This is the only major bookstore on the island. Everytime I get a chance I go and have a cup if tea while looking through books for my next purchase. The coffee shop inside has fantastic soup and cheesecake factory desserts. Although, there isn't much seating... the staff is kind and accommodating. read more

Wow, super friendly and efficient staff here. I was really impressed as it's a busy store. Went to the coffee shop, too, fast service through a long line. Consistently crowded, so if you want to work it might be hard to find a spot. read more

Can almost never go wrong with Barnes & Noble. Funny thing is... I'm not a reader... but I LOVE books. Does that make any sense? I love the smell of books... the feel of books in my hand... it's like treasure if I'm holding multiple books at a time; I just get so excited! I guess I'm here for the how-to books, the crafting books, drawing instruction, graphic novels, manga, and fandom books/merchandise. I'm not a "reader" per se in terms of traditional text-based fiction or non-fiction. I wonder if it's because I prefer writing as a hobby. In any case, did I mention I love books? What I think is especially awesome is that there aren't just books here. Omg stationery? I have a thing for stationery and office supplies like you wouldn't believe. The sketchbooks and notepads are so pretty. Then there's also novelty items and crafting kits... so much awesome. Someone in the company understands merchandising. B&N is like a go-to place for me to shop for gifts for my friends. I've never had to interact with the employees here other than the people at the checkout and so far, I've not had any issues. The service inside of the cafe off to the right is also fine. They serve Starbucks drinks and other goods there. They used to have this awesome Tiramisu that I honestly thought was the best on the island. I'm incredibly sad they no longer carry it :( In any case, I hope Barnes & Noble never closes. There are some books that can never be all that effective when digitized and there really is a point to being able to grab something off the shelf and reference it, especially for research or instructional books. Literature unfortunately is less static and more susceptible to digital sales but some people can never beat the feel of a book in their hand, no matter how many thousands of books they can fit on a kindle, tablet, or computer. I think books are here to stay and with Barnes & Noble surviving the test of the digital age, beating out Borders & Walden's to become the last of its kind, I hope they are here to stay as well. Awesome for having books and so much more. Five stars. read more

When I grow up I want a room full of books, my very own library. I think I've wanted that ever since I first saw Beauty and the Beast where Belle is taken to the library in the Beast's castle. Oh my! I love books! Barnes and Noble is my favorite place. I can seriously stay in here for a good couple of hours, and I rarely walk out without at least buying a book (or five). I like sitting here and read but there's never enough seats. They need to bring in comfy couches and chairs for people to sit in. I agree with other reviews that say "let me sit on the floor", I used to do that but now they wont let me :( But other than that I love this place, they always have everything I want! read more

Barnes and Noble is my favorite place to go to whenever I'm waiting for anyone because I can literally browse the whole entire store and not get bored. I love books and the library setting so thats definitely a plus for me. I personally like browsing through books, smelling that book smell, and buying them here of course lol. Also, because there are not many bookstores around, I appreciate that this location is still here. Sad to say the Kahala location is done.. RIP to Border's as well. I love how Barnes and Noble has everything here, from books, media, dvd, magazines, educational toys, puzzles and a coffee shop! Sometimes I'd be waiting and I'd forget that I am because I'm engulfed in a book or looking through pop vinyls or dvds. Just don't sit on the floor because its a fire hazard. Tip: Take advantage of the Barnes and Noble members only discount. Basically you sign up for $25 dollars and you get discounts on books if you are a buyer here. You get coupons too, I believe. With the Barnes and Noble Starbucks coffee shop, you can't use your regular Starbucks card to gain stars and purchase a product here. They have other desserts that regular Starbucks wouldn't normally have like the Cheesecake Factory desserts-yum! They do have chairs available for those who want to study or read a book but its always so busy you can't find seats at all, so for those trying to study with a buddy, you should go to another coffee shop, public library, or at home. They close at 11pm :) read more

Whenever I go to Ala Moana, I almost always find myself here. "Hey, lets check out Barnes and Nobles." My friends and I tend to wander around like Roombas in the aisles. "Hey did you see this book?" "Look at this figurine!" The only thing I don't like about the store is that it tends to be a dead zone for phones in certain areas of the store. "Hey, yeah, I'll meet you at Barnes. Give me a call when you're here." Thankfully the store isn't that big so my friends and I can find each other. Check out the cafe when you have a moment as well, the food is quite tasty. Few things compare to reading a book or being on the computer while eating a nice toasted bagel with cream cheese....served on a heavy plate no less! read more

This is a fabulous, family-, and breastfeeding-friendly store w/ a wonderful staff. I take my daughter to the free storytelling events often. read more

I'm not a big fan of reading books. Most of my "reading" comes from digital pages similar to the screen that you are reading this from. Other than that, you may find me in the magazine or geek section looking over web design books or things like html/css coding. Oh, and anything from Mark Twain. We're usually here because either the girlfriend needed to check up on something or to stop by and get a drink from Starbucks. I did get yelled at one time for sitting and perusing a book I was thinking of purchasing in an aisle. Dude said it was for fire safety. This was after they decided to remove a ton of seats from around the bathroom area. Very suspicious to me. Seems like there were too many book moochers loitering here. The prices are okay for a brick and mortar store, but most of my shopping is now done on the internet where usually ebay and amazon usually dominate (for me anyways). read more

You may not think of hanging out at a bookstore is a cool thing, but it so is! Thanks to my gf, Susan, Friday night is BnN night. Since Borders cut back on their store hours, we have been going to Barnes and Noble. This has been my latest and greatest place to go. And they are open till 11pm! Why pay for a magazine or book when you can read it from cover to cover for FREE!! Sit in their cafe grab a drink and you are set. Though finding a seat and table is always a hit or miss. When I came in last night with another gf, I found a couple 2 seat table open. That was around 930/945pm. We grabbed our magazines and got our read on. We were sitting near the cookbook section and in front of that was 75% table! i found a dope, The Art of LP, book for $7.50! A gift for the bf. *_* There was also this Jenga set I wanted to get but didn't. Now thinking about it, I am gonna go back and grab it. Hopefully it will still be there. Its also a great place to people watch. Love to people watch. Though its no a library, it can get loud in there. When there is group of people talking about the school project they need to finish or family with their children running all around you. Can be irritating. i just block it out and give them a look. hahah read more

Yelp asked me what keeps me coming back to B&N because I keep checking in here. Honestly... this is like the last bookstore on Earth or something (with the exception of the sparse used book stores in which you MUST spend hours to find a book because the workers don't know what's in there). Coming to B&N makes me miss the shit out of Borders at Ward because of Ala Moana's lack of ample parking and Borders' two floors of amazingness. Books are expensive now, it's not B&N's fault. That's just the truth. Somehow, 200-page paperbacks are $15 and classics are $10+. The service leaves something more to be desired, with the exception of the one guy manager there who is genuinely friendly and QUICK. Dudes, I got my stuff and I'm ready to go - no nonsense please! Christmas time is very busy here. I would suggest to check Costco or Sam's first to see if they have your book (it'll be a few dollars cheaper there). I do appreciate how they have a little toy/game section. Just a warning: if you see something you like here, GET IT. Again, because this is like the only bookstore on Earth (or at least the only new book bookstore-haha bookbook-in Ala Moana), toys sell out fast, especially the little Pop! big-head big-eye figurine things. For the book-haters, there is also a Starbucks inside and several bargain sections. Wow, this review was sort of ADD, but this is honestly how B&N makes me feel - like I have ADD and I'm bitter and I don't actually want to read, just collect books. read more

I go to book stores for a living. Okay, so I don't actually make money going to book stores...but if you know any way that I can...please message me RIGHT NOW. Barnes & Noble is pretty damn close to the epitome of a book store experience for myself. I can literally...get it...'literally'....anyway, I can seriously spend hours in this store and yet feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what I can accomplish. I like books! My focus is Hawaii books, and Barnes & Noble Ala Moana has a pretty good selection. Honestly, it's not quite as hefty as a few of the Borders out there or some local book stores, but it's still more than adequate. They have tons of graphic novels and manga, where teenagers tend to hover, a great selection of quality bargain books--not as cheap as Borders but better quality and selection, a nice clean efficient layout, and that lovely new book smell that permeates the store. The staff is great. I have the pleasure of knowing the Manager and Events Director and they are both wonderful people. Their friendliness and accessibility make this consistently the book store we like to visit for extended stays. There's also the B&N Cafe (Starbucks I believe). It has a bit more seating than the Kahala branch and it's not 'out of the way" like the Borders cafes tend to be, so I can go grab new books or magazines without traveling on a major journey. They also have my girlfriend's absolute favorite red velvet cupcakes... better than Hokulani, better than Cake Couture, better than anything she's tried in Hawaii. So....there's that, if you're into that sort of thing. Me? I like pie. The only bad side is that the tables are always full! You either have to come at an ideal time (really early, or really late) or just hover around the cafe until you're lucky enough to find a table. Once we do, however, we are here for hours--researching books, reading magazines, drinking coffee, taking notes and writing posts. It's lovely. read more

I'm biased on this one, but my brother works here, so... Everyone is pretty much friendly to me and I enjoy the atmosphere. I only really buy books either online or on sale somewhere, however if the customer service is good then I will shop there even if the price is a little more. This is one of those places. They have a good selection of dvds and cds too. I also enjoy having my starbucks mocha while I shop or hang out. read more

As a one of the regulars, I really like to buy books and magazines as well as the newspaper here because it is a lot cheaper when you join the rewards program and people should save at least 10% off the regular price vs paying regular price and it is good that they are open until 11 pm daily so perhaps people should join the membership for 25.00 for a year. So go for it and get it read more

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I long for the days that my cousin and I would spend hours in bookstores thumbing through mysteries and making our wish lists. I fell in love with books at book stores. Unfortunately, the best one near me happens to be all the way in Ala Moana, which is a long drive from home. It's been a while since my last visit, maybe a year. Tonight we looked for an ASVAB study aid and picked up a children's puzzle book for my son. I always enjoy how organized Barnes and Noble is. Although I looked lost and I wondered aloud where the ASVAB study guides were, no nearby staff made attempts to approach me...so I had to approach one myself. No above and beyond customer service, instead I got standard customer service, which isn't bad either...the guy just said to look for the toys, it'll be on the opposite shelf. Found it! After scanning and reading reviews I picked my book and headed to the children's section. My son picked his book right away. I like how they have a "superheroes" wall. One thing I noticed was the "picture book" wall. There was a special section for "top picture books". The cashier that helped us was real sweet, too bad I didn't get her name. She offered a kids club membership to me, seeing that I had kiddies with me. While I filled it out she explained the perks of the membership such as a free cookie or cupcake in my children's birthdays and a $5 gc for every $100 I spend on kids merchandise. Kids are expensive, knowing that my kids love books, any money back is awesome! Overall, excellent experience tonight besides the obvious need for help and no help. Oh and the restroom was clean too. read more

Barnes & Noble - ASVAB prep - Bookstores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Sigh. I'm so sad that bookstores like these are becoming few and far between. The plus side? I've seen a noticeable price drop in the cost of physical books now that e-readers are the norm. But still, nothing beats the feeling of walking into a physical bookstore, grabbing a book or magazine, sitting down with a cup of Starbucks, and getting lost in whatever you're reading. I consider myself an electronics whore...mostly. There are 3 things that I MUST have the physical version of (NOT digital) to give me the satisfaction of holding in my hand: CDs, movies, and BOOKS. So to be able to walk into this immaculate, book-smell-worthy establishment and peruse thousands of titles at my leisure is a downright luxury. I've only been here a few times, but each time is no different from the one before. The store is clean, everything is neatly organized. One thing I did notice was the selection of VINYL RECORDS!!! They had a few strategically placed throughout the store, but if you go to the back, through the security devices, there's loads more. What I found a tad bit inconvenient and odd was that if you purchased anything (music, DVD/Blu-ray, record) in that back section, you had to pay for it back there before re-entering the rest of the store. Why is this odd? Because as I previously mentioned, there were other records located throughout the store. Eh. Small price to pay (no pun intended) to be able to get my hands on a perfectly mint condition record. If you must know, I bought the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. :) Customer service may be a bit lacking. But once you actually get someone's attention, they seem nice. The best encounter I had was upon checkout. The cashier was super friendly. PERKS: Starbucks, physical books, VINYL RECORDS, bathroom, ample parking because it's located in Ala Moana Center DOWNSIDE: you STILL have to pay for the rewards program. Boo. I don't shop here near enough to take advantage. Some of you book enthusiasts might, though! 2016 Yelp Challenge #13/100 read more

Pros: Good craft book selection Cons: RUDE STAFF My mother and I were reviewing some craft books to decide which ones we wanted to purchase. My mom went to look for a place to sit, but ALL seats were occupied, so we sat on the floor. Immediately, my mom got a couple bug bites on her legs, but hey, that's what we get for sitting on the floor, right? In any case, about 5 minutes later an employee came over and VERY RUDELY told us store policy did not allow us to sit on the floor. My mom asked the lady if she had some sort of solution for us seeing how there were no seats. The employee rudely told us again we could not sit on the floor, that was the policy. We were so pissed off at how we were treated we left immediately. Thanks Barnes and Noble for your wonderfully rude employees! I think I'll be going to Borders from now on! read more

Horrible customer service. The "web store" & "brick & mortar store" are "separate". So if you see an item on sale on the web, it may not be on sale in the brick & mortar store - despite being in stock. So you have to pay extra for shipping & wait to get a sale price. Cheap & cheesy. read more

Bookstores are my thing. But Barnes and Nobles was a bit of a pain to get to at the Ala Moana Center and they are extremely over priced. I went up with 3 books and the girl told me $80. I honestly thought she stuttered and I said, "What?!" After she confirmed what I thought she had said, I kindly told her that I was no longer interested. I came home and ordered them on Amazon for under $60 with free shipping. If you are desperate and want a book "this second"... this is perfect for you!! If you are in no rush, like me, check out Amazon's prices and you don't have to fight for parking and you can avoid the Honolulu/Waikiki traffic! read more

I just wanted to point out that I have no problems with the actual bookstore itself. My frustration is with the cafe and the baristas who were rude and refused to fix the unsatisfactory drinks we returned. I ordered a Chai Tea Latte and what I got seemed to just be hot milk. When my boyfriend asked for another one, she did, but it was the same EXACT flavor (hot milk). After that, she was rude and refused to try again, saying it was against store policy. I'm honestly not a picky drinker when it comes to coffee. I've had my share of lackluster lattes but there is a difference between a 'meh' latte and what is essentially 4 dollar frothy milk. Maybe if the baristas were trained better, there would be no need for repeat returns. As it stands, I'll just walk to the next floor for my Starbucks before book browsing. read more

I like this Barnes and Noble better than the mainland ones. The service was nice and they have a wide variety of books. I bought a book called the Phantom of the Opera and am still reading it. The place is very convenient where there are a lot of shoppers around the area. For whatever reason, I get better WiFi from this Barnes and Noble than the ones from the mainland. I live in the Bay Area and the AT&T WiFi in those Barnes are very slow and takes a while to upload. On the other hand I had zero problems with the AT&T WiFi in Honolulu at this location. If you need a good free WiFi service, Honolulu is where to go. I never had any signal problems. Though I do miss Borders, I am glad Barnes is still around in Honolulu, otherwise my vacation would be boring. read more

the manager here thought i was going to steal so she took the album from me, it was so embarrassing because i was just looking at it. just because i'm a student with a backpack doesn't mean i'm going to steal??? karen raisin hag read more

Oh my beloved book store! How I wish you weren't a thing of the past & I didn't have to come to this mess of a shopping mall to visit you. I don't know what it is but I prefer to have physical books over iBooks any day. There's just something about holding a book in your arms & lining them up on your shelf when you're done with them that gives me a sense of happiness. When all the bookstores on the island started closing down, it broke my heart. I am so thankful this B&N is still here!! The workers are very nice & helpful when you need them & at the same time seem to understand the need for true bookworms, like myself, to be left alone to browse. They don't hover or pester or badger. I also love the set up of this store; their shelves are tall (or maybe I'm just really short) that you can't see over them & I can literally get lost in here (which isn't a bad thing). I think the old B&N Waikele was the same way. Old Borders in Pearl Ridge was not & it didn't have the same special feeling. Overall, if you're like me & have to have the actual book & you need instant gratification (I.E. not waiting for it to arrive from Amazon), this B&N is absolutely worth the trip. read more

Why the heck would I become a fan of a bookstore that is tucked away in what can best be described as the arm pit of Ala Moana Center? It isn't conveniently located nor is it a place that I would randomly come across as I shop between the Apple Store and Banana Republic. Yet, I find myself compelled to stop by often just to find a new book that will keep me awake or put me fast asleep. The Ala Moana store is by no means large. However, it more than makes up for its size by offering the popular items and a decent offering of other mainstream topics. If they don't have it, they are more than happy to order it for you. Although, when you think about it, wouldn't you want to just order it from the comfort of your home? I digress. The staff are generally very nice and helpful. If you need assistance identifying a title or finding the book, just hail one of the staff and ask for assistance. While they can be few and far in between at times or in plentiful supply in other moments, they are helpful. Whether you have a short moment to just peruse the periodicals for free or perhaps have a bit more time to find a new book that will strike a chord, Barnes and Noble is certainly a good option and their Ala Moana store, while out of the way is definitely where I go to buy a book. Oh...for those who are too young to know what a book is. Books are these items that destroyed the environment by using copious amount of paper. They led the era before kindles, nooks, and iPads and printed ink lettering on paper which one read instead of flicking a finger over a screen. read more

This is one of the smaller B&N that i've been to, but it has everything that I need :) AND its open till 11! YES! Why aren't more places open late in this town? The smell of coffee is so inciting when you walk in and in a very subtle way, the staff always acknowledges us and is super helpful. I know that this location is strange, and even though I like that it is in its own place, I do wish that there was an entrance way to the mall. In any case, we always walk in thinking we are going to spend just 30 minutes killing time and we walk out 2 hours later with at least 2 books each! GAH B&N, you get me every time! read more

There aren't that many book stores left. I'm glad that this store is here and also it's mammoth. You can easily spend hours browsing or even longer if you start reading. read more

I went to the service desk to ask if they had a particular cookbook in stock after trying to find it myself, and the employee said he could go get it for me - he walked all the way over there and then returned and said "I just heard my name being called on the speaker - someone else will be here to help you." And then he just left. No one else came. Why not just finish finding the book since you were there? I waited around for several more minutes and no one else showed, so I left - I saw the guy at the front register instead. Wtf? Why not just finish with the customer you started working with? It would have taken just another minute. Just going to purchase the book on Amazon - it's cheaper anyway. read more

Really love how clean the environment is and how nice the staffs are! However, I wish they had more seats... many of us likes to read and study there read more

It was a bit tricky to find this place, but it was great. It's clean, people are friendly and professional. I found what I was looking for (and other things I didn't know I wanted or desperately needed until I saw them) quickly and enjoyed my visit. read more

I have to give it 5 stars, it's pretty much the only book store left on the island! Came in here last weekend and they had some pretty good deals on books--at a couple of the tables if you bought 3 books you got one for free. I walked away with 5 books and a pretty journal for my mom's mother's day gift for only 50 bucks. read more

It's a book store that's not out of business. BONUS!! so to help the cause I bought a book. I'll read it and pass it along, really happy they are here, and glad to see not everyone has gone digital. read more

I'm here almost everyday (dork, i know) to read at least one novel, business strategy book, or to just laugh out loud with buddies at the crowd that frequents the "Self Help" section. Typically, one could spend a Saturday in here, reading, reading, and reading some more. Just take a seat at the cafe and you're all set. The staff may ask you to "not sit on the floors" so just stand in an aisle until a table opens up at the cafe. read more

Located in the garage part/side of the Ala Moana shopping center, this store has a reading/browsing chairs, cafe and bathroom (no merchandise beyond that point) but what sets it apart is the large Hawaiiana section, books and maps; where I spent most of my time, looking for books not widely available on the mainland. I was looking at cuisine books as well as hiking trail books. There were a few other people in this aisle as well. Now that there are no longer any Borders stores on the island, we can get our book fix here. read more

The employees are very helpful when you are searching for books and music and movies. And "Christine" even took the time to check and make sure I was credited correctly for the coupons I used. I wish they had a "suggestion box" in the store so I didn't have to go online for questions,comments, and requests, etc. Thanks Christine for all your help. read more

My go to place when I want to feel happy. A great place for the whole family! Yes, even the ones who don't like to read books... they have a huge selection of magazines, and music of all genres. I on the other hand, go for their book selection. They have every best seller and great selection of well organized books. The employees have a very good knowledge of books and if they can't find what you're looking for, they have a system that can input keywords to find your book. read more

I feel like this place has a really limited selection of some genres. Like nonfiction stuff for example. Not much help for school I think...and I don't even go to school. I'm just that down with nonfiction, ya feel me? This place also has a lot of foot traffic because it's in the mall and all. You can never get a seat at the B&N Cafe...but damn! They've got a good selection in there...cheesecakes and all. Also loved the $10 for $20 group on! Soooo good. Just what I needed...another book..... read more

Stopped by here to purchase a book. I usually buy online or read on my kindle but decided to buy a paperback. While paying, my receipt was mutilated by the cash register. I asked the cashier, Alysia, if she could reprint it. She said they cannot and printed a gift receipt for me instead. I then told her I wanted to return the book and repurchase it and she does an exchange and staples an exchange receipt to my mutilated original receipt. If I decide to return this book, I imagine that it will be an incredible pain to get the amount credited back to my credit card. I will probably be offered store credit and have to complain to a manager just to get a refund because I don't have a legitimate receipt to show payment. I am highly dissatisfied with how this was handled. read more

B&N is so awesome. It always manages to suck all time out of the day. I went in after a meeting to get a cup of tea and pick up a book. An hour later I am still wandering around with an armful of books, my eyes glazed over like I'm a kid in the candy store. Add in the fact that they have cheesecake from the Chessecake Factory and I never want to leave. :) read more

While I've been a loyal Borders customer, I do stop by on occasion. Generally, it's for a replacement journal, which they have a great selection to choose from--leather, inspirational, plain, spiral bound, hard cover w/magnetic closure, etc. They def have more sale items than Borders but unfortunately it's difficult to find a chair/table if you wanna chill & read or log on...I was hoping to park there tonight since they close an hour later than Borders but couldn't find a table to accommodate my laptop ; ( So, I hiked back to Borders where I got to choose from a comfy lounge chair or a small table w/chairs. read more

I've been in a lot of Barns and Noble bookstores and this is the only one that does not have chairs along the walls so people can sit and go through the books to to determine which books a person wants. It's also the only Barns and Noble that won't let people sit on the floor to look at books and also the only one that won't allow the books into the coffee shop area. I do not recommend this store. read more

One of the only places on the island where I've been able to find Kolo photo albums. So for that alone, I give this place 4 stars. I wish they had more Kolo products and more colors, but I have to remind myself that this is a bookstore, not a photo or craft shop. =) (If anyone knows another place that carries Kolo products, please clue me in!) read more