This was my first time at Bandi Books, as they carried a textbook I needed…read more The owner and clerks I spoke with are very nice. The store is well organized and has a lot of cool book options in Korean and English, there is also children's books, stationary, music, and a handful of beauty products. And, there are discounts available for members! Worth it! I can't wait to go back and spend more time looking around.

Wrapping my books in political propaganda? Deeply disrespectful…read more I was genuinely shocked and disturbed when I opened my package. I had ordered three books by author Yoo Si-min, known for his thoughtful and progressive commentary--only to find them wrapped in the cover page of a far-right political magazine, Weekly Chosun, bearing the headline: "A Country That Can't Call a Spy a Spy." This wasn't just random packaging. It felt like a deliberate political jab--a form of ideological mockery or provocation. I didn't order propaganda. I ordered literature, and I expected it to arrive with at least a basic level of neutrality and respect for the buyer. Using a highly charged, partisan publication as packing material--especially one with such inflammatory language--is offensive and unacceptable. Whether intentional or not, this kind of packaging sends a clear message of disrespect toward customers who may not share the sender's political views. I strongly urge the seller to reconsider their packaging practices and avoid pushing any political materials--explicitly or implicitly--onto their buyers. This experience was upsetting and entirely inappropriate. 한국책을 읽고 싶을 때 종종 이 서점의 온라인샵을 이용을 했고 이번에도 택을 몇권 주문헸는데 이번에 책을 받아든 순간, 말 그대로 충격을 받았습니다. 제가 주문한 책은 유시민 작가의 책 세권이였는데, 포장지로 사용된 것이 다름 아닌 극우 성향 정치 주간지 '주간조선'의 표지, 그것도 "스파이를 스파이라 부르지 못하는 나라" 같은 민감한 정치 선전 문구가 적힌 표지였습니다. 이건 단순한 재활용이 아니라, 정치적 조롱이자 구매자에 대한 명백한 무례로 받아들여질 수밖에 없습니다. 저는 책을 주문했지, 정치 메시지를 주문한 게 아닙니다. 특히 이런 식의 정치 성향이 강한 매체로 포장한 것은 구매자를 의도적으로 불쾌하게 만들거나 정치적 입장을 강요하려는 행동처럼 보입니다. 책을 포장하는 데 있어 최소한의 중립성과 존중은 지켜야 하지 않습니까? 다시는 이 판매자에게서 어떤 물건도 주문하고 싶지 않으며, 다른 구매자 분들도 이 점 유의하시길 바랍니다.

I have been shopping around for Korean books online and in-stores and this place is the best,…read moreespecially for Korean Children's books. The owner is friendly, polite, and professional, and knows all his books. I specifically went in to get children's books like 1 or 2 and ended up buying a complete set of books because compared to Amazon, this place is cheaper and his selection is cooler. I wish he would refill this Moleskine bookshelf because it is empty. This place is located inside the very top floor at Galleria Market on Olympic/Western corner, next to the escalators.

The manager who works here tried to charge my grandma and I twice for our purchase…read more He didn't a not apologize, and had a weird look on his face. 여기 있는 남자는 거짓말쟁이예요. 저는 할머니와 함께 여기 있었어요. 그리고 가게 매니저가 저에게 같은 비용을 두 번 내라고 했어요. 그는 사과하지 않고 이상한 표정을 짓고 있었어요. 이곳은 거짓말쟁이들이 운영합니다.

This is actually a good bookstore for persons fluent in Chinese, and not terrible for those who…read morespeak English but are interested in all things Chinese. It's just that I was underwhelmed by the lack of books in English (or even at all) on certain subjects that would be of interest to Anglophone Sinophiles, such as Taoism, I Ching, Feng Shui, how to play Mah Jongg, Chinese Chess (Xiangqi), or how to use the Suan Pan (Chinese abacus). Actually, there was a massive, well-illustrated book that I was tempted to buy about their version of Chess, but it was only in Chinese. There was also a very cool-looking DVD boxed set of a documentary on the development of the Chinese language, that might be playable on DVD players here, but I could be wrong. I almost went for it, but I already have tooooo many DVDs, and although I would have learned a lot, I couldn't take the risk of them not playing in our region and/or not having good English narration (which I suspect it did, actually). The sole person running the place was really nice but as one might expect didn't speak English that well. When I asked her about books on Mah Jongg, she corrected me by saying it with a hard G at the end (Isn't that what I said?), thought for a moment, and then said, "Come back next Wednesday." I admit I forgot to do that. They also have music CDs, mostly Chinese of course but some used American ones in the back room as well. When I asked this person about traditional Chinese music, she recommended several that looked legit, which I bought for stiff but reasonable prices. They were pleasant melodies played on traditional instruments, but marred by the inclusion of cheesy electronic keyboards and drum machines in the background. It turns out that many such CDs are Westernized like that. My biggest concern was in their philosophy section. They seemed to have a lot of material that espoused Maoist communism, and while I am a strong libertarian in respect to freedom of the press, well, let's just say it made me a bit uncomfortable. Contrasting points of view would have been nice. I am also giving fewer stars than normal because their hours are verrrry limited!

I'm a bit of a nerd for bookstores, particularly smaller ones that cater to a group. Enlighten…read moreBooks just opened in the past couple weeks, and is a small Chinese language bookstore in Chinatown, Los Angeles. It is located in the front corner of an older building that had been vacant for way too long. Inside is a neat selection of books on a fairly wide variety of topics, including photography and the arts, to literature and medicine. I've noticed over time that many of the Chinese bookstores I have been in, have a bent towards technical subjects or science and medicine. Here I was drawn to a fun book which is essentially an abridged edition of an old medical canon. There are of course plenty of language dictionaries and maps - I came close to also picking up a cool little road atlas. The store has a nice, quiet atmosphere and is good fun to browse in. It is also a great way to support not only a local business (yay :) ) but also a way to support what is fast disappearing (at least here in the U.S) - print books and the wonderful stores that offer them. Elizabeth Li is the owner, she was friendly and helpful. I will definitely be back.

Stopped by on a Saturday late morning after snagging a parking spot right in front of the shop…read more It's small (they only allow 5-6 people in at a time!) but has a nice selection of paper goods and drinkware. Service was meh. We did end up going to Paper Plant Co. afterwards and had a much better experience.

Probably one of THE worst customer service experiences I have EVER had at a craft/hobby/paper…read morestore. Staff members were rude and patronizing. Not worth the trip there. Much better choices in the LA area with staff that are actually helpful, friendly, and professional. This was a one-and-done. I was so put off, I left without purchasing anything. I was actually pissed that after being treated so poorly, my friend chose to spend ANY money there. The responses to reviews on here are just as cold and patronizing so obviously it's a systemic problem If yelp allowed me to leave zero stars I would. Same amount of money I ended up spending there.

*all comic books are in Korean. If you are not able to read Korean, unfortunately you won't be able…read moreto enjoy* Why is there no reviews in this lovely store? I visit this place almost every time i visit LA. It's nice place to kill time while waiting for your friend or reservation. Never had issue with parking, even though it's not valet. But maybe that's because i visit here not during the meal time. The couch is comfortable, you can try any books. no one bothers you even if it takes forever to choose a book to read or stack bunch of books by side. Just be respectful to others. It's located on the second floor, and it has quiet but bright atmosphere. The person who works in front is very kind and welcoming. There are so many selections. There are the ones that brings my old memories, and also new ones that i recently enjoyed. So if you think this store is outdated, you are wrong! I also never had any issue with the condition of the books. You just need to pay $7 per hour or $15 for all day. There are little snacks you can buy too. Highly recommended! I only take one picture of the store, but the store is much larger than what's shown in pic.

Love love love this place. Reminds me back in grade schooler time in Korea ! Very reasonable price…read moreand you could bring own food and drinks :)

Such a cute little shop in Little Tokyo! They have a lovely variety of items to choose from, and it…read morewas fun browsing through everything and finding a couple of things to take home. I ended up buying a pair of chopsticks and a bracelet, and I'm so happy with my little finds! The prices were fair and reasonable, which made shopping here even better. What really made the experience special was the lady working there. She was so friendly and sweet, and her warm, welcoming personality made the shop feel extra inviting. It's always nice to come across small shops like this where you can find unique items and also enjoy a pleasant shopping experience. I'm glad I stopped by, and I'd happily visit again the next time I'm in Little Tokyo. If you're in the area, definitely stop in and show this cute little shop some love!

The elderly lady shopkeeper makes constant rude remarks in Japanese in front of customers, as if…read morethey couldn't possibly understand her. In addition she stares at you like you're going to steal, and checks things you touch after you touch them. I have never seen a shopkeeper give attitude over asking her for the price of items...I might have been asking her to give blood. Ma'am, I very much understood your Japanese grumbling in front of me that my child was noisy and saying "just shut up already", when she was just being a normal child laughing with her father next to me while I was trying to shop. I didn't buy anything which is a pity, I came here often growing up but I never will go to this shop again. Go to BUNKADO instead, they carry the same and many more varieties of traditional Japanese souvenirs and articles, they have top notch service, many more books, and are kind and polite. Way more respectable store that takes pride in its stock, versus Blooming where everything is dusty or grimy but still somehow overpriced.

A Good Used Book is a neighborhood & independent bookstore that focuses on - as you can probably…read moreguess - used books. The bookstore is best known for Every Sunday Funday Markets from 12 PM to 4 PM, but check their IG page to confirm dates and get details on vendors. They also host occasional Saturday pop-ups like Saturday School (12 PM to 4 PM) - again check their Instagram page for specific dates. [Parking]: Street parking only (free), but I found few spots available on W Court Street on Saturday afternoon. [Saturday School]: Our group visited one of their Saturday School pop-ups and vendors like WEPA Pa'l Mundo (Puerto Rican food) and Ako's Tea (specialty teas with a modern twist) were set up in front of the bookstore. No outdoor tables so expect to eat or drink while standing or inside your own car. Our party came at 3 PM on Saturday and most food from WEPA Pa'l Mundo was already sold out. However, our party did end up getting a drink from Ako's Tea and Sticky Rice Pu-erh Tea was quite refreshing. [Bookstore]: I could tell firsthand that the staff here handpicked the used, vintage, rare, and new books. The bookstore has an interesting book selection. Smaller used books are wrapped in plastic so you can't browse them for previews, but larger books are unwrapped which allow visitors to flip through the pages. [Buying program]: The shop selectively buys used books in the following categories: vintage paperbacks of all kinds, modern and literary fiction, classics and cult classics, translated fiction, radical theory, cultural nonfiction, art, photography, film, design, and music. Canonized and outsider, essential and unexpected. Condition matters (clean and readable) and they offer a percentage of what the store sells for. Please do not bring books to sell on Sundays due to Every Sunday Funday Markets. [Conclusion]: A great small and curated local bookstore with a personal touch.

Incredible selection of books! A lot of different genres represented throughout and the store is…read morerelatively easy to navigate - the best part is that if you need help, the workers here are VERY on top of it. You can tell these people love books. Reasonable pricing as well on the majority of books. Obviously a vintage store like this one will have the seemingly egregious, occasional $200 copy of something - but the range tells me how much care the store puts into recognizing the value of a book. Favorite used book store in LA for sure.

We just came from Louders That was playing K-pop on every single TV. So I really was ready for the…read morestore. They had K-pop everything. CDs. Videos. Calendars clothes. I really loved. It. Smells like the hell kitty store.

Must go for kpop fans! Giant store a little ways a way from the main Ktown plazas but well worth…read morethe walk! Has literally everything kpop related, from albums to merch, both new and old releases. Wall to ceiling shelves of albums for every artist, both solo and groups. Have a lot of stuff from recent comebacks and older merch as well. They also have a good selection of photocard supplies, binders, and stationery supplies. Miscellaneous cute plushies and trinkets as well, you'll definitely find what you need here!