Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Book Browsing for Book Lovers


Once upon a time, when I was a much younger thing, Hollister had the best bookstore around. It was called Henry's. (Or was the bookstore called Henry or Henrys? That's how long ago it was.) It was on San Benito Street in an old storefront a couple shops to the south of Fisher's Restaurant. The bookshop was run by Mr. and Mrs. Henry, a sweet couple, who had no problem with a much younger me regularly roaming the aisles and checking out random titles, without buying a thing. Ah, the yearning.

Today, Hollister doesn't have a bookstore, independently owned or a well-known chain store. Still, there are places in town for book lovers to browse for a good book or two for fun reading.

I know for sure that Target sells a small selection of new titles for adult and children readers. You can also find a few new books at Nob Hill and Safeway. Maybe Save-Mor, KMart, Walgreen's, and Rite Aid does, too.

The Farmhouse Cafe (615 San Benito Street, Suite D) has a smattering of cookbooks and food-related books for sale. The other day I noticed The Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Mayor and Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes on the shelves.

Next door at San Benito Bene (615 San Benito Street, Suite B) you can find a few books by local authors such as John Chadwell. The store also sells Hollister, a photo book about the history of our area by Joseph M. McMahon and Peter Sonne. While you're in the shop, be sure to check out the cute blank notebooks and journals for sale. A perfect gift for any writer of any age, novice or professional. (Hint, hint, you know who.)

As for used books, we have several sources in town for fiction and nonfiction books. Two places are nonprofit thrift shops. Forgiving Paws Thrift Shop (195 Meridian Street) is one such store. Another is Hazel's Thrift Shop (898 San Benito Street). It has a room called The Booknook in the back of the store. If you're into collectible publications, you can sometimes find some at Hazel's Treasures Boutique on Hawkins Street behind the thrift shop.

The Friends of the San Benito County Free Library resells used book donations. Often, you can find current titles among their offerings. This nonprofit group maintains sale shelves in the library next to the magazines. Hardbacks are $1 and paperbacks are 50 cents. You can't beat that price. 

This group also holds regular Saturday morning book sales behind the library on West Street. Currently their sales are monthly. The next one is Saturday. On March 11, 2017, from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact The Friends of the San Benito County Free Library for further details about future book sales.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Local Book Authors of San Benito County


So, we turned back the clocks an hour today, which to me is another sign of huddling in for the cooler and, hopefully, rainy days and nights. And, that means cozy times for reading a good book. That said, ever wonder if we have any book authors in San Benito County?

Well, here you go: A list of fiction and non-fiction books written by some authors who live in our county. If you know of others, please leave a comment.
  • These titles were penned by John Chadwell: Hunt of the Sea Wolves, Pershing -- The Soldiers' General, Major Crime Unit: Operation Casablanca, Werewolves of New Idria: Holly Warriors, Legends and Liars, and Last Sunrise. You can find a couple of his titles at San Benito Bene.
  • The Book of Jones by Rob Campbell. This is an anthology of comic strips about an old-school biker named Jones. Check out Campbell's description of the dude here. The book is also available at San Benito Bene.
  • Widows Peek and Ya Wanna Watch? I'll Let Ya! by Renette Torres. You can find these books at San Benito Bene, too.
  • Miracles and Grace in an Unlikely Place by Charisse Tyson, who is also the owner of Johnny's Bar & Grill.
  • Secure the Ranch, Read My Lipstick, Shaking in Her Flip-Flops, Beetles in the Boxcar, and Cuckoo Clock Caper are titles in the Josephine Stuart Mystery series by Joyce Oroz.
  • Richard McDavid and Susan Echaore-McDavid have authored career titles, some of which are still in print, such as Career Opportunities in Forensic Science and Career Opportunities in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. Click here for more info. By the way, these authors are the Husband and me.

To put it nicely, Jones is a freeloadin’, cheatin’, lyin’, booze swillin’ scooter fiend of the old school variety.  There was a time when bikers of his kind made up a larger percentage of Harley riders, maybe minus some of the freeloadin’, cheatin’ and lyin’.  This ended somewhere in the eighties or nineties with the advent of the Rich Urban Biker, or Rubbie.  Jones is a holdout from pre-rub days. - See more at: http://www.cartoonthunder.net/landing/#sthash.3vIuAXbG.dpuf
To put it nicely, Jones is a freeloadin’, cheatin’, lyin’, booze swillin’ scooter fiend of the old school variety.  There was a time when bikers of his kind made up a larger percentage of Harley riders, maybe minus some of the freeloadin’, cheatin’ and lyin’.  This ended somewhere in the eighties or nineties with the advent of the Rich Urban Biker, or Rubbie.  Jones is a holdout from pre-rub days. - See more at: http://www.cartoonthunder.net/landing/#sthash.3vIuAXbG.dpuf

Thursday, May 1, 2014

This Way to the Library


The San Benito County Free Library, under the fantastic direction of Nora Conte, County Librarian, has many physical and online resources to offer our community. Here's the website link for you to find out what's available.

The website may not mention that a magazine swap rack is located in the lobby. You can leave your old magazines there as well as pick up ones that may interest you. Just this week, the Husband and I brought a box full of The New Yorker magazines to the rack. A win-win.

By the way, who else remembers that phrase from their high school Spanish book: ¿Donde esta la biblioteca?

Monday, April 14, 2014

A Week of Fun at the San Benito County Free Library


This  week, April 14 to 18, our local library—the San Benito County Free Library—is celebrating two events. One is our library's 97th Anniversary. Whooo-hooo! The other is the 2014 National Library Week. Many fun, free activities are scheduled over the next few days.
Today, April 14: Customer and Volunteer Appreciation Day!
11 AM to 3 PM: Anniversary Cake will be served to library patrons.
2 to 2:45 PM: Youth Financial Literacy Workshop. Door prizes and swag bags will be given out to teen participants. 
Tuesday, April 15
2 pm and 5 pm: Movie and Popcorn. The movie Frozen will be shown. Seating is limited.

Wednesday, April 16
2 to 5:30 pm: Techie Toybox. Patrons are invited to play with ipads, iphones, and Kindle Fire work.

Thursday, April 17
3:30 to 5:30 PM: Kid's Fun Day! Children's games and crafts will be featured, along with a chance to win a free book. 
Friday, April 18
5 to 7 pm: Author Talks will feature local authors, Renette Torres (Widow's Peak) and John E. Chadwell (Werewolves of New Idria). Light refreshments will be served.
Again, all activities are free. The library is located at 470 Fifth Street, near the corner of West Street. For more details, visit the San Benito County Free Library website or the Friends of the Library Facebook Page, or call 831-636-4107.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

100 Things I Like: The Library


I shall always think of the San  Benito County Free Library as The Library. It is, after all, the first library from which I ever borrowed books and was introduced to so many exciting worlds and possibilities.  

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.



Sunday, January 30, 2011

Two Novels Featuring Hollister

The Octopus and There's Something in a Sunday are two novels that are connected to Hollister in some way.  Does anyone know of another fictional work that has part or all of its story based in our area?

The Octopus: A California Story by Frank Norris was the first title in his planned trilogy, The Epic of Wheat. Unfortunately, Norris died in 1902, a year after The Octopus was published. The story is about the conflict between California wheat growers and a railroad company. Norris based The Octopus on the events of a tragic dispute that took place between Hanford, California settlers and the Southern Pacific railroad in 1880.

Norris conducted research for his story in Hollister. One of the places in his fictional place was the Quien Sabe Rancho. For more about Norris, check out this 2006 article by Martin Cheek in the Gilroy Dispatch. 

There's Something in a Sunday, published in 1989, is part of the Sharon McCone series written by Marcia Muller, a thrilling storyteller. Sharon McCone is a private detective who works out of San Francisco. In this adventure, Sharon's case takes her to Hollister to investigate clues.

Unlike Norris' novel, Muller actually mentions Hollister and describes locations that many of you may recognize.

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