BookHounds

A really good place to find good books!! The staff is very friendly and they have some books, CD's and Vinyls inside and outside not very much parking spots available but it is worth it.

I love BookHounds and am so grateful we have a place like this in town. The staff is always very friendly and helpful. My son lives on the coast and likes to go to BookHounds when he visits. He said they do not have anything like it where he lives and he enjoys the wide selection of books they carry. Thank you for having this business for the community to enjoy and please never close down!

Large variety of book selections. Amazing prices. As low as $1! Very well organized. Friendly staff. :)

Plan on spending time there, especially your first couple of visits

Literally one of the best places in Bakersfield. Been coming here for over a decade across various different locations. You'll find all sorts of books, movies, comics, vinyls, etc. all for very very good prices. Cannot recommend Bookhounds enough, I love this place.

Relaxing place with soft background music. Prices are low and books are in good condition. They have vinyl players there for people to use. They have a children section. Coffee bar is the best! Friendly service too!

An amazing array of titles for all ages in great condition and at great prices. Friendly and helpful staff. Love the records too.

Cute little spot! Don't let the storefront fool you! Surprisingly large inventory! Check out this hidden gem!

This place is cool, Here you can find all kinds of books, music and movies and some comics and magazines. I look forward to checking the place out again before I leave Bakersfield! The girl at the register was real friendly. Note: There is no parking lot. You'll have to park in the neighborhood

Love used bookstores in general. Have found some great stuff at reasonable prices, and the staff have always been wonderful.

I visited this store last saturday upon the suggestion from my daughter who used to live near downtown and frequented a lot of these type of store. I browsed at the CDs outside in the covered space and found some nice CDs at the bargain bin of $1.00 each. I picked up Mannheim Steamroller Fresh Aire 1-4 at a dollar each! Except for Fresh Aire 1, the condition of the CD case, liner notes and the CD itself were excellent. The condition of Fresh Aire 1 was good all around except for the CD which was fairly scratched. I was happy to see more used CD selection inside the building. My major complaint was the CDs in the bottom 3 rows was hard to go through them. Even sitting down on the floor, it was still challenging to browse. I bought about 12 used CDs. The prices were fair for the non $1.00 bargains found outside of the main building. I will be back.

Book-hounds is a hidden treasure for avid readers. Gently used books are reasonably priced. Book hounds has a small town feel with the friendly store manager, the cat, walking around supervising and coming up to customers to say hello.

I found that the establishment had Very low prices for their books and records. I will plan on returning.

I went here for a book sale, and while I just got normal priced books, I did enjoy the service as well as seeing the cute cats!

I have followed them for years for all my used book needs and have not been disappointed. From the location off Fruitvale Ave, to the Rosedale location, to the current location it's always worth it. While this latest location is really far from my house and not an area I travel frequently I'll will gladly make the trek when needed. They always keep the books organized within organized making it easy to fine the genre needed. Is it hot during the summer months? Yes but I try to go early and beat the heat and get the deals! I'd definitely try them out especially for any new teachers trying to build their classroom libraries since they have discounts for teachers with ID!

My favorite book store in town! The best selection, everything is so well-organized, and the prices are unbeatable. I can never wait for the next time I'm gonna go shopping here. If you're looking for books, movies, records, cds, or even VHS tapes, this is your place!

the best bookstore in bakersfield lots of good stuff in the classic literature section philosophy, poetry, childrens books, fiction, and an oddly huge section of bibles

Ripped off by a company that I have supported since they first opened the Fruitvale location. Dropped off a big box of books from my mother's estate to sell and fillled out the form for payment back in February. Realized over a month later that I never heard back and went in to see what happened? Was told that maybe the check I was sent got lost and they would get back to me. Found several of the books with my mother's stamp for sale on shelves, for $4.99 each and showed them to the cashier. Later that night, got a text from the owner saying they paid me $9 through Zelle back in Feb, (even though I never gave them bank info) and they would send me a check if that's what I preferred. $9 for a large box of books in very good condition that they are obviously selling for much more. Would have been nice to know the dollar amount they would pay me so I could make an informed choice on whether to sell or not before they started selling the books I left there. Seems like a very shady way, possibly not legal way to do business, especially since they tell you clearly mark the box with your information. Told them to keep the $9, Won't be going back.

Such a cute little bookstore! Lots of fun options to browse. They also have a cute cat who lies around! Definitely stop here if you're in the area.

They usually have some great vinyl records mostly old '70s but you're going to find any records anywhere else like that without paying full price the ones that I did find were immaculate. I also found a few rare books on martial arts

I left my books and still haven't got paid. I have a ap sell my books which had offered me 109.00 just for 7 of my books the girl told me they pay completive prices I hope so I just don't know why they are taking so long yo pay me.

This place is a little gem hidden in an obscure area. Plenty of street parking and easy to see if you are driving slowly. I was so enthralled with the books, dvds, cds, sooooo much to go through. I completely forgot to take any pictures, we spent a good 40mins there and still didn't get through everything. I had my boys with me so i have to go back alone and spend some real time. I highly recommend checking it out.

Book lovers paradise! Huge selection and recs from staff were on point. Im hooked. I even discovered some interesting stuff I havent read before so that was cool.

UPDATE: They ended up calling me back and apologizing on their end about the whole situation about the miscommunication, they ended up sending me what I was told I was going to get, and plus the associate that helped me was polite and delivered good customer service. I honestly still thought whoever I spoke to about this situation before I posted the prior review was a little rude and did not apologize once. On the other hand, I appreciate that they called back to get this situation sorted, thanks again.

So do u cash checks and grub along , you know long hard days I like to keep it coollie

Bakersfield needs more used bookstores. I will whole heartedly support small, local businesses that promote reading. I'm a high school English teacher and come here every summer to freshen up my classroom bookcase. I do not mind spending my own money nor am I ever reimbursed, I truly value my students having access to good books above all else. However, I have one large complaint: they offer a teacher discount but it does not apply to novels. They only see children's book as worthy of a discount. I bought hundreds of dollars worth of books, all young adult novels geared at teenagers, yet they would not give me a teacher's discount. I think this is a steep error on their part, especially as a business. They are sending the message that young adult literacy is not valued as much as elementary aged students. As a high school teacher I could argue this is vital Our teens are reading less than ever and to not honor a teacher's discount for their age if student is disheartening. I will continue to shop here but it saddens me that their generosity is not distributed equally amongst teachers.

I love taking my kiddo here to spend our book cash stash! They have a HUGE selection of books, DVDs, records, and cds! The whole store is sorted out by genre and everything has been labeled clearly. The kids section is wonderful and easy to navigate (specifically if you are trying to locate a book for a research project lol).. The workers have even taken extra time to put all of the Battle of the Books books in their own specially marked section! (Thank you, sincerely lol) My favorite thing is probably the DIY coffee station which takes quarters to dispense K cups and allows you to add a multitude of toppings to customize your coffee, fresh off the Keurig! Note that this is a USED book store, so they may not always have what you are looking for. However, the low prices and constantly changing stock make up for this slight inconvenience.

Visiting Bakersfield for the holidays and stopped in here to find some books! Loved this place

I will never give in to a Kindle. The only time I read digital books is at work. 1. Because we aren't allowed books and 2. Because a digital copy is way more discrete.... But shhhh don't tell my employer. Anyway, this store is beyond neat! They have such a huge selection. They've done an amazing job splitting the sections and you can find anything and everything! The prices are unbeatable. These are gently used books but usually they have more than one copy of the popular books so you can take your pick of which one you feel is the best quality. I enjoy bringing my nephews. They are huge bookworms and always have a blast picking 3 or more books each. I allow them that many because they are priced so cheap so you can definitely afford it. Aside from books they also offer dvd's, records, and comic books. They also have a cafe area which they take donations for. The staff is all very friendly and helpful. This store is located across the street from Hooters and offers a private parking lot. I highly recommend you check it out and pick up a couple books!

This is a really cool place. I am so glad to know we have a solid used book store in town. They sell books, CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, VHS and some video games. Prices are reasonable, and I stocked up on several documentaries for my classroom for just $10; would have been hundreds purchased new. They buy old books & music, too, but they are picky. They want quality items in really good shape, so this is not a place to plan to just dump your yard sale leftovers. If you have books/music in good shape, you need to call & make sure a manager is there when you plan to go by; the other employees cannot take them. They offer cash, or twice the amount in store credit for the things they do buy. I felt I was treated fairly in the deal I made for my old records. (Also, several people at the store followed me outside and bought most of the rest of the albums they would not buy, so I didn't have to make that Goodwill run after all.) I do wish they were open later. On Saturdays, they close at 5pm. I suspect they'll be changing locations, as they are already filling two store fronts at this location, and they're just going to keep getting bigger. Perhaps when they move, they'll add hours.

This place... We like it! New location is fun, cozy, colorful and bit mysterious. The building is a maze of different rooms but they are well organized. There is a coffee bar that only cost $0.50. The LP section is awesome! There is a cute patio that is vibrant with pops of color and enough seating for a group of friends. Who ever decorated did a wonderful job. It's a great place to bring the family, sit back and enjoy.

This store is an excellent resource for our homeschooling family. We go here a couple times of month and always leave with several great finds from textbooks to fiction. The store is clean, organized and eclectic with a DVD and vinyl collection as well. There is coffee too! Great staff, very helpful and always letting us know about upcoming sales. We really appreciate having a store like this close by!

This is a local hidden gem! I absolutely love it here I come about once every 2 weeks. Huge selection of books and I love that you can sell your books here for money or store credit. Not only do they sell books but also vinyls, cds, dvds and board games. They also have a cute coffee bar.

Apparently I live under a rock and did not know this place existed until I heard about their pre-school story time. I took my 3 year old twins this morning and we had a blast. Be sure to follow them on FB for their children events. My girls had a book read to them followed by crafts and a snack!! My only complaint was that the sugar cookie gave them too big of a rush for me to actually enjoy the store! I will be back soon, alone! Ha

Very cool place! Love the variety of books, games, cds, and movies they have. Everything there was very cost friendly! They even have a little coffee stand, with coffee for 50 cents. Definitely a place to go to if you enjoy the finer things in entertainment.

Like other people have already stated, this place really is a hidden Bako treasure. I've been here twice and have always walked out with multiple best-selling books for ridiculously reduced prices. Surprisingly, they had a lot of popular titles and not just random used books others are trying to get rid of. I had a number of books sitting on my Amazon wish list for a while and I was able to find many of them here in very good condition; the prices for each were between $1.99 - $4.99 (including hardcovers), which is a steal! I was able to walk out with 10 books for around 36 bucks! I'd recommend this place if you are looking for some good reads and a place to browse on a lazy weekend. Now, if there was a dedicated room with sofas or lounge chairs and some tables for me to sip my coffee on and read for a bit, it would take this place over the top (5 star), but I'm quite happy with what they got going on now. Random observation: there is a fairly large section dedicated to Christian books/devotionals/inspirational reads if that is your thing.

I absolutely love this place. I had heard about BookHounds for years and finally decided to make a trip with my kids. There are so many great books here for every reader! Everything was in excellent shape and the prices were fantastic. I normally frequent other bookstores in town but will definitely make BookHounds my number one stop from now on. You simply cannot beat the prices here!

First time being there and it is amazing!! It looks tiny from the outside, but when you walk inside, there is such a wide variety of books, cds, dvds, and record players!! They even have a cute little area to make your own coffee just for 50 cents! I'll definitely be back!

This place is amazing. It's like the first time me you see all these books and the store is nice and the staff was friendly. The minute you walk in you are greeted by the front desk area and the smell of amazing books. They have sections and an organization to it that is captivating. I found some older long sought after books that I didn't even go in to find, and the prices were so affordable that it just made we wish to buy more. If you are in the area for some hidden trove of books and music, this is the place you should go. They were awesome.

First time here and I'll definitely be coming back! There's a wide selection of great books to choose from. Towards the back of the store is the music section and as an avid music lover, I gravitated towards their records. They even had a few record players available to sample the vinyl. Initially, I planned on not buying anything, but I ended up walking away with 10 records. I purchased records from, the Carpenters, Stephen Stills, The Mamas & Papas, and Joan Baez. All of which were affordable.

Ohhellyes. Go. Take a box. This is a wonderfully mixed bag of a book shop. Prices are very reasonable. Shop is clean and nicely lighted so you won't feel like a blind gopher trying to read the titles on the bottom shelf. There's chairs scattered around so if you have a pile to sift through, you'll be comfy. I left with a nice armful of cookbooks for $20, less than the cost of one of them new. I bought books from the 1960's to the 2000's. There is something for everyone here. It's most excellent.

I love going here to browse and maybe find something I want to own for a great used price. They have great quantities of everything you're looking for and it's always growing. My first trip I bought about $11 books for the price of one or two new books. The value is great.

I used Yelp to find a good store for used books, since Barnes can be really expensive, and found this place. I went on my own and was impressed with the amount of books they have, and movies, cds, and records. The books are really inexpensive and you never really leave empty handed. I've left with bags full of books and movies. I recommend this place!!

Bookhounds is such a comforting place, the like of which are few and far between in Bakersfield. There is something so cathartic about being surrounded by used books, and aside from the library and Barnes & Noble, you would be hard-pressed to recreate that in another area here. Bibliophiles will probably echo the sentiment that the smell and general atmosphere of bookstores is soothing to the soul. Bookhounds offers that up on a golden platter. Incredibly cheap and always stocked, this is more of a place to discover books as opposed to looking for one in particular (which is also a possibility to achieve). I also love that I've never seen the establishment filled to the brim with people. It's usually relatively empty, which adds to the atmosphere. I recommend at least one stop by if you are in the area.

This place is my/a book lover's Heaven!!! I go there at least once a month!! Reasonable prices for books, so you won't break the bank when you go! Sooooo much books! The place is filled! Also, if you're a vinyl record or movie or music lover, you'll love it here! There's a WHOLE ROOM filled with vinyl records! And another room filled with DVDs and CDs! It's awesome!!! If you're a media lover-GO HERE!!

Heaven is a place on Earth with this gem in town. One of my most favorite places to go. It is the best because it is organized, staff are friendly, I can browse at a snail's pace, and I never know what gems I'm going to find. It's refreshing to shop at a store where I am giving a new home to an item that someone did not need previously, recycling at its finest. I love seeing people come in and seeing Bookhounds buzzing with life, supporting the local businesses. My collection has grown with many classics and interesting finds. Thank you Bookhounds !!! I tell everyone I know about you :)

My family and I love this place! They have a very big selection of books for anyone in your family. A very large selection of music records and DVD's and i love their adorable coffee station that is very well priced. My favorite thing about Bookhounds is that they will purchase your old books and give you the option of getting cash for them or store credit. The store credit somehow has more value so I always go with that option. The store is very clean and most of the employees are extremely nice people who have no problem helping you out. I've only had one employee be a little short with me when i asked about a particular book but nothing that would prevent me from visiting again and again.

Love. Love. Love. Huge, comprehensive collection of topics and books with some fun T-shirt's thrown in. The back room has albums, dvds, art books. There's a huge room just for kids and everything is reasonably priced. I found two copies of the Secret Garden for $1-$2. Great selection. Highly recommend.

Awesome! I recently visited with my hubby after word from some friends so we could build a library for our baby room. This place has a HUGE selection covering a large number of topics and categories. In fact my husband and I ended up getting MANY more books (and a couple toys) than we originally planned and still left under budget. The staff are very friendly and helpful and their prices can't be beat. A great place to refresh or update your library without breaking the bank or worrying about due dates. :) Definitely recommend! It is in a little industrial area on fruitvale, just north of Meany and would be easy enough to miss driving by. However, they have good hours of operation and would be worth a moment of your time to stop in. :)

OK, so this is hand's down the best-used bookstore to ever exist in Bakersfield (it also happens to be my absolute favorite store in all of Bakersfield yep seriously..) I started coming to this store when my kids were little to encourage them to read and Barnes & Noble was out of their fng mind way too expensive for me since I had been procuring books since my kids were born to make them their own personal library. As they got older I used new books as a reward for academic achievements/good behavior. Goodwill used to have a bookstore here, but as it went out of business, around that time I stumbled upon Bookhounds. Then it became a field trip in itself and a hidden gem I would pass along to the kids teachers. One feature of this store is you can sell your used books by the pound as long as they are in pretty decent condition and certain books (textbooks etc) are not overly outdated. You can get cash or store credit. Store credit is good for ANYTHING in the store. So that's a cool bonus. I've done that for the book series that my kids just weren't into at all or books that were given to me that I passed on. I knew someone else would be more suited to enjoy. There are many different areas as you make your way through the store. This was true for both the old location and the new location (but even cooler in the new location.) Before I explain further, I have to mention when you arrive you are greeted to a beautiful covered patio which is a MAJOR upgrade from the old location! If you have NEVER been to Bookhounds before, I can say to you, the prices are amazing on everything in the store. (that's what initially hooked me) I've been a customer of theirs for quite a few years now. The prices have remained consistently in this range and remain so to this day. Majority of the books (in the entire store) range between $2- $4 very few are priced higher than that. There are multiple sections in the store to explore! The inside of the store is quite interesting because of its layout design. Which makes exploring it fun. Seriously, every room you walk into is so interesting it's like exploring an old house with a treasure trove of awesomeness around every corner. No, I am not b.s.'n you. There is one section that stands out because the floor ramps up into this closet offshoot looking area and then stairs opposite side that lead down into the next room of wonders. It's neat. The variety is always vast, & their stock is frequently replenished. Bookhounds has more than books it also has a room dedicated to movies!! Blu-rays/DVDs/cd's another room dedicated to music, decorated in album covers and posters wall to wall with an incredible vinyl records stash huge selection complete with working turntables to listen to them with headphones that are provided! There is a room that has board games & toys too. You can find comic books, seasons of shows all kinds of awesomeness there is even a themed room that is dedicated to children's books. It all circles back to the front entrance with more books in between all that. There is plentiful seating, couches, and places to sit throughout the store which is great if you want to hang out or are shopping with the disabled or elderly. Another favorite of mine ( and my kids) is the cute but amazing mini drink bar that's always stocked with a great variety, always clean, & perfectly priced .50 a drink Complete with a Keurig to make your drink, a mini fridge that has whipped cream and chocolate syrup, etc. Perfectly sized trolley cart wagons to help you shop, the staff is exceptionally friendly, and inviting and always helpful. When you see this building your gonna be as surprised as I was to find all of that fits in there.. you'd never imagine. It's awesome. always clean and welcoming. I have like no end to my love and appreciation for t his store so with that said, I strongly suggest this delightful store to you if you are a teacher, a student, a preserver of radness, a momma, a dad, or just a good old book worm. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I absolutely love this place. They are a tad out of the way from the heavier traffic areas of town it is worth the travel across town to check this place out! I have been going about every other weekend for a couple months and haven't left without something awesome. I may be biased a bit in writing this because on my first and second visits I came out of the place with books in my own nerd obsession (table-top RPG books), which is always a huge plus, but between myself, my fiance and my friends we've found a couple dozen books to suit our needs. The selection is phenomenal and ranges every genre including a selection of old books which might suit some specific tastes. The only books I'd say you might be less likely to find are textbooks (ie recent college textbooks) which the Goodwill Bookstore generally has more of. Anyway-- I love the place and will return regularly hoping dearly to find more nerd-books to add to my collection.

My grandmother-in-law, and fellow book enthusiast, turned me on to this place while I was visiting here a couple months back. I am always skeptical about used book stores, since most of them in my neck of the woods are mediocre at best. Man, did Grandma hit the nail on the head with this hidden treasure of a store. Let me start by saying that when we drove up, I didn't think, based on seeing the storefront, that it would be as big as it was on the inside. But upon walking in, I knew I was in book lover heaven. The first two rooms as you walk in are dedicated to children's books, and beyond that is two stories of books for us adult folk. The books are categorized by genre (I.e. Fiction, Thriller, Sci-Fi, etc.) and within that, if memory serves me, they are done in alphabetical order by author. Basically, this place looks like a giant Barnes and Noble of used books. I was amazed at the quality do most of the items, and surprised by the amount of very recent releases that were on the shelves. Most of the books are priced between .99 and 1.99, but they also have sales that give you an extra percentage off of certain books. I didn't trade or sell any books this time since it was my first trip there, but you best believe I will be taking advantage next time!! The sales people were super friendly, and I could tell were fellow book nerds like me. Basically, I wish I lived closer to this store. Or maybe I don't, I could see it becoming an unhealthy addiction real quick. :)

I dropped by recently on a whim and was definitely impressed by the selection. Prices are 0.99 - 2.99 for most (all?) books, with certain colors being a specific % off. Great deals and selection of children's books in particular, but really if you're looking for any popular title you'll probably find it here. A bit limited in terms of language learning books, but I can't fault a used bookstore for something like that especially since they more than made up for it in other ways! Just be aware that there's two storefronts--one for fiction/children's and the other for nonfiction/dvds/music. : )

Love this hidden gem. So many books, dvds, audiobooks, records, games and so much more

I've found my new heaven in Bakersfield. Can they build a bar? If they did, I'd never leave.

I visited this bookstore for the first time and was very, very impressed. Their selection is widespread, organized, and inexpensive. I purchased four great finds including three of which had been in my Amazon cart for some time! That saved me a lot of money. On top of their fantastic book selection, they also have quite a large collection of DVDs, CDs, and even an awesome looking vinyl room. Five stars, indeed; highly recommended!

Every time I drive through Bakersfield I try to stop in here. Nice clean and well organized store with great prices. Love this place