This is the city: West Hollywood, California.
When I think about Sunset in LA, my mind turns to books, and I tend to get all serious because West Hollywood is home to my TWO favorite bookstores, BOOKSOUP and MYSTERY PIER.
BOOKSOUP and I go a long way back. The time (and bread) have been well spent. And a few Very Famous Friends (VFF) have met and hung out with me at BOOKSOUP. It is a cool place for cool people. Over the years I've discovered some great books and met some pretty great friends there. KEANU REEVES plays his share of spaced out dudes but in fact, this great actor knows more about good books and authors than anyone I've ever met. He once handed me a novel (and was cool enough to add it to his tab) at BOOKSOUP, saying, "Here. This might be good." It was.
BOOKSOUP is one of the last independent bookstores and is home to great signing and music events. And the staff? They are the best!
Now when it comes to first editions, the best place is just around the corner. Every time I step into MYSTERY PIER I relive my first visit. No, I mean it. MYSTERY PIER has a timeless quality about it and the owner, HARVEY JASON is as charming and polite as he is erudite and helpful. On a recent visit I spoke to Red Hot Chilli Pepper bassist FLEA about his great collection of literature, most of which he assembled with Harvey's assistance. Not for nothing? FLEA is a fantastic trumpet player and a serious student of music. I suspect if he hadn't befriended Anthony Kiedis, the punk rocker could have easily gone another direction, which would have been bad for rock but maybe great for the arts, Universally Speaking. Today, FLEA knows enough about music and books to teach Music Theory and English Lit.
This is the power of good books, man.
