Acres of Books - closing soon! (1934-2008)

This post comes with a soundtrack.

(pause the radio to the left to experience these audio selections.)

Well, we have until Saturday to walk the long aisles, peruse the stacks of books for hidden gems, and pause to remember together one of the final markers of 20th century history left in downtown Long Beach.
As a former employee of one of the last independent bookstores in southern California, Either/Or Bookstore (1966-1999),

to see Acres of Books close is really heartbreaking.

Not even Ray Bradbury could shiver some sense into the matter.

I have long loved the golden light that skims along the spines and shelves and looking up, up at the books on the tallest rows, to see so many gorgeous wood beams above. As a last hurrah, I bought three books: The Stuff of Dreams : behind the scenes of an American community theater / Leah Hager Cohen, The Passionate Playgoer : a personal scrapbook / ed. by George Oppenheimer, and Without Makeup : Liv Ullman : a photobiography / compiled by David E. Outerbridge (she is too gorgeous and the photos are stunning!)

Cheers to you, Acres of Books, Phil and Jackie Smith and all the staff. Thank you for your years of hard work and dedication.


Acres of Books, 240 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802.