I ♥ Sacramento {Beers Books}

Beers Books
915 S Street
Sacramento CA 95811

(916)-442-9475

Hours:
Mon. – Wed. 1oa – 6p

Thurs. – Sat, 10a – 8p

Sun. 11a – 5p

For about a year while I was in college I worked downtown on L St near the capitol. I was a really bad administrative assistant to a lobbyist and soon after I started work I discovered Beers Books at their old 15th and L location (where Cafeteria 15L is now). I escaped the office and enjoyed many a lunch hour in Beers Books. I used to buy cookbooks, CS Lewis and the occasional classic to read on the hour long bus ride I had from work to my apartment out on Fulton Avenue.

When we were dating my husband would buy me books on his lunch hour as well. The first Christmas we were together he bought me a book on physics and astronomy. I had clearly mislead him to believe I was far smarter than I was(am). He never buys me books anymore. Now he buys me People. (And I sold the physics book at a garage sale.)

Beers Books has been in business since 1936 and has had only four owners (and as many locations). It’s most recent location on S Street is large and sprawling (for an indie bookstore, much less a used indie bookstore) and definitely has the look and feel of the public library, which probably is due in no small part to the old library chairs everywhere.

Beers is definitely a place to get lost in for a few hours to find something you didn’t know you needed.  They do buy some new books and will special order anything you want, if you don’t mind waiting. They also buy books and list what they are currently buying on their website. They are apparently rather well known for their metaphysical department, and seem to have quite a few books that collectors drool over. You can check their blog for the “book of the day” (which ironically doesn't appear to be updated daily) my favorite being the recent “1886 Professional Criminals of America”. The blog and website also list their regular sale days, the best being 20% off on Second Saturdays.

The signage all over the store was funny. My junior high self enjoyed it immensely.

Do you remember these books? I thought this one was particularly funny. Pretty much a rear shot of a winged horse thing that sorta looks like it passes butterflies instead of gas.  Yup, no wonder the moral of the story is “Laughing at yourself can be the most fun of all.”

$7 each. I reeeeally wanted all of them. Cuz they’re pretty.

Also, on another note, they are not shy about adult books (Meaning books with titles you might not want your school aged kids reading out loud. Or at all. The parent in me had to mention it.) many of which are displayed by the register, which we thought was a funny sales angle. Either they know their clientele well and display what the people want up front and easy to find or these are the titles punks are most likely to run off with so they keep ‘em close. Something tells me it might be a little of both.