Crown Books

This is a clearance center, the sign says «most books are $ 5».
It definitely has a lot of outdated crap. But sometimes you can find a deal if you have time to kill. its not a destination spot, but works if you are a cheapskate like me.
I went here last week and got a few good travel books for 1 – 3 $, and a «white girls guide to hip hop» book to give as a gift, for 3 $ also.
They sell 99 cent blank greeting/​gift cards, the kind you get in a stationary set, in case you just need one, and dont feel like paying 4 $ at the grocery store. They also have lots of books on tape, in case your mom or gramma likes that kind of stuff and is the type that resists changes in technology.

I’ve been keeping an eye out at flea markets and used bookstores for a cheap copy of John Kennedy Toole’s «A Confederacy of Dunces» because I think a coworker of mine would really enjoy it, but I don’t want to pay full price for it. It’s one of those titles you see EVERYWHERE when you aren’t looking for it, but just try to find a cheap copy when you do need one.
I saw an article in the Cupertino Courier about the Crown Books chain resurfacing and thought that might be the place to look for the book I need, so checked it out when I had other errands in the same shopping center. They didn’t have what I was looking for. This store is just awful and nothing like the old Crown Books. It’s like those temporary book clearance centers that pop up in big empty stores, only worse. The «selection» is strange. I wouldn’t come here looking for a specific title. Any money spent here is a waste.

I love bookstores — happened to walk by this newly opened slore so thought I’d check it out. However, this place was not only an eyesore but it was so lame. Think of bare white walls with tables and tables of books — looked more like a garage sale. And sure, it’s a discount bookstore, but it had mostly outdated books with content that had outlived its usefulness.
Examples:
2001 travel guide to Florida ($ 3) — outdated, useless
Definitive guide to Melrose Place ($ 1) — probably written back in 1990 — totally useless unless you are a Melrose Place groupee
Build a great business on the Internet — dated 1997 — oh yeah, that’ll be very helpful… yeah right.
Bottom line: A garage sale of useless books. Not for me.