Books

Books can make the best gifts. They can be as personal as a rare, first edition favorite or as impersonal as a selection from the New York Times Bestseller List. As with all presents, the more personal you get, the more appreciated the book.

In an ideal universe, every book would find an audience on its own. You the author would sit alone in your cork-lined room painting pictures with words, and then your publisher would handle all the publicity and marketing details to draw the eager attention of the reading public.

The strip mall at 5335 Burnet in North Austin features a junk thrift store, a nail salon - and a bookstore that saves about 12 tons of books and paper from the Austin landfill each month.