Kepler's Books & Magazines

I enjoyed going there with my sister, but it can be hectic and impersonal, so be prepared. more

Kepler's closed briefly last year but was reopened and is better than ever. It is nice to have a non-chain bookstore to go to. They have a great selection of books to choose from, pretty much anything you are looking for. The staff is pretty good as well. The books may be a bit expensive, but the price is comparable to the big chains. more

I went to Kepler's for the first time last month, and I enjoyed it very, very much. Displays are clean and up to date, with lots of information for the inept such as me. Many gifts associated with reading available, including a Diego Rivera finger puppet, perfect for my Spanish professor! A great, quiet place with a cafe next door to start reading your new books! Menlo Park has kept this a well-guarded secret for too long. more

It is nice to have an independent bookstore around, especially since this store closed and then reopened recently. I have been there and found some books but they ended up being pretty expensive. I wouldn't necessarily make a trip to Menlo Park to shop here, but if I were already there I would buy there rather than Borders and Barnes and Noble, which is pretty expensive in itself. more

I've made a number of visits to Kepler's and have never noticed any item there that couldn't be found elsewhere...with a lot less lecturing and for a great deal less money. Kepler's is one of those places you love if you agree with their political slant, and one of those you avoid if you don't. While it's true that a relatively small number of Kepler's customers made a stink about the store closing, it was seldom noted that there was a much larger population in Menlo Park that said nothing at all. Still, if you believe in this kind of a store, I suppose you should shop there. Books have become the 21st century's great online bargain, though, and you may find, like many other people, that your book-buying dollar goes farther in cyberspace. more

Kepler's has just as good of a selection of both books and magazines as the big chain stores -- but it is an independantly owned store. Earlier this year they were having trouble competing with the chain stores -- and had to close for a while. The community rallied behind them and a group of local supporters formed to invest in the store. Now I'm not the type who avoids the big stores -- but, Kepler's really is the type of book store you want to see in your neighborhood. One time when I needed a hard to find book -- they spent a lot of time tracking it down and getting it shipped to the store for me. I had tried Borders -- and they had just given up after a quick search of their inventory list. Kepler's is great about having chairs around so you can look through their magazines and books at your leisure. And, you can't beat the cafe next door for their frosted cafe mocha's! I go out of my way to shop here when I can. more

Kepler's is the answer to all questions about book and magazine stores. They have been doing large quantities of the right thing in Menlo Park for the 12 years that I have been in the Valley. They have the depth and expertise to compete against the chains - they need your support. more

keplers shut down for a few days and the community rallied around to save it. you pay higher prices and local tax unlike amazon, but this store deserves to exist more

You can spend hours in Kepler's, browsing their extensive magazine collection (they have a lot of McSweeney's which is great), or finding a great new book to read as recommended by their staff. Or you can come for one of the many talks sponsored by the store (though it can get incredibly crowded when its someone really famous). The staff is friendly and always willing to help you find or order a book for you. more

I really like this bookstore. It is very modern. They have all the latest new releases. They constanly have some kind of even going on. Like they have authors comefor book signing. They through a really good Harry Potter party. There is a cafe right next to it, so its a really nice experience sipping your drink and reading your new book. They have a newspaper corner. Best of all, its right downtown Menlo Park. more

This bookstore is awesome! It has a great selection and just a warm feeling. They offer gift wrapping. They offer discounts for book groups and are involved in the community by hosting Days for non-profits. What I love is that I can support Keplers as a local bookstore by buying a gift card here for Aunt Sally in Denver and she can redeem it at Tattered Cover (also a great independent bookstore). How cool is that? I can also order on line from them and cut Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Borders out of the equation. One small step to stem the tide of the mall-ization of America! By the way, they also host some great authors on book tours. If I'm reading their website correctly, you can gift sort of a book of the month thing to your friends that you can choose the books. more

love this bookstore, people are friendly and helpful, they have a GREAT selection of books, and it's a great location. also brings you good karma because you aren't selling out to the huge bookstores that put small independent bookstores out of business...so win win. and there's a cool coffee shop right next door more

This is one of my favorite book shops in the bay area because it's so quaint and cozy, but it's got everything you need. It's right next to Cafe Borrone (sp?) so you can get something to eat either before or after getting cozy with the books. I also know they have LOTS of authors that come here to do book readings and such. It's a very famous book store in the bay area, come check it out! more

Having been around for better than fifty years, and having been started by a local family (the son oversees it's now) if you're into books and live on the peninsula then you've either heard of or visited Kepler's. It a large bookstore, that had stayed true to it's independent roots. It has wonderful esoteric sections, a knowledgeable and quirky staff (as only book and music stores can!), plus is conveniently located right on El Camino Real (right near the Menlo Park Caltrain station). The children's section is great, and the store hosts lots of author events and special promotions, including it's Harry Potter extravaganza. more

This is one of my favorite bookstores, not just for the books. This is such a cool place! They get authors to come here all the time! I have seen Tomara Pearce there promoting her new books and answering all questions her readers had about her books and all of the charachters and all of her ideas. Soon they are going to have J.K Rowling! I am so excited. You can prepay for her newest Harry Potter book and its going to be a huge party. At exactly 12:01 they are going to pass out the books. Everyone will dress up in Hogwarts appropriate costumes and the activities will be assosiated too. It should be so cool. But anyways, the bookstore always has the newest books you can be interested in. It is next to a coffee shop which is very convinient. They have their own parking lot more