Let Your Imagination Wander at Books! Books! Books!
By Tiffany Watkins

Cody and her dog Lucy in matching sweaters awaiting customers at the front counter. Photo by Tiffany Watkins

Ginger Cody, manager and co-owner of Books! Books! Books! and her dog, Lucy, a mini Dachshund, greet customers and help direct them to the gently used books of their choice at the used bookstore at 835 Main St.

"Lucy has her own wardrobe of jackets and sweaters," Cody said. "Everything from fur to leather coats." Cody added that they always match their outfits and if she's at work, Lucy will be by her side because she is an important part of the store and the customers adore the store mascot.

"I know my books," Cody said. She reads between 10 and 12 books a week and can usually answer any author or book-related question. Fred Hlawatsch is co-owner of Books! Books! Books! He occasionally works in the store that houses around 60,000 books, but his main focus is stocking the warehouse and buying books at other book stores, library sales and estate sales.

The two warehouses they have in National City store about 120,000 books and two storage bins behind the store house nearly 80,000 books. He also works as an attorney in National City.

"We have books for all people," Cody said.

The store has a wide variety, including books for men, women and children. The store has two areas for children to select books and a penny fairy visits the store and drops pennies for the children to pick up and keep when they visit the store. Cody added that if the children are good they will find pennies, but if they are naughty they will not find any pennies on the floor.

There is a bookcase designated for men with a sign overhead that reads, "Men's Books."

The store also stocks books for women including romance and mystery novels and all kinds of books for people with different interests. Some of the different types include

classics, poetry, business, cookbooks, self-help, the Star Track series, novels, non-fiction for the exploring minds, books and music on tape, CDs, cassettes and much more.

"Anyone is welcome to donate books to Books for Troops," Cody said. "Anyone who has friends or family overseas are welcome to bring me the name and address of that person and I will send them books." She has organized the donations and has been sending three boxes a week for the last five years.

There is a container by the cash register for donations to the Nancy fund. Nancy Dougherty, a former volunteer, started a fund to pay the postage to send the books overseas. The Nancy fund is still in effect and has been paying for the postage to places like Iraq, Korea, Afghanistan and other places overseas where the troops are stationed.

Not only does the store donate to the troops, but Books! Books! Books! has donated books to many of the jury rooms in San Diego, schools in South Bay, nursing rooms and to hospice for the family members to read to help pass the time.

"We have books for people in Ramona who want to read," Cody said.

The store is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Books! Books! Books! Phone number is 760-789-5640 and Cody's e-mail is granmaginger@aol.com.