In the very heart of Los Angeles, you can find The Last Bookstore. It is not literally the last bookstore in the city, but it is the largest and quirkiest and definitely worth visiting, even if it is just to inhale the delicious and intoxicating smell of all the used and new books spread over two floors and 22,000 square feet. Yummmmm!

In a world of technology and a need for speed, there is something ever so comforting about slowly wandering around shelves of books, fingering the spines, selecting something old and familiar that launches magical memories as you turn the pages with a gentle sigh, or finding something totally new that fills you with anticipatory delight, to satisfy the senses and engage the imagination. I was on the lookout for The Fourth Wing as it was recommended by a dear friend, but alas, it was out of stock.

The Last Bookstore is offbeat and unconventional with some amusing features. There is a room full of rare and desirable vinyl records, a tunnel made of books, hidden rooms that were originally bank vaults, revealing the history of the old building, little art shops and studios, a gorgeous cafe, loads of comfy chairs and sofas, hidden nooks and crannies with more obscure and rare volumes, creative themed displays and so much more. I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole into a Wonderland of curiosities. I couldn't help smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

To get to the bookstore we had a fun journey through central Los Angeles enjoying the short trip on Angel's Flight, a railway ride that has been an LA landmark since 1901, we passed by the Bradbury Building, a filming location for the movie "Blade Runner" and then enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Grand Central Market with all the trendy little food stalls. Short stories in their own right. 

A jolly good day!

Everything about The Broad in Los Angeles is contemporary, edgy and disruptive. On purpose.

First of all, the name of the museum caused me immediate confusion. It is pronounced BRODE to rhyme with rode, and not as I expected which was BROAD to rhyme with Ford, as in something wide. Opened in 2015, the museum was named after philanthropist Eli Broad, who definitively pronounced his name BRODE. And so it is.

In a white honeycomb-style building, the museum houses the very best in contemporary, post 1970 art. 

​The touring exhibition at the museum was Keith Haring; Art is For Everybody and we delighted in his colorful, dynamic, NYC graffiti style of painting that reminded me of dancing Rowntrees Jelly Babies. I personally enjoyed the pieces with bold hearts symbolizing inclusion, acceptance, love and compassion, but I also enjoyed watching the discomfiture of some visitors who were not expecting the vivacious and explicit images of penises, homosexuality, AIDS awareness and a clear opinion that was relentlessly anti-patriarchy. 

I was thrilled to see "Stare," a piece by Jenny Saville, a British artist I have admired for years and follow avidly on Instagram. It was exceptional. Her provocative work has found the perfect home at The Broad. At auction, her groundbreaking fleshy and voluptuous self portrait in rich oils called "Propped" sold at Sotheby's for $12.4 million making her the world's most expensive female living artist at auction. Check it out here. Ahhhhhmazing!

Henry and Kim enjoyed the Jeff Koons' balloon exhibits, especially the "Balloon Dog (Blue)." The "Tulips" in bright Jolly Rancher colors was spectacular. Playing with color, size and scale, the bright and shiny sculptures in mirror-polished stainless steel with a transparent color coating are so much fun and deservingly Insta-popular.

We saw plenty of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Wool, an oversized table and chairs installation by Robert Therrien called "Under the Table,"  a deceptively brilliant Jasper Johns American Flag and the creative wizardry of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a fave of Jay-Z.

The hype for this museum is deserved. I loved all the exhibiting artist's "disgruntled pelicans" defiance, creativity and disruptive vibe.