My life partner brought me here as a birthday surprise and I'm hooked. We typically would visit that bigger one in North Park, but that place has become a hellhole for morons standing in aisles taking instagram shots. Hard pass. I managed to toss books like rocks at them as if I'm a bridge troll. However, after cussing out some 23 year old that cant even read, I've decided to move on to better bookstores. (Or I was told I'm not welcome back, same difference). Anyway, BOOK PLACE IS RAD. I am hooked, on the book. I don't really enjoy the Barnes & Noble because A) Expensive as hell, and B) AI cover art everywhere. So, Book Place. Cluttered how I like it. But in a good way. Like, you think you might find Iain Banks in the mystery section, but actually he might be in the Thriller section, or both! And you've discovered a new author on the way! I just love how it feels to have such a variety of books. Some spent time being loved by someone, and others, maybe were a gift that they trashed and it ended up here. Everyone who works here is cool, we can chat about books, and they'll tell you if they have something. Though personally I enjoy the thrill of the hunt for something I don't know if I'll find. I've always managed to find something. Plus, their prices are great. The buyback option is awesome. (Plus you have the opportunity to share what you loved... or didn't love and give someone else your hot garbage!) They've got a rental system too. So it's kinda like if Blockbuster came back, and had a baby with a book Place. They've got the oddities I crave. They have the weird science fiction with the holographic covers from the 90s and early 2000s (yeah those nerd ones). Star Wars novels, covered (and I don't mean the post-Disney garbage). I love this spot. It's not super close to home, but it gives me a reason to venture into this part of the county. Makes me very happy. Support this place and keep it alive because I need it in my life. read more

I am a little biased towards this bookstore because it's a little small and they don't have the biggest selection, but the prices are good and the guy who works here is SUPER nice and friendly (30ish guy with brown hair). I was really impressed with how nice and patient he was with the customers, many of whom were older women who seem to be regulars at the store. My husband and I were each able to find a book here; Toni Morrison is one of my favorite authors ever so I was psyched to find one of her books! I even found a copy of The Idiot and El Fili! But I didn't get those because I'm not big on Dostoevsky anymore and El Fili is the sequel to the book I'm trying to find. Anyway, still cool to find those! They even had a free book shelf outside and I was able to get a smut novel for my husband and me to laugh over. Good times. The next time I go here, I'll try to open an account with them because I have a bunch of books I'd like to get credit for so I could get more books I'd actually like. Unfortunately it's a little hard for us to go here because their hours and days are limited, so we're only able to go here on Saturdays. Anyway, recommended! read more

Super cute bookshop with super nice people running it! All books $8 and under with a trade in of $2 per book that never expires so you can use it for future purchases. I got some great books like the Crescent City Trilogy, House in the Cerulean Sea, and Love and Other Words for $33. Unfortunately the books I took that were self help weren't accepted because they have an overflow of those right now. They have puzzles, games, and fun other languages stuff as well! Reel posting on IG soon! read more

The Book Place - Puzzles - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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These kinda bookstores are the ones people base their own writing off of. I went here because my goa is to support other humans - neighbors - owners. I come with my dachshund, and immediately the man working the desk greets us and is so friendly. His demeanor and energy is exactly who you want guiding your journey into your next book. He greeted and engaged with other guests, inviting them into his realm of knowledge and more. He's passionate excited and so energetic. I will be back, their book exchange or book selling practice sounds amazing also. I got 6 books for about $30.00, some hardcover an all amazing. Come here, support the passions that filled this store - and the pages of the books. read more

The Book Place - Posey Ann and a bag of to be reads - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Great little book store. Very well priced books and it's very well organized. Came in to do some browsing and found a lot of fun and interesting titles. My only gripe is I wish there was more of certain genres like Horror or Classics. They had lots and lots of romance thought which was nice! Can't wait to go back and search for more treasures. read more

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Finished a book, so I brought it here because I heard they give you credit to use towards future books. LOOK WHAT BOOK I FOUND! When I was checking out and he said $4... my jaw was on the floor. Plus they are super nice and helpful here. Totally coming back. This place doesn't compare to other book stores. read more

The Book Place - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Love this used book store. Sometimes you can find books that are brand new! If you bring in a book they give you $2 credit. The new owner is really nice. read more

New owners Tyler and Emily have great plans for this place. And already there are people coming in every time I'm there. Tyler is always there and he is very good at making customers feel welcome and pointing them in the right direction for the books they're looking for. It will be a great thing to have a good indie bookstore in the neighborhood. read more

I have used and loved this book store for many years! I travel across town from deep in the Southbay because of their book selection, the friendly staff and one of the biggest reasons is being in their system and having them weed out books I have already read at check out time! I am glad to see that they have expanded the days they are open! C Silver read more

one of my favorite places to visit! love the friendly owner and wealth of used books!

I used to just walk passed by this book store. But i saw that they have a bunch of my favorite authors book, i decided to gonin and check out some books. I got some books for great price. Staffs are friendly! I accidentally ordered a book in spanish on amazon and i brought it in the store for some credits. I love this place. They have good selections for affordable price. read more

The owner is no longer healthy enough to keep the store open, so come quickly and take a look at the amazing collection and add to your own before it is gone! They are trying to sell the store but it isn't easy to find someone passionate enough about books with the time and resources to take it over! I have found so many lost treasures here. I came looking to find copies of books I have loaned over the years that never came back and found many of them plus great new books in almost new condition! Prices are very reasonable, considering that a brand new hardcover will set you back $30! The man running it now is a little rough around the edges but he tries his hardest to run a tight ship. Like many people this age, he does have occasional glitches with tech and doesn't suffer fools lightly, lol! Be patient with him and don't ask dumb questions, and you will be fine. read more

I love the book selection, but PLEASE stop putting the store stamps inside the books. I have a stamp for my personal library and it's awkward to have two. read more

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This store will not provide the glamorous, fancy experience of a major book store or a boutique indie store. It's full of well loved trade paperbacks and shelves of more obscure genre fiction. You're likely not going to find the exclusive editions with painted edges of the latest dark romantasy. It's a store for a book geek like myself who loves the smell of aged paper and the experience of allowing a book to find you. The store is well organized though and the staff will answer questions to help you find what you're looking for. Also I see that folks are adding negative reviews for this establishment based upon their interactions with someone who was filling in for the usual staff. For goodnes sakes, people there are so few book stores in San Diego County that offer good deals on used books. Would it kill you to at least contact the store first with your concerns before hate-bombing them with bad reviews? read more

The new ownership is friendly and knowledgeable. The place looks fresh, well organized, and they are open more hours than before. I look forward to bringing in my used books and getting new ones! I am so happy the store found a new owner, used bookstores are hard to find. read more

my favorite used bookstore in the whole of san diego!! so many books across every genre and for such excellent prices. my personal favorite part of the store is the sci fi and fantasy room at the back. also the owner tyler is so friendly and happy to help you with anything! also a great spot to sell old books for store credit read more

Went there to look for a ghost book for our niece and had found a hardcover book but it didn't fit back into the shelf. Rather than force it in there and damage the book I had left it on the chair next to the shelf. The guy working behind the counter yelled at me for not putting it back in the shelf and started cursing. Do not go here order online or go to Goodwill for used books. Awful customer service. Incredibly rude. read more

I had really high hopes for this book store because i love discovering new used bookstores. However the man at the front counter who seemed to be the only one there working was extremely rude not just to me, but the other people in line in front of me. I understand not everyone is going to have a great day but this person was more than just having a bad day, they were very rude and unwelcoming. I will most likely not come back. read more

My previous experience with book stores has always been the friendly used in Santee. All their books are $1.50 so I was a bit surprised to see such a dramatic price increase. I also thought all the bestsellers were $6, but there's a 10 written in pen on the sprayed edges of a super cool book I found. Kinda bummed about that. I will say the selection at this store is much better than others I've been in, but don't be surprised if most the books you're hoping to purchase you can only rent :/ The service was pretty good though. I do think I'll come back in the future I just need to look over the quality of the book a little more, as well as make sure there's no surprises with pricing. Also, make sure if you're planning to trade a book it's in high demand or they will not accept it sadly. Before my visit I was under the impression, based on their website, that any book we brought in counted for the savings on used books we were buying. read more

Great used book store. Friendly staff and huge selection of books in all genres Will definitely come back ! Thanks a lot read more

The man who answered the phone when I called to ask to see if they had a book in stock, was not the friendliest. He seemed irritated that I even called and asked, laughed when I asked for specifics (to finish a collection we have), then hung up directly after I said, "Thank you for checking." like I was wasting his time.... read more

The friendliest people work here. It's very well organized and easy to find what you're looking for. I also am a huge fan of the fact they have board games! We're new shoppers but plan on being longtime shoppers read more

The worst used book store ever. New employee has few people skills. This store has potential... a little organization and cleaning would help. They need to hire people who actually enjoy their job and are welcoming. I've donated books here twice... never again. The employees they hire in the future will make or break the business. Walked into the store feeling good...... left shaking my head. read more

Had a huge selection of the books I was looking for as well as offered half off when you trade in a book that you've already read. Would recommend & I'll be coming back to shop more. read more

The Book Place - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

I truly appreciate how wonderful you treat me and go out of your way to help me. Always gives you excellent service, extremely help & knowledgeable. Unbelievable selection of book!!! Have been a customer for over 10 years My best always, Thank you, Diane read more

This shop is a gem! Besides 80,000 books, organized really well by genre, they have tons of music CDs (50 cents!) and dollar DVDs. Worth a trip to La Mesa, and great barbecue right next door. read more

This is a great book replacement place. I read a lot, which means, I spend alot but not anymore. This is my go-to-place. Great friendly staff and a huge selection of books that are still in decent shape. read more

On my visit today, I was looking for two relatively obscure fiction authors. I mentioned the names to Dana, the ever-helpful owner, and she somehow, someway, knew where both of these authors were located in the stacks. She led me to the right places, and pointed out the books. She further checked the computer to see if she missed any. Needless to say, i bought the three books available. Best service, outstanding inventory, bargain prices, easy to find (in the Ross shopping center on Lake Murray Blvd), and plenty of parking. I can't imagine a better used bookstore.. read more

All your Jedi or dark Sith lord needs are here in one place! Gail is the Jedi master of books. My picture is even up above the greatest saga of all time! May the force be with the book place always! read more

i wish i could give a 0. the lady who picks up the phone is horribly rude. and when i went in person to get what i needed handled i was avoided. will not be returning with my vintage books. read more

I love old used book stores. It can be hit or miss depending on what your looking for. They have a good selection of genre I am like to read. Prices are good and staff is really friendly. Items are well organized and east to find. read more

This place is great! It is slightly more expensive than other used books stores but has a large selection, book turn in discounts, and free sections. I'm a teacher and will be going here in a regular basis to stock my classroom library. read more

Went in today to pick up some books. I hadn't been there since the pandemic arrived. I asked the woman "where is Dana"? and she became unglued!! She said everyone is asking where Dana is!!.. I told her the reason was she is rude and her customer service skills are awful!!! I hope she doesn't own this store, I don't plan on coming back. Linda Kazmarek San Carlos read more

Used to be my favorite place. Was in there today & clerk is too crabby for me. I shouldn't be afraid to ask questions. I don't think I'll be referring any longer. read more

In my humble opinion, the best bookstore in San Diego, with the friendliest staff and the best selection. It's a deceptively small shop--you can get lost in all of its rife sections. I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of my visits here. read more

Unlike other used book stores in San Diego this one actually has a romance section. What is more, it's broken into historical, contemporary, and paranormal. Most people shun the romance genre so I was delighted to find this. They also have an excellent sci-fi and fantasy section. The clerks are knowledgable and it is a good size building. I also appreciate a computerized system so that if I am looking for specifics someone can look it up and give me a definitive answer on whether or not it is in stock. Their trade in system get's you half off the amount of books you trade in, and in my experience they take a lot of books! This is my favorite used book store in San Diego and I drive a good deal out of my way to get to it. Keep doing what you are doing Book Place! read more

This has recently become my go-to place for used books! There's an amazing collection, the lady who owns it is super nice, and when you bring in a book you get half off the next one, so it's only $2! She has lots of new and popular titles as well. All of the books are in pretty good condition, and even the ones that are a little dinged up...does it really matter? You'll probably only read it once anyway. read more

This was not the cheapest used bookstore I have ever been to, but the prices were reasonable. What I most liked about this store was the selection. I thought the books were limited to the front and then I realized there are several rooms in the back filled floor to ceiling with books! I went in looking to fill the holes in my Patricia Cornwell collection and the lady who worked there was extremely helpful! You could also tell she really loved books and enjoyed her job. It was awesome to chat with her. For a bookworm this store was heaven and I could spend hours browsing. read more

the hours are wrong. The shop is closed on Sundays. My kids and I were sad when we arrived and no one was there. The times during the week are 10-6pm. We are going to try again Monday. Hope to give a great report next time. The kids want to exchange old books for new one. They are excited and looking forward to new (used) books. read more

I love this place and would have given it 5 stars if the original store worker that was there a couple years back was still there. I have had many unfortunate experiences with the two women that run the store now. Have heard multiple rude comments about customers when they leave or get off the phone with them which are COMPLETELY unnecessary. Even been there for a rude comment directed straight at someone's face who absolutely did not deserve it. We have had our fair few rude snappy comments (that come completely out of nowhere, I would own up to us being rude, truly) but we loved that the book store is there because it truly is wonderful. Just wish that it was run by the same LOVELY lady that was there a couple years back. We actually have been looking for a different place due to these ladies cause it just ruins the experience sometimes. The bookstore is lovely, so lovely, but I would change who runs it. I am sure it has cost new customers, unfortunately. read more