Why a book makes the perfect gift!

I thought I'd change things up and write about something sort of off the topic of entertaining. This information may not help you when hosting a party/shower, but it may give you a gift idea if you're attending one.

I recently learned of this store specializing in rare and out-of-print books called Atlanta Vintage Books. Interestingly enough, this obscure little gem has been within walking distance of my house and all these years I never got around to making my way over. To be honest with you, it doesn't look like much from the outside... I know, I know, you can't judge a book by its cover, but nevertheless, I always overlooked it until recently hearing it was packed with some great finds. So, yesterday I scooped up my baby and my wallet and we strolled over to see what treasures we could find.

Upon entering the store, we were greeted by a very friendly and knowledgeable lady along with 5 house cats. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 5 amiable, house cats lounging about the place. We got a quick tour highlighting the various sections and then I was off to explore. Some of the cats were more sprightly than others, darting around the bookshelves, which kept my 15 month old entertained while I perused the Children's section.

I believe they call this one Boo.

And this little girl's name is Mickey. She was patient while my daughter pet her, and didn't seem to mind when her fur was pulled out in big clumps.

I heard they feed a lot of strays which is what I think you see above. This is an image I found on google, it's an exterior shot just outside the main entrance. This quirky side note is endearing to me. I, too, have a soft spot for animals.

There is a section for just about every genre - History, Military, Collectibles, Art/Architecture, Signed 1^st Editions, etc – but I was in search of a piece of nostalgia so I honed in on the kid's books. I thought maybe I could find that Babar book I read over and over again as a child, the one my mother gave away. I love that woman more than life itself, but why did she have to do that? Anyway, they had some really old stuff and it all appeared to be in very good condition. I noticed shelves were marked by date - 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and so on... then I happened upon an entire shelf of Nancy Drew books which were an absolute favorite of mine growing up. I ended up buying 2 of them and at a fabulous price too! The Haunted Showboat was $9 and The Invisible Intruder was $7.

I probably had 20 Nancy Drew books growing up, and my good ole mom gave those away too. Oh well, she makes up for this in so many other ways. She really is a great mom! :) Besides, I can rebuild my collection now that I've discovered Atlanta Vintage Books. On my next trip I plan to dig around for some Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins, these too are reminiscent of my younger years.

Behind their glass cases they had some really expensive books. I noticed one was $400, must have been really rare.

I didn't have much time since I brought my daughter along, but I plan to go back and purchase a few more books to give as gifts. I absolutely love giving books to my friends' children. Toys you eventually throw out but a good book is harder to part with. Even if that favorite book does disappear you never really forget the story so I suppose it stays with you forever.

So, if you like giving gifts that people will cherish for a life time (and you're not allergic to cats), then make your way over to Atlanta Vintage Books. They've been around for over 20 years, they're incredibly friendly, both human and the feline hosts, and they've got some really awesome collectibles.

Catherine