The Goddess Lounge

"Ok. So I’m on my way to The Goddess Lounge, the coffee house/knitting salon/menstrual palace that Fox News calls, 'A man-hating elevator to hell, another example of debauched LA, a sinful hideaway for modern-day polytheists and the Hollywood types who forever confuse spiritual wholeness with liberal narcissism.'

Yeah. It’s not a good morning." Thus begins the first chapter of The Goddess Lounge, the debut novel by South Pasadena's own Margaret Finnegan. Margaret charmed everyone who attended her book signing and reading yesterday at SPACE Arts Center. Many of you already know Margaret's writing from her hilarious and inspiring blog Finnegan Begin Again. Well, everyone should put her new book at the top of their summer reading list. The Goddess Lounge is funny, smart, magical and undoubtedly the coolest riff on The Odyssey ever devised. (Yeah, Margaret manages to be super brainy and hysterical all at the same time. A goddess in her own right, that Margaret.)

San Gabriel Valley locals, you can find The Goddess Lounge at Vromans -- that way you will support not one but two of our local treasures. For everyone else, it's here at Amazon and here at Barnes Noble.

(Go ahead and read the entire first chapter right here!)

BOOK 'em Mysteries Book Store

Ever wonder what goes on in a mystery bookstore late at night? Since classic noir is a personal favorite, I imagine Philip Marlowe is back there somewhere playing 5 card draw with Nestor Burma and Sam Spade.

If you ever find yourself on Mission Street, it would be a crime to miss BOOK 'em Mysteries. This is a true book lovers shop with a fantastic selection of titles across the entire mystery and crime genres. You’ll delight in the choice of classic whodunits, suspense, private eye fiction, police procedurals, young reader mysteries and a decent selection of contemporary horror novels. Owners Barry Martin and Mary Riley are the kind of personal and involved independent booksellers who promote books they love – and books they think other readers will love, too. They handle both new and in-print titles and represent the David Kaye Collection of fine first-editions. And if that isn’t cool enough, they support local authors by hosting autograph sessions with some of the area’s greatest mystery and crime wordsmiths.

According to the store’s website, BOOK ‘em itself has its own “unsolved mystery.” In 1991, it had been open less than a year when an arsonist destroyed the original location. Lucky for all South Pas book lovers, the store was relocated to its present spot. To this day, the perpetrator remains at large.