Munchy and I require just three things to recommend an independent bookstore. The staff should be friendly, the staff should be knowledgable and - a factor that adds a whole lot of bonus points - the store should have a working animal (such as a cat, dog or bird) to make the customers feel welcome.
Mrs. Bear and his Munchyness saw that these standards were met during a recent trip to a bookstore in Orinda, in the East Bay section of northern California. This bookstore is Orinda Books.
Mrs. Bear was looking for a copy of the book Inside the Not So Big House, and it was in stock; she also asked for a book for me, Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation. This book has just been released in paperback, and since the store did not have this edition they sold Mrs. Bear the hardbound version for the paper price. Very nice!
According to the Orinda Books website you can, "Come in and relax - there's plenty of comfortable seating inside. Browse our 14,000+ titles and don't hesitate to ask our well-read staff to help with recommendations for all ages and tastes. ... However, if it is (just) a friendly cat you want to stroke, Ginger is here too and will always greet you with her welcoming meow. We look forward to seeing you soon."
Ah, yes, Ginger... As you can see from the photographs above, Ginger was occupying a couch during her mid-afternoon break but was still performing her essential duties of greeting vistors and posing for photographs. Munchy thinks she's cute.
So the next time you're in the East Bay, think about stopping in at Orinda Books, which has been in business at its current location for 33 years. Orinda Books is located at 276 Village Square, Orinda CA 94563;(925) 254-7606. The store is open seven days a week, and possibly eight if Munchy is visiting.
Orinda Books - It's Munchy-certified! Yeowk!
http://www.orindabooks.com
Photos: Munchy Archives (cat-alogued)
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