Ocean View Books

Regardless of what the other reviews on here of this place say, I really like having a classically-​musty old (mostly used) bookstore like this in my neighborhood. The shelves are piled high and have just the right mix of organization and chaos, so that you’re more likely to stumble upon something great that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. They have an interesting selection of poetry (my go-​to section); I found an awesomely bad collection by Leonard Nimoy that became the perfect birthday gift for my Spock-​obsessed friend. Have a decent fiction selection as well (I’m currently reading the copy of Hermann Hesse’s «Steppenwolf» that I bought there, full of enigmatic pencil notes made by the previous author). They even have a store dog named Dickens, and really, what bookstore store is complete without one of those? Every time I’ve talked to them, the staff (including the aforementioned woman) was courteous and pleasantly chatty. I just think there aren’t enough places like these, especially in this area (the glorious Brand Bookshop in Glendale notwithstanding), so I’m making a point to support them with my wallet and my praise. Off to read my new Tony Hoagland collection…