Cancel

Open app

Search

The Book Catapult

4.7 (94 reviews)
ModerateBookstores
Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

The Book Catapult Photos

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - The Book Catapult

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 With Photos

Staff Picks!
Blain C.

One of the most unique bookstores in San Diego. In the heart of South Park we love to see it. If you grab lunch or coffee make sure to stop by for fiction and non-fiction books and local authors. Last Saturday there was a book crawl. Good service , good deals, and good vibes. There is a brewery right next to it. My husband and I got a beer walk and talk situation. Highly recommend! Enjoy!!

Entrance
Jemiah J.

Loved this indie bookstore! It's a nicely laid out store with a great selection. The staff were friendly. I had a great time discovering hidden treasures, especially in the fantasy and art and design section. They also have monthly book subscriptions it cost $70 for 3 months, $140 for 6 months, or $280 for 12 months. Subscriptions for delivery ship the 15th of every month.

Stephen L.

Nice bookstore with a good selection of books and a kids section in the back. There were lots of recommendations on the shelves. There is street parking, which can be hard at times in South Park.

Inside
Brian V.

A small boutique bookstore located in the South Park area of San Diego. It's not gonna have the crazy selection you would find out one of those big box mega stores, but it feels very curated and it probably has a lot of things that you're looking for. It exudes tons of 'small town' charm. I think the prices are great and they also has some sale items where you could find some gems as well. The service was very friendly. On a personal note, this place reminds me of one of my favorite bookstores in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. It's got the same vibes and it's one of those type of places where if I lived in the area I would want to visit very often.

Interior
Cori A.

My partner & I's favorite bookstore!! It's gives the classic bookstore vibes, the staff are always helpful & have good rec's. Really good selection of options for all book categories. They're also very active in the community.

Roop K.

Cool bookstore with different selections. We saw a book of posters in Egypt and India across time periods that honestly haven't seen in other places. There's a good selection of coffee table type books and fiction

Front entrance
Bruski N.

I love supporting local bookstores and The Book Catapult is a great little bookstore in South Park. It carries most topics and children's books that will satisfy most avid readers. The staff is friendly and gives you the space to browse or time to read so you can decide whether to purchase or not. My wife always comes out with a few books that she didn't plan to purchase but ended up buying them anyway.

Alyssa C.

I rarely review non food or drink places but thought this local SD bookstore in South Park deserves some love too! It's just a store or two down from Dark Horse Coffee so easy to get a drink before or after your visit. I love the curated sections with summaries of staff picks and the way the books were displayed. Go support your local bookshop!

Leah B.

I ADORE this bookstore! The very first time I ever went in, the shop owner made my entire night and I laughed so much. They're always so welcoming and friendly! Their curated book selection is fantastic. I'm always following releases on GoodReads and B&N, yet they always have other new ones that are off the mainstream radar. Iron Flame recently released and it was sold out everywhere at the major outlets - but I knew I could count on Book Catapult to have it in stock and not thrashed! I loved seeing their pre-order stack ready for pick up too, it makes my heart real happy.

Asian translated fiction books

See all

Photo of Pam S.
850
1119
6512

17 days ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

25 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

24 days ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 2
Love this 4
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of John S.
56
16
2

8 months ago

My favorite staff and favorite place to grab books. I especially love the large kiddo book area. Really a lovely neighborhood resource.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Karen C.
137
99
3

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ivy C.
217
15
41

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 4

1 year ago

Love this book store. Such a nice selection and friendly staff! My 9 ans 10 year old enjoy the children's section

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Liv P.
179
60
12

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

This is my favorite bookstore in San Diego! I trust their staff picks more than any other bookstore.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Super good selection. Easy to find what I was looking for and some stuff I wasn't. Great staff recs. Highly recommended

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Vina R.
208
604
3651

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 28
Thanks 0
Love this 25
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Elle N.
2552
870
18506

8 years ago

Helpful 110
Thanks 0
Love this 113
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Kay S.
129
144
28

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Rae F.
0
25
4

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 3

Ask the Community - The Book Catapult

Review Highlights - The Book Catapult

The book crawl is a three day event, where you get a book stamped and you gain rewards by the more you visit, both from the businesses and from the sponsors.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Bookstores 3,000 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Bluestocking Books - More books

Bluestocking Books

4.6(150 reviews)
2.2 miHillcrest
$

What a nice independent bookstore! I can't tell you the last time I held a book in my hands (I…read moreknow! I kind of suck!), but I do love books and try to shop at them whenever I can. I love to give books or gift cards to bookstores to children. Bluestocking Books is the kind of bookstore I would specifically go out of my way to buy gifts for people, or to (gasp) buy a book for myself. There are little cozy nooks around the bookstore, as there should be in a bookstore. There's also a section for kids, with a little table and some reading material to peruse. Inexplicably, Bluestocking Books is closed on Wednesdays! What an interesting day to be closed, but I guess you have to be closed at least one day, right? Why not Wednesday? The people who work here are very friendly and helpful, and there's just a palpable welcoming vibe emanating from the store. It's a nice place to browse and find the perfect book.

Bluestocking Books is an awesome indie bookstore located in the Hillcrest area. There is no parking…read morelot here, but a ton of street parking all around. Inside, they have a cozy and welcoming setup with both new and used books organized neatly by genres. The books are priced very fairly here and they have a good amount of books to dig through. All of the staff are friendly and welcoming. Definitely stop by and you will most likely not leave empty-handed!

Photos
Bluestocking Books - Cozy and wint'ry bookshop

Cozy and wint'ry bookshop

Bluestocking Books - The stairway to Heaven. Oh and great books on tippy top shelves

The stairway to Heaven. Oh and great books on tippy top shelves

Bluestocking Books

See all

Footnote Books - Hiding spot

Footnote Books

3.8(97 reviews)
1.7 miHillcrest
$

Amazing selection of books! There were so many hidden gems in this bookstore, you have to really…read morelook. The man who attended us was very nice. If you have a big bag or drinks, you give them to him and put them in a box and you collect it at the end of your shopping! Got 2 books for $16!

Hidden Gem for Book Lovers - A True San Diego Treasure…read more Footnote Books in University Heights might not catch your eye from the street, but step inside and you're entering a book lover's paradise. It's a small, tightly packed shop, stacked floor to ceiling with everything from quirky romance to vintage collectibles--and that's exactly the charm. AND what increiible value here! Nothing was overpriced even when you know you found a real gem. Don't let the curb appeal fool you--this place is the real deal. My wife scored a stack of fantasy romance novels (SJM, Ana Reyes, etc), and I stumbled upon a first issue of Sports Illustrated and a beautiful 1950s first-edition history of some of baseball's most iconic early legends. Talk about treasure hunting. The owner? An absolute gem. Super knowledgeable, approachable, and clearly someone who lives and breathes books. You can feel the passion in every corner of this store--Footnote is truly a labor of love. If you're in San Diego and love books with character (and characters), do yourself a favor and visit Footnote Books. 10/10 I highly recommend.

Photos
Footnote Books
Footnote Books - Books

Books

Footnote Books - Shelves

See all

Shelves

Bookstar / Barnes & Noble

Bookstar / Barnes & Noble

3.7(109 reviews)
4.8 miLoma Portal
$$

Cool little Barnes and Noble in an old theater space! I love that they kept the theater marquee out…read morefront. It looks super cool! The bf also got a kick out of it since he worked as a theater manager for years and loves checking out different theaters. The inside of the store was pretty similar to other Barnes and Nobles, maybe a bit smaller. Good amount of book merch and themed table sections, but I think the lighting could have been a bit brighter. They were running some great deals before new years so I picked up a few new books. I have noticed that sometimes Barnes and Noble doesn't pick up the discounts listed on the stickers on the front covers of books, so I pay extra attention when those are rung up. The guy at the register was super nice and corrected it, no problem!

Loved how this old movie theater was repurposed into a bookstore/Barnes and Noble. The interior has…read morethe old remnants of the theater, pretty evident through the decor running along the ceiling. Super cool! And of course, the Bookstar sign out front giving it old theater vibes. Selection was similar to what other B&N have. Their record section was cute, displayed in the front window. The store was well organized, easy to navigate, and had all the featured table displays. I was searching for The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig when I went, but they were out of stock. The employee who helped me offered to call another store in the area, which was really nice of her! I ended up getting it at the Mission Valley location. Overall worth a visit, if only to take pictures of the cool sign. Otherwise, it's like any other Barnes & Noble.

Photos
Bookstar / Barnes & Noble - Cool old movie sign

Cool old movie sign

Bookstar / Barnes & Noble
Bookstar / Barnes & Noble

See all

The Book Catapult - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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