The Last Bookstore and Other Stories

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!