The Book Corner

The first time you hear the owner speak, the atmosphere goes from cozy to suffocating.
Everything on the barely organized shelves is apparently a ‘great book’ or something that ‘just came in’, or so you’re told at every opportunity by the owner who follows you around the claustrophobic store.
The books are sold in their tattered, barely legible condition at what might be considered a good price, if you could actually pay for them.
You see, this is one of the few brick and mortar stores in the 21^st century that doesn’t accept «plastic, plastic plastic!» in the words of the owner. In 1996, this might have been considered «quaint.» In 2016, it’s suicide for a business.
There are no signs in front of the building that would indicate this deficiency. The owner relies on an ATM in a gas station across the street as a vital part of her business; if you dare show the slightest surprise at this at the register, you can expect to be lectured on the exorbitant fees she’d have to pay to accept Visa, with a scolding tone that would seem to indicate you’re committing some kind of moral offense not carrying cash for her benefit. Rational people might call this a «business expense,» but the owner has an expectation that the onus is on you to absorb the withdrawal fee rather than on her to live in the real world and actually compete.
I think I’ll drive an extra 20 minutes to Half Price Books or just use a Kindle.

If I could give zero stars I would. I called and asked if they had a book in stock before I drove out to get it and the customer service was absolutely terrible! The owner was very rude in that I didn’t have the author of the book I was searching for and she cut me off by saying «call back when you know the author», and then hung up on me. With this type of customer service I will be sure to inform others not to buy from here!

I have been a customer at the Book Corner for many years. I would agree the non fiction could be better, but the fiction selection is great. I always find something good there and the owner really knows books. I recommend this indie bookstore.

I ran into Beth F. picture, then all of a sudden I’m reading her profile, then her lists. Then I realize she’s been to a bookstore I’ve never heard of. So this took me East today. Dawn is a very cool owner and helpful. Located in the Seasons Market, reminded me of how nice this burb can really be. I wish they had more shelves because some are on the floor. They didn’t have some of what I was looking for. But they did have quite a few of what other bookstores didn’t have, and have been on my list. I found one in a separate area of trade paperbacks. I like how the mysteries are in the front so you get to browse in the natural sunlight. I’ll have to make up for the time I lost, not knowing about it. I updated the info for Unilocal

Assuming this is the right place… located in strip mall right off Radio drive which has Vietnamese restaurant, Domino’s, gas station, and new tea shop (Steepery).
Decent place to get used books. Mostly fiction and very light on non-​fiction. Haven’t sold any books to know whether you get a fair price.
Very friendly owner.

Don’t come to this bookstore expecting to find any useful non-​fiction books. That way, if you do happen to find something, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Everything seemed really dated, and not in a cool, vintage way. You will find damaged books here. They are still readable, but not worth paying half the cover price for. I guess this store is great for stocking up on paperback novels.
Bring cash or your checkbook. They don’t accept plastic.

UPDATE ⁸⁄₁₂: Thanks to Beth F. for explaining my confusion to me:) The Book Corner is not at this address. There is a used bookstore at this address called ‘MainStreet Books’ (or something like that). Beth’s review is for ‘The Book Corner’. My review is for the bookstore at this address. I’ll submit a new entry once I figure out what the store I reviewed is actually called.
ORIGINAL:
Maybe I’m going a little bit crazy. I went to a used bookstore at this exact address, except it wasn’t called the ‘Book Corner’, it was called ‘Main Street Books’ or something similar (I’ll double check and update this next time I go).
Most books were half-​off the cover price.
The books were mostly paperback, heavy on the romance /​general fiction /​western genres, light on newer releases and non-​fiction. Most of the books were in decent shape, but had been heavily used and the store smelled musty.
The ‘expectant parents’ section looked like someone who’d given birth in 1980 had just donated their collection :)

This is where paperback books go to die. And then be reincarnated.
For about $ 2 and some change you can buy almost any version of any mass media paperback that ever existed.
The biggest sections by far were the westerns, mysteries and romance. And in my experience, it’s these specific genre readers who tend to rip through the highest quantity of books, so this place is like the crackhouse for paperback book readers.
I went in looking for the very first romance novel I ever read, at age 12, because it always makes me laugh and I needed a stress reliever.
I found it. The sales clerk said, «ohhhh, I LOVE this one!»
I thought, «you’ve actually *read* this trash?!?»
And then I realized this was another situation of…‘ello Ms. Pot, meet Ms. Kettle. Cheerio!