Such a cute little book shop. We always stop by to check it out every time we are that side of the island read more

I think this is the only used bookstore I could find on the island? But it's a good one with the classic used bookstore vibe that's harder to find pretty much anywhere these days. If you need a book, shop local and check with them first. They also carry new books. read more

Any bookstore that can survive in the Age of Amazon gets an immediate 4 stars. To enter here is to reconnect with a few love of learning & discovery awaiting in those pages. Fun selection, helpful staff, ample parking, good vibes (e.g. readers and thoughtful convos). Support your local bookstore!! :) read more

Wish I had all the time in the world to sit and browse. I always walk away with a great book that I continue to enjoy at the coffee shop a few doors down. Overall they have a good selection of old and new for the size of the store. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I also always find small great and unique gifts on their checkout counter. I also enjoy the sense of home I get when I walk in... it's seasonally decorated and clean :) Note- no customer bathrooms. read more

BookEnds - Bookstores Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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A small family run bookstore at the end of the island. In the area of Obama's neighborhood, this bookstore is a diamond in the rough. You enter the place like a pleasant maze. In the era of information superhighway, this place is like a meditating place for all of us. Support your local bookstore. It is the place that make your place different. Mahalo Bookends. read more

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Now that we have a child, my husband and I are in this store all of the time. For truth, at least once a week. My son adores the children's section, which has a little basket of toys (trucks, pups on wheels, and the like) to play with while the parents browse. They have a large selection of board books and Hawaii/locally published books to boot. The biggest draw (at least for my child) are the two stuffed snakes entwined in the decorative trees overhead. He is seriously obsessed with them. I can readily count on using "don't you want to see the snakes?" as an incentive to get his butt moving and into the car. (Which is honestly half the battle -- that, and pants.) I also like the curated section of toys (lots of wooden Melissa & Doug brand, play kits, and puzzles), which are great for gifts. At big stores like Target, the toy sections are overwhelming. So it's nice to have a option like this where an indecisive person like myself doesn't go bonkers. Prices aren't cheap, but I can probably bet that neither is their rent! I support BookEnds because brick-and-mortar bookstores are sadly a dying breed, and browsing books is an experience that we dearly love sharing with our son. read more

Bookends in Kailua is not your typical chain style bookstore. I once saw an article that said their employees were "quirky". I'm not sure if that describes the employees, but it certainly describes this store. They've got tons of inventory and you can find new, used and out-of-print books. They will also order books for you. I wouldn't recommend this store for anyone that's claustrophobic. It can sometimes look like a hoarder lives there, but I like to think of it as controlled chaos: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bookends-in-kailua-kailua?select=9NQnJ9LYMjtdrAZ202fpWg#jxaEM4tp4e8aJSffdTqBEQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bookends-in-kailua-kailua?select=9NQnJ9LYMjtdrAZ202fpWg#Fc_HtOFeyyadp-1nixr6AQ The people in the store know their inventory and I've always found them to be helpful. If you're looking for something specific and can't find it ask them. They'll check in the computer and/or lead you to where the book is located. They don't carry magazines anymore, but you can get that next door at the supermarket. The details: **Ask if they still give a discounts on books currently on the NY Times Best Seller list. (They used to do this, but I haven't bought any lately.) **Bookends buys used books. BUT you need to make an appointment to bring your books in, and the waiting list to do that is filled up for months in advance. **If you plan on going there regularly start a card. For every $5 you spend they'll stamp it, and when it's full you get a discount on your next purchase. They'll even keep the card on file for you at the store. 31 Yelps Challenge: #10/31 read more

BookEnds - Bookstores Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I actually thought this bookstore was absolutely DIVINE! Though small, it offered a good variety of books on Hawaii, its history and items by local authors. There is also a good selection for kids with a little play area complete with toys to keep the young ones occupied. There are also both new and used books available but best of all, it doesn't smell like a used book store. My allergies didn't go off the deep end. In fact, in the 30+ minutes we were in there, I did not sneeze once, nor did I itch. read more

Sooo stoked I came across this place! I didn't know it existed until just recently. Everyone I hav spoken to and asked for assistance has been really kind and helpful. They are willing to order any books for you that they don't have in stock. So many books/genres to choose from, and I absolutely love that there are both used and new book options available throughout the store! They are also part of the Five Stars program so you simply enter your phone # and can receive sporadic discounts! read more

A small book store that offers a large variety of different books. Every time I come here I leave with more than 1 book which is never my intention. The workers are all very helpful and will do their best to get books in for you if they don't have them on the shelves. Truly a treasure. Support local/small businesses and shop at places like this. read more

My adventures in Kailua continues with a trip to Bookends in the Kailua town Shopping Center. Armed with my fully charged iPhone from Starbucks and a Kailua monkey from Lanikai Juice, I ventured over to Bookends to shop and take a look. While I do love small book stores, this store was just an utter mess. Books were stacked on the floor in all areas of the store. While I do understand that space is very limited, is this how you want to show off your store? It's almost was like the public library, where everything was just purely unorganized in an organized way. This place reminds me of Gecko Books in Kaimuki mixed in with a slice of ambiance from Borders and Walden Books (both stores gone). While I won't say anything bad about this place yet, I will say that the collection of books that they do offer is quite extensive yet limited. I found some treasures there, but did not buy it, as the price tag was just a bit too much for my budget. For now, its the public library until I can afford to buy. The staff didn't acknowledge me as I enter, since they were helping some other person with a reservation of a book they didn't have. No hello or anything. Hmph. What a rip off. This place is a cute place to really lose yourself, but I just can't stand the disorganization of books loosely piled up on the floor. I kinda of had to tip toe around the various sections before finding what I was kind wanting to buy - till I looked at the price tags. While this nifty little book store is great for Kailua, I still fancy myself still going to Barnes N Nobel for the professional book store appeal though. I would probably need to come back and see if they have reorganized themselves - probably in 2-3 months. If that. C+ read more

Organized chaos... seriously, books EVERYWHERE! Watch where you're walking or you'll trip on a stack of books. Some books look old, used, abused, torn, etc but most looked new. I don't frequent book stores, but I do appreciate the fact that they had a nice selection of Melissa and Doug puzzles, books, learning matts, etc. My wife and I opted to get the kids something from here, rather than some touristy things they'd just use one day and throw away. If you're looking for something specific, I'm sure they would have it. read more

BookEnds - Organized chaos? - Bookstores Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

A very nice neighborhood bookstore. Never a hassle or a rush to buy anything and always helpful if you have a question or want assistance. Good mix of new and used books. Every town should have a place like this. Not funky or bad smelling like some of the older bookstores/galleries. It is bright and airy, patrons are from all walks of life. A great place to browse, get a cup of coffee from Morning Brew (just a few doors away) and look for the next exciting read. read more

There is something almost spiritual that comes over me when I'm just browsing in a bookstore or library. I feel at peace and excited about what I can discover in each stack of books. BookEnds intensifies this experience as I can dig through a stack and find the latest bestseller or a classic I haven't read since middle school. They have a wide selection from old to new books. I was getting into drawing and was able to get used and new drawing instruction books. If I happen to be browsing books at a big outlet store and find something I like, I'll typically pop over to BookEnds and buy it there, because it is really important to buy local and support your local bookstore, as I miss the days there were many bookstores around. The staff is very knowledgeable and have always had the books I've wanted in stock. read more

Long live the quaint bookstore! And the titles and selection of items in this place is so intriguing. They even have a little section of just old looking books! In this day of ebooks and audiobooks, I was happily surprised to find this little gem. The original attraction was their rack of mandala coloring books and other adult (not that kind of adult) highly detailed coloring books. But then the surprises just kept on coming. To find such a well lit, neat and clean little shop in Kailua was such an awesome little treat. I'll definitely be back! read more

All the staff were wearing masks and requiring everyone to wear masks in the store. They had hand sanitizer at the front door and at the register. The staff were very kind and helpful in our search for children's books that would interest my two boys. We ended up with a stack of books including one for mom. I love that some of the books were used, helping me afford to buy more books. With libraries closed, this is huge! read more

I love to be able to call a store to see if they have something in stock and are able to hold it for me. Originally I had called Na Mea to see if they had books that I needed for school but they just recently sold out so they suggested Book Ends which worked out great since I was in Kaneohe. I was able to called ahead to Book Ends and reserve the books that I needed. And even though I didn't leave a name they knew by the titles which books I had reserved. Easy pease I was able to pay for my books and be out in less than 5 minutes. read more

Book Ends features a mix of new and used books. They have a section on Hawaii that is a bit more extensive that that found in chain stores, featuring local authors and self-published authors and out-of-print authors. The books in all the sections are jumbled on the shelves, sideways and stacked. I found it hard to find stuff and cramped. I did a book I forgot I wanted to read, randomly, and purchased it. read more

It has a TON of books ranging from used, old, new, & all that. I was actually kind of disappointed by the fact that the labels of each section were printed & taped on to the sides of the shelf so when I was looking at books I could not really tell what I was even looking at. Although if that messy old Harry Potter bookstore feel is what you like then totally go for it! As for my personal preference it was just way too overwhelming and disorganized. Other than that I was pleased with the choices of books they had! read more

BookEnds - Bookstores Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Kailua has changed quite a bit over the years, but BookEnds is one of the things that remains the same. The store itself has a lot of personality. From the way the books are stacked and organized to the fun staff, it's a great place to come and remember that places like this are important. In terms of selection, they had a great variety of Hawaiiana and Hawaii literature (as a local author, this is important to me). Their selection in other areas was great as well, especially the Children's section. They had new releases and older titles as well as used selections, so a good variety and price points. They also had rarer titles and hard to find selections. If you're in the area, it's a must visit. If you're not, it's worth the drive. read more

The books are both used and new mixed together. Rather difficult to locate a particular title or author, as the shelves are disorganized. Many are stacked sky-high and out of reach of most. Prices are regular retail for new books and overpriced for used. But then, I am comparing it to the Kailua library used books sale where books are $.25. Staff is helpful and friendly. Whenever I've gone in, there are usually three people working. Could be a really nice little bookshop if it were a bit more organized and reasonably priced. Not sure what it's fate will be with Target coming into town. read more

BookEnds - Bookstores Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I'm so glad that bookends is here, in our world of diminishing book stores. Their personal service and great inventory makes customers come back again and again. My brother, who lives in Europe, comes here several times during his visits and always finds something interesting to him, either new or used!! They also have gifts and novelty items, their staff is well informed and super accommodating. It's a great place to visit. Would be great if Morning Brew were next door and they could ... well you know!! Wishing you great business; people need many good books right now! Hope yours are flying off the shelves. read more

Great little bookstore. Had tons of books for buying. A bit pricey but nice. Love the older books they have. Some were copywritten from as early as 1895! read more

Wandered in today because we were in the area. I was so excited to happen upon this bookstore at first. Right when you walk in it feels like a used bookstore so I thought to myself "this is my happy place." Well it was until I went up to the counter to ask what the prices were on their books. (None of them were marked like a used bookstore). The lady at the counter was friendly enough. She said that they are all publisher prices since they are new books but the ones that are used will have a sticker price on them. Yeah..the used price is still over $10 :( They do have a rack outside with cheap books but none that I am interested in reading unfortunately. I think I will stick with The Bookoff at Ala Moana. At least their used books are affordable for someone that wants to buy more than one book at a time :) read more

I was teetering between a 4 and 5 stars, because the only negative thing I can think of about this bookstore is the clutter. But that, in itself, is part of the charm of this fun, kooky, amazing little bookstore. Located only a few miles away from Kailua Beach, this is a great stop after a long day, or while you're waiting for your food. But there is SO much to look at, that I genuinely recommend coming once every time you're in the area. They have new releases and gently used books, numbering in the thousands, including many rare or unusual copies. There is something for everyone here. There's a Hawaiian culture section, books of poetry, (enormous) science fiction area, adventure novels, non-fiction and history, cooking, religious and spiritual texts, romance, children's books for all ages, and even antique books from the 30s and beyond. Probably the best part is the staff. I've been to book stores that were so large, that employees could be hard to find, or seem to blend in like part of the scenery. But the people you will meet there are so helpful and courteous, that you'll find yourself wrapped up in pleasant conversation like old friends. They're also super knowledgeable and can offer great advice or recommendations for a good read. Check out the discount "beach reads" rack! Lots of great paperbacks in adventure or saucy love stories to melt away the hours at the beach. read more

PROS: -Sells both new and used books -Very convenient location -Carries titles written by local authors and books on subjects relevant to Hawaii -Reasonable prices -Plentiful parking CONS: -It can be a little crowded inside with piles of books all over the place but i think that is very typical of used book shops. Doesn't bother me but may bother other shoppers. 4/100 Yelp Challenge 2015 read more

This store kind of reminders me of the TARDIS, bigger on the inside. I seriously don't know how they cram so much stuff in there and still manage to keep a couple of places for you to sit. I love messy book stores, too... they're organized kind of like how my brain is "organized." You can come in here and find cool old copies of classics or a shiny copy of a new release. I particularly love the super cheap used paperbacks they have... who can beat grabbing a $2 book right before getting a pedicure or heading to the beach? I've never found the staff anything more than just there... but that's kind of what I look for: nice when I'm checking out or asking a question, otherwise just leaving me alone to peruse. read more

Support Independent Booksellers If you are looking for a good book, look no further than BookEnds in Kailua. This is an amazing, independent bookstore. They have a very nice selection of new and used books. In fact, their selection is so great, that books are stacked half way up to the ceiling on the tops of the bookshelves, are stacked on the floor, and are stacked just about everywhere you look. I walked around the store several times, and each time, something interesting caught my eye. I had gone in looking for a book by Kathy Reichs, since I had read one book in her series, and wanted to read more of them. I asked the clerk if they had any of her books, and was led directly to the section that had Kathy Reichs' books. I asked if they knew which one was the first in the series, and she looked at one of her books and told me, and then handed it to me from the shelf along with the second one. I bought both of them. Both were new and reasonably priced. That should keep me out of trouble for a while. Local, independent bookstores need our support in order to compete with the big-box, chain stores. BookEnds in Kailua is an amazing bookstore, and I will definitely be back when it's time to read the next book in the series, or anything else I might need book-wise read more

Being an avid reader who feels that one can never own too many books, as well as a huge supporter of independent bookstores, I usually stop by Bookends on trips home to Hawaii. It's a nice little bookstore, with both used and new books, and lots of benches and chairs for sitting and browsing the merchandise. Bookends has a variety of different sections, so there is something here for everyone. The Hawaiian book section here seems even more extensive than larger book stores in Hawaii, like Borders. Service is friendly and helpful, and the small-town neighborhood feeling here is great. read more

Amidst the chaos of books and records you're sure to find something that tickles your fancy. This place is full of old and new treasures just waiting to be read on the beach or plane or curled up at home with a nice cup of coffee. How perfect that it is also a few stores down from Morning Brew which has great coffee and outdoor seating. Books are organized by topic (cooking, biography, young fiction, etc) so you'll have to look around a bit but that's half the fun! Used books can be found among the newer versions and from what I could tell most used books were between $5-$8. If you're a local or just here for a vacation it's the place to go to get your printed word fix! You can also bring your books there when you're done with them so someone else can enjoy them! read more

To be honest, the people here are really friendly, but I feel like the store is a complete organized mess. Im not sure how people can find anything in there. I tried to look for a book based on its category, and I just couldnt find it. I know the workers all have some sort of system, so hallelujah for that! I think I'll stick to a basic bookstore like Barnes and nobles. read more

A great little bookstore. Stacks and stacks of both new and used. This is the kind of store you want in your local neighborhood. The staff are very helpful, so do not hesitate to ask them help you find a book. read more

Eh. I have a mixed review of BookEnds. Its a cute store and looks promising. You think wow an old school bookstore, a disorganized mess, piles of books everywhere and little nooks and crannies in the store to peek around. They also have a cute kid's section too with Melissa & Doug toys for purchase. That is the good. The bad... the staff, I have found, are not very friendly. They look at you like "what are you doing in here" and don't acknowledge you while they run around the shop looking all stressed out. Not a good vibe if you want to sell something. I found a book that I had been looking at and took it to the counter because I couldn't find a price. It was in great condition but I figured it had to be at some kind of discount off the cover price. Nope full retail price! I can get the brand new book online and have it shipped here for less than it would cost at BookEnds. They have to make a profit, I understand, but the book wasn't new and they wouldn't negotiate. A lost sale for them. read more

I had to leave because I was going to spend too much money. Found a used copy of Richard Ford's latest novel in perfect condition, as well as several great used paperbacks. One of the best used bookstores I've been to in a long time.* *Powell's not included. read more

What a great find! I was looking for some poolside reading and found some great used paperback books here. Reasonable price plus I was able to return them and sell back. Pricing for newer books as well as hardbound books a little pricier. They have quite a collection of old books, collector type books. Funky books, lots of history here. My family has picked up a variety of books for their home here in Kailua, HI. read more

The best books may be those you can't find, or those you may never have thought about looking for. This store has those books. Come here and wander. P.S. I found a collection of essays by one of the great baseball writers, Thomas Boswell. Written in 1982. read more

I love this place! It's a little bit unorganized, but that totally adds character to the book store itself. Plus it makes it like a little adventure when you go in to search for books! I love the cook book collection, and I have to stop myself from spending too much money here when I go! But I always end up walking out with a good collection of books. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Definitely love this book store. read more

BookEnds - Just a few books I've picked up! - Bookstores Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

A great, old-fashioned neighborhood book store. There is something for everyone on their shelves, counters and floors. Great people and an amazing assortment of books for all interests and ages. read more

Closed on the 4th of July, I guess Barnes and Noble gets my business again. When i try to support local business it results in wasting gas

This used bookstore in Kailua caught my eye driving home one night on a rare trip to the other side of the island. I decided to go back the next morning to check it out. Unlike the complaints of others, I was delighted to see that the store was slightly messy and books were kind of strewn around in an "organized mess", if you will. I find this to be a good personality trait in used bookstores because it's almost like I get to hunt for my prey in the stacks. ^_^ My biggest complaint, however, is that some of the used books were overpriced for my taste given their condition. There were a lot of (paperback) copies with noticeable stains and wear and tear going for over $10... hmm..that's barely 15% off Barnes and Noble price. The new books they had there were just the price printed on the back, which is understandable, but when I go to a used bookstore, I'm not trying to spend more than amazon.com prices. What I would say this bookstore's redeeming quality was the fact that there were a lot of old books, a few first editions, and some really rare items for sale. Book collectors may be keen to take a peek at their selection. I wasnt in the market for that type of thing, but it was still fun to look through. If you are the type that likes to peruse for hours and kind of "dig for buried treasure", this place will be a lot of fun for you! Just bring some extra ca$$h. read more