My wife couldn’t believe all I wanted for Christmas were books. I mean, we own the largest used bookstore in Los Angeles. Hundreds of thousands of books go through my hands each year. My office is hardly an office; it’s more like an overflowing “books-to-read-later” storage unit. I already have more set aside than I’ll ever get to before I die, and I’m still a young man.

And yet the one gift that never ceases to thrill me is a book. It doesn’t even matter if I know ahead of time what title will be given. Handling a book that’s new to me, with a well-designed cover that promises the possibility of truth and beauty found within, is a sensation without parallel. The allure of holding in my hand a work of art, and the anticipation of the experiencing of it…that’s it, that’s my sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. One of my earliest memories is of reading a book. I spent the first money I ever made on a book.  I met God in a book. I made a book to ask my wife to marry me. Those quiet packages of words and pictures on paper never fail to shatter my world and remake it.

This is why I have hope for the survival of books and bookstores. Knowing this about myself, and knowing it is the same for so many of you as I see you hunt, find, and buy your own stacks of book treasure. We live in a time when some of the most powerful corporations in the world are hurling huge amounts of cash at refashioning all books into digital commodities which they can control access to. They aim to wipe out all physical bookstores, especially used ones. All profit must go to those who already have the most:  this is the philosophy that drives our current world.

Time will tell if corporations will kill the book. Most likely, it will go the way of records – which we also still sell!  So there’s hope whichever way the culture blows. In 2011, thousands of you chose to still shop with us. You bought a ton of books as gifts this past Christmas in our store. And for that we’re grateful. Thank you. In the history of books, 2012 will no doubt be a year for the history books. We hope you’ll keep up your loyal buying of these greatest of treasures in their best physical forms, and we’ll keep selling them to you as affordably as we possibly can while still keeping the doors open.
-Josh Spencer, owner

We are closed New Year’s Day. Will resume normal hours at 10am on Mon, Jan 2nd.

We apologize in advance for the pun. We do not apologize for being so excited about the impending awesomeness of having our own coffee spot.

The Last Bookstore is proud to host the peer to peer teaching platform Skillshare, in 2012!

Skillshare is a community marketplace to learn anything from anyone. They believe that everyone has something they’ve always wanted to learn, and something that they can teach to others.

Teachers set their own prices and keep 85% of the proceeds.

Classes at the Last Bookstore will begin in January and be held in our new auxiliary classroom space, Mon-Thurs between 6:30pm and 8:00pm.

We are currently accepting submissions for classes to be taught in the Winter Quarter (Jan-Mar).

If you have an idea for a class and are interested in teaching at The Last Bookstore/Skillshare click here, fill out the form, and a rep from Skillshare will contact you, shortly.

See http://www.skillshare.com for examples of classes and more info or to check out their manifesto video: http://www.skillshare.com/about/manifesto

Happy Holidays,
Your friends at The Last Bookstore

We’ve got a collection of photos from the Blackbook Photography Art Walk photobooth shenanigans over in our Past Events Gallery. We at The Last Bookstore might pride ourselves on our diverse selection of both new and used books and our knowledgeable staff, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, we’re also proud of just how attractive you all are. So, way to go you! Please to look?

Just a reminder: we’re closing at 6 pm Wed night before Thanksgiving, and we’re closed on Thanksgiving. Open again on Friday, normal hours.

It’s November,  a time of thankfulness and  family-condoned binging. Personally, the staff here at The Last Bookstore plans to celebrate by fighting over our very pretty collection of brand new books.  We’ve mentioned them before, but we’re just too excited. Along with our usual collection of affordable, kick-ass used books, we’re happy  (stoked even!) to offer shiny new copies of the latest books from some of your favorite authors:

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami  (Editor’s Note: Pronounced “1Q84.” )
Damned by Chuck Palahniuk,
Cain by Jose Saramago
Reamde by Neal Stephenson
Habibi by Craig Thompson
and many more!

For the kids,  we’ve got the posthumous Everything On It, by Shel Silverstein author of the delightfully demented Where the Sidewalk Ends and a collection of the “lost writings” of Dr. Seuss, The Bippolo See.

If non-fiction is what you’re feeling , we have the new memoir Life Itself by Roger Ebert, everyone’s favorite thumb expert. There is also a new hilarious collection of essays In the Garden of Beasts by “The Office” writer and mega-crush Mindy Kaling, along with the nail-biting suspense of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, the tale of the American ambassador’s initial seduction and gradual horror of Hitler’s Germany by Erik Larson.

…We might have gotten those titles switched around…

Of course we’ve also got fresh copies of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series, for all your tough hacker girl needs as well as George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, including the latest, A Dance of Dragons for all your dancing dragon needs.  All of our new books — so fresh and so clean — can be found in the shelves by the Buying Counter.

As always, you can keep in touch with The Last Bookstore on all the usual fronts (twitter, facebook) We’d be so thankful!

Lurve,
The Last Bookstore

If you’re a regular customer, you may have noticed a few brand spanking New books sprinkled throughout the store.  We aren’t sure what brands they’re spanking but rest assured the quality is stinging.  Ouch.  (God-awful humor free regardless of purchase)

Seriously, we have decided to curate a selection of New books for the following mildly intriguing reasons: A) customers always ask for certain titles and authors that we often sell out of (being a used bookstore whose inventory is subject to what people sell to us), B) some of you prefer your art, photography, architecture, and fashion coffee table books to be as bright and shiny as possible, and C) downtown LA has no source for New books now that Metropolis has sadly closed, so somebody’s gotta fill in the gap.

Just-released titles and in-the-movies-now books can be found in the New Arrivals wall by the Buy Counter and back door.  All the rest can be found throughout the store, smelling clean and looking pretty.  Or handsome.  Be warned– it’s kind of a meat market.

Our New selection will always be small compared to our huge Used inventory, but it will grow over time if sales warrant it.  As always, you can continue to support The Last Bookstore by having us order any New and Used title(s) we don’t have in stock.  We can usually get them cheaper and faster than you can (yes, even cheaper than that online site named after that river in South America full of piranhas).  Just ask any employee!

*Note:  At this time, daily deal coupons and store credit cannot be used towards New books or magazines.  Just used books.

We’re excited to present a new home base for the latest in events, happenings, and everything you could ever need to know about The Last Bookstore.