In a modest 7th Avenue building just south of Hatcher Road, there is a time machine, and much like the TARDIS, it definitely feels bigger on the inside. And what is the mode of transporting those who step through its doors? Books – so many books.
On April 12, Books on 7th Avenue held a 35th birthday party event. Family, friends, employees, Sunnyslope residents and city of Phoenix leadership joined the owner, Mary Anne Ramirez, as she celebrated the milestone. And dozens of residents stopped by to pick up a book, enjoy some cake and coffee and reminisce about why Books is special.
“It’s a local business and quite the bookstore,” said Councilmember Debra Stark. “I’ve never seen such a variety of books and what I really enjoy is that she has a lot of books on the history of Arizona. Mary Anne is pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the history of Arizona and the Sunnyslope area. And the store has a lot of sentimental value to the neighborhood.”
The story of Books began at Central Avenue, and after the celebrations of the weekend ended, Ramirez reflected on the past 35 years and how the store came to be.
“I’ve always been a big book person,” Ramirez recalled, “since I was knee high to a grasshopper. My mother read to me every day, and when I was in kindergarten, instead of getting a nap like the other kindergarteners did, they sent me to first grade to learn to read. It started with the old Dick & Janes. The teacher put it in front of me and said, ‘Read.’ I didn’t know how to read, so I just guessed at words until it clicked: these letters I’ve been learning, they make words. I’ve been a book addict ever since.”
In high school, she volunteered at the Phoenix library downtown, helping shelve books and working in the children’s area. When she went to college in Los Angeles, she worked in the library there. When she came back home to Phoenix over the summer months, she worked for her aunt, who owned a bookstore, Bent Cover Books.
“When I finally finished college, I decided that’s what I really like doing. So, my family helped me start up over at Central Avenue and Hatcher. We were there for five years, and when my lease was up, my dad said, ‘Why don’t we try to find a building here in Sunnyslope that we can buy.’ And so, we bought this complex. And here we are.”
Ramirez grew up close to Christown Mall and settled into Sunnyslope to be close to family, and it has been home ever since.
“It’s such a great community. People are just so nice and friendly, and there’s such a wide variety of people that live here in Sunnyslope…people that do all sorts of different jobs and careers. I just get to meet the most interesting people every day and hear all sorts of great stories.”
Much the same could be said of her bookstore.
“We are a general-use bookstore, and we have books on all topics. We’ve got books from astronomy to zoology. We’ve got everything – all different genres of fiction, sorted out alphabetically by author; and then nonfiction books sorted by type. And if people are looking for something special, I can basically put you within 6 inches of where it will be on the shelf.”
And while they don’t carry “rare” books, they do have some “mid-range” unique books come through on occasion. One that stood out was a set of books about the French Revolution, written in French about a decade after it happened.
Books is working towards creating space to host community events – they have a conference room and a nice patio area, but both are currently being used for storage. In the meantime, Ramirez will continue to serve the community in the way she knows best – by making books available. They have a free shelf at the store, she and her mom will frequently stock Little Library locations around the city and the store donates books to teachers, classrooms and senior centers in the area.
“Reading books is just so important for brain development, in children and for keeping your brain healthy as you age, too,” Ramirez said. “The more you read, it helps keep you thinking and helps keep your brain functioning versus being on the phone and scrolling all night long.
“With the move to the digital age, what I have noticed with digital items is either they disappear, or the host says, ‘Oh, you just rented it, you didn’t really own it.’ Or things get changed, versus if you have a hard copy, you know how it was originally published, how the author meant it to be written.”
Books on 7th Avenue, at 9201 N. 7th Ave., is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They have a trade program for store credit and an online catalog contains many of their titles. And don’t forget to check out the vintage magazines and LPs – there are some real gems just waiting for their next home. Contact the store at 602-678-4576 or visit www.bookson7thave.com.
