Capitol Hill Books

As Capitol Hill Books enters its fourth decade (wow!), we’ve had a few famous visitors come by to give some celebratory cheer towards our store.

First we had Japanese monster sensation Godzilla drop by the store to roar his appreciation for great used books at affordable prices. He even had the courtesy to hold his fire breath until he was outside.

Then President Obama stopped by on his way to Hawaii to wish us another 30 years of success in the book businesses. It’s “Small businesses like you,” he read from a teleprompter that “shine a beacon of hope, guiding America to a more prosperous future.” Uh…Thanks Mr. Obama. He even let us give his cute dog Bo a cookie. Barack then bought the books “Going Rouge: An American Nightmare,” and “End of Time: The Maya Mystery of 2012″ in “preparation for the next election.”

Even though we get an occasional celebrity at Capitol Hill Books, we get a bigger thrill from simply seeing our customers here day in and day out. We have them to thank for the 30-year success of Capitol Hill Books and hopefully its continued success for the next 30 years.

January 1, 2010 is our exact 30th year in business. We will have a few cookies and warm stories to share if you would like to come in on that day. And of course you are welcome to come by after then too. We plan on staying here awhile.

Did you know that the phrase “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” comes from the fact that a horse’s teeth extend out of its jaw the older it gets. Therefore when you are looking a gift-horse in the mouth, you are assessing how old it is instead of just accepting it in good faith.

We here at Capitol Hill Books have a similar philosophy with books. We have thousands of books in superb condition that are the perfect presents for any occasion, including some gift-giving holidays around the corner. Most of the books are used but still in great condition and certainly the content of the book is as fresh as ever if it’s simply a good piece of literature. We’re sure your friends and family would hardly care that the book has been read before.

But even if they do, Capitol Hill Books is still a has the gifts they want. Due to some trades with some of our store’s friends, we have hundreds of new, or like new books that have never been read by anyone before but can still be had at discounted used book prices. These include some awesome craft, cooking, kids, history, and even books on horses. We also have new gift items like notebooks, journals, cards and magnets that are quirky and affordable stocking-stuffers.

And we even have a handful of new books including some bestsellers that are discounted 15 percent off the cover price.

But what if you have a loved-one who wants something different? We have a diverse range of rare and antiquarian books to ensure a gift as unique as they are.

Best of all, you can usually save a lot of money buying a book or gift item at Capitol Hill Books over than buying that same item at a new bookstore for new book prices. Your gift receiver probably won’t even know you bought it “used.” And unlike a horse, we promise that when you look at a gift book in the mouth, it won’t bite.

Here is the story of Holly. Once upon a time, Holly went on an adventure across the world. First she attempted her lifelong dream of being the most proficient ex-pat Paris ingenue, but realized she could never match Jane Birkin’s pout. So she traveled across the world to Japan and became a bar-hostess, because she wanted to see a Godzilla in person. But the dang thing took too long to show up, so Holly left for New Zealand or as her best friend Anne Perry likes to call it “Borovnia.”

Unfortunately, the never-ending sublime beauty just got to be too much to look at, so Holly sojourned to the bleak and hardscrabble Montana wilderness where she ran a fly fishing shop. Yet the lure of fishing only lasts so long and Holly just wanted to read a good book. She left for Denver and worked at another bookstore before cajoling and wheedling herself a job at Capitol Hill Books.

After a few years of Ronsonol exposure, Holly decided it would be a good idea to run the place herself. Now Holly says her adventuring days are over and considers it a big deal when she leaves the county. But underneath her thick glasses lies a soul full of restlessness and wanderlust and nobody should be surprised if the end of the adventure of Holly continues for a long, long time.

The end?

PS. This summary may or may not reflect the actual view Holly has on her own life since it was written by one of her slacker employees Julio.