Book Stores in San Jose, CA

“So, SO cute! I loved my visit to this store. A little on the pricey side, but offers many products that are not available elsewhere. I was really interested in Sanrio products and luckily I found a really nice tote bag for ~$17. Very nice folks working here. The bookstore is located in a grocery store, so you can even grab lunch after you shop!”

“Large, tidy store with attractive book and gift displays. Good for working near the cafe area, but some of the chair seats are torn up. There isn't a ton of table space or outlet availability. It does fill up quickly, so best to get there early or be patient and walk around. If you're at one of the bigger tables by yourself, please be open to others sitting with you. :) Free wifi.”

“Noelle's Yelp Notebook 2021 Quarantine Chronicles - May 2021 Ave Maria is an essential shop for Catholics. Long ago you couldn't take photos in the shop but I spoke with one of the clerks and they said it's fine to take photos but they still haven't taken the old sign where it said photos are not allowed. In the advent of the internet and social media the only way businesses can survive is by customers sharing photos online. I've been coming to this shop for over 30 years with my family. The shop is specific for Catholics. They have all materials that Catholics may be interested in such as books for children, books for adults, dvds, musical cds, gifts, crucifixes, bottles for holy water, candles, gift sets for first holy communion, confirmation gifts, cards for all occasions, prayer cards, the selection is amazing! They even have garments for Priests, Deacons and things you might need for inside the church but that is separate from the main shopping area. Customer service is good on the phone and in person. The only problem is they only had two staff on a very busy Saturday. They require masks to be worn inside due to the pandemic. Upon entering you are required to sanitize your hands and the sanitizer station. Selection was a little slim on communion and confirmation items as many children are having their first communion and confirmation. I was still able to get the items I needed. One thing I love is their greeting card section - it's super extensive, for all occasions. This is a one stop shop for all your Catholic needs. A favorite place of mine to shop for sure :) Noelle's Notes A great resource for all things Catholic. They are taking pandemic precautions- must wear a mask to shop and sanitize hands upon entering. They are closed on Sundays. If you cannot get here another great catholic resource is the religious gift shop at Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara (not far from Great America and Mission College).”

“Local amazing children's bookstore that used to exist everywhere and now are rare. Simply amazing establishment where you can find books and toys that serve real purposes.”

“I used to love going to Barnes and Nobles. I used to frequent the one in Emeryville, Eastridge Mall, and the one off of Stevens Creek. I have not been in years. I started going to independent bookstores instead. I tried very hard to stop using Amazon to purchase my books and I've succeeded. I have not ordered a book from that conglomerate entity. I have nothing against Amazon. I was making a conscious effort to keep the local bookstores alive, that's all. The Tram back then used to wake up at 3:15 to workout. Even during the pandemic. After my promotion last year, I stopped being the person I am. I could not wake up early, I lost my love for working out, and I started binge eating. I was incredible at what I do for a living, working 50+ hours a week. There's no PTO and there's no weekends. I can get called on or texted on at any given hour. It was horrendous. I went into something like a depression phase last year. I was not able to sleep yet I did not want sleeping pills. I enjoyed reading but could not find the time to read. W/ my work, I was spending just barely adequate time w/ Gavin and had no time for myself. I was also in school, too. I am only one class away from earning my AA. My next venture is attending SJSU. The same school my daughter is currently attending her year. Anyway. This year started different. I fell and hurt my tailbone and I have close colleagues (friends now) from our office in Ann Arbor, MI that was talking about doing the Hard 75. So, thanks to those 2 guys, I got back into reading. One of my aunts help setup an alter at my place. I wanted to give journaling another shot. All of those happened during the same time. Instead of thinking I don't have time, I forced myself to create time. Now I no longer snooze, I am back to waking up at 3:25AM during the workweek, got back to reading, am journaling consistently every day, I pray twice a day, and I've managed to reduce my phone usage by 50%. There's something about reading that inspires me. I finished Atomic Habits in January, and just finished Atlas of the Heart. I needed a new book for my 75 Soft Challenge, so I came by and saw the book from Mark Manson. I was honestly looking for Adam Grant but was not able to locate any of his books. I started it yesterday and will be done w/ it in a week. The shelves were organized, staff available if you need any help, the lines moved rather quickly to pay, and I was captivated how the storefront displayed their books. If I did not dart to the line, I would have purchased more than one book. I'm also currently reading Yellowface and will start on A Little Life after. If I could, I would not step out in public for days/weeks/months. I just want to be home and in bed w/ my book and my cats. I would have food in my fridge or use services like DoorDash just so I would not have to step outside. Books no matter the genre is like a lost art to me. No Kindle or audiobooks can replace the feel of an actual book. Parking was easy, plentiful. There are a lot of vacant tables during that time. Just have your noise cancelling headphones in, white noise ready, and get lost in the book. It's like a fantasy where time literally stops.”

“(Translated by Google) THEY HAVE MANY INTERESTING THINGS , LIKE CANDLES , MANY HOLY ESOTERIC BRACELETS , CLOTHES , THREADS AND ALSO FABRIC AND THREADS ... AT VERY GOOD PRICES , NATURAL AND DIET PRODUCTS ... CLOSE TO LA TROPICANA FOODS IN SAN JOSE(Original)TIENEN MUCHAS COSAS INTERESANTES , COMO VELAS , MUCHOS SANTOS PULSERAS ESOTERICAS , ROPA , HILOS Y ADEMAS TELA Y HILAZAS ... A MUY BUENOS PRECIOS , PRODUCTOS NATURALES Y DE DIETA ... CERCA A LA TROPICANA FOODS EN SAN JOSE”

“The new location is a lot more cramped than the old location, but they really have everything you could possibly want and more. The prices are also insanely low.”

“This place is open and awesome . Got my snacks and ready to go. Dena was the person who helped me and she was very kind and knowledgeable. I would recommend this place”

“I've had maybe 10 (or a little more) classes here, a few of them were pre-pandemic while I was getting a BS in another out of state college when I needed to take classes in the summers and a few post-graduate classes after 2019. The classes always transferred over to my college with very little to no issue. The website was consistent and reliable. After 2019 I noticed a few changes were made which were a little hard for me to adjust to without an advisor, but I eventually got it down on my own. I *really* don't like that it seems they gave my number to some military recruiters, but professors were always pretty good with the exception of one (far better than my SJCC experience), I generally was able to find people I needed to speak to if needed, they answer the phones or get back to you as promised, and the campus is quite nice.”

“Friendly staff amazing instructors except a few on-line instructors I'm 64 and none of the younger students in my class make me feel like I don't belong.”

“I see this store being familiar to UC Davis bookstore (because I attended Davis), it has the merchandise on the main floor while the lower floor stores all the school supplies for your classes.”

“i loved all the interactions we had a this book store , being our first time there definitely will be back ... my daughter's enjoyed the book store very much. employees were wonderful”

“If you are interested in learning Mandarin through your kids, for example, try using this center which is geared to teaching your young ones. I am a big fan of starting on languages, if any, at the young age, and the teaching methods here do seem to be effective as far as promoting the proper materials for learning about Chinese language and culture. Bravo!”