Never, on any continent, in any country has the weirdness risen to THIS level. Ojai is famous for its weirdness but this WAS a whole new level of jaw dropping mouth open shock. We specialize in non-fiction books of all kinds, especially rare and metaphysical books. That said, don't expect any folksy small town friendliness and god forbid you need have kids with you or need to go to the bathroom or make the mistake of expressing an understanding of the difficulties of doing business as a small shop in Ojai, lest on any of those accounts, you find yourself rudely escorted out of the store and reprimaded. BookEnds Bookstore is a bookstore built within a chapel building as well as a 1961 Airstream named Addendum in the Meiner's Oaks section of Ojai, CA.

If you like to browse small eclectic places like this, you will be very happy as its definately NOT a chain or big box store.or someone who will offer you cappucino. Unless you think it sacreligious-which may be what keeps Ojai residents away-the shop is housed in an old restored church building, where pews serve as bookshelves and cozy interior spaces filled with all kinds of books and curiosities for sale new and old. God knows if local residents read.much less buy books.so perhaps tourists can help to keep the Meiners Oak's enterprise alive and kicking.though it is doubtful. But, literature is important, isn't it? And books? And other than libraries, where is one to find new books anymore? In Ojai proper, there are no more bookstores-other than second hand ones. With most Lawrence Welk fans dying off, it's no wonder there isn't any mention of the town on TripAdvisor and certainly no review of this bookstore. I intend to make this my first stop for books in the future.įor the longest time, I'd been hearing about a Bookstore in Meiners Oaks, which is the more blue collar part of Ojai, where tourists probably don't venture all that often unless they are fans of Lawrence Welk and are looking for a restaurant there which is somehow allegedly linked to the father of the Lennon Sisters of Lawrence Welk Television fame. I ended up buying a wonderful batch of them-all clean and in excellent condition-intended for my visiting grandchildren who range in age from 3 to 14 and I enjoyed chatting about the books with the friendly woman who owns the store. But the best thing about the shop is that it contains a carefully selected collection of good quality, mostly used, books. I would have enjoyed merely walking through this store that was more evocative of an old library than a place of business-it did indeed seem an almost sacred place and reminded me why I have never truly fallen in love with my Kindle. One of the many charming touches is the use of old Scrabble tiles to identify the various categories of books as one moves through the crowded but welcoming space. The shelves are full, the aisles are narrow but quiet sitting places are scattered here and there, including a tiny table for two and a ready chess board. A small clapboard church has been re-deployed as a cozy sanctuary for books and those who love them. As a new resident of Ojai, I've been taking self-guided walking tours of the neighborhoods, and I recently discovered Bookends Bookstore & Curiosity Shop as I was exploring the Meiners Oaks end of town.

Bookends bookstore ojai