da Shop: books + curiosities

The shop and Bess Press are legendary. So many amazing titles have been produced throughout the years! Excellent Hawaiian Culture books, amongst other topics. The only thing is, parking sucks unless you use the big municipal lot across the street (no stars deducted as this isn't their fault...it's the reality of Kaimuki)

Wonderful selection and helpful staff. I had to get a tote too! Perfect place for book lovers traveling to O'ahu!

Amazon had this book online for almost $200, and finding it on the Island was impossible. I contacted several stores, and Da Shop was the only one that took down my phone number and promised to call me back. A few months later, I received a call informing me that they had managed to get a few copies of the book, and I could purchase it for just $50 if I were still interested. What a surprise, both with the follow-up and the fair price! I really appreciated your help; that was outstanding!

The place is small, but I love their book curation process! They provide statements on cards for some curated books. There's a room in the back for community events like workshops or classes. Located in central Kaimuki, you can easily find nearby coffee shops. The place is very accessible by bus, and the staff are humble and appreciative.

Very sweet store. They have a carefully curated selection. There are also cards and gifts in addition to books. The person who helped me was very kind. I will definitely visit again when I’m in Honolulu.

We were there for an hour walking around. The young girl behind the counter was on her phone the whole time, didn't greet us or anything. We asked if she had change for $100, and she said "No.. sorry". We walk back up to check out about 10 minutes later with cash in hand. Then was told " We are only taking credit card, is that ok?" There was no signs nor did she say anything about it. She then gave us the pity smile. We didn't have the best experience, and left without the books since we didn't have a card with us.

Such a peaceful precious spot to find some great new reads. Spent a while here just browsing and enjoyed their big selection of hawaiian and AAPI literature, and was happy to see a lot of cultural and historical classics. They also had a little 20-50% table tucked away in the back and I got to snag a limited book on collected Taiwanese Indigenous stories. Would highly recommend coming to support!