HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!

The year 2011 is putting me in mind of many symbolic things...

One is the loneliest number, but we've two ones, side-by-side. This should be a good year for couples, pairs, and friends. In fact, our first visitors of 2011 had never been in before, so we've made some new friends already. :-)

If you're reading this, you've probably been to Bonnett's at least once. Many people, sadly, have never visited our shop, and more don't even know it's here. We don't have an advertising budget, so most of my blogging, Tweeting, and other online endeavors are an attempt to make up for that. You can help us by introducing Bonnett's Book Store to your friends who've never been in before.

Even folks who don't read often can find something here. We have an ever-growing selection of DVDs (now featuring 2 blu-ray movies), comic books for young and old, short stories or joke books to read in the porcelain lounge, books on making repairs, gardening, history, picture books and stories for the kids (in all of us), and, of course, plenty of current and classic novels and/or non-fiction for more serious readers.

'11, as two ones, also makes me think of 2-for-1 which is the basis of our trade-in policy. Bring in your old books, DVDs, comics, and magazines, and trade them in to save money on your next purchase; Or trade in 2-for-1 of the same price and type of book, comic, or DVD.

Pair up now and enjoy the whole year with friends at Bonnett's Book Store!

Just don't get yourself in trouble, like our old friend Archie Andrews. ;-)

Bonnett's Directory of Dayton's "Oregon District"

The other day I posted a list of places to go and things to do on East Fifth Street. I mistakenly left out a few of our friends on Wayne Ave. (coming from the Convention Center, turn right at Fifth & Wayne):

• Easterling Portrait Studios - (you need a Team portrait to commemorate the Championship)
  
• Kendall Printing - (Wayne & Van Buren - need to make copies of your awards for friends and family?)
  
• Coco's Bistro - (a great place to eat and relax)

Also, one BIG update! Our friends at Derailed Hair Salon are mentioned in the August 2009 issue of ELLE for their participation in the magazine's "Best Hair in America" poll, in which ELLE sought out the most requested celebrity hair styles across the U.S. of A. Stop by and say "Hi".

Finally, here's a (renamed) link back to the original post with the majority of East Fifth Street attractions:

• =[BONNETT'S]= Quickie Tour of Dayton, Ohio's Oregon Historic & Arts District

Enjoy your stay in Dayton!

Oh, one more thing... The Oregon District is Dayton's oldest neighborhood and features a lot of excellent photo ops.

Not your average dictionary

If you're a word junkie you've already got the standard reference books, and we do, too. Here are a few titles you might not have stumbled upon - available now at Bonnett's, just a few blocks walk East of the Dayton Convention Center (we're across the street from a Goodwill store):

10 Minute Guide to Building Your Vocabulary
Dictionary of Geological Terms (3rd Ed.) prepared by the American Geological Institute
Dictionary of Word Origins
Getting Your Words' Worth - Discovering and Enjoying Phantonyms, Gramograms, Anagrams and Other Fascinating Word Phenomena
The Joy of Vocabulary - An Advanced Guide to Mastering New Words
Names & Nicknames of Places & Things - An A-t0-Z compendium of culture
Phonetics [because sometimes it helps to sound out a word]
Super Word Power - More entertaining ways to enrich your laguage skills.
Tuttle Dictionary of New Words Since 1960 (1991 edition)
Webster's New Explorer Medical Dictionary
and, of course, much, much more...

Bonnett's Books & The Oregon Historic & Arts District

SCRABBLE® is a word game.
Bonnett's is a book store.
We'd make a great team!

We'll be open extra hours during the National Championship, including special Sunday hours, but it will depend somewhat on the flow of business. Call us before you make a special trip down, just in case.

Bonnett's is just a short walk from the Dayton Convention Center. When you leave the Convention Center main entrance just turn right and head down Fifth Street. On the way you'll find some Dayton legends:

[We hope you'll enjoy your time in Dayton for the National SCRABBLE Championship. To help you find your way around we've got a list here with links of places to go and things to do during your down time. As always, call ahead to help avoid any disappointments.]

• The Neon Movies (would you like a cold beer with your popcorn?)
• Smokin' Bar-B-Que (gooood stuff - I go for the pulled pork sandwich)
• Gem City Records (music, DVDs - check out the USED bins)

If you cut through Gem City Records' parking lot you'll find

• Jay's Seafood on Sixth Street (fine seafood and more at great prices) and
• Thai 9 on Brown Street (excellent Thai food, sushi, and 9 levels of spicy, I stick to a 4 or 5)

or stay on Fifth to visit

• The Oregon Express at 5th & Brown (free pizza Friday happy hour, live music)

turn right on Brown Street to find

• Thai 9's front entrance
• Color of Energy Art Gallery (white walls, great energy, unique art)
  
• (turn right again for the front of Jay's Seafood and Powers Photography & Framing)
  

• Pacchia Cafe & Restaurant (nice meals or a cuppa and a danish, good stuff)
• CHASE ATM
  

across Fifth Street

• Cafe Boulevard & Le Monde (fine dining & cocktail bar, respectively)

meanwhile, back on this side...

• 5th St. Wine& Deli (sandwiches, snacks, beer, wine, cigarettes, etc.)
• Newcom's Tavern (a night club named for Dayton's first tavern)
• Blind Bob's Tavern (burgers & beers? stop in here! oh yeah, LIVE BAND Karaoke!!!)
• Jazzy Java (for coffee and a jam session, even poetry)
• Oregon Smoke Shop (simple and extravagant smoking implements and accessories)
  
• Feathers Vintage (for all the things you don't yet know you want)
• Exotic Fantasies (how many points for FREAKY? get yours on! Adults Only)

look across the street to find

• Ned Pepper's & The Hole in the Wall (party bar, billiards, darts, simple & sweet)

and back over here

• Glenn Scott's Tattoo Team (did you win your match, wanna remember it always?)
• Tumbleweed Connection (New Bar Smell, reborn like a phoenix from a February fire!)

again, look to the other side of Fifth

• The Annex (more for Adults Only)

and back over here...

• 464 on Fifth (Adults Only, catering to same-sex couples)

and over there...

• Goodwill (forgot to bring a belt, tie, shoes, or little black dress for the awards ceremony?)

and back again...

• BONNETT'S BOOK STORE (502 E 5th - You've finally made it! Stop and look around)
• Practice Yoga on Fifth (504 E 5th - in case the tournament is totally stressing you out)
• Derailed Hair (506-½ E 5th - spruce up for the awards ceremony)
• Gallery 510 on Fifth (508 & 510 E 5th - (ever changing art gallery and classes too!)
• Sterling Studio - (511 E 5th - specialty, handcrafted jewelry, knick-knacks, stones)

across the street you'll find

• Link Gallery (from blown glass to sketches, items for all tastes)
• Goloka Gallery (always something new and interesting)
• Ohio Budokan Karate, Sensei Jim Rodriguez (to balance mind, body, and spirit)
  

and back again (are you getting dizzy yet?)

• The Trolley Stop (a great place to chill-out with a brew, friends, food, plus live music)

which way to turn, where to go? venture down the side of the Trolley Stop on Clay Street to find

• Urban Krag Indoor Climbing Center (125 Clay St - just what it says, inside an old church, cool!)
  

back to the Trolley Stop and across Fifth Street again

• Sloopy's (dancing, party bar/night club, if you can squeeze in the door)
  

and the adventure continues across Wayne Avenue

• The Dublin Pub (Perfect Pints of Guinness and great food too)
• China Buffet (it's a buffet, full of Chinese food, plus soft-serve ice cream cones)
• Franco's Ristorante Italiano (wine, great food, an excellent wind-down meal)

Now turn around and do it all again on the way back! ;-)

The possibilities are nearly endless! Have a great time and good luck in the Championship!

Green Lama 6 - old Bonnett's store stamp

Elf boots - 1
Nazis - 0

And the winner is... Green Lama

A Bonnett's Sighting

Lori Pritchard's "Heart & Light Photography" blog has recently featured some images from an Engagement photo session and our storefront is trying to remain unobtrusive in the background of this very nice photo. It's a nice coincidence that I should find such a photo the day after my own wedding anniversary.

Thank you to Lori (for not cropping too much). ;-)

And Congratulations to Laura & Erik. May all your years ahead be happy.

Dayton and Xenia Ohio Child Photographer Lori Pritchard» Blog Archive » E-Session with Erik and Laura:

Urban Nights Photos (May 15, 2009)

The latest of the Urban Nights featured another good time in the Oregon District. This short slideshow features some of the photos I was able to take. Naturally, I had to stick pretty close to the shop. These images feature the Nick Kizirnis Band and various views around the Ware Block. Check the list of links below the slideshow and be sure to look for their blogs and popular social networks. Links to our Picasa photo gallery, Facebook, and MySpace are located in the sidebar.



Downtown Dayton Partnership - URBAN NIGHTS

Loretta Puncer's GALLERY 510 on Fifth

DERAILED HAIR SALON on MySpace

PRACTICE YOGA on Fifth

DOLCESSA GELATO, PANINI, ESPRESSO on Facebook

NICK KIZIRNIS BAND / NICKY KAY

Natural. Candid. Real. Beautiful. { The Blog. }: { She's got it all }

Found on Christi Traster's Snickerdoodles Photography blog...

Natural. Candid. Real. Beautiful. { The Blog. }: { She's got it all }: "We went to a used bookstore called Bonnett's Bookstore - where I took the below shot:" [click to see the shots]

Thank you Christi and Lauren.

Best Urban Nights Yet!

Though Urban Nights officially ends at 10pm there's always plenty to do in the Oregon District on Friday nights... bands, dancing, people watching, etc. We stayed open until midnight this just to let people know we were here and take a look around.

Our new neighbors, "Practice Yoga on Fifth," at 504 E. 5th St., were greeting folks and enjoying the beautiful evening alongside Derailed Hair Salon's temporary display of art and gift cards.

Derailed also has been featuring a selection of art from some of the folks at Catalyst Creative Design Studio (aka C2 or C-squared). Very cool stuff.

Dolcessa made a re-appearance with their gelato cart, and I must say the gelato actually tasted better than I remembered it. The next time you're on Brown near UD & MVH, do yourself a favor and try some of their gelato. They're right across the street from the Burger King over there.

510 Gallery featured some great tunes to accompany the works on display from Loretta Puncer. I didn't get to stick around but there's always something enchanting about the flute that makes you want to stay.

My camera and I couldn't get around much because we had to stick near the shop, but here's a small sampling of what I've described above. Enjoy! :-)

It's "Urban Nights" Time Again!

Bonnett's Book Store will keep extra hours the evening of Friday, May 16, 2008 as part of downtown Dayton's "Urban Nights" event. The following links are recommended:

• URBAN NIGHTS Preview - DATV-Dayton Digital Digest-Dan Suffoletto
• URBAN NIGHTS Organizers - Downtown Dayton Partnership
• URBAN NIGHTS Official MySpace
• URBAN NIGHTS post on For The Love Of Dayton
• URBAN NIGHTS post on DaytonOS
• Also, be sure to visit: Dayton MostMetro.com

Don't forget about "A World A'Fair" at the Dayton Convention Center AND be sure to bring your camera and look for the "City Life '08" sculptures to enter the Downtown Dayton Partnership City Life '08 PhotoContest (.pdf)

Finally, this video, created to promote last year's Urban Nights, still tickles my funny bone:

Pulp Magazine Covers

Right off the bat, let me make clear that the gallery linked in the subject line (above) is NOT A CATALOG OF ITEMS FOR SALE.

PulpCon is right around the corner and I've been scanning covers of our items for the last couple of years. These are high resolution scans of (some) very well read items. Details are clear, including the historically relevant "Guy's," "Jordan's," and, of course, "Bonnett's" labels and store stamps.*

Many of the items have already been sold and some are still available by in-store visit. The images are for reference only and not to be used elsewhere. More are coming. I just thought I would share my efforts for any interested parties.

Please visit us if you're in Dayton for the Pulp Convention. We're just 3 long blocks east of the Dayton Convention Center. It's walking distance and there are many other fine establishments en route.

Bonnett's Book Store -- =[BONNETT'S]= MySpace
502 East Fifth Street -- www.Bonnetts.com
Dayton, Ohio 45402 -- Mon-Sat, Noon-8pm ET

*That line was typed with my tongue-firmly-in-cheek -- so much so that my tongue is now sore from the effort.

Urban Nights

Spring 2007 Urban Nights*

Urban Nights was a big success in the Oregon District last night. Please leave a comment with your thoughts about related events anywhere in Downtown Dayton.

Many people came out to see all the great things downtown Dayton has to offer. At Bonnett's Book Store we stayed open until 10 p.m., two hours later than usual, to give Urban Nights visitors a chance to see what we offer during regular hours, Noon - 8 p.m., Monday - Saturday (Closed Sundays).

The streets were bustling with visitors from Hamvention at Hara Arena, A World Affair at the Dayton Convention Center, as well as those who came down just for Urban Nights. I hope the "triple threat" crowd didn't put anyone off by making it seem TOO crowded. Street musicians were out in force, some were regulars while others joined in just for Urban Nights. The street scene is always fascinating on East Fifth. You could almost make a second job of crowd-watching down here on weekends.

I can only speak to what went on in our immediate vicinity since we were manning our store, but what we could see was a pleasure. Dolcessa, one of the newest businesses in the historic Oregon District, did a brisk business with their offerings of gelato, espresso, and panini. At times there was a line out the door waiting to order, and I promise, everyone who did so will tell you it's worth the wait. Sterling Studio looked to be quite busy with their offerings of custom jewelry, incense, and gifts. Derailed Hair Salon had a table out front with a bit of a party going on inside. Derailed is known to host the occasional gallery featuring works by local artists. There is a banner in the storefront next to ours proclaiming "Nail Salon Grand Opening July 2007", so that's something that will be new for the next Urban Nights even in the Fall.

All in all there were many smiling faces enjoying some of the one-of-a-kind offerings of downtown Dayton, Ohio. If you couldn't make it out for Urban Nights I recommend coming downtown Saturday visit these places and many more. On Saturday and Sunday you can take in "A World Affair" at the Convention Center. And, through next weekend, you can take a walk to see the lifelike statues scattered throughout downtown, one of which is Marilyn Monroe in her famous skirt blowing pose from "The Seven Year Itch".

Speaking of Marilyn Monroe, I'm looking forward to attending the Marilyn show at the Dayton Art Institute. I believe that show runs into July, but don't wait until the last few weekends or you'll have trouble finding parking due to large "last chance" crowds.

Some great places I visit whenever I can are The Tumbleweed Connection, Feather's Vintage, 5th Street Wine & Deli, The Oregon Emporium, Jay's Seafood, The Oregon Express, Gem City Records, Smokin' BBQ, The Neon Movies, Goodwill, Da Da Gallery, The Dublin Pub, and my favorite lunch spot The Trolley Stop.

There's much more, like Coco's Restaurant, Urban Krag Indoor Climbing, Jasper Wall Studio featuring Boston Stoker Coffee, Glenn Scott's Oregon District Tattoo featuring 'The Tattoo Team' as seen on "Miami Valley Ink", The Nite Owl, Newcom's Tavern, Pacchia aka The Jazz Room, Pearl Night Club in the old Diner, Cafe Boulevard and their pub Le Monde, Wiley's Comedy Club, Ned Pepper's Bar & Grille, The Look, and Sloopy's.

If that's not enough for you there's more on the way... look for John Henry's opening soon where The Blue Moon used to be and a yet-to-be-named nail salon where Just Fishit Aquatics was at 504 E. 5th St. FYI, Just Fishit is still in operation but business became so brisk that maintaining a storefront was actually slowing it down. Check them out at www.fishit.net.

Finally, here are some fun promotional videos for Urban Nights. We hope to see you all again soon. Bring friends. And don't forget that daytime is pretty awesome downtown, too. Enjoy!

*I began adding links to everything mentioned in this article, but there's just too much great stuff in downtown Dayton and the Oregon District. Please use your favorite search engine to learn more about anything mentioned in this article.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Now available at Bonnett's

"Naked Came the Stranger" by 'Penelope Ashe'

Wikipedia entry

I've never read this book, but I've always enjoyed the story behind it. Click the link above to read more about it on Wikipedia.

First post

After much reflection, study, and trial & error, Bonnett's Book Store finally has a 'blog to call home. I hope some of this proves to be entertaining and/or useful. I've collected a handful of items that I've been saving for our blog, but posting those will have to wait.

Until then, take care.

KB in the OD