Prospero’s Books

Really great used bookshop. Plenty of curious books that could have you browsing for an hour or more.

Looks like an awesome store for books, but to be catalogued with actual record shops that is just wrong.
The book collection spans for miles upstairs, downstairs and even down in the basement. So bookstore yes I would say it is amazing.
The vinyl record collection is sub par to not good at all. There isn’t much to choose from and was just lacking.
I would recommend this store for books, but not for vinyl records.

The used bookstore of my dreams, Prospero’s is a place where I could easily get lost for hours. With a huge selection of books, a friendly staff, and affordable prices, you really won’t find any options in the KC area that are better for book browsing.

In high school, Prospero’s was always my safe place. I still remember the amazement 16-​year old Suze felt the first time she was lured in by the racks of cheap paperbacks on the sidewalk. I didn’t know this type of quirkiness existed in KC.
Inside Prospero’s you will find that quintessential used book store. A basement full of oddities and punk rock 8-​tracks. A support beam made out of old forgotten novels. A poster on the ceiling of Vonnegut and Burroughs, my literary heroes. Rows and rows of popular, rare titles, and hidden gems that you can spend hours browsing. A guy behind the counter drinking a beer on a Wednesday afternoon who gives you books for free when you realize they (used to) only accept cash because he wants you to read more. Thank you, btw. I still have «A Girl’s Guide to Giving Head» by Sheri-​D Wilson.
And thank you, Prospero’s, for giving me an oasis from the dreadful boredom that is Johnson Country. I can’t wait to see you again.

This is worth a visit just because of the uniqueness. There are a lot of books here and they have that nice used feeling but the shelves are half hazardly organized. There was a café upstairs but was too crowded for me to check out.

Book lovers, step right up. One step inside Prospero’s and you’ll have used book perfume clinging sweetly in your nose for the rest of the afternoon. Home to handwritten signs (sometimes cheeky, sometimes informative), a spacious Borders-​style upstairs (but with records on the shelves and Wes Anderson like décor instead of glossy NYT best-​sellers), and downstairs so tidily crammed with books even the underside of the staircase (where only a goblin could fit) is home to volumes on history and presidential cabinet memoirs. To top it all off, the prices can’t be beat.

The books are good; the staff is aggressively rude. Judge accordingly. It doesn’t make for that pleasant browsing experience that I look for in bookstores.

As I was walking towards my lunch destination, I noticed some used books on racks along the sidewalk; all of which were under $ 3. Ok let’s check these out. Was I excited to see a Calculus differential equations book for only a $ 1! I know, my life is exciting. You just never know what you’ll find. I’m a winner, and I haven’t even set foot inside the bookstore.
I love the feel of this place! It’s very charming, and the space upstairs gets even better. Honestly, I had a strong urge to cancel my plans, turn off my cell phone, and dive right in. But alas, that did not happen. No worries, I plan on camping here in the near future.

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review about this place. I’ve been coming to this bookstore for 16 years. It is one of the more established and well loved stores along 39^th st West and it better still be here when I die. I purchased my first vinyl record here and went to my first poetry reading here and when I was here yesterday, I saw a CD by a friend’s band and a book of poetry written by a local. This place is a local business that supports locals and is loved by locals.
It supports dreamers and artists and is the place people write movies about. The organization is chaotic at best so it’s the perfect place to go on a rainy Saturday afternoon for us curious folk. I love the creak of the old wood and the Plexiglas screwed over holes in the wall, holding in figurines and spiderwebs. The collection of books and CDs and records is not extensive but genuinely eclectic. Just plan to spend hours here. Prospero’s is an experience.

The Chessplayer loves Prospero’s Books. In fact, whenever we are in the Volker part of town, we must go and see Will… who is the owner. He and Will have a bromance going on and that is O-​K because WIll is a remarkable individual.
If you live in KC and want to support a business that is off the beaten path, do yourself a favor and visit this hidden gem.
While we were there a couple that had to be in their 80’s brought in a paper grocery bag of books… Will treated them like royalty. AND there are live performances by artists who are not on the top 40– wait, is there even a top 40 anymore?
And, he has a few shelves on the sidewalk that he leaves full of books almost all the time for people who have family KUMed and they are free for the taking.
Low key, maybe a bit quixotic and I love it.

I really like the fellas at the desk, they are some smooth operators. Friendly easy to chat with, helpful, gold star fellas gold star.
They must be like the Godfathers of the establishments on 39^th street. I’ve heard they been around for awhile, this is nice to hear in an age when sites like Amazon have even replaced Barnes and Nobel. As far as used book stores go every section is clearly labeled, neat and orderly. They have a really good selection of interest peeking books. Every nook and cranny of the place has something fun and bizarre to behold. They just finished the upstairs and it is stunning. Hard wood floors, a little kitchen, a table, comfy chairs to enjoy some good reading material in. Its a good venue for a cozy little get together, which I hear they have from time to time.
They are locally owned and operated and if for no other reason than this they should get the lovin but they really stack up when it comes to holding their own in this niche. Love me some local bussiness.

I have been to this bookstore twice so far, but neither time have I been disappointed! This is such a fun and quirky place. Books and other items galore, on three levels. I have always found something (s) worth buying that I absolutely think I need to have! I will be back!

I enjoyed this place so much. The newly opened upstairs was amaaaaazing. Book prices were fair, and the general ambiance was great. I could’ve spent an entire afternoon sitting on the futon upstairs reading. If bookstores are your jam, check this place out.

Great Neighborhood bookstore, a classic midtown fixture.

What a lovely little used book store!
A perfect antidote to the florescent-​lit Half Price Books of the world, this shop is retrofitted into an old building, delightfully crammed with books of all genres, plus a healthy selection of bizarre vinyl selections, CDs and movies. It’s musty –but in that way you just expect a used book store to be. It’s a treat!
While this place has a huge selection of books, you’re most likely to enjoy your visit if you don’t go in with a specific title in mind. Heck, this probably applies to authors as well. I looked up four or so different writers that lately I’ve enjoyed (or been meaning to enjoy) and found virtually zilch. But then you can just let go, and really start digging in and hunting for treasure.
With a shopping climate more often than not dominated by online sites that are hyper-​specialized based on your browsing history and keywords you’ve typed into Facebook, there’s something inherently exciting about just diving in and digging through the stacks, reading the descriptions of books you’ve never heard of by equally obscure authors. And if that sounds like fun, this is a fantastic place to do it!

Awesome used bookstore in Volker. Books are organized by genre then by author. The two guys working in there were very friendly… the one guy helped me find what I was looking for and went out of his way to direct me to a good book. I will definitely be back.

I’m probably biased…
Okay, I’m super biased… I love bookstores. I think bookstores are the inedible equivalent of chocolate; kind of hard to mess up.
This little store has an upstairs and a downstairs, with books stacked haphazardly around and only sort of organized. I love it so much. It’s full of nooks and crannies and has oldies and new books and how to guides and anything. From paperback romances to Michael Crichton and John Grisham to philosophy and religion… seriously, if you can’t find at least one book you want to take away, then you’re an idiot and probably don’t even belong in a bookstore.
Also, they have DVDs and CDs (and old vinyls, of course) there. But who goes to a cute bookstore looking for a DVD… No one. If that’s what you’re looking for, go to Half Price Books.

Although I am an Amazon Prime junkie in my daily life, I do absolutely love this quirky little bookstore and wish I could visit more often. The owner is passionate about books and his neighborhood and they have a nice trade paperback section downstairs and a decent little kid section of new and used books in the back — if you happen to be nearby waiting for a table at a restaurant on 39^th Street, you would be wise to drop in and spend some money at this locally-​owned bookstore!

I’m a reader — I feel like a good book is one of the ultimate pleasures in life. My favorite store when I was growing up was a used bookstore. So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I’m definitely a fan of Prospero’s Books.
You never know what you’ll find here, and it’s a bit of a treasure hunt. I’ve found some older, out of print historical fiction in really good condition, as well as quite a few newer books. Some of the books are in great shape, and others look like they’ve had a hard life, but that’s part of the fun of a used bookstore. There are also used CDs and records for sale down on the bottom floor, and plenty of nooks and crannies where you can curl up with your purchases, or just sit and have a conversation with someone. There seem to be a lot of «regulars» here, and with good reason.
The staff is great — helpful when you need it, but happy to let you browse to your heart’s content, too. And if you get tired of looking for books or music, just wander around the creaky wood floors and look at some of the items stuck to the bookshelves — interesting articles, funny pictures, and the like. The bathroom downstairs has more of the same — you could probably spend a fair amount of time there, too, if you were so inclined.
As other people have mentioned, they do have poetry readings here, and other special events, but I haven’t made it to any of those yet. I do love that Prospero’s supports local artists and writers, though, and can see how it’s the perfect venue for something like a poetry reading.
If you love books, reading, and seeking out knowledge in general, this shop should definitely be on your list of places to visit.

For some unearthly reason that I’ll never figure out, I’ve never been into this Prospero’s Books until tonight. I’ve driven by it a kajillion times, and have eaten at the Blue Koi across the street, wondering if I wanted to go to Prospero’s. I made trips to the one in Blue Springs, even. This store kicked my ass. I love Prospero’s.
Why the eff didn’t I ever go into Prospero’s? After tonight, it is my official hang-​out. From now on, you’ll find me there, among the billions of words and pages and the employees who are cool as hell. I have read everything Jack Kerouac wrote, and all the guys from the bohemian Beatnik era. Here I was, opened up the door to Prospero’s, and I felt like I was transformed back into Kerouac’s time.
I was lost in a book high, that is only brought on by a store like this. The lay out of the books, the amount the book towers that wobble (they really do, the owner, showed it to me.) My God, I can’t say enough about this store. The basement (a very wooden spiraled staircase, leading to the basement, which has vinyl LP’s, and more books that are on platforms) just wreaks of coolness.
Seriously, I can go on and on… take my word for it. They’ve been in the same location for 9 years, and it’s a great neighborhood full of boutiques and restaurants. It’s my new hang-​out. I expect alot of Unilocal Check-in’s here.