4 rows of toys. Like big toys you would find at Target. They are well made, good brand toys , not cheap stuff that is not safe or educational for kids. We shop so much online it was absolutely refreshing to spend time in this store. I will 100% be back. read more

Barnes & Noble - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It is so nice to have a brick and mortar store with actual paper books. With the advent of digital books and where most reading materials are downloaded have impacted the real bookstores. I really enjoy this Barnes and Nobles because it's a nice oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the mall. There is an awesome book section with a little stage. The bargain area is cool and you can always find something. Of course the toy area is getting bigger and bigger. The employees are always helpful and you can tell they are there for the love of books. The music area at the back is nice with a large section of offerings. The books are regularly priced and yes it's probably cheaper online but think of this as supporting a retail physical location. Definitely a go to whenever at the mall! The indoor cafe is nice too with all the yummy baked goods! read more

while waiting for a book signing I purchased over $90 in books, I couldn't even use the outlet to charge my laptop while waiting. horrible manner that the older customer service agent approached me - I met her with no argument but she clearly tried to embarrass me. will buy online, this last book store in O'ahu could close up shop already. zero aloha for locals. read more

I just came to get some coffee. Very quaint, peaceful, pretty busy. The cafe is NOT Starbucks. Their food is better than SB.

The best bookstore I've ever seen with the greatest staff and so many books to choose from!! The cafe has a huge selection and they also have so many magazines, games, notebooks, calendars, trinkets, and a whole music section... one of my favorite places to be in Hawaii! read more

Barnes & Noble - Entrance - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The last of the big chain bookshops! Nestled on the bottom of Alamoana macys mauka.* Please don't leave, we need you!! I have ptsd and abandonment issues from all the best stores and restaurants leaving. Love that there's a coffee shop in here making loud noises because for some strange reason when I have to be absolutely quiet my stomach and or colon likes protest loudly. It's like I have a shelf life in b&n and I hots to get the hell outta there. Yes there is a public bathroom thank you but no I will wait till I get home. *mauka = mountainside read more

Barnes & Noble - Idk it's all in russes head eww - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My daughter wanted to come here and buy books with her money I gave her. This location is near Macy's around the corner. You would have to walk further along. The store is huge in size and has a coffee place on the right side. It was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon and I ended up sitting in the kids section on the bench to take a break while my daughter looked at books. I love to read books when I get a chance so I didn't purchase any books this time. The store is pretty organized and every section is divided up by categories so that makes it easier to find what you're looking for. I definitely would come back here to look at books and purchase one but you have to get the better deal. My daughter got the buy one get the other half off I believe. Not bad and they have certain books on sale and some regular price. read more

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Great resource. This is like the Barnes & noble of the the past. They have a balanced selection of new books, big magazine section, and a pretty good video and music section. Nice focus on anime and k and jpop. read more

Getting lost in a book is time well spent. When I worked in the mall this is my special place as a crafter you always search for any inspiration and here is just filled with so many all you need to do is find it in yourself to decide what the treasure will be today. Honestly my favorite section was right before all the bookshelves the ones that have all the varieties of not just books but craft kits, cookbooks and informative items and journals...you always seem to find something you didn't think you're looking for. Holiday season is the place to be with all the calendars, and toys and puzzle section is a fabulous place to shop for the little ones and now I see a manga section...cool! Once I really do find a great book or magazine what do you seriously want to do...read!!! A one stop enjoyment they have a cafe serving up Starbucks drinks along with the best selection of pastries with a decent amount of seating here you can escape the world and find your own here. Thank you! read more

Barnes & Noble - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Happy to see there's still some bookstores left standing! Very spacious and big. Great to browse around and mostly left alone to do so. There are some chairs available in some aisles if you want to read there. Cafe with seats inside too! read more

Loved the local selection of books and the locals chatting in the Starbucks included. I picked up a book about leis and was really pulled in by the history, usage of leis, and how to make them, alongside a guide of Hawaiian birds. Sadly Hawaii has the most endangered species in the entire US, and I'm glad the local Barnes and Nobles shares this in literature and prose. read more

This store is large and has everything you hope to find in a well-stocked book store, as well as very pleasant and helpful personnel. Lots of children's books and activities, puzzles, best sellers, sale books, gifts, seasonal stuff, etc. Since this is a B&N, there is the ever-present Starbucks -bit in this case it is extra-special because in addition to quenching your coffee thirst, the staff can take you purchases at their cash register when the front bookstore line for checking out is long. We met the manager and he was extremely patient and helpful with our questions. If you buy and read a lot of books and/or if you need them shipped, joining their club will save you money. read more

To start off, parking is a breeze after December and the holiday shopping season. If you're looking for a quick snack or drink, this cafe is a sweet spot. Shoutout to Jessie & Riley from the Cafe for starting our first Friday morning of the year on such a positive note. Grateful to have encountered such friendly and helpful and interactive staff. Would definitely come back:) read more

Barnes & Noble - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Horrible customer service from the Cafe manager. I asked her for a fork and she reacted by slamming the hand truck down and angrily handing me the fork. It was like I bothered her whole day by asking for a fork. I spoke to one of the staff members who told me she is the manager and she is always like this to both staff and customers. She is in the wrong field of work if that's how she treats customers. read more

I'm not a fan of reading, but I do like to shop at Barnes & Noble. My family enjoy reading and shopping here. Therefore, I like tagging along with them. When I do come here, I usually head over to the BARGAIN area. Here you will find shelves and shelves of different genres of books. Fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, manga, educational, home and garden, cookbooks, journals, activity books and craft kits. So many choices at a DISCOUNTED price. I can spend all my time here just browsing and picking up a few items from here for myself or gifts for others. There is also a BARGAIN area in the children's section so be sure to check it out, too. So, if you are looking for bargains on books, go and check out B&N at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. You'll thank me for that! read more

Barnes & Noble - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

There are many books and you can find your favorite book from many genres. What I am happy to see is that there are many kinds of Japanese manga. In addition to comic books, there are toys and other items that are reliable for those with children. There are also a lot of reference books, which is great for students and professionals alike. There is a Starbucks in the store, so you can have a cup of coffee after buying a book and read it at your leisure‼ read more

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It's a pretty cool Barnes & Nobles. Most of the selection is similar to the ones I've been to but they have a section for local interest books which I found to be very cool! They also have a wide selection of movies and music. read more

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Who said we don't need brick and mortar bookstores anymore? B n N is a great example of an essential community resource where people can get books of all kinds, along with stationery and maybe a cup of coffee. Got kids that you want to get more excited about reading? Let them browse in the nicely displayed kid section. It's a good side track on your regular mall shopping run and you'll feel less guilty if u come home with some brain food. Plus, every time I go the employees are truly kind and helpful! read more

This store probably has the best selection of kpop albums. When was sold out of RM's next album, I came straight here. The DD also found some old finds she wasn't able to get for NJ's. We'll stocked. My new go to place for BTS. read more

I love this bookstore! There is so much to look at that we were there for over an hour browsing books, model kits, Lego. I was surprised to see they have a good selection of anime books and kits. They even had my favorite... Totoro! Good place to Christmas shop! read more

Female Worker at the Cafe, seemed like I ruined her whole night. Ordered a Venti Peppermint Mocha Frappe. Seemed from first glance, she was already disdisinterested or irritated with me. Took my order & Ignored or didn't her me say to just cancel the order before she started the drink. She looked like she had an earbud in one of her ears. She then continued the drink until she handed it to me with an irritated look on her face. Then she seemed more irritated when I asked for my receipt. Finally left the Cafe area irritated. Then went over to the front of store to talk to a manager. The manager was nice about & said the female would be talked too in regards to her work attitude. I was compensated in my missing reward perk. We all have rough days but that don't mean to take it out on a customer. Hope the issues at the Cafe is fixed. Seems like everything we go to the Cafe, either system is down with no signage to customer or the staff hate their jobs. read more

Who says only bookworms can relate in here? I admit, I'm not a bookish type person. But I do enjoy scanning pages to pages. LoL. Seeing interesting photos & read just the cover title. B&N is a gem for me. You can find a sort of books depending in your preferences. Educational toys for the kids & bed-time story books (I was usually glued in this area coz I'm hoarding books for my lil sissies). You can find some journal books in here too (which I spend a couple of minutes coz collecting them is one of my thing). Magazines for killing your time while sipping your tea/coffee at the coffee shop and simultaneously rolling your eyes around just to gossip silently. (insert silly face) The way they layout the interior is just simply amazing. Easy to spot books coz of the clearly signs they put plus their helpful staff will be glad to help & cater you. They got sales from time to time. I must admit, I can spend a day in here by just gazing and appreciate the gem in this store. Oh, actually, I already did. Hahahah. This is truly a bookstore you can call. Mahalo & HAPPY JUANDERING fellow yelpers. www.juanderbandit.world @hello.juanderpinay read more

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The Barnes and Noble bookstore here is one of the best surviving bookstores. It has the best cookbook selections around. Last May, I saw Julia Child's cookbooks but I didn't want to crush them in my luggage home. Big mistake, I had a terrible time trying to track down brand new copies when I got home. There is a big selection of Hawaiian cookbooks too! read more

Barnes & Noble - Cookbooks - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I did a return of a purchase I did a week prior in another state. Not sure why the process took awhile but after 10 minutes I did receive my refund. :) read more

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE Proof that brick-and-mortar bookstores are not dinosaurs - offering not just the chance to see/try your book before buying, providing kid-friendly services, and serving up Starbucks and food to boot wrapped in great customer service! === 2. BOOKS A lot of them! Fellow Yelpers have commented a lot about these, so I'll mention the kid-friendly pieces: - Check the Barnes & Noble website to see the weekly events - Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 am are a great time where staff read a different book each week and offer coloring opportunities...as well as coupons for a $4 lunch in the cafe :) - Register for the Kid's Club - free book (ages 3+), free cupcake on their birthday, and discounts offered on kids' books and toys! === 3. FOOD If you're getting the $4 kids' lunch, you can choose one of each: - Drink: Motts juice or Horizon organic milk - Food: Large Kraft Mac & Cheese, Margherita Flatbread, or Grilled Cheese Sandwich. The Margherita Flatbread ($5.95): think personal-sized thin-crust pizza - not bad, but the size and lack of meats may leave you hungry for more. The Spinach Feta Stuffed Pretzel ($3.95): served hot, soft, and cheesy - I tasted more cheese than spinach but it's good on a cool day. Vanilla Classic Cupcake ($3.50): this is really a Costco muffin-sized cupcake made by The Cheesecake Factory - and it's really a small birthday if you're into that sort of goodness :) Iced Passionfruit Tea ($3.75 for venti): you can ask for your desired level of sweetness! === 4. SERVICE Great in the bookstore throughout, from customer service, to checkout, to the staff reading books in the kids' section. Great also at the cafe! === 4. ATMOSPHERE Clean and contemporary; it's full of books on shelves and friendly staff. Baby strollers fit reasonably well throughout and parking is as available as the Ala Moana Center lot will offer. read more

Barnes & Noble - Spinach Feta Pretzel ($3.95) - recommended! ...and Margherita Flatbread ($5.95). - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Service was good, employees helpful. The selection of fantasy and sci-fi has gone down hill. They seem to be bringing in only hard backs and over sized books. Never seem to be able to get a whole series at one time. And can someone tell me why there's 30+ books on raising horses, and only two books on aquariums? Also lots of books on paracord projects online, not one in store. read more

Has the best selection of Romance books! Workers are always so helpful with either finding books or ordering and sending straight to me! There's a Starbucks inside, but they don't accept your Starbucks cards. You do get 10% off if you are a Barnes and Noble member! The food selection and desserts they have is also different than the normal Starbucks but so much more variety! Thoroughly impressed they have a #booktok table with all the trending books on tik tok! Towards the back they have a music section, that also has DVDs, Funko Pops, Vinyl players and so much more! If you're in a rush order online and go straight to the register for pick up! Your order is usually ready with in an hour! read more

As a book lover, I was super sad when the Barnes and nobles in waikele closed down years ago but the ala moana location is the best excuse to take a drive to town and spend some much deserved time to myself. They usually move the shelves around but it's pretty easy to find a specific section and if you're having trouble, you can always go to the middle of the store and ask one of the employees to help find a section or a specific book title. Some of my favorite sections are the classic literature, poetry, spiritual and fiction. I highly recommend all of Jane Austin's work! read more

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4/25/2021 Update: My teenagers loves the place; went back to take better look at what they have. There are varieties of books, different categories of course. But...the price...wow! After buying it's like a library to keep at home. There is always Kindle but my youngest likes actual books. I guess it's good to teach them to love a book in their hand huh? Overall, the store is nice, clean, lots of things to look at. Like the STEM section; great for little scientists. Upgrading to 4 stars until we are back for another visit. 4/24/2021: Seem like prices went up? Have to go back to explore more so this is not my final rating. read more

"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries." - Rene Descartes Through out the years, Honolulu has had its share of bookstores that have come and gone. Even with the advent of e-readers and tablets, I'm glad that Barnes & Noble still has a presence. Admittedly, I usually will get my reading done on an e-reader (Hello, Amazon Kindle) but there is some literature which I prefer to get as a hard cover book. I moseyed into B&N, Ala Moana to look for 2 non-fiction books which are currently on the Best Sellers list that I've had my eyes on. I wasn't willing to order them online and wait for them to be mailed to me. As soon as I passed through the entrance, I immediately saw the books that I was interested in. Easy peasy, I picked up a copy of the two books that I wanted and even found that they were discounted 30% (would've been 40% IF I was a B&N member). Within a few minutes in line, I paid for my books and headed over to The Lānai to pick up lunch and went home. I'm almost done reading with one of the books and will probably start on the second one tomorrow. On this visit, I didn't get to interact with any customer service representatives as I picked the books that I wanted and went straight to the cashier. In the past and even today, the folks at B&N have always been patient and friendly. I'll be back again when I'm feeling impatient with online ordering! read more

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Been trying to coordinate a book signing for a new book for 6 months. The manager is apparently over tasked so good luck on trying to set up in store events. I will keep trying. Very disappointing compared to the service in the mainland!! read more

Jamie is so amazing! I asked for a recommendation on a teen novel for my sister (huge nerd) and she was more than happy to elaborate on her favorite picks and suggestions. She even pointed me to some novels that would be more adequate to my sister's reading level rather than her actual age. At checkout, she helped me sign up for the B&N rewards thingy and I'm gonna use it at every purchase from now on! Woulda never known about this program if it weren't for her. I'm from LA so I sadly won't be coming back for a while. The overall feel of the store was soo comfortable, I wish this was my local one. Such great employees and displays! read more