CLEANSE YOUR CULTURAL PALATE

By Maya Alarcon

There are oh, so many things to love about the gritty-glamour of the Sunset Strip: rock shows at the Whisky, spotting Lemmy at the Rainbow, the sex swing in the window at Hustler, that damn invisible crack in the ground just outside the Roxy that always trips me up after a hard night out. So what, pray tell you ask my dears, is the common denominator? The fact that they are in polar opposition to the rare literary haven, the discrete treasure trove that I love, lying just on the outskirts of the bars, clubs and tattoo parlors, tucked discreetly in amongst the smut and mucky-muck of Sunset Boulevard.

MYSTERY PIER BOOKS is hidden down a narrow (and I do mean naaarrow) passageway just next to Book Soup’s entrance. If you don’t know it’s there, you won’t know it’s there, and even then, you may miss it. Lucky for me, I’m in tight with the owners and so I find it quite effortlessly. I walk down aforementioned tapered corridor (subconsciously sucking it in just slightly) to come upon an unexpected sight: an endearing British cottage adorned with flowers and two British gentlemen languishing inside. Harvey and Louis Jason are the father-and-son team which owns this bookish gem, and whom I’ve known for more years than I care to admit, lest I date myself. They’ve independently owned and operated Mystery Pier Books since 1998, and have secured quite an impressive name for themselves as uncommon book peddlers. The shop has been featured in many a television show and nation-wide entertainment magazine and a who’s-who list of celebrity literati clients frequent Mystery Pier, including U2 front man, Bono (the man in whose presence I’d most like to spend five awkward moments of stupefied silence), who is on a first name basis with both generations of Jasons, as well as Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist, Flea, the delectable Jude Law, and oh so many others.

What is it that makes this bookshop worth sucking in your tummy to seek out, you may sagely ask? For one, this place ain’t no Barnes and Noble (no dis on B&N”¦I love them dearly for feeding my Chick Lit addiction with no reproaching judgment). But Mystery Pier Books is a true book connoisseur’s dream. Steinbeck, Hemingway, Kerouac, Burrows, all in First Editions, all in tip-top condition jump off the wooden shelves to mingle with Modern Firsts by King, Rowling and Pullman. Now, back in the day, I didn’t know much about the value of books, but my dear friend, Louis (the junior Jason), was kind enough to teach me that First Edition books appreciate in value, even more so if they are inscribed. And lo and behold, many of the Firsts to be found at the Pier are signed by the authors, a book collector’s heaven. The Jason men pride themselves in maintaining a great selection of various genres that extend far beyond the American and British literary classics: Mystery & Detective, Children’s Classics, Antiquarian, Books into Films, Uniquities and True Crime, so there’s truly a little scholastic slice for everyone.

I also love that that Mystery’s not even remotely intimidating, and not only because I’m in good with the owners. Louis and Harvey are genuinely personable, and in absolutely no hurry to whisk you through your purchase and get you the hell outta Dodge. They encourage their clients to browse at their leisure and pride themselves on the ability to field obscure questions. Really, I’ve witnessed it. This is the sort of personal service you expect from a mom-and-pop shop, only in this case, it’s son-and-pop. You’ll always find one of them on site and, should you happen to call during off-hours, you’ll be cordially prompted to leave a message by the lovely Mrs. Jason, no lie, baker of the world’s best chocolate chip cookies (a major culprit in the need to suck in that gut).

So next time you’re trolling the Sunset Strip while the vampires snooze, and you find yourself thirsting for some cultural palate cleansing from the usual Hollywood puke-rock scene fare, take a stroll down the path to Mystery Pier Books. And if you happen to be there on a Sunday afternoon, keep an eye out for this City Pulse chica. We may just run into each other; I’ll be the girl in the corner lovingly caressing a coveted guitar autographed by all four U2 members, and willing with all my might for Bono or Jude stop by. Or both!

Mystery Pier Books is located at 8826 Sunset Blvd, in West Hollywood.
www.mysterypierbooks.com