My Visit to a Beach Town Bookstore

The Book I Surfed Away With

Honestly, I wasn’t sure at first about visiting this bookstore. But I was in the San Juan Capistrano/Dana Point California area visiting a friend and thought, “why not.”

After a short beachfront walk, we headed to the heart of downtown San Clemente to Beach Town Books. Replete with a non-descript outdoor sign, this quaint, intimate community bookstore (formerly the Village Book Exchange) with its eclectic selection of new and used books in virtually every genre did not disappoint. 

A coastal city in Orange County, California, San Clemente is nestled on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Known for its majestic ocean and mountain views, agreeable climate, and Spanish colonial-style architecture, it is the quintessential beachfront community. 

Affectionately called the “Spanish Village by the Sea,” San Clemente has long been known for its Spanish-style architecture. Many downtown San Clemente locales are, in fact, feature red tile roofs, stucco walls, and dark wood doors and windows

Beach Town Books according to their website attracts all comers from Orange County, San Diego, Southern California, and beyond. The bubbly and resourceful store staff seemed intent on ensuring that every patron walked out with whatever book they were looking for.  

All in all, the store was a great place for wandering around and getting lost in a sea of books. There were comfy seats to sit and read along with placards on the walls with book-related quotes. The store even featured a small coffee station for those needing to get caffeinated.

During my visit, I noticed that there were two women nestled on the floor in a narrow area between bookshelves having a deep conversation about life. Then there was the couple who appeared to be in an existential crisis about which books they wanted to purchase and which to put back on the shelves. There was also the man who the store staff referred to as Thomas who I overheard inquiring about the amount of used books credit he had remaining for new purchases. 

Speaking of purchases, my visit yielded a book called Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton. Originally published in 1942 by Little, Brown, and Company, it delivers stories of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology drawn from a variety of sources and includes commentary on the major classical poets. The broader theme of the book is about how cultures have led over time to the changing characterizations of deities and their myths. 

So what bookstores have you visited lately? And what are you currently reading?