Introduction
I was having lunch this week with a fellow Realtor downtown, and I happened to park vehicle outside this second hand bookstore on 12th St, next to BL Brasserie.
Now confronted with that, what’s a bibliophile like me supposed to do? How could I not pop in and do a bit of browsing?
New Ownership
Although, according to their Spare Time Books website, the store was founded back in the 1980s, two local North County women, Carla Cary and Clio Bruns, purchased the business in April this year.
Since then, these best friends have been putting their own stamp on it, and have big plans to turn the store into a special community spot, where they hope people will come in, browse, maybe read a bit and relax, according to a recent media report.
I, for one, will be watching their progress with interest, and you can follow their progress on TikTok, under the handle @bookshopbesties. Super fun!
Curated "Blind date with a ..." collection
Not sure what to choose? Why not let them choose a selection of 4 romance novels that fit your chosen theme for you? For example, you can choose a romantic theme centered around cowboys, or princes, or Scotsmen, if that is your thing.
Mystery Boxes
Other curated collections on offer are the various sized Mystery Boxes. Great for gifts, or personal enjoyment.
The small mystery box contains 2 to 4 books, the medium has 5 to 7 books, and the large mystery box contains 8 to 10 handpicked books.
There is also a a special Vintage Classics Mystery Book Box, comprised of 2 to 4 curated vintage and rare books, that is sure to delight a vintage book enthusiast or collector.
Donations Accepted
The store is accepting book donations, some of which may qualify for a store credit program. Any books that are not selected for the store will be donated to worthy organizations elsewhere.
At this point, however, they have stopped accepting paperback romance and mystery novels, due to the excesive inventory already in store, per the owner, when I stoppped by this week.
Spare Time Books can be found at:
945 12th St. Paso Robles CA 93446
They are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 11am to 6pm.
You can call them at:
