A Unique Book Shoppe

The Morongo Basin is blessed to have two unique book stores. One is in Joshua Tree and I’ve Blogged about it before. The other is in my town of Twentynine Palms. It’s none other than Ravens Book Shoppe!

This fascinating place is owned and run by Patty O’Toole. She’s been involved in evolving the place for three and one-half years. It seems a friendly, resident ghost comes with the establishment. Don’t worry, the entity likes books.

All the volumes are sorted and on bookshelves according to the genres as they were before. She has added the genre of Alternative Medicine. This, of course, includes Healing Herbs.

She has everything from history to fantasy with all the sub-genres in any of the categories. She has re-arranged certain things to make more space. Where once books and other items were piled because a bathtub faucet stuck out of the wall is now enclosed by three bookshelves offering more selections for you to sample. You may think it is a small place, but you would be wrong. Just try scooting through this magical place in a hurry. It won’t happen.

One of the nicest things she has done is display selected volumes by local authors at her front desk. Yes, a couple of mine are there, but you’ll have to go in and check to see which they are and which one is still waiting for a home.

I asked Patty what she found most interesting about running a book shop. She answered without hesitation, “The wonderful people I’ve met from here and from all over the world.” What surprised her was the fact that some of the people from this area confided that they hadn’t been in the shop for years.

One of her most interesting experience involved a family from England. They had stopped in San Francisco to visit with friends before going on Joshua Tree National Park. The friends urged them to stop at this unique bookstore before leaving the area.
The man emerged from the depths of this shop with two rather well-worn older books on ancient English history. “Is this really the price of each?”

Patty looked and each book was marked $100.00. She was about to make him and offer when he continued.

“I don’t care. I have been looking for these two books since I was a teenager. They are nowhere else to be found.” He was delighted that an obscure shop in the high desert could supply what no other store or site could. His quest had ended.

Another wonderful experience occurred when a couple from Vermont stopped by. They started chatting as book lovers do and told Patty about their acreage in Vermont. They raise maple trees and make maple syrup. Of course, Patty was impressed and the idea of fresh maple syrup is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. “We’ll bring you some on our next visit.”

Yes, the couple did just exactly that. Patty did receive fresh maple syrup on their next visit.

The people she has met from around here are always surprising. She never knows who is the scholar and who is just looking for a good read. Whatever their reason for stopping by, she welcomes them.

She has more plans for Ravens Book Shoppe, but it will take a while to implement them, but don’t let that stop you from dropping by and being lost in a world of books. She is open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.