Very quaint and relaxing atmosphere. Definitely a must see. In this my first visit to Houston, Texas I enjoyed stopping by Kaboom Books. Staff was very knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk to. I enjoyed making a purchase on a hard to find item and supporting this local bookstore.

Between the back reading garden, the giant fiddle leaf, the cozy vibes, the cat, the floor to ceiling books, and the welcoming owners, I can’t choose my favorite part of this bookstore! Such a delight

I absolutely adored this shop!My friend and I were greeted and escorted inside by a cat, Oliver (satellite, to the neighborhood apparently) and the salesman was friendly and helpful.There are so many books and sections that its easy to get lost in, and I was able to find some great titles and Native history and mythology (as a mix its rare for me to find a selection that well built).The prices are great and I was even told the shop ships books too so Ive found another bookstore to love that Im sure others will too

Amazing bookstore filled with unique and rare titles. The owner is a wealth of knowledge and a pleasure to chat with. Come here prepared to browse for a while - they have over 100,000 books, 3 rooms, and LOTS to see.

This store is amazing, their history section is absolutely beautiful. I appreciate the stock of Latin and African history, which is always full of interesting works, a subject that seems to be neglected by most. I most certainly recommend them for sources of historical texts that would be used in comparative analysis papers.

Amazing bookstore, truly a hidden gem. Bookshelves from floor to ceiling with every possible book imaginable. I’ve found so many great books which I’ve found difficulty finding elsewhere. Books are always at a great price with many up to 50% off original price in great/like new/new condition. Plus the cat there is cute.

Oh man what a fabulous find. Husband and I randomly stopped here one day and could not have been happier. The owners and absolutely amazing and truly love books and the enjoyment people get out of books. One of the most organized used book stores I have ever been too and they have tons of amazing rare books as well.

The epitome of what a good bookstore should be! Books in many different languages piled to the ceiling, an a old orange cat, plants everywhere, intricate book ends, and a super cool patio in the back.

This is my favorite indie bookstore to visit and has the best curated stock selection i’ve come across—I’m a literary fiction fan and my husband loves their nonfiction (history, architecture) stock. As an expat I was overjoyed to find a lot of Australian titles here (and I now sell my used books here in turn to continue this for other readers! 💗). Houston has some fabulous readers so there is always a fantastic selection of beers stock each time I visit (monthly), John and Dee are super helpful and always ready to help you find books in person or via DMs on Instagram, and resident cat Oliver makes an appearance every now and then. Highly recommend this place! (Pictured are some of the books I’ve bought recently there!)

Really big bookstore! new patrons might have trouble navigating the store as not all of the shelves and aisles are labeled. I liked the atmosphere. they had seats and stools in random aisles if you want to sit and read a bit. I looked all over but I didn’t see the cat. I’ll have to make another trip back haha

Very very extraordinary book store!! Kaboom is impossibly bigger than it looks and is packed with so many books on shelves that go on and on and are 8 feet high and have stacks of books on top of them. Most if not all are very gently used. One could definitely get lost in all those modern and classic tales. And I would have, too, if it hadnt have been for those pesky meddling kids! Zoinks! Jenkies!

The best used bookstore in nola has moved to houston! There is literally everything here but best of all is the owner who was known to be a reader. This is what the monologue in Youve Got Mail speaks of when it says people who actually know the authors and the books. There is nothing like it. If you like people and books, this is your place. It is magical.

This place was amazing. The staff was very polite and friendly. The sheer overwhelming amount of literature available is incredible. There is something for everyone at kaboom books.

We loved it! Owners and their sweet dog were awesome we hope to visit again soon, great place!! Huge selection of great books!

Super cute bookstore, im glad i decided to visit i will definitely be back! feels super homey, theres a cute cat named Oliver that lives here and also a dog, theyre both super friendly

Amazing store with a huge selection of books. great service to help find things! will go back soon and highly recommend!!

I love this bookstore. Its way bigger than it looks and I found soo many books I wanted to purchase. Love the vibe. Very friendly and they have a cute cat hanging around.

It is sublime to be surrounded by towers of books! I visited this bookstore as part of a Wheres Waldo search for local businesses. The store is located near an intersection around I-45, and parallel parking is available in front of the store.I couldnt stop smiling at the sight of so many towering bookshelves! When I asked the owner if I could take pictures, he simply replied as long as you dont take any of me. At first glance, the sheer volume of books is overwhelming, but the bookstore is organized by subject. Some sections have an applicable prop such as a skeleton for anatomy. There are also various seats and ladders sprinkled throughout the store. I plan to return for closer perusal of the culinary and gardening books.

Come here to knock out your entire Amazon book wishlist for a quarter of the price. Lots of editions, they have everything. What an incredibly cool and beautiful place.

Super helpful staff! I bought a gift certificate. They use old covers from vintage paperbacks for their gift certificates with the gift certificate details stamped on the back. Creative idea. You could browse for hours!

Came to visit w friends and I was massively surprised by the huge stock of books inside what I thought was a tiny lil store. Definitely will come back to grab more German books and check out their first edition section!

Amazing atmosphere! Before you enter your hands get sprayed with hand sanitizer from a mini water gun; after entering youre greeted by an adorable cat, surrounded by floor to ceiling books and plenty of chairs to relax and enjoy your stay on. Would recommend everyone to check this place out for all books familiar and rare.

Cool place, lots and lots of books!! Its like a book cave, youre surrounded😁

Great place to get lost in books! Lots of poetry, and not the old classics. I cant wait to go back and browse some more and say hello to the bookstore cat again!

One of the nicest places Ive visited in Houston! They have a hugeee collection of books and people working there are so very nice and willing to help. The way the books are prices its a steal! I could easily find myself spend a couple of hours here and get lost!

This is the kind of bookstore you can get stuck in for days. Its out of a movie!

This place has something for everyone; it even has a cat! A little disorganized but with a sense of humor, and you can ask the owner if you need anything specific. Conveniently located next to Mr. Beans coffee shop.

When you enter youll be amazed at the amount of books this place carries. There are 3 sections to this place where books are stacked from floor to ceiling. You can spend hours roaming through all the books. If your looking for books on Metaphysical, Occult, or anything weird, this is not your place. You will be better off going to Half Price books.

Attention serious booklovers! This little shop is worth the trip if youre in DT Houston, you can even take a bus here. Enjoyed the browsing.... great, well organized collection with reasonable prices.

Great customer service, interesting selection, cute dog!

The best possible used bookstore. Houston is so lucky to have Kaboom and Mr. Dillman. New Orleans is still mourning the loss of this great institution. P.S. About eight years ago i left about 8 boxes of books to be evaluated, but way led on to way and I never got back. Mea culpability. Consider those books a gift.

If you’re as obsessed as I am with small local bookshops, this is the place for you.

A bit overpriced on some selections. Owner does not care some selections based on personal taste (i.e. No Horror/Thriller Novels). An interesting place to check out for unique titles. Owner is very helpful, and will lead you where you need to go if you ask, cause it can be a little confusing in there.

Its always a treat to visit this place! They have such an interesting collection and the owners always come through with a great recommendation.

Nice place to search for books and relax

Love this place. They have cat hanging in the store and all of them working in there are so friendly.

It’s an amazing experience, this is just a place you can’t miss.

Wonderful book store!

The most impressive assortment of books of any store ive ever seen!

Books like a crazy, horder was running your life.

Incredible service. Lots of books allover there.

Fantastic place! Looks small from the outside but it is packed to the ceiling with selections. Great place to visit.

One of my all time favorite bookstores.

The best privately owned used bookstore in Houston. Be sure to pet Oliver the shop cat.

Amazing selection, very friendly staff. Everything you would want or expect from an independent used bookstore.

Sad I hadn’t been to this gem earlier, but ecstatic to know about it now. A little paradise for book lovers, and a level of breadth in genres that I didn’t expect.

Great little place. Owner is quite friendly and helpful. Cats are cute.I think the books might be a *tad* overpriced, but I’d rather pay a little extra and support a small business.There are a ton of books here. Definitely something for everyone.

The store looks very bright in the photos. In reality, the lighting was dimmer and cozier. I love how the books were stacks to the ceilings. Its a nice bookstore and a good place to be in the list of what to do this weekend in Houston. I think itll be nicer if there was a cat. Or two.

This is a hidden gem in Houston. If youre looking for a unique and eclectic bookstore, this is it! The owner is phenomenal and the inside of the bookstore is as much a treasure trove as it is aesthetically pleasing! You wont regret going here.

Great selection of used books. Friendly staff. Recommend.

Wonderful aesthetic. Has a great selection that’s fun to browse. Absolute gem of a place here in a beautiful section of Woodland Heights.

Fun place, for a nerd!

This is a great bookstore. They have a huge selection. The owner is very knowledgeable and affable. He told me he only buys books on subjects he knows something about. This is the best bookstore in Houston.

A remarkable little gem of an independent bookstore. He definitely knows his stock and its value. If youre looking for some solid choices (one of the best selections of art and photography books in Houston) then its worth the visit.

Very accommodating and helpful staff!

Beautiful place with some wonderful titles. Owners are warm and welcoming. Inviting you to share your thoughts in this learning environment. Ive loved reading since a child and have been to many used book stores around the world. Nothing beats learning a new author or subject from a fellow bibliophile.

Great energy, patio, cat!!, and yea, books.

There is a good selection, not just the same titles that I see in every other used bookstore. It was also pleasant chatting with one of the owners as I checked out. He saw one of my selections and recommended another title that he didnt currently have, which gives me something to watch for.

There are so many books to browse, I will have to plan a day to come back and just wander!

Excellent little nook! So many choices and open for great hours. They helped my son get his first two books on the Harry Potter series at a steal! Man behind the counter is very knowledgeable, I wish I knew his name! Will be coming back for the rest of the series based on the outstanding service and value we received!

I took my 14 year old daughter and 3 year old son here for some books. We had a lovely time! The man working wasnt bothered by my inquisitive little boy running all over the maze of a store. And then We sat and read books for almost an hour! It was absolutely wonderful. I would definitely recommend this place for inexpensive books and a relaxing time.

John is awesome and always friendly and helpful. Occasionally I see the pet dog and the stray cat. Lots of books at a reasonable price. You can also sell books to get book credits for more books.

I love the selection of books at this store. I am a teacher, and was able to spend hours going through all the childrens books! Great selection of books for adults, and random fun gifts as well. Theres a little cafe at the front of the store too, but I didnt try anything.

Lovely place to browse and can spend hours here. Old editions tucked here and there can surprise you and take you back in time. Was surprised by the prices (a bit higher than expected for used books) but definitely did not mind paying. I am sure maintaining the space and inventory is expensive. Great value for what the place provides.

Great selection, great store. I was hesitant to ask about the specific book I wanted since the selection is so huge, but the owner laid his hands on it in 15 seconds. It was a great edition and cheaper than I’ve seen it on eBay. If you like books, it’s a must-stop.

Excellent gem of a bookstore, complete with a wonderfully friendly bookstore clerk and two lovely shop pups who meander around. (One older, less friendly and one younger pup, who loved a good head scratch and petting).The store clerks were the perfect mix of social and helpful, with a great navigation to specific areas and a knowledgeable air about them.They didnt have tons of recent books, as all the books were used, but their selection was very large.The atmosphere was absolutely lovel, as you are surrounded by stacks of books every-which way, but not in a claustrophobic way. There were seats and nooks and chairs tucked away to give you the perfect chance to start reading something to see if it should be your choice for the day.Prices, as far as I could tell, were nicely and lightly pencil-ed in on the first page and were fair for the condition of the books and the original price. It was nearly half of the book price.Im so excited that this store exists and I cant wait to come back. I hear they also hold local events so keep a lookout!

Such a cute, quaint book store! So many interesting books to choose from. There arent too many new editions of books, but the older editions are still knowledgeable and interesting. The owners are very friendly, helpful, and know a lot about their store. The ambiance is relaxing and lovely. Theres also a loving, adorable little cat name Oliver that followed me around and purred loudly when I scratched his head!

You will walk into this bookstore and just smile it is so beautiful. The bookshelves go all the way up to the ceiling, its really a shockingly beautiful bookstore. On top of that the owners are so nice and knowledgeable. Not your average Barnes and noble or half price books experience. So glad I took the time to come and visit this place.

Walking into this bookstore is always refreshing. They have so many unique books that are great for finding something new to read, or a gift for an avid reader in your life. The owner is always super friendly and helpful!

Great little nook!

This place is awesome! You wont find the latest books here, but they do have a HUGE selection of used books. Floor to 20+ foot ceilings!!! Great prices too.

I had a lovely experience here! The man who I assumed to be one of the owners welcomed us in and was very friendly. They have such a great variety of books in various genres.

No better bookstore than this place. Ive been to a lot of bookstores, and there is no other place that had this kind of selection, this quality of curation, and this well organized. When you add how awesome the guy who runs it, reasonable prices, it becomes the highlight of any trip into Houston. Its amazing how no matter what subject, the owner always somehow seems like an expert and can talk about it, discuss authors, which books he has, used to have, and wants to have in the future. If you ever want to start up a book store make sure to visit this place, because theres no better place than this.

Best used bookstore Ive been to. Its like entering another world. Classics of history, philosophy, literature, poetry, history, and pretty much anything you can imagine spanning two huge rooms, with hidden nooks and passage ways, the shelves ascending up 12 shelves, with a helpful step ladder. The owner is awesome and very helpful. Its hard to find a parking spot at first. Just make sure to pull around the back of the building and park diagonally.

Exactly what you want in a used bookstore and staff (singular, one man operation he’s amazing). Odds and ends galore plus the normal things you’d go there for! They do exchanges and buy books.

Wonderful store! I felt like I stepped into someones home. The books are reasonably priced and the owner is extremely knowledgeable.

There are a ton of books in this shop. More depth and breadth than most shops. For the area, this place is a miracle.I visited with my youngest with a very specific assignment and the shop owner was incredibly knowledgeable on the topic. Every time that we dug another level, he could go two deeper.This place is a sanctuary for people who love to read. If I could live there, I would.P.S. There are a few parking spots in back. Use those, rather than park on the street

A quaint local bookstore, with friendly staff and great books. Any book lover can step in and feel at home.Word of the day: Vellichor is the strange wistfulness of of old bookshops.

Great local business with great staff and owners. The best bookstore in town.

Fantastic spot to spend a rainy afternoon. Books on top of books on top of books. A real gem of a used bookstore in the heart of the city. The owners are really nice. Theres a store cat, and you might encounter a dog or two as well. I always come in looking for one thing and leave with 2 or 3 more books.

Great owner! Lots of books. Reasonable trade in prices.

Best used book store in town. Great place to find esoteric books that you cant find anywhere else. The owner was very helpful as well.

I enjoyed browsing through the aisles and finally settled on a book. The staff was helpful and willing to help. Finding a section/genre is a bit difficult because I didn’t see any signs. That may have changed since the last time I visited.Visit the this place. You’ll return for more.

Great selection and customer service! Definitely worth checking out.

Love this place! The owners are so friendly and always happy to greet guests and make people feel at home. I love Oliver the store cat....and the store pets Maisey and Posey. Such a cozy place....a place for reading, conversation, fellowship, and finding old treasured books. Definitely and sweet spot off the beaten path Houston where youll be reminded of the joy and love found in reading old books!

Great atmosphere and a wonderful selection

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 couldnt recommend it enough. Two thumbs up!

Great old way to buy books, the owner knows his stuff and will spark a great conversation about everything and anything. I took my 9yr old son to pick out a book, he enjoyed it very much and brought home an old Batman comic book from 1966.

Great place. I store important documents there. Trusty owners, good info. May have had relations in certain niches.

Lovely bookshop! I try to buy all of my books here if I can help it. The shop owners are very sweet and helpful. The prices are reasonable as well. And there is an awesome patio in the back to relax and read!

A wonderful couple who run the most intimate and interesting bookstores in Houston. They are knowledgeable about their stock and always are happy to take time out to discuss authors and their work. Theyve rarely let me down when I need literature for classes at UH. The store is cozy and welcoming with a grand selection. They are very much a part of the literary community and host readings with the Creative Writing students and authors from UH. They host a reading for emerging writers from around the US who attend the UH Boldface Conference. I highly recommend Kaboom Books.

A firehazzard to the finest! Nonsmoking a must of this building stocked floor to the sky of paper will burn the books in second flat. But all (bad and distasteful) jokes aside, there are so many used and new books here for the avid reader. Dont get lost in the labyrinth, its easy to do. Owner was very keen in the selection he offered as well

Such a cute bookstore. It has so many books you can get lost in it. I adored it.

Huge selection of books!

Awesome place to spend quality time book hunting. The shelves are endless and its a good place to find quirky and hard to find titles. Owner is friendly and seems to be down for a friendly chat.

Formerly the greatest bookstore in New Orleans without a doubt. So happy to find it afloat in Houston. Very grateful for Johns guidance and patience.

This place is magical always enjoy spending some time there...

Great selection of fiction and large format art books. They have loads more genres, but I didnt have time to look through them.

As the owner himself said, this store is his livelihood, so of course he would make it a point to memorize every book and subject they have in stock. Ask him anything and he is extremely helpful.

Impressed, overwhelmed, brought to tears. The owner has a freakishly encyclopedic knowledge of all the books on his shelves. Go here. Bravo