May 16th, 2008
Fo’s Favorite Books(tore)
My day job is located in a nondescript quadrangle of office buildings, wedged in between Moffett Field, the mysterious Onizuka Air Force Station and Lockheed in Sunnyvale, California.
I hate working in Sunnyvale.
It’s too far from home, for one thing (about an hour each way). And there is nothing—NOTHING—within walking distance of my office except for fenced-in military facilities with big signs reading NO PHOTOGRAPHY posted every few yards, or, if you’re willing to walk for a long time, more office buildings exactly like mine. There are some good places for lunch in town, if you don’t mind driving AND dealing with a huge, noisy crowd. Or there are plenty of crappy places for lunch, but one has to drive to those too. Feh.
But there is one thing about Sunnyvale I just love: Leigh’s Favorite Books on Murphy Street, just down the block from those good but crowded restaurants and right across the street from what must be the biggest collection of porno mags on the peninsula. But I digress…
Leigh’s is the sort of cozy new-and-used book nook that used to be easy to find, and now is rare as hen’s teeth. But unlike a lot of those older shops, Leigh’s doesn’t greet you with chaos and musty odors. You won’t find foxing on the pages or random towers of books in the middle of the floor. What you will find is a clean, welcoming room with an eclectic selection of quirky new titles and used books in fine condition. It’s a bit tight in the rear stacks but never oppressive, as light streams in through the big front window.
I’ve only gone to Leigh’s around lunchtime on Fridays, so I’ve only met one staff member, who I presume to be Leigh herself. She’s very friendly, usually has a comment on the books I bring to the counter, and always brightens my day. It’s obvious that she knows her stock intimately, another rarity in these days of giant chain stores.
There’s a small but very well-chosen assortment of new titles in the front of the store, which includes the hot bestsellers everyone’s talking about, a few book-club stalwarts, and several things you’ve never heard of before [Do NOT ignore these! They’re usually gems]. The rest of the store covers a lot of ground in very little space, and reflects the same choosy, offbeat tastes as the new-book displays. Look closely and you’ll even find a section for supernatural romances. I usually make a beeline for the tiny music section, and darned if there isn’t always something there I want. Today I wandered in expecting just to browse (ha!) and came out with four lovely little books, including one long out-of-print collection of jazz essays and a nifty-looking overview of contemporary science.
Thanks, Leigh! You rock.
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Previous Comments...
Oh dear, I’m feeling that “must go book shopping” urge again. Hold me back or I’ll crack.
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