1. Octopus Bookshop

0

Kennebunk, ME

Cancel

Open app

Search

Octopus Bookshop

4.2 (10 reviews)
Open • 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Octopus Bookshop Photos

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Octopus Bookshop

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews are largely positive. Visitors appreciate the cozy and charming space, curated book selection, and inviting children's section. Staff are described as friendly and knowledgeable.

Read the full review summary in the app

Photo of Steven M.
1220
2204
2808

3 months ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 2
Love this 5
Oh no 0
Photo of Chris D.
10
28
23

3 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Charming and enchanting shop in downtown Kennebunk. Super friendly customer service with a vast knowledge of many genre of books! A gem!

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of W W.
0
1
0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Ask the Community - Octopus Bookshop

Review Highlights - Octopus Bookshop

“Charming and enchanting shop in downtown Kennebunk.”

Mentioned in 2 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Mainely Murders Bookstore - You can't see it from the street, but turn the corner and you're there.

Mainely Murders Bookstore

5.0(14 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$$

Such a cool bookstore in a hidden spot. I came across this randomly and had to stop in. It is such…read morea cute little bookstore, it is small but it is filled to the brim! One of the owners was there and was so knowledgeable about all the books they had. The books are all crime based and she said between her and the other owner they had at least read all the authors. The books are very well priced and I think the experience alone is worth the trip.

Mainely Murders is a delightful little bookstore run by Paula and Ann (or is it Ann and Paula?),…read moretwo terrific women who say that they thought about opening the store for 35 years before they finally did it. It's a small independent bookstore that's tucked down a side street, but you're just about there if you're on Route 1 in Kennebunk. Just turn down Bourne Street and you'll find them. They've got thousands of books about murder and mystery, mostly used, sorted by the location of the story or author. There are mysteries that take place around the world or in New England, books where the main character is a dog, etc. In fact, they were having a food drive for a local pet shelter when we were there. If you're local and you didn't know about this store, get down there! And if you're a tourist who's looking for some reading material, you won't do better than Mainely Murders Bookstore. In any case, this is what bookstores were like before Barnes & Noble chased the little guys out of the business and then Amazon turned book shopping into an online experience. You might want to go to their website or call them to check their hours before you drop by. We went in October and their Fall hours had begun, so they were going to be closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Photos
Mainely Murders Bookstore - Not only do they sell hard to find books, but they were collecting food for a local pet shelter!

Not only do they sell hard to find books, but they were collecting food for a local pet shelter!

Mainely Murders Bookstore - Bookstore

Bookstore

Mainely Murders Bookstore - Bookstore

See all

Bookstore

Annie's Book Stop - Mass market romance section

Annie's Book Stop

4.8(8 reviews)
6.9 mi

This was our next stop after Rite Aid. Yelp had the hours listed wrong so I thought we had to be…read morethere before it closed at 2:00, but it closes at 4. I've told Yelp HQ and the hours and days have been corrected. We walked in and were greeted by Francine. I told her I was looking for "A Gentleman in Moscow" and she went to look for it but didn't have it. I had borrowed the book from the library, hadn't finished it and couldn't renew it because someone had a hold on it. While Alan cruised the back room, she directed me to the front side room, where she had checked. There I saw a large print book by Louise Penny and a copy of "Cloud Atlas", by David Mitchell. I got into a conversation w/ another woman, who had been alphabetizing some of the books, to the delight of Francine, who teasingly offered her a job. We talked about books, of course, and I recommended "Cloud Atlas" to her and she took it. I was telling her about Louise Penny and another woman joined our conversation and wrote down the name of the first book in the Gamache series. The conversation was a delightful treat and even if I didn't find my book here, it was a great experience. Alan, of course, found a couple of books.

Small little store, with an area for kids books, a small area for new books, and a small room for…read moreused books. The two older women that run the store aren't the friendliest people around, you feel like you're bothering them as you casually look around. Prices are kind of high, especially on their used books.

Photos
Annie's Book Stop - One of the books offered for sale.

See all

One of the books offered for sale.

Daytrip Society

Daytrip Society

4.7(35 reviews)
3.6 mi
•$$

The customer service at Daytrip Society is OUTSTANDING! I sent message to the store via Facebook to…read moreinquire about the Sea Bags totes that were in stock before I made the half hour drive to the store. Lucy responded very quickly with detailed descriptions of the totes that fit my inquiry... she even sent photos! I was so grateful for the help before I drove there to be disappointed. I drove to the store and purchased one of the bags that she sent photos of & was amazed by how many other totes were in stock! Unfortunately, the bag I purchased wasn't exactly what I thought I needed. I emailed Daytrip ASAP to inquire about the return policy & if I could ship the return since I live a distance from the store. They responded quickly & gave me multiple options for returning my bag! I also inquired about another tote in that email & they gave prices, shipping costs & sent a photo! I could not be more satisfied with the service from Daytrip Society. They have WONDERFUL, quality products (many made in Maine) and are willing to bend over backwards to make customers happy! THANK YOU, DAYTRIP! I will definitely be back & recommend this store to anyone that is looking for a unique shopping experience while in Maine!

I love the amazing selection here they have so much jewelry, and really overall just a great store!…read moreThis is the first place I think of when going to buy gifts! The employees are always so friendly! I highly recommend!

Photos
Daytrip Society
Daytrip Society
Daytrip Society - Photo by gabrielaherman.com

See all

Photo by gabrielaherman.com

Barnes & Noble - South Portland Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble

4.7(7 reviews)
19.8 mi

I mean it's a book store…read more Always end up getting 2 or 3 books. Great selection, staff are always friendly and their recommendations allow for expanding your reading interest.

I think, if you're going to come to a chain bookstore, this should be the place you visit. It's so…read morenew; it's got that new book smell (not really, but... maybe, kinda, sorta?)! 1. So much easy, free parking in their huge shared lot. 2. There's a Starbucks-adjacent cafe. NOTE: it's NOT actually Starbucks though, so you can't order ahead or pay with your app. Just a heads-up! The cafe portion of the bookstore is spacious and clean, with the tables themselves also being spaced quite far apart from one another. It creates a real sense of privacy no matter where you sit! 3. The atmosphere/layout here is very modern and inviting; the selection itself is enormous. Genres are clearly labeled, and there's a tremendous amount of content available no matter what you're looking for (so be prepared to spend some time here wandering around and taking it all in... then you'll probably have to come back, because there's no way you'll actually be able to take it all in on the first visit!). They've got new releases, popular books, recommendations, board games, and more. And, of course, the random armchair for you to sit and peruse your possible purchase. Obviously, support local first. But if you're looking for a slow-paced, wide open, very quiet, very tidy spot to spend a little bit of time (without feeling rushed or forced to purchase something) finding your next favorite read, I'd suggest visiting here!

Photos
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble

See all

Harding Douglas Rare Books - Great old building

Harding Douglas Rare Books

3.8(25 reviews)
3.5 mi
•$$

My brother and I were spending the day exploring Kittery, York, and Kennebunkport and decided to…read moreswing by Wells on our way back up to Portland to see if anything stuck out to us. We were driving up Route 1 and noticed a few antique shops when we approached Douglas Harding. Since my brother is a fan of bookstores, specifically ones that carry old and rare ones, we decided to stop and check it out. DH sits right on Route 1 in a prime location. It's kind of unassuming from the outside, but once you're inside it gives away to how grand the space actually is. There are rooms and rooms filled with books - I kept walking around thinking I reached the back of the store but it just didn't stop! The shop carries a big selection and is neatly organized by section. There are clear indicators as to what is where, and they keep their rarer finds behind glass cabinets. You can honestly get lost for hours in this place, there are so many shelves to browse, and they have something for virtually everyone - from historical encyclopedia to a tell-all guide to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. They also have a side room that is filled with maps of spots all around the world for sale. From what I can gather, a father and daughter own/run the shop - they were both friendly and offered help looking for something if we needed it. Overall, this was a great find in Wells - all the times I had been here I had never thought to stop in and I'm glad we did. It's definitely worth exploring if you're in the area.

Lovely to meet and talk to the owner; he's a bit hard of hearing but happy to talk books. He's…read moremoved fully into a smaller building, so not as many books but still an interesting collection.

Photos
Harding Douglas Rare Books - Wow yes

Wow yes

Harding Douglas Rare Books - Many odd and strange books

Many odd and strange books

Harding Douglas Rare Books - Lots of stuff to look at

See all

Lots of stuff to look at

Bull Moose

Bull Moose

5.0(1 review)
6.3 mi

Bull Moose Music moved from its former smaller store in Sanford to a bigger plaza space at…read moreBiddeford Crossing. This bigger space was once a Nonesuch Books. This new employee owned Bull Moose store is way less cramped than its former Sanford location, where I've shopped for music a long way back. This store had their grand opening a few months ago. Like its old location except more spread out inside, the Biddeford location offers a pretty good selection of new and used music, movies, video games, and books to choose from. The store is well organized nicely by sections with vinyl records, books, CDs, video games, DVDs, Blu-rays and miscellaneous items in between. The music is organized by genre alphabetically with a mix of new and used CDs, They also carry used cassettes ($3 each) underneath the old vinyls. The prices including the sale prices here are very competitive to the online music stores. The Bull Moose website is a good place to search and find which stores have your item or title in stock. They also do special orders and accept used music, movies, and video games for $$$ if in good condition. I spotted several used CDs from 20 years ago being sold for as low as $2.97, which I have in my personal collection and are no longer made. As a holder of the Bull Moose Music FBC (Freakin' Buyers Card), I earn points with each purchase here and receive the Bull Moose Music weekly emails with their e-sales flyers, new releases, promotions, and events (chainwide). IMO, the new Biddeford Bull Moose location is a great improvement to the older cramped location, though it's not as big as the Scarborough Superstore location.

Photos
Bull Moose
Bull Moose

See all

Letterpress Books

Letterpress Books

5.0(20 reviews)
25.3 mi•North Deering
•$$

Don't judge a book by its cover…read more On the surface, it's a bookstore in a stripmall and it looks a little run down. But this spot is an ABSOLUTE GEM. It feels like a bookstore in Portland for Mainers: it's not trendy, it's not trying to wow you with its aesthetics, it's not in a part of town you'd just stumble upon. You are going out of your way to come here, and the immediate community you'll feel inside isn't something you're going to find at tourist-located spots that are dependent on foot traffic. + There's parking! + It's women-owned! + Got to overhear some lovely conversations between the owner and the customers like she genuinely knew everyone who shopped there/everyone was an extended family member! Segue... + When I went to cash out, the owner introduced herself to me, shook my hand, welcomed me into the store! She commented on my book selection and said it was the perfect thing to read for this season in this lovely state we call home (and that just kind of felt like getting an A+ in elementary school again)! + It's a clean, well organized store with places to sit; and, there were plenty of little printed out recommendations from the staff for some particular books on the shelves which I appreciate and always take the time to read. I can see this becoming a spot I stop at more regularly (of cooooourse, I joined the loyalty program)!

Letterpress has recently expanded and renovated, yet still maintains the friendliness of a local,…read moreindie bookstore. I can always count on the staff for personal recommendations. If they don't have a book I'm seeking, they'll order it and I have it in hand within a couple days. So happy to have an indie bookstore in the same plaza where I get groceries, handle my business's postal stuff, take my dog for supplies... so convenient and neighborly.

Photos
Letterpress Books
Letterpress Books
Letterpress Books - Visit us in the Northgate Plaza, North Deering!

See all

Visit us in the Northgate Plaza, North Deering!

Octopus Bookshop - bookstores - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...