Kaboom Books

Houston, United States

4.6

Closed now

25 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 713-869-7600
Website:
www.kaboombooks.com
Address:
3116 Houston Ave, Houston, TX, 77009
The Heights
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.6 miQuitman/Near Northside (Northbound)
0.7 miMoody Park
0.7 miQuitman/Near Northside (Southbound)
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
Yes

Today

Today 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Houston) 10:40 AM Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Tuesday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Wednesday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Friday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Dear Customers,

We have reconciled with the letter P, my wife, myself, the dog and the entire alphabet are together again now enscounced in luxurious 3000 square foot quarters at and adjoining the shop at 3116 Houston Ave., just 2 blocks N. to Bayland, then 11 blocks E. to where it intersects Houston Ave. Come see. Open daily.

We are a locally owned independent used bookstore in the Houston Heights.

3116 Houston Avenue

Phone: 713.869.7600

History

Established in 1989.

Kaboom Books is a used bookstore located in Woodland Heights, immediately North and of Downtown Houston.

For 30 years we had a succession of shops in New Orleans, in the back of the French Quarter. Now we are in Houston. Our purpose here is the same as it had been there (only projected on a landscape an order of magnitude larger) which is to provide an inventory of ideas and to act as a sounding board for social discourse within, now the confines of Houston’s spacious 200 + neighborhoods.

Meet the Business Owner

K.a.boo M.

Business Owner

Better read, then dead.

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25 reviews of Kaboom Books

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Stopped by Kaboom looking for three specific titles published several decades ago. The owner explained that he no longer had these titles, but took the time to show me a map and share a run down of several other small bookstores in the Houston area that might have the titles in stock. His advice was direct, helpful and thoughtful. The store is in a charming neighborhood. The inside of the shop is nothing short of magical with beautiful bookcases and floor to ceiling books. Visiting Kaboom Books was an enchanting experience and I would highly recommend it to curious, hungry minds.
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
This bookstore is a true diamond in the rough! My friend and her dad had recommended this place to me since I love reading all types of books, so I decided to give it a shot. After missing the store twice, I parked in the front and walked into the store. Or rather, I walked into a treasure trove:)
I was amazed and astounded by the sheer size of the store and the amount of books that they had. It was like a maze made up of treasures and you couldn’t pick just one. I found myself strolling through the shelves just enjoying the quiet atmosphere and looking at the different books.
I will definitely be returning to this bookstore but if you decide to go then keep the following items in mind–
1. Enjoy the awesome selection and take your time wandering through the different sections.
2. Park in the back behind the house-​it makes easier at the end.
3. Give yourself time to spend enjoying the patio in the back with the books you just purchased.
Enjoy!
Place rating: 3
Houston, TX
Great haunt/​owner cold except for his kind pup pets. I should be grateful. Humans are not my preference either,
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Love this place. It’s a lovely, locally owned book store that you can get lost in for hours. The owner is quite nice and always ready to help. If you’re looking to move away from big box stores or just want to try something new, check out this shop.
Place rating: 5
Nashville, TN
What an amazing bookstore! Floor to ceiling with books and such a great selection! The man who owns was extremely helpful. It was my first time at the store, and he pointed me in the direction of the fiction section. At the register, he had pamphlets that contained names and address of all of the independent book stores in Houston. He saw me looking at it and crossed out the stores that have closed since the pamphlet’s printing and gave recommendations as to the best ones. The books are extremely well priced, and I walked out with three books I can’t wait to read for less than $ 20. Great place to buy books for yourself and gifts for others (especially since they have some very old books)! Loved shopping here!
Place rating: 5
Montrose, Houston, TX
After entering and saying hello to the patron orange cat, I found myself winding around bookshelves. There are tons of books packed into this tiny location making a maze to get lost in.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t looking for a book. Since I’m moving, I had a ton of books to sell. Service is so much faster than half price books. The owner looked at my books and bought about 10 for 10 bucks. This process took no more than 5 minutes! Half price books will keep you waiting for 20 – 30 minutes. I know because after Kaboom, I sold my remaining 5 books for $ 4 at half price.
It is very hard to find, but once you do there is a great little parking lot in back of the building.
Place rating: 4
Kerrville, TX
We were in town close to Christmas and were looking for Texana books to help with geneology. I also collect vintage children’s fairytale books. Both of these sections were a bit lackingbut any other topic you can think of is there floor to ceiling. The owner mentioned that he leaves the Texana books to Becker’s Books He was very helpful and knowledgable. We will be back for other things.
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
One of the benefits I can allocate for themselves: more than reasonable prices. As compared to other shops here prices are much cheaper.
I like calm, no one goes follow you and does not impose their assistance. You can spend hours choosing /​feel /​touch /​smell /​read books, and no words can say.
Place rating: 5
Sixth Ward, Houston, TX
Great bookstore with a wide range of selections. They have now consolidated into one store but it’s bigger. Very charming and the folks their have great taste and an encyclopedic knowledge of what is in the store as well as what you may like given an interest in a certain book. Unlike many independent bookstores there is no snootiness or attitude to work through — totally Houston (but they are from Nola). Have lots from mysteries, fiction, cooking, history, from baseball to Bukowski. Just a really cool neighborhood store with a great vibe. I’m guilty of buying stacks of books from here even with plenty to read.
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
This is literally the most amazing book store I ever imagined could exist. There are stacks on stacks of books from floor to the ceiling. The owner is very friendly and lets you know the general layout. I would recommend coming in here not if you have a specific book in mind but rather if you are flexible and looking for a good read. That is exactly the beauty of this place. You never know what you will find but the experience is enhanced by the endless selections of books. I like to support local businesses and even though I could have probably found the book cheaper somewhere else, it is a great idea for the community to support places like this. I always enjoy reading whether it is Russian Literature or Military History and everything in between. Kaboom books is definitely a place any one that enjoys reading should stop by and support!
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Absolutely love this place! Definitely has the «used bookstore» feel to it. Owner is always sitting up front and never bothersome. This place has a vast and diverse selection.
Also, the owner’s cat is very friendly. :)
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Very knowledgeable, helpful, kind, considerate, service that wasn’t pushy!!! A lot of times when I go to a small shop the owners or employees will get a little pushy trying to get me to buy more things which of course makes me want to buy less and just leave without seeing everything. This is not the case with this bookstore!!! If I didn’t have stuff to do two hours later from when I got there I could have stayed browsing till it closed! This bookstore has truly tasteful décor while maintaining the old school authentic used book store cozy vibe. No coffee and cookie bars. There pure and simply just about the books. They have a gorgeous quiet patio where you can sit and read too! I hear they also have some great literature events on the patio too which I hope to check out!
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Kaboom is a gem of a bookstore! I was greeted by a friendly employee who shared with me the general store layout. The various paths of bookshelves are a bit reminiscent of cozy catacombs, but was surprisingly well organized into sections. This is a shop for more high brow book aficionados — they stock an impressive amount of fiction, but the only regular paperbacks I could find were in the Sci Fi, Fantasy and Mystery sections. If you’re looking for lighter reads you may have better luck in other shops. The front room of the store is donated to their sizable collection of non-​fiction. They also had a large children’s section. The shop was cluttered but clean and had an area where you could sit to peruse books.
Place rating: 1
San Marcos, TX
Called looking for a book. The employee «helping» me stated that they have a memory and had no need to check their computer. Needless to say that wasn’t helpful and had to look elsewhere.
Place rating: 4
Houston, TX
Absolutely love this place! The owner has a vast history and fiction selection. The only reason why I give it 4 and not 5 stars is because sometimes I can more easily find a book of my interest (philosophy/​religion) at Half Price Books. But this is definitely the place to go to get lost knee deep in a plethora of books!
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
I could spend an entire afternoon in here! There is a wide variety of wonderful and surprising treasures to find… And that old book smell puts me in heaven!
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Next to Becker’s Books, this is my favorite used bookstore in Houston!
Prices are good and often less than Half Price Books so why NOT support a local/​independent business!?!
It’s always super super quiet here so you can grab a book and sit on the couch and read and you might forget where you are :)
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
My favorite place on earth! Such an amazing bookstore, everything you could possibly think of, friendliest people ever. Shop local, they have better deals than half price books and an amazing variety. I could stay there all day & I couldn’t recommend it enough. Two thumbs up!
Place rating: 1
Missouri City, TX
this person is a wierdo wish I could make all those reviews one star. The person said we buy we sell we trade but the person does not have any interest in buying books that he is not ‘familiar’ with. I mean he does not have to be familiar with it. And if he knows a book he can buy it from the store then why is it called bookstore people cannot just give him books he is familiar with to put in the store… he is the one running it… DUH!
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
My dream has always been to own a used bookstore. I’ve always had an idea of what I would want my own used bookstore to look like, so imagine my joy when I entered Kaboom and saw the bookstore of my dreams.
I love books. Kaboom has piles and piles of books, and shelves and secret rooms and boxes of books everywhere and it just so splendid. The organization is great, the selection and variety is exemplary, and the owners are friendly and impressively knowledgeable. I love Kaboom.
The instant you walk into this place, you just feel good. It’s an absolutely beautiful store with a great location, and the best of all is that you are supporting a local business. And a local used bookstore at that. Be still my heart.
Come here, browse and buy. Your heart and mind will thank you.
Place rating: 5
Humble, TX
Without a doubt the best used bookstore in Houston. I’ve had nothing but good experiences here.
The selection is excellent, and it is actually well organized, much unlike the other used bookstores in Houston. The prices are fair, and I’ve found some real gems here. The owner, John, is an incredibly friendly and knowledgeable guy that is interesting to talk to.
I would definitely recommend coming here if you’re looking for any kind of book, as, like I’ve mentioned before, the selection is gargantuan.
Place rating: 5
Williamson County, TX
We enjoyed visiting this used book store, the owners were very helpful and friendly and had mountains of books to choose from. Our son’s girlfriend lives near here and must bring her mom to this place as they are bookworms too. We’ll definitely be returning.
Place rating: 4
Houston, TX
Nice tucked away in woodland heights, the way a bookstore should be not some giant gleaming 2 story monstrosity. Small intimate and with an excellent selection.
Place rating: 5
Las Vegas, NV
I have no idea why I didn’t review this place till now. They are by far the best bookstore that I’ve run into in Houston. Unfortunately I was at a phase where I was more getting rid of instead of getting books.
But they had eminently fair prices — especially if you took the exchange rates, but even if you take cash I’d say its still better than Half Price.
A little out of the way, but an awesome awesome place with a great selection of interesting books.
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
I am a book junkie and here is one of my favorite dealers.
I know the prices of the books are higher than places like Half Price, but it is worth every penny.
There is something special about the people who work there. I am sure some of their visitors are just there for the spirited discussion of a wide range of subjects and if there isn’t one going on that suits you, you can start one of your own.
John has an incredible memory for books and authors, backed up by an ability to recall interesting parts of the contents, and give a synopsis when asked. Add that to a stock diversity that is superlative and the ability to point you to the right shelf, and you have the best example of a used book store in Houston.