The book business is turning pages in Auburn

Bookstores are reading success in Auburn. A new bookstore opened recently in downtown Auburn and two others are beginning new chapters with new owners. Winston Smith Books, named for the main character in George Orwell's "1984," opened on Lincoln Way in January, a venture of a threesome who got to know each other at book sales. Fred and Karen Bernstein of Garden Valley kept running into James Van Eaton of Citrus Heights and found they shared an interest in opening a store. And they are finding their interests mesh really well."James is very versed in fiction," Karen Bernstein said. "We are knowledgeable in non-fiction."The teamwork side of the business also is flourishing. Van Eaton prefers to work in the store, while the Bernsteins like to be out acquiring merchandise. Approximately 99 percent of the inventory is used, coming from book sales, estate sales, library sales and donations. The selection is fairly evenly divided between fiction and non-fiction. There's a children's reading area and plans for an expanded cookbook, gardening and crafts section. There are also a few rare books, among them a copy of the "Vicar of Wakefield," signed by illustrator Arthur Rackham."We want to have a real good mix of everything," Karen Bernstein said. "We try to have books that people would want to own."The Bernsteins and Van Eaton are well versed in the business. The Bernsteins also own Broadway Books, an online sales company. Van Eaton worked for more than five years at Ames Books in Nevada City, the last three years as manager.The response to the store has been great, they say."The walk-in traffic has been phenomenal at this location," Van Eaton said.The three are avid readers. Karen Bernstein enjoys cookbooks, mystery novels and classics. Fred Bernstein prefers non-fiction, particularly natural history, and mysteries. Van Eaton likes fiction from any genre that breaks new ground or presents new ideas, he said.Placer High student Brendan Hanrahan discovered the bookstore before it even opened its doors, and is a frequent visitor."I read scifi, fantasy and American classics. I like the classics and I like to read math and physics books, too," he said. "I like the (store's) atmosphere. It has loads of books but it is very open and has a very friendly staff."The store accepts trades on selected fiction and buys selected non-fiction.Winston Smith Books is at 933 Lincoln Way, phone (530) 823-5940. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.Shelle Parsons of Meadow Vista recently purchased The Book Haven, a longtime fixture in the Gold Country Mall. Parsons brings a lifelong love of books to the store, she said.The shop offers new and used books, greeting cards, book jacket covers, postcards and special order items. With a computer onsite, Parsons said she can have in-print books in one-to-two days and out-of-print books within a couple of weeks."People can come to me and have books they've been seeking for a couple of years and I've found them in 15 minutes," she said. The 10,000-volume selection is mostly used books but Parsons also stocks new copies of the most recent reads. Customers can bring used books for trade, but most of the inventory comes from library book sales and thrift store sales. As a mother of three children, Parsons is especially fond of children's books."I love to see children come in and get excited about a book," she said.The Book Haven is at 884 Lincoln Way, Suite No. 23; phone (530) 888-0229. It is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.Cindy's Book Exchange in the Fiddler Green Plaza on Highway 49 is a browser's dream with 22,000 paperbacks. New owner Melissa Borelli of Meadow Vista took over the shop in February and has been pleasantly surprised at the popularity of the site. "(There are) lots of very longtime customers," she said. "The store has been around since the early 1980s."The selection is mainly fiction. But the shop also sells jigsaw puzzles. The most popular genres are romance and mysteries, Borelli said.The store accepts books for purchase credit. Cindy's Book Exchange is at 1209 Grass Valley Highway, phone 885-3170. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Auburn also is home to several specialty book stores including Audio Editions Books on Cassette at 1133 High St., phone 888-7801; Trinity Books & Gifts, specializing in Catholic literature, at 1132 Lincoln Way, phone 888-7345; and Unity of Auburn Spiritual Bookstore at 1212 High St., phone 888-0935.The Journal's Gloria Young can be reached at gloriay@goldcountrymedia.com.