I complain a lot about the lack of indie bookstores in my area, but the truth is, there is one just a mile from my house. And it’s right next door to a great indie coffee shop that has the best mexican mochas (seriously…The. Best.). So why don’t I visit it more often? Well…
I’ve got a few issues.
First, it’s a bit new agey and I’m not. Actually, most of Morro Bay isn’t, so I’m always amazed that the bookstore has been around for almost 40 years (with the original owners!).
Second, it reeks of incense, which makes me sneeze. The ah-ah-ah. Nothing. Ah-ah-ah. Nothing. Ah-ah-ahchoo! kind of sneezes.
Third, it’s got the cutest little chapel out behind the store. My brother was actually married there. The first time (but not the second or third). And since ex-sister-in-law-the-first is a bit of bitch (sorry, but it’s true), I don’t like to be reminded of her. Which I am every time I’m there.
Sigh. As I said…issues.
But I really wanted to participate in the Where in the World Are You Reading meme*, and I didn’t want to feature my sort-of local go-to bookstore, which just happens to be a chain store 15 miles away. I considered featuring Chaucer’s, but it’s a good 2 hours away in Santa Barbara and that doesn’t really tell you much about my town (not that Coalesce does, either, but I’m trying to be a good local!).
So last week I sucked it up and stepped foot in Coalesce for the first time in about 8 years.
The inside is just as adorable as the outside, with it’s old wood floors and a funky chair and new and used (mostly used) books everywhere, comic strips and post cards and pictures taped to the shelves, robots hanging in the children’s section, and old concert and peace rally posters high up on the walls.
On the one hand, the owner and employee were super friendly and the other people in the store were fun (there were a few impromptu conversations…I might’ve highly recommended The Night Circus to someone). Aesthetically, I love this place…it has the perfect bookstore vibe (I think some of the new-agey-ness wore off on me). On the other hand, it still smells of incense and leans heavily towards stuff like this:
But I wandered around (and stealthily took pictures) and even ended up buying a book. Just not this one, even if it was prominently displayed:
And then I went next door and had a mexican mocha to cleanse myself of the lingering scent of incense.**
*Where in the World Are You Reading is a monthly themed meme cohosted by Kailana, Lisa, and Trish. A Linky Post will publish the first Thursday of each month, and you can submit your post(s) any time before the last Thursday in order to be included in the monthly wrap-up post.
**To be fair, Coalesce will order anything you want. I know this, because they ordered some obscure books once for me for a class I was taking. I’m just more of a browse-through-the-new-books kind of person, so I like the stores with the ginormous fiction sections. I also don’t like things that make me sneezy. So I’m afraid this is a doomed relationship, even if I adore the hell out of the building.
The front of the building is absolutely adorable! It’s too bad for the olfactory overload. I wish we had at least one non-chain store bookstore in my town. I am unfortunately stuck with the likes of Books-a-million (probably bottom on the list of my favorite chain stores).
ALSO, mexican mocha sounds delicious. I am guessing it has chili powder in it…?!
Mexican mocha has chocolate, orange and cinnamon…all of which I love!
Jill you always crack me up
I don’t know if I would like all that new-agey stuff either, but this store looks kind of homey and cute, and it might be a place I would like to visit. Sorry about all the sneezes.
haha, you always manage to be entertaining.
I am glad you went and it wasn’t HORRIBLE. 
It does look like a cute little store. I am not crazy about incense either…
Your post made me laugh! I love used bookstores – I think they have character, and this one looks great. Though I’m not really an incense kind of person either.
And gosh, Mexican mochas – I need to try one!
I prefer bookstores that sell new books and don’t smell like incense, but I’d sure check that one out if I were nearby.
Aw. Bittersweet. I like the tin man hanging from the ceiling. Actually, I have learned that happiness requires growth or engaging in some activity that you believe will help you grow in some way. Just sayin’. But the incense issue would bug me, too. Still, a lovely expose.
I’d take the new-agey stuff over the incense any day (and I’m not into either of them). Seriously though, I’ve never understood why people think that the overwhelming smell of incense is going to attract anyone into a store.
Incense. Bleh. But thanks for taking one for the team and sharing your bookstore with us. And hey–sounds like it was a great excuse for a Mexican Mocha. I don’t know Jill–maybe we need to have a challenge to help us work on our inner selves. *mind is churning with ideas*
Just kidding.
But that means that the book you just bought, smells like incense too.
Even with the issues (yuck – incense!), it’s nice to have a bookstore so close to where you live. I drive 30 minutes to a Barnes & Noble in one direction or a great university bookstore in the other. I love this meme and will get a post up before the end of the month.
HA! I love this. The new ageyness would kill me, but it does have a good “vibe.”
It’s really too bad that it’s such an adorably charming storefront though. If I were wandering by I’d HAVE to go in, only to be annoyed by the smell. The windows, the flowers, the half door? Perfect.
The new-agey stuff would deter me as well and I can’t stand incense.
That is quite the large section of New Age Growth books! Yeah, that would bug me, too. I don’t know that I ‘d like the incense but it bets the hell out of the cigarette smoke one of my local indie stores reek of, thanks to the owners.
Such a cute looking bookstore, but I can’t handle incense at all! Too bad. (about that and the ex-sister-in-law-the-first)
What a charming, cute little bookstore!