The Pied Piper of YA Readers – Latitude 33 Bookshop, Laguna Beach, CA

I entered Latitude 33 Bookshop with my daughter and her list of summer reading books.  As I meandered through the recommendation tables, my favorite way to get a feel for a bookstore, my daughter marched straight to the counter with her list.  She couldn’t have been luckier than to meet up with Jessie, truly the Pied Piper of YA readers.  While I looked at the choices for the books on the end caps, Kelsey and Jessie giggled and laughed like two girls on a sleepover.  They covered The Hunger Games, Kelsey practically turned green with envy when she learned Jessie read the sequel.  Kelsey explained how much she loved Little Brother, encouraging Jessie to read it.  It was an exchange of “if you like this, then read this,” both players equally matched.  Jessie examined Kelsey’s list, found the books she had, and offered alternatives for the books she didn’t have in stock.  Jessie was so excited about Along for the Ride and Down the Rabbit Hole:  An Echo Falls Mystery, that Kelsey agreed to buy them with her own money – that is the result of incredible hand selling! 

Jessie also leads the YA Book Group, so she and Kelsey discussed possibilities for upcoming selections.  As we finished our purchases, Jessie handed Kelsey a stack of ARCs to read and comment on for the store (I’m hoping she’ll also share her thoughts on this blog).  I have rarely seen my daughter so thrilled, for her, and me, and so many other readers, few things are better than a stack of books waiting to be read. 

We’re returning to Laguna in a few weeks on a mother-daughter trip with four other YA readers and where does my daughter want to go first?  Latitude 33, she’s saving her allowance! 

Latitude 33 offers much more than YA books, it is the perfect stop for literary fiction, children’s books, non-fiction and travel.  I overheard a sales person assisting a customer in choosing the appropriate books for his trip; it isn’t often that the personnel in a general bookstore are so adept at fitting the right travel book with a customer.  They have a great discount bookshelf, not just remainders of books that most people have never heard of, but books that were in a Indie Next list, a nice treat for customers.  

It’s compact store, but the choices feel hand-picked, the perfect place to find a book you never knew you wanted to read.

 Latitude 33 Bookshop

311 Ocean Ave.

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

T:  949.494.5403

F:  949.497.4574