Merry Christmas...and Last Minute Gift Ideas!

We'd like to wish you all the merriest Christmas! 

It's so fun to be out and about among the hustle and bustle of the holidays on Main Street, and of course, books are a wonderful gift to give your loved ones.

We also sell gift certificates in any amount!

Hope you've had a chance to shop on Main Street where you are likely to run into characters like this...

Looking for last minute gift ideas? We have oodles of beautiful books just waiting to be perused and loved. Most of our books are in like-new condition, many are hard to find. Come see if something jumps out at you!

We've got everyone covered, from your survivalist nephew:

to your creative granddaughter who fills journals with words and pictures:

Tried and true classics,

to get the youngsters started out right!

Gifts for the crafty and the festive:

the nature-lover, gardener, and thinker.

the history buff and scholar.

and of course, the music lover.

We've got unique and wonderful books coming out our ears. Just ask if you have any questions. And don't forget, it's a maze...there are two more rooms full of fascinating books around the corner from the main entrance. Come explore, we're open until 5:30 today and tomorrow! 

Books Concerning JFK, His Assassination, and the Mysterious Oswald

The fiftieth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination is coming up on November 22 and we have plenty of books you readers might want to check out.  Of course, where Kennedy's death is concerned, conspiracy theories usually follow.  The assassination of our 35th president in Dallas Texas is filled with fascinating characters, questions and unsolvable mysteries.  Take the Umbrella Man for instance.  Under clear skies the Umbrella Man opens up his black umbrella at precisely the moment Kennedy is shot! Or, Dan Rather's many errors in his reporting of the Zapruder film, the best known film taken of the event (his head goes violently backward, not forward and the secret service man was not on Kennedy's car).  Then the alleged lone assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, says he was "just a patsy," begs to have legal representation and then is shot on live television by Jack Ruby.  Anyway you look at it, it is a fascinating tale that has reached almost mythical proportions, so no wonder there are so many theories out there.  I've read a lot about Oswald and can't decide whether he was working for Russia, the CIA/FBI, Cuba.  Was he right-wing or left-wing?  It's rather hard to tell.  But I would like to say something to Conspiracy Theorists;  if your obsession with conspiracies is affecting your social, family or romantic life then you should probably turn off Youtube and put down Orwell.  Come in and buy some lighter reading materials.  

 We currently have an Easton Press edition of President Kennedy by Richard Reeves.  

Kennedy actually published two books before he became president.  Why England Slept was actually his thesis at Harvard.  It critiques England in the years leading up to WWII and was published in 1940.  

Profiles in Courage was written by then Senator Kennedy while he was recovering from a surgery.  It is a series of short biographies describing acts of courage by U.S. senators.  We have both of Kennedy's books in stock right now.

While Kennedy is often over-glorified in this day and age, he was far from perfect.  His record on Civil Rights is questionable and I was personally shocked to learn that it was under his administration (signed off by his brother Robert) that the FBI started wiretapping Martin Luther King.  He should be credited for actively pursuing a peaceful foreign strategy.  He was actually being pressured to preemptively strike Russia with Nuclear weapons from the moment he took office.  He also never intended war in Vietnam and was in the process of withdrawing the already limited number of US troops.  Of course, this was immediately reversed by Johnson when he took over the presidency.  Some conspiracy theorists say it was the Military-Industrial Complex that had him killed.  Strategy of Peace compiles Kennedy's foreign policy speeches and statements regarding peace, defense and security.

On the Trail of the Assassins is by Jim Garrison, the New Orleans lawyer who took Clay Shaw to court for the conspiracy to murder Kennedy, telling his story from the first person point of view.  Garrison was  portrayed by Kevin Costner in Oliver Stones JFK.

A Farewell to Justice reexamines Garrison's struggles from another perspective.

 Rush to Judgment and Plausible Denial are both books by Mark Lane.  Lane was also a lawyer and criticized the Warren Commission's Report in Judgement and implicated the CIA in Denial.  CIA agent E. Howard Hunt did give a deathbed confession admitting being involved with the plot and implicated LBJ as the leader.  But could this be disinformation?

Hit List by Richard Belzer and David Wayne investigates the many violent and mysterious deaths in the aftermath of the assassination.  

11/22/63 by Stephen King and Libra by Don Delillo are probably the two most respected fictional books centering around the event.

And for those of you who dislike conspiracy theories and enjoy their debunking, Voodoo Histories by David Aaronovitch may be the book for you.  

We have many other books concerning Kennedy and his assassination, implicating groups as far flung as the French connection, American mafia, and one directly accusing LBJ of masterminding the whole event.  We also have many books just on Kennedy himself, his life and his legacy. In honor of this important day in national history, come check them all out!

Dogs of Main Street 2014 Calendar

It's back, the infamous and heartwarming Dogs of Main Street Calendar! All ready for your perusal and enjoyment, this calendar will take you through the brand new year with a little spunk on every page. Come check out some of our adorable local dogs and every penny you spend goes to support PAWED, People for Animal Welfare in El Dorado County. 

Cover photo taken by Jess Gibson, a talented local professional photographer.

This year's calendar features many of the dogs who visit Main Street regularly.

You will find all kinds of irresistibly adorable faces on these pages. 

Makes a great gift for animal lovers too!

Available for purchase for $15 each at The Bookery, Flowers on Main, Crossroads Vet Clinic.

Pinking Main Street and the Art and Wine Festival

October is breast cancer awareness month and in order to spread awareness and support, the businesses of Main Street have hung pink lights and created pink-themed displays in their windows. The pink lights are sponsored by Marshall Medical Center and Images of Hope, a coalition of artists and business owners. You can read the Mountain Democrat article on this inspiring movement here.

At the Bookery we used this opportunity to create a pretty window display featuring some lovely books with pink on their covers, and to highlight a few of our cancer and health books.

It has been fun to see our Main Street neighbors' beautiful pink displays.

Synapse wines:

If someone you love is struggling with breast cancer, we just might have a book to help.

The event culminates with Saturday night's festivities for the Art and Wine Festival.

From 6:00 - 9:00 pm  on October 19, Main Street will host over 30 foothill area wineries pouring their delicious tastes, as well as live music at the bell tower by the Brad Wilson Band.  Also, the 2013 Banners on Parade will be auctioned off, celebrating art, local talent, and our wonderful community. You can view the banners here.

We hope to see you all tomorrow night!

A Night of Literature and Art

Acclaimed local author Doug Rice has a beautiful brand new book out entitled Between Appear and Disappear. The official book release will be held this Saturday night, October 12, at 8:00 p.m at Cozmic Cafe in Placerville. Doug will be reading from his book and it will be available for purchase in either color print or black and white for $16.99. Doug lives and writes in Lotus, and Between Appear and Disappear is a love story set on the American River.

The event will also feature short films by local filmmakers Jamie VanCamp and the Bookery's own Darin Coelho Spring, and music by the resurrected and reformed band Treesus, featuring Jacob Mingle, Jorden Mingle, Joseph Beatty and Darin Spring.

The event will also feature artwork and photography from Doug Rice and Darin Spring.

Facebook event information can be found here.

Here you can watch a video in which Doug Rice explains the collaborative process and the possibilities for print publishing. 

Here, a video of Doug reading from his book Dream Memoirs of a Fabulist.

Book lovers and art enthusiasts will not want to miss this night full of exciting talent.

A Note from our Gift Basket Winner

We received the following letter from our gift basket winner, Kevin Trammel, and wanted to share it with our readers here:

To The Bookery, on their 30^th Anniversary, and Winning the Gift-Basket Raffle

I went to The Bookery with my wife on Friday, September 6, to meet Nancy Dunk and to be given the gift-basket for having won the raffle which was held last Saturday, August 31, to celebrate the bookstore's 30th Anniversary.  I've seen Nancy many times during my visits to the store, but this was the first time I've had a conversation with her.  While Darin took some photos, Nancy shared with me briefly some of her wisdom about what it takes to start a store and the dedication and resolve that's necessary to get past the initial challenges and keep a store thriving for 30 years.  I was quite impressed with this.  Though it doesn't represent the same level of attainment, I did temporarily have a window cleaning business in Seattle, and I have several friends who have or have had their own business, and these experiences have helped me be able to appreciate the laudable attainment of keeping a business going for 30 years.  Especially one involving books during the encroachment of the electronic era.

The gift basket that Nancy gave me was such a treat.  My wife and I unwrapped it when we returned home and smiled and laughed over the items that it contained, and the thoughtfulness that had gone into the selection.  I probably shouldn't admit this, but my favorite item was the small wooden box in the shape of a die, containing five smaller dice.  I love it!  There was also a nice bottle of wine, a nifty guidebook for regional hikes, some lovely olive oil, a aromatic herbal seasoning mixture, and sundries.  It was quite fun to delve into it.  I understand that there are many fellow patrons of The Bookery who very much wanted to win this generous gift.  I'm as surprised to have won it as some may be disappointed not to. Hopefully, this little note and effort to share some of the unexpected glory of winning the prize will help compensate to some degree.

The occasion of the 30^th Anniversary of The Bookery is just a great opportunity to be thankful that there are still brick and mortar bookshops in the world and that we are all fortunate enough to have one of them in our neighborhood.  As I'm sure most patrons of used bookstores feel, the enjoyment of books for me is not only in what they provide as something to read and reflect upon, but also because they are a tactile, tangible article with color, art, texture and fragrance.  There’s unique value in having a book to take on a hike in the mountains, or to quietly enjoy in a comfy chair by the fireside, or, when the power is out, to have something to read out loud with a friend by candle light.

Thanks again for the gift basket to Nancy and Celia, and to the rest of the folks who help make The Bookery the fine bookshop that it is. 

PARTY TIME!

We are so pleased to announce that our 30th anniversary party last weekend was a smashing success, and thank you to all who came, contributed, and celebrated in so many ways.

It was so wonderful to have all our friends and family and supportive customers gather around and help us celebrate 30 years of business.

Guests came from far and near, old friends and new....

Many enjoyed looking through our Bookery scrapbook.

And we received gorgeous flowers bouquets in abundance to help us keep the celebration going through the coming week.

Guests had delicious refreshments....

Even Abby the dog couldn't miss out on a little treat.

And we all enjoyed special musical guests. Not only does Keith Jackson keep our backs in shape with his excellent chiropractic work, he also plays beautiful music with his wife Kathy.

Another secret musical talent: our very own Brian Lux treated us to some lovely guitar tunes.

The Bookery family's youngest new reader, Lucy, enjoying some books with daddy Darin.

And learning to walk in the Bookery aisles with mama Heather.

Don't forget about our exciting gift basket that we raffled during the preceding week.

Little Lucy got to draw the winning ticket!

Customer Kevin Trammel was our lucky winner! Here he is picking up his treasure this week at the Bookery.

All in all, our 30th was a great reminder of how much hard work and FUN we've had over the years. These two ladies ended the night so tired but so happy.

Thank you Nancy and Celia for contributing such a wonderful gem to Main Street Placerville. Long live the Bookery!