This is another piece of my past that time has not changed. This was a monthly, if not bi-weekly,…read morestop for me with my kids, and we all walked out with armloads of books without breaking the bank.
Zoom ahead twenty-five years...
I took Writer Friend here since we are still in the process of expanding our libraries (it's an eternal work in progress!) She had never been here, and only knew of it when I had mentioned it in a conversation. We drove up and I parked, and she was wondering about the area, and if there was really a bookstore here. Yes, there was, and I lead her into one of the most eclectic book experiences hidden in an old factory ever.
There's a bizarre method to the madness to how the books are shelved. Ron, the owner, has a very deep sense of humor that many people won't get or appreciate (for example, bibles are filed on the "Mystical" shelves, alongside books on ESP, demons, and UFOs). You may come across a book may be seemingly out of place on a shelf, but, with further reflection, it turns out to be the perfect place (a book on politics filed on the comedy shelf). Be aware, open-minded, and keep your sense of humor activated!
It's really hard to describe the vibe from the place. Old bookshelves, milk crate and board shelving, tables, old boxes all contain books. They are in somewhat separated into categories, but keep the caveat above in mind. Step carefully, and don't ignore seemingly uninteresting piles of books--there are diamonds hidden within the chaff.
So, in the main rooms, Writer Friend found the shelves she was most interested right inside the door--paranormal and erotica (her two genera). I headed right over to fiction, and, lo and behold! immediately found the third volume of a trilogy I started reading in the 1990's, but could never get the last book. That, in itself, made the trip worthwhile. I also found several other books in series that I had not read, and my pile of purchases started to grow. Her pile, added to mine, started to tower up, and we hadn't gone through a fraction of the store.
While I was looking around, Ron mentioned casually he hadn't seen me for a while, and asked how my daughter was. Apparently, she frequents the place with her kids, and he remembered both of us--me after twenty years! Very unexpected, and quite nice.
Anyway, Writer Friend asked about books on writing. Ron steered us to another room, and there was a large shelf with many tomes like we were looking for. Our pile grew bigger. This room also contained CDs, none of which had any interest for me. I left her in this room and went back into the main area and started to pour through the racks of vinyl records--most in very good condition. I would have dropped a lot of cash on albums if I still owned a turntable.
I also made the acquaintance of one of the guys who worked there, who is an aspiring writer himself. We gave him some advice and had a nice little conversation about the theory of writing. He was a good student, and the interaction was a great diversion from the business of buying books.
Ron also invited us to peruse a special collection of books, hidden in another room. Many books on esoteric subjects (which is what she was looking for), some rare collectables, and a few other books that one would not normally find in a used bookstore. Writer Friend found a few things she wanted, and now, our tower was ready to topple over.
In the end, we got out in under two hours, for under $50, and needed a box to carry everything out to the car. This was one of the most enjoyable afternoons I had spent in a while, and while I want to go back, I may not do so immediately--I want to wait for a while for the stock to change.
If you love books (and you need to if you even think about venturing into here), this is as close to the perfect bookstore as you can find.
