Kona Stories Book Store

Such a fun stop! They have a little toddler play table and kitties roaming around. Michelle was super kind and handed each one of my kids some origami she had made. They have a whole section of Hawaii books, from fiction, to birds, and others.

Very cute little bookstore. Good selection and had the book I had in mind too! My daughter was obsessed with the cat, so that made her whole day!

Awesome local bookstore with a great selection of local books. Staff is extremely helpful and friendly. They were able to get a book for me that they did not have in stock super quick. Also they have cats!

Good books, lots of puzzles, and large variety of both. And 2 cute kitties

I love small bookstores and this one was no different. Lots of things to find/shop for, in addition to books! There are at least three book store cats that I saw. 😍 Both times I went in one of the employees was super nice and the other seemed unamused to be working. Maybe they just don't like tourists. I dunno. They also have bargain books out front if you are looking for a deal.

Found a couple of books to suit our interests. The store's cats are very friendly. Nice to find an independent bookstore, with both new and used books, near where we were staying. The discounted books are marked on the spines with colored dots to make them easy to find.

Good selection, nice staff. Sadly did not have the book I wanted. That being said I would not hesitate to drop back in next time I need a book

Nice little store with a small but current selection. 2 cats are ever present.

We came across this shopping center on yelp and decided to check it out, I was excited to find a bookstore here, as most of them are in Hilo. I was pleasantly surprised by the book selection here. At first I thought it was mostly children's books but there's a whole back section for fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy. Usually in small bookstores, I see a bunch of obscure authors I've never head of but there was a lot of popular titles. Most books only had a copy or two each but still, really great selection overall. My brother and I got a copy of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and The Witcher Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski. Super excited to read these! Book prices are the same as what the publisher sets on the back fyi. Please support small bookstores! We will be back next time we come to the island. Also to see the cats again lol

Love this smallish bookstore located in small mall. Shelves of paper and hardcover books are tightly packed throughout the store. There are so many local selections and the staff leave you alone to browse at your leisure. A small play area is set up for kids to build and play with magna tiles. We spent an hour browsing the store picking up books to find possible beach readings. So many different selections with many local choices. Prices are okay and standardly priced. This is just a nice bookstore that feels cozy and welcoming.

I looove books, ask anyone who knows me, they don't like being around me in bookstores. Lol. So, of course, I'd stop in to browse and support a local bookstore like Kona Stories. I know it's hard business nowadays with so many used book stores, thrift shops, audio books, and so on. But nothing beats opening up a brand new, fresh book to read, so supporting stores like this is important to me. Anyhow, Kona Stories in Keahou is small but still packs a lot of good, fresh reading finds. I love that there's a spot with toys to entertain the keiki while the bookaholics browse; it also kept my husband busy with them. LOL. There's a section with locally written fiction and nonfiction that I really like, but for the life of me, I could not choose which to get. I ended up with some Hawaiiana books for my kiddos to start teaching them Hawaiian words to use and start teaching them about their ethnicities and cultures their backgrounds are from. Overall, Kona Stories is an awesome little bookstore with fair and good prices. The staff are friendly and helpful, and I'll definitely visit again the next time we're in Kona!

Cute bookstore with a lot of local handmade goods and other fun items in addition to books. Outside they have an overstock/sale section with some pretty good deals. I found a NYT crossword calendar for this year for 50% off! The woman at the checkout did not seem to be in a great mood and was not very friendly but other than that the store was fantastic. There was also a cat hanging out inside.

Fun book store to go to in Kona. Little boutique small business book store that even has their own cat roaming around. Definitely cool. If you are at the plaza anyway (for KTA Superstore or Longs), I recommend you check out this bookstore if you are into books. Tip: Say hello to the local kitty for me at the store!

I love to support local book stores and this one did not disappoint. The staff was helpful in helping me find an option by my favorite author and they had a great gift selection as well. The pricing was fair and they had a wagon out with a popular reads at a good discount.

What a nice little bookstore with tons of local crafts in addition to books...and cats! The highlight of our trip was definitely the cats, but would be a great place to shop for a gift or card.

This place is amazing. Love the selection of books but love the gifts and accessories even more. There's something for everyone, especially cat lovers. As a cat dad, I felt welcome and the three kitties who "work" there are an added bonus. They're so cute and floofy and come to say "hi," on their own terms of course! Definitely will come back. I got three Hawaiian graphic novels and some Blue Q storage bags. Worth the visit and it's near additional shopping and dining.

When you decide you can live on an island because they have the best indie bookstore ever... My son who exclusively reads graphic novels, found a bunch of ones he hadn't read that were age-appropriate. I found 2 books in their extremely well-curated fiction section that included books I've recently read and loved. I've lived in many cities with awesome indie bookstores, but this is my new favorite.

Fabulous independent book store - with KITTIES! Ladies who work here couldn't be more helpful. Great selection.

HAWAII VACATION #3: RECOMMENDED HAWAIIAN NOVEL On my second day at the Big Island I drove 45 minutes from Waikoloa Village to visit the old plantation towns of Kapaau and Hawi. After having lunch at Annie's Ohana in Hawi I wanted to purchase a novel that featured a local author writing about the Big Island. Since each island in Hawaii is different I wanted to read a novel that showcased the characteristics of that island. Prior to my trip to Hawaii I finished reading James Jones' "From Here to Eternity", which had a setting in Oahu. The drive from Hawi to Kailua-Kona was about 1 1/2 hour. Why I would drive a long way for a book? It's because I was on vacation in Hawaii. When I arrived I had a specific mindset of searching for a novel. At the shelves I looked at the section of Hawaiian Novels. On that section there were books that had a sticker of "Local Author". I wasn't sure what novel to choose. I asked the cashier Joy her recommendation of Hawaiian novels. She pointed to "From Here to Eternity", which I already finished reading, and James Michener's "Hawaii", which I brought to Hawaii to read but had not started yet. I told her I'm looking for a novel that has a setting in the Big Island writing by a local author. The novel she recommended was "Shark Dialogues" by Kaina Davenport. She said it was a response to Michener's "Hawaii" as her book is written from a perspective of a Polynesian. I asked if she was from the Big Island and Joy said no however she informed me about 60% of the novel takes place in the Big Island. Who needs to get reviews from Amazon - get the review from a professional who has insight. With that information I decided to buy the novel. That night after I bought the novel I started reading it. For me I believe it was worth the drive to go to this bookstore.

I LOVE Kona Stories. It's a great gift shop, as well as a bookstore. They have a very deep Hawaiiana section, a good current business section, an interesting spiritual and metaphysical section. They have gorgeous prayer flags, some in Hawaii themes. Sarongs, handbags, wallets, kitchen soft goods. Everything you need for reading! Greeting cards, local artist cards and local products. Wonderful chimes. Puzzles, coloring books. A HUGE children's variety. All packed into one little store...and...THREE CATS! One older cat and two kittens(almost not kittens anymore.) They also put out a fun newsletter. Go to their website to sign up, and check out their event schedule too. They always have some fun thing happening!

Support local business. This is an adorable store with some cute furry friends that might feign interest in your presence. It's nice to be able to pick up unique gifts and books.

Great book store when your on the Big Island. They have a wide selection of different books ranging from romance to traditional Hawaiian myths. The prices were pretty expensive but worth it for the books. They also have adorable cats that you can pet while in the store!

Cute local book store. Great selection of cards! Adorable fluffy cat that lives in the store.

Like a good book, Kona Stories has many chapters and characters. Go straight in and look left just after the counter... Island-centered fiction and non-fiction, including wonderful selection of historical fiction. Keep going and many fiction options that goes well beyond the top-20-hit-parade will greet you. Swerve slightly to the right and plenty of self-enhancement titles and N-F. Wrapping around further toward the right (and heading back to where you started) you'll find yourself in the very thorough young readers and children's sections. Books, activities, puppets and more. Through the center and to the left when you enter the store is all kinds of cards, this-n-that's. The wares of local artisans are featured. Gotta love that. We left with $86 less in our pockets and couldn't have been more satisfied by the exchange of goods and greens. Staff is very friendly and helpful. When visiting the Big Island, give Kona Stories some Aloha!

Wide selection of books about the islands, fiction based in the islands, and some local goods. Oh yeah, and cats!

What a cute bookstore! In fact, this whole shopping center has some interesting stores. Even during Covid. Highly recommend checking it out.

Aloha! This is an independently-owned bookstore -- and the last bookstore in West Hawaii to sell new books. Parking is only a few feet away from the door; just cruise the south half of the Keauhou Shopping Center until you see their sign. Friendly atmosphere of a community gathering place. It sponsors meetings with authors, book discussion groups, etc., etc. As a Realtor I recommend that my clients who are serioius about moving to The Big Island pick up two volumes: (1) "The Hawaii Home Book" by Karen Anderson; this gives a realistic view of what living in Hawaii really means. (2) "The West Hawaii Ready Mapbook" which shows every road, trail, footpath, locked gate and so on on this side of the Island, and which is comprehensively indexed. The store can even have those volumes delivered directly to you "off-Island". Actually they're excellent with all special orders -- new, out-of print, whatever! Great place, great business. I'm a customer-for-life!

After I wrote this review I received an apology from the woman who was rude. I feel like it was a sincere apology so I am updating my review. This bookstore is a nice little place with a good selection of books. It has a bunch of cool things for kids too.

Skip Amazon! Buy Local!!! Kona Stories is a great LOCAL independent bookstore... They will do special orders if it is not in their already extensive inventory... AND they have all sorts of activities from book signings to children's activity events and special meet the author events... AND 2 beautiful cats that they have as the store greeters are the best...

I really wanted to like this bookstore, really I did! It is probably a great store, I don't know because I didn't really have the opportunity to fully enjoy it. The guy who was working there on the day I visited was so annoying there was no way I was going to purchase anything! When I visit a bookstore, I like to casually browse the shelves, look through the titles, leaf through the pages. This system usually results in my leaving with an armload of new books. I guess that's not how it's done here. People flew in and out of this shop, making requests, quickly ordering titles, not really looking through the shelves. This not give me pause--- I liked that the place seemed to have a steady steam of regulars. What I didn't like was the behavior of the guy working in the store. When there no other customers popping in, he was tailing me, watching me like a hawk as if he thought I would swipe every book in the place if left unattended. He also asked about a half dozen times, "Are you sure you don't need any help?" I was made to feel like I had wandered into some exclusive club and everybody was going to make sure I realized I was the outsider. Because of that I did not "Buy Hawaii," as the poster in this store window urged me to do.

I always stop and buy some books at Kona Stories when visiting the Big Island. A friendly place that always has a great selection of beach reading.

Great little book store at Keauhou Shopping Center. Lots of good books, including local authors. also sells gift items and calendars/cards

This is a solid little independent bookstore. It's small but well-stocked, and has an especially good selection of books about Hawaii--cooking, flora, fauna, language--you name it. There's also a nice little patio in back with a lovely view, and Internet access is available there, too (just ask for the password at the register). A great alternative to the Kailua-Kona Borders.

Nice quaint little bookstore that sells both new and used books. They have souvenirs for sale as well. Located in a shopping center.

Great stop for my bookworm to get her Hawaiian souvenir. Cute bookstore with a nice section of books about Hawaii. Also found the perfect kids books to bring home for gifts. As an added bonus the store kitties entertained us as we browsed.

This great little bookstore is one of our "go to" places when visiting the Big Island. They have a great section on Hawaiian culture, plus kids books, games, stationery and fun little knick-knacks. I love the colorful surf-board shaped emery boards and always buy 2 or 3 of them every time we come to the Island. They also have some really awesome cats. Books and cats. You can't go wrong!

I LOVE this bookstore! If I'm looking for a gift, I always discover something special and unique; beautiful one-of-a-kind items made by local artists. I'm especially crazy about their amazing collection of adorable handcrafted animal puppets! They also have an remarkable selection of books you won't find anywhere else in town. I usually just describe what I'm looking for and one of the knowledgeable staff members can always suggest the perfect book. Because I live here, it makes sense to buy local, but the reasons I keep returning to Kona Stories go well beyond that. The prices are reasonable, the people are always warm, friendly and helpful (including Shadow, the store cat!) and I can honestly say I've never once walked away disappointed.

Lovely independent bookstore with pleasant, informative staff. I was delighted by what I found.

We are so lucky to have this great store in our community. They've got everything: wonderful selection, fun cats, and great owners. I can't go in without finding something for me and something for a gift. I brought my visiting granddaughters for one of their activities. They had a wonderful morning listening to stories and doing crafts.

Kona is so lucky to have an independent bookstore especially one like this. It is well stocked and the people are friendly and helpful. I always recommend to my guests that they go by because it is an enjoyable place with much Aloha, good books, and gifts. Thank you Joy and Brenda!

Great selection of Hawaiiana, science fiction, children's books, humor...and a local bookstore. They have wandering cats, too, and Chloe and Noble graciously accept any skritches you might offer. If you need a card for any occasion, their selection is amazing as well. They don't mind if you browse by reading or just browse...and they can help you find what you might want, even if you are not sure at first what you want!

I love ordering via their website and having it delivered to the store for pick up!! Try it, you might like it!

Kona Stories is my go-to place for books, gifts, unique cards, Hawaiiana, book clubs, authors' book signings, keiki (children's) books and toys, cat petting, rewards program and more! Brenda and Joy, owners, are knowledgeable and helpful. Great location in a center with parking, restaurants, grocery store, jewelry store, cinema, restrooms et al. Whether local or visiting check out Kona Stories and sign up for their informative and fun newsletter!

LOVE this store! Not many bookstores like this left anymore. Great selection & variety of books & childrens books and gifty items. Joy & Brenda, the owners are very helpful & informative, but not pushy. Love the kitties too! They also sponsor several books clubs - which I have not gone to, but they sound very interesting and well attended. This store is definitely an asset to our community!

Love this bookstore, it has a fabulous selection, the staff are friendly and helpful and their cats are lovely. I always find whatever it is I'm looking for, whether it is a book or a gift. I highly reccomend Kona Stories to both locals and visitors alike.

I love this little store. From the welcoming felines sporting Aloha collars to the hand made gifts this store had something for everyone even if you don't like books (which I do). The staff are always pleasant, warm, welcoming, and actually willing to help. Please stop by and say hi and don't forget to say hi to the two felines!

This is a wonderful small bookstore. I was pleasantly surprised by their keiki section. Lots of stuff for the little ones and there's even a train set for them to play with while you browse. Huge selection of beautiful cards too. Can't wait to bring my kid back for a monthly story time.

Loved it. What a fun little place to pick up a best-seller, a post card, a gift or a used book at a great price. They have 3 cats running around and it's fun to try to spot them. The prices may be a little higher, but I'd much rather spend my $$ here than at a chain. We will be back.

A really fun and unique bookstore . They have the top books people are reading now, along with books on Hawaii and travel galore. The kids section is great with not only books but games ,and puzzles . My grandkids always want me to take them down there as it's so much fun to see all the new things and pick out a new book.

Wonderful kids play area and selection of children's books & toys. Friendly and helpful staff. Even a sweet store cat! We came for the free hula show (Friday's 6-7pm) but left with an armload of books (no regrets)!

Kona Stories is a great small town bookstore with alot of personality! The best card selection, unique gift ideas, great finds on books, local talented authors you will find on the shelves, get childrens selections, lovely kitty cats to greet you, and a friendly staff. If you're local inquire for your "reward card". A go to while in Kona. Choice local gifts to take back home to family and friends.

Loved this store. It was a real gem of a find on our trip to Hawaii. Friendly staff and large selection. My sons loved the cats.

Love this cozy book store! The owners, Joy and Brenda, are welcoming and helpful when looking for that special book. The book store kitties, Noble and Chloe, enjoy the attention of scratches and petting's' while you peruse the shelves, trying to decide what choices you'll make for your reading pleasures. A wonderful selection inhabits the front of the store, inviting children of all ages to enjoy the offerings of educational games, classic and whimsical books and some "hands-on" things to do while Mom and Dad shop. Story time and crafts are also offered, see the schedule, for young ones to introduce them to the wonderful world of books. All in all, this is a great and an easily accessible place to meet our needs when it comes to books and things.

What a fun store! I'm the first one to review them at their new location! The store moved to Keauhou Shopping Center which makes it a whole lot more convenient to get there! I really like the fact that they carry so many locally made products, and high quality items. They have the cutest gecko greeting cards! And they're for all kinds of occaisions. I just bought some for Easter. This place is a greeting card Mecca, with racks and racks of beautiful cards to choose from. Their used books are sold at a flat rate so it's easy and cheap, three and five bucks! And it's always a pleasure to visit their two kitties. It's a neat store to buy Hawaiian children's books they've got quite the selection.

This little Indie bookstore is a gem! They know their stock and can find what you're looking for even if your explanation is vague. If they haven't got it, they'll order it for you. Even when I'm just browsing and not buying they are cheerful and chatty. Book groups that meet evenings in the store are a plus! Their once a month authors' evenings are a hoot--standing room only.

I love this warm and cozy bookstore. They have a good selection of new and used books, and the owners know their stock. They also have a large array of unique trinkets and other items. My son loves this store so much, that when he can't get a ride, he'll hoof it there! Highly recommended!

Kona Stories is a great place to find gifts and greeting cards as well as books. Always get great suggestions for for books and gifts for all ages from Brenda and Joy. We are so fortunate to have a independent bookstore with friendly knowledgeable staff. Love checking in with the store kitties too.