The Last Bookstore is a used book store and, well, I guess, an art space. If not an art space, then it is a celebration of books. The two-story shop includes old and new books with fun art displays made out of mostly books. I went there this week as part of the Downtown Art Walk in Los Angeles (2nd Thursday of the month). They have a half dozen stores on the second floor which were closed on a daytime visit but a sign said they were open during the Art Walk so this month I got to enjoy them.

I only to the bookstore as I wanted to see the art stores, but since it houses so many books, including a room full of books that only cost a dollar, it’s hard to leave without at least one purchase. I managed to limit myself to two.

As I’m currently writing a comedy mystery I’ve been reading any pulpy, preferably silly, mystery novels. From Sherlock to Fletch, I’ve been working my way through all sorts of puzzling thrillers for inspiration, to make fun of,  and get an idea of genre expectations. At The Last Bookstore I found a book based on the 60s TV series The Man From Uncle. The characters I’m writing about we’re originally created for a web series which heavily referenced The Man From Uncle. For example. each episode of the show and therefore my web series had the naming convention of “The _____ Affair.”

I would watch repeats of The Man From Uncle all the time as a kid, not in an ironic way either, I genuinely loved the show. I haven’t revisited it as I’m scared it wont live up to the memory. It was in no way campy to me at the time, it was a fun and thrilling adventure. Today, a book version seems like a fine way to get reacquainted, since novels are the sandbox I’m playing in right now.

There are over twenty in the series (written from 1964 to 1968) and I picked out number 18, mainly because it had the most fun title “The Unfair Fare Affair.”

I’m a Kindle man so I prefer to have a digital copy keep the shelf space, although I’ll probably donate this once read to keep my bookshelf thin, I appreciate having this original 60s book. It’s a little time-machine that show me what books were like back in the day. The back pages include an order form to buy back issues. You’d send off a cheque for 60 cents per book and mail it to them.

I forget that’s how people used to do business before the likes of Amazon. Just 15 years ago I remember being excited about having my first cheque book because I could buy things by mail order without asking my parents for help.

Oh how I am tempted to send off and order 46 years later and see what kind of a response I get.