I suppose it's possible we're not getting the whole story...
No sooner was the celestial kingdom established but a third of the heavenly host rebelled and were cast down from heaven. Then God created a physical world and humankind. But no sooner than it took for Adam to name all the critters and hook up with the only girl in town and - BAM - they give in to temptations and find themselves cast out of paradise. Maybe God is a bad boss? So, if there's free will in heaven what's to keep another third of the angels, or the souls of humankind, from rebelling again? The Book of Job (arguably the oldest book in the bible) gives other clues. What's the big deal about wrestling with behemoth and leviathan? You spoke them both into existence with a word and You can unmake them with a wink. Maybe the various Abrahamics have been snookered. Maybe the Zoroastrians have the straight scoop. Maybe it really is nasty barroom brawl on earth at it is in heaven, winner take all...and no clear winner in sight.
Yeah, some days Unbelievable gets me going...
There are worse problems I suppose...
So, there I was driving through downtown Prescott on my way home after working 20 hours of the last 24, none of them for good reasons. Suddenly I remembered I needed a patch kit for my Thermarest mattress in anticipation of my trip to Colorado to visit son Erik! Granite Mountain Outfitters was closed but, hey, there's The Book Nook! In I went because, well, I've been looking for a copy of The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality, by André Comte-Sponville (seriously, I really have). No joy searching for that slim book in the just barely shoulder width stacks. But look, here were four other volumes begging to be taken home!
The Art of Living, by Epictetus (because Massimo Pigliucci said so)
The Phenomenon of Man, by Teilhard de Chardin (because I read it in my undergrad years, but haven't seen my copy since)
Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse (because Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse)
The Courage to Be, by Paul Tillich (because I like Tillich)
Being about a dozen steps from Rosa's, it seemed only sensible to step in for an antipasto salad and a tall beer. I walked past the tattoo parlor (focus!). After my late lunch I walked to the courthouse square on the chance The Hike Shack was open. It was. Remember that patch kit? It cost $10.00. The Thermarest Slacker Hammock and its tree-friendly suspension kit ran me another $110.00.
There, just like I planned it...
The Book Nook delivers...
I have theory about the best used bookstores, such as I've encountered in Portland, New Orleans, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and now Prescott. They ought be cozy, or what some might regard as a little cramped. They should have lots of books, as in crammed into every possible nook and cranny. They ought to smell like old paper, not musty so much as ancient. The Book Nook, a 42 year old labor of love, operated by second generation owner, Marilyn Unruh, is all of these things and more.
Self-described as Prescott's Largest Used Bookstore, I'll note that it occupies half the space (or less) than some others in the quad cities. Cozy? Check! Marylin has 40,000 to 50,000 titles at any one time. Crammed to the gunnels? Check! The comforting presence of old books - printed on genuine cellulose, as in the days before books arrived on apps for viewing on computer tablets - envelopes you in an comforting embrace as you walk through the door. Bookish odors? Check!
The Book Nook is located at 324 W. Gurley, just a few feet east of Rosa's Pizzeria, one of my other favorite places in Prescott. Ms. Marilyn can be reached at booknook@northlink.com
or by calling (928) 778-2130.
I love it! If you don't, I'm afraid you're not my kind of people. Sorry, had to be said.
"If it's over $20..."
It was.
More on The Book Nook a little later.
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