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Books Inc.
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
2275 Market St(between Sanchez St & 16th St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Castro
(415) 864-6777
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
97 reviews for Books Inc.
Review Highlights
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"Books Inc is a particularly awesome book store." In 30 reviews -
"Oh, they also have a frequent reader card." In 6 reviews
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"A huge magazine selection including Butt Magazine." In 6 reviews
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97 reviews in English
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Review from Shelley M.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful bookstore. Friendly staff, great selection. I have also been to a few of the "live in person" events, as well as others, including Original Plumbing readings. Everything about this bookstore is great, including kid's stuff, and the different locations in the city.! Thanks Book,Inc!
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Review from J. S.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012
This is a great bookstore to visit in the winter.
It's because of the shop's choice in lighting. The moody halogens they've set up will bake the top two layers of skin right off your frame. Yeah, it's great reading light... but this isn't a lending library and it certainly shouldn't be a sauna.
This is one of the smaller bookstores in the city. There's nothing wrong with that; just know that they're not an "all-around" bookstore like, say, how Stacey's was. Fiction and nonfiction readers will be right at home here; travelers and folks with kids, too. This is one of the best bookstores for LGBT literature, bar none. If you're into any other kinds of reads -- especially art/design _theories_ (not just collected works), comics/cartooning compilations, older (but tried-and-true) titles, and technology/computing topics -- you'll be left out in the cold. Well, except for that whole lighting thing we talked about earlier. -
Review from Edi B.
Vallejo, CA
3/26/2012
Cool little book store with a varied selection.
2nd hand books available and dirt cheap prices.
Nice selection of adult themed books... some on display! -
Review from Ann S.
11/6/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I love books and any place that sells books, I instantly love as well. Here at Books Inc., there is no exception.
It's a great place to purchase your latest literature finds. There's great variety and I love how this truly feels like your little neighborhood bookstore.
A wonderful place to pick up a gift for you or for someone else. With the holidays around the corner, this would be a very ideal place to go! -
Review from Jill B.
Oakland, CA
3/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
LOVE this bookstore in Castro. great selection of LGBT literature, as well as a nice selection of magazines you wouldn't find anywhere else. quiet but friendly, with a cozy small bookstore feel... lots of discounted books as well. Check it out!,
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Review from Dolce S.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2012
It may not be the absolute best store to which to bring 2 children under the age of 6 unless you are prepared to explain all the books and wall calendars about nude men in chaps. Truly, I don't mind this as a moral issue and in general love this about our city, I just wasn't prepared in a bookstore to have that particular conversation in the middle of a tiring day. But all in all a nice bookstore, a good selection and helpful staff.
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Review from Fra'tan L.
San Francisco, CA
7/16/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Finding an independent bookseller is so damn difficult these days. When I'm out walking the pup, I love to pop in here and fondle the books. You know, books! Pages with letters on them. A goddamn trip in this day and age.
They don't have a great selection of kids books, though. I wanted to pick up a book on birds and bird nests as a gift for the four-year-old of a friend. I'm making him this neat gift that includes a book and two actual bird nests. One of which is a hummer nest. So cool.
But, they always have a treat for my girl and it's fun just to look at all the different titles they have. -
Review from Miika m.
3/2/2011
When I'm on my way to visit my good friend on the block, I hold steadfast.
I steer clear of stores where the fantastic smell of roasting coffee emanates.
Never fall victim to come hither products gracing display windows.
But I must confess, that a bookstore is my undoing.
Books, Inc. Shame on you. Every time I am strolling down this street, it is inevitably you that draws me in without a struggle. Never mind date inquiries for drinks at Campton Place. Hold the rare Ribeye steaks warm off the grill. Tickets to the Symphony? Hmmm, nice try. If I have a schedule to keep, I never stray. But throw a book in my path, and I will invariably stoop to retrieve it. And then spend the next 30 minutes reading it.
This establishment takes up a fantastic narrow but long space that packs a great selection of books, ranging from travel, cooking, fiction/non-fiction, and modern selections from the LGBT field. In addition to current publications, they also have a several shelves full of items marked down. When I'm not really in the market for a new book (I have a bookcase full of books still awaiting my attention) I will peruse the sale racks.
The gentlemen manning the counters are quite knowledgeable and are ready to assist in the event you have a question. I love to spend a few minutes here prior to heading back out along Market to my next favorite shop on the strip. -
Review from sandy c.
New York, NY
6/5/2011 6 photos
One of the last real bookstores on the planet!
Living in a highly digital world, I think that we miss the tangible things that we can hold onto. I've resurrected my old habit of collecting over sized coffee table books. Fashion, Travel, Music...I think I long for print, the old days when you had to go to the bookstore and flip through different sections and learn about the world.
Books, Inc. is just that, a dose into culture. The perfect place to pick up a book that you would otherwise not fall upon. Great place for gifts, or something for yourself.
I WANT: The Balenciaga Spain book. What a gorgeous cover. Burgundy velvet, with black silk and beading. Total, Balenciaga.
And of course, since it's located near the Castro, tons of books for the LGBT community. Fabulous. -
Review from Quality T.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2011
I love this bookstore because:
:) The employees are always friendly and helpful, asking each other if they don't have the answer.
:) The store is super clean and well laid out.
:) The store welcomes dogs and often has water and/or treats.
:) There are always the usual free mags and rags, and the employees try to keep them in neat piles.
:) The selection is really quite wide and ecclectic.
:) There are occasional interesting events hosted there.
:) The employee picks of books are very diverse and almost always excellent.
:) It is still open after all these years!
Thank you Books Inc! -
Review from Mel P.
11/11/2011
I didn't know one existed here until I passed by. It is small but I still love a good bookstore (chain or independently owned). I just like to browse but just being surrounded by books gives me a good feeling. While it seems as though technology is taking over (e-readers), I am someone who still likes to have the hard copy of a book. I like to turn the pages and admire the cover. So, I am glad there are still book stores around. Glad I found this place especially if I am in this area. Love.
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Review from John M.
South San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
The staff does their job--I've never been poorly treated. But they do not smile and are not friendly. In fact, they seem bored or annoyed. The selection of books is mediocre and there is a more interesting selection of magazines at the smoke shop on Castro St. Plus the lighting system emits so much heat it is often ncomfortablly hot inside.
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Review from Liz K.
Cary, NC
10/7/2008
I was watching the History Channel the other night while cat sitting for a friend.
The History Channel is digging through the Lost Books and interpreting Nostradamus letters of predictions.
The interpreted version of a Nostradamus prediction by the History Channel is that this beautiful world is going to END in 2012.
No, no...don't panic, y'all. Unfortunately, the History Channel left out the fact that in one of Nostradamus' letters, he clearly states (en Francais) that his predictions will go on for THOUSANDS of years, out to the year 3797.
Whether or not you hold truth to Nostradamus letters, as much as I love the History Channel, it is wrong with this interpretation.
However, the calendar of the Mayans, ends on December 21, 2012. Also, known as DOOMSDAY.
The speculation is that on 12/21/2012, there will be an alignment between the galactic and solar planes. Doomsday prophets and New Age Astrologers are jumping all over this last day on the Mayan calendar as the END OF THE WORLD.
Note: The Mayans were some of the greatest astronomers and mathematicians to have lived.
Go ahead, panic.
However, according to Mayan scholars this is a MISINTERPRETATION of the Mayan Calendar.
Change my mind. Don't panic.
The Mayans had several calendars. The long calendar that is being referred to is reset to ZERO every 1,872,000 days.
Calculations have shown 12/21/2012 as being the next reset to ZERO.
This doesn't necessarily mean the end of the world.
It just means, time to get a new calendar.
OVERALL: I can spend hours in this bookstore reading about everything from history and politics to cooking and travel. They have an awesome Fiction section with wonderful recommendations written by the staff. A huge magazine selection including Butt Magazine. Whaaa? Despite the diverse selection of books, its not enormous like Borders, still cozy and intimate. If they served coffee and pastries, I would probably never leave. -
Review from Ed U.
7/30/2006 21 Check-ins Here
Now that Opera Plaza's 'A Clean, Well-Lighted Place for Books' is closed forever, I was in a panic. Looking forlorn and feeling like an empty shell of a reader, I was having palpitations wondering where, oh where, I could go for my indie bookstore fix.
As if I am enacting a scene from "You've Got Mail", I am constantly lured by the wide selection, cavernous space and coffee drinks at Borders and B&N, but sometimes you need the intimacy of a casual bookstore to allow you to browse without purpose and do your minor part in helping a small business out of its financial struggle. Such a feeling comes over me at Books Inc., where you walk into a narrow place that immediately tempts you with bargain-priced books in the front. Granted they can be obscure or initially overpriced, but I do entertain the thought of buying a $5 guide to the country's tiki bars or a $30 picture book on Catalonian architecture.
At first, you think the place is going to be crowded with its narrow main aisle, but it luckily opens up to a bigger space in the back where there are random seats strewn about. That seems appropriate since all the magazines, as well as the travel and cookbooks, are back there, the very books you want to peruse at a more casual pace. Even though the store is on a heavily trafficked area of Market, you can still waste a good hour or so just browsing. While they don't offer the major chain discounts, they do offer a frequency purchase card where upon completion, you get 10% off your next purchase. And the few times I have chatted with the staff there have been pleasurable in terms of their knowledge and willingness to help. Well worth a stop when you're in the area.Listed in: CASTRObation, Books Without Borders
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Review from S F.
San Francisco, CA
3/15/2008
I *heart* this bookstore so much. I love slipping in there and getting lost for hours. I grab a giant self-help maunal or natural remedy book and spend hours self-diagnosing and feeling sorry for myself...Did you know B-12 injections will help me with my anxiety, depression, lower back pain, loose stool, sensitive gums, chronic fatigue syndrome, general malaise, cluster headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, and carpal tunnel?
Fascinating.
Then I go look at nudie pictures.
Also, they order any book they don't have in stock at no cost to you.Listed in: My Neighborhood, Books Galore!
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Review from Jennifer T.
San Francisco, CA
3/18/2009
I call to see if they have a book
They don't have the book
Do I want to order the book?
Yes I want to order the book
I order the book
It will be there in two days
It is there in two days
It is waiting for me
I come to pick up my book
greeted by super friendly people
I buy my book plus one more and leave happy
thank you books inc. for making my book buying a breeze.
It was you or amazon and I much rather buy from you. thank you!! -
Review from Emily Y.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011
I like this place because they always have very interesting book displays. The books are usually relevant to current trend with a twist of Castro flair. The store staff are friendly and helpful. The selection of the rest of the store is pretty comprehensive but honestly they could use a better magazine selection.
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Review from Miriam W.
8/13/2006
An absolutely lovely neighborhood bookshop with plenty of places to sit as you browse through the eclectic selection. The staff is very helpful and will find the book you're looking for.
If, however, a straight man is what you're hankering after be sure to bring your own! -
Review from Mick A.
San Francisco, CA
7/13/2008 1 Check-in Here
Books Inc. has always been a browser-friendly bookstore, and they've always been very helpful in special ordering a book or magazine that I haven't been able to find elsewhere.
Whether you're doing an urban-hike through the upper Castro, or needing a meeting place with friends before dining or that last minute movie choice at the Castro Theater, it's a fun place to find something new, fun and/or informative to read. -
Review from Laurel B.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2007
Disclaimer/Revision Feb 08: this review should be for the Book's Inc at Opera Plaza. But the prospect of deleting and redoing is too much. I assume the stock is similar or the same at both places. It's nice, as I said, to have a book store in the neighborhood. Both neighborhoods, apparently.
Original Review:
A star for books in the neighborhood (again).
A star for coffee next store (even if it's the highly-burned-tasting coffee of Peets).
A star for the nice staff and the local-ish vibe.
And a star for Nick Hornby on Monday night. He signed my book "Love, Nick Hornby." I'm sure it was personal. (I don't care if it wasn't.) (I've been dreaming of all the things I learned about a boy ....) (Great book, great movie, great song.)Listed in: The Tenderloin/Civic Center
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Review from Kia B.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2008 1 Check-in Here
You can get lost for hours browsing the aisles.
I was actually just stopping in to pick up the Vogue Italia "A Black Issue" reprint http://buzzfeed.com/bl... and ended up looking around for 20minutes.
Not good, I was late for a date at Sushi Time.
The Vogue Issue is scrumptious! Photos are fierce and Toccara-no words can describe it. My next mission: hang at a cafe in North Beach and have a sexy Italian translate the articles over a cappuccino. . . -
Review from Cade P.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/18/2009
Oh Books, Inc. I love you.
You're like the ideal boyfriend for me:
Open when I need you,
Closed when I don't.
You're eccentric and fun,
And naughty when I need it.
You're cheap on occasion,
And always good for something.
I don't mind spending money on you,
Because you give so much back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2008
I adore this bookshop.
I'm a bibliophile, undeniably, and I try to stay out of bookshops when it's… Read more »
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Review from Charlene L.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2006
Having worked at a small independent bookstore in a previoius life, I have always found something special about Books Inc. Not only is their selection eclectic, but it really does mirror the neighborhood and all the variations. I appreciate this so much because I know that it takes a lot of work to do that, from the booksellers to the buyers.
TIP: Come dressed up. This is a bastion of intellectual hotness, and you never know who you'll meet.Listed in: Shop Whore!
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Review from James J.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2007
They kicked me out for being on the phone once. But this place is a great place to shop for your lit. Highly recommended by me. Trust me, I'm a dick.
5 Big Red Ones -
Review from Lisa R.
4/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is my new favorite bookstore in San Francisco! It is just the right size for browsing. They have enough sections and selections to comparison shop, but it's not overwhelming like the chains.
They have a really nice travel section of guidebooks, and their business section was small but carried every title I was looking for. I always spend a lot of time in the front with their discounted coffee table books and new items.
I will gladly pay full price to support an independent and local business! -
Review from Kim D.
San Jose, CA
4/23/2008
I love this bookstore, because it stays true to what a bookstore is, a staple for the community, a gathering place and just something that is fun, memorable and able to stand on it's own.
It caters to it's community and the place is alive with what is good and stuff that is not is usually kept out. The selection is always interesting, the vibe is cool in the store and I usually always find something I want here. Lots of very cool gay literature.
It's a shame they couldn't have moved into the Tower Records down the street, that way you could get lost in there on a good Sunday.Listed in: Sundays in the City
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Review from Jade M.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2007
Stumbled into this bookstore today and wandered around. Good selection and friendly staff.
Also like how the staff gets to rate their books...nice touch...just ended up walking out with a 35% off calendar...I shall be back! -
Review from Katherine B.
San Francisco, CA
6/12/2009 2 Check-ins Here
I think this little bookstore is heaven. For such a small space, they really have a lot of the best non-fiction and fiction around. It is pretty easy to find Chabon, Junot Diaz, Murakami, Miranda July, etc. as well as classics.
I always order books from them and they usually arrive within 3 days, no charge for shipping of course! They are more than helpful in finding and ordering books no one has heard of (such as: Mother by Gorky)
Also, if you are in a book club, they will offer the group a discount and order the books in bulk for the members. Awesome!
They also have a frequent reader card and when it is filled up = FREE book!
My only piece of advice is to watch your umbrellas as mine was stolen from a lurky customer who only reads Harry Potter books. . . . -
Review from Audrey L.
San Francisco, CA
7/7/2009
There are those weekend rituals that just make you feel a bit more human...perusing the selection at Books Inc is one of those for me. Their suggested reading is always great and I love the layout of the bookstore in general.
Their staff are also very helpful and knowledgeable and I never feel pressured to buy anything while I'm in there. I really appreciate this local business and try to go there any chance I get. -
Review from Maisha J.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2009
This is a great bookstore.
A wide range of selection, a thorough LGBT section and great feminist magazines.
The fiction section is great. -
Review from Neil S.
Durham, NC
9/13/2007
Love is a local shop with all the books I like to read. Great sale items and VERY FRIENDLY staff.
Plus, they offer a discount- once you fill up a card, you get a certain percentage off your next purchase! -
Review from Russ C.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2009
One of my favorite neighborhood bookstores for browsing and buying. Good selection of bestsellers and unknowns. Really ike the staff picks and the children's book section.
Nice selection of gay fiction, picture books. And the magazine selection is way above average. If they don't have it, ask.
Cozy back area for reading. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Not a huge stock of titles like big chains but that's not why you're here, is it?
Make sure you get the frequent book buyer card. After 10 purchases, they average the total and you can get a free book for the average you spent.
Yes, it's a little bit of heaven in the 'stro.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Logan H.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2010
Having an independent books store might just be my favorite part about living in the Castro. Books Inc is a particularly awesome book store. I typically browse Amazon to research books I might want to read. Then I give Books Inc Castro a call to ask them if they have the book I want. If they do, then they hold it for me until that night when I can stop by. If they don't have the book, they order it and it usually arrives in a day or two. In three years I've only ever had one experience where they couldn't get a book for me, and that was because it was long out of print.
I also enjoy my interactions with the folks who work at Books Inc Castro. One time I was browsing the Travel section for books on hiking in Utah. One of the guys who works at Books Inc chatted me up about which travel guide was better. Then, he continued to tell me all about his days traveling through the Southwest. The stories were fascinating. You just can't get that kind of interaction at Borders!
And recently I was buying two of Orson Scott Card's books. The guy working at the register asked me if I wanted a bag for the books. When I said no thanks (I try not to waste plastic bags) he asked somewhat humorously, somewhat seriously, "You're okay with people seeing you carry Card's books through the Castro? You know he wrote a really awful essay supporting Prop 8, right?" We proceeded to talk at length about the principles involved with reading and purchasing books written by authors whose political views you don't support. I really enjoy that kind of insightful discussion.
Oh, they also have a frequent reader card. They write down the price of 10 books that you buy at their store over time. Then when you buy your 11th book, you get the average price of the previous 10 books discounted from your purchase. That comes awfully close to Amazon's discounts, especially when you factor in the fact that you're not paying shipping and handling.
I very much love Books Inc Castro. -
Review from Sean B.
2/28/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great little indie bookstore, always pop in on my way past. Go here and spend lots of money, support local businesses!
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Review from Claire C.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2008
Woooo Whoooo, i freaking LOVE this book store, it's my mainstay, my heart's delight, my good time when I'm off the sauce, it's all of that and a bag of chips.
I've been living near this book store for 4 years now and it has held my hand through many a vacation (hello guidebook), tragedy (hello self help!) and, well, my never ending appetite for some great fiction (current read: The Garden of Last Days), this place has helped me through it all.
Not mention the super duper wonderful RUSH that I get from the Frequent Reader Card. Yes, I've filled many of them up and the joy I get from my free book is really really something. It's like WAY better than a free coffee or bagel. This is what these kinds of cards of made for...now if only Saks shoe salon would have the same cards I'd be in BUSINESS. -
Review from Mark A.
3/26/2009
This was a 4-star bookstore, until I saw the discounted section. Some bookstores might have a bargain section w/ half off, or $10 off.
But their discounts are ridiculous!
I bought an amazing cookbook of what gourmet chefs cook at home in their spare time.
List price is $40, I got it for $13.
That's f-ing awesome. -
Review from Matt O.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2008
I love this bookstore. The new arrivals section at the front of the store is dangerously browsable and almost always forces me to buy something.
The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable (and amazingly tolerant of the droves of people who come in with their Peet's cups from next door). They can help you find a book in a single bound and can complete a special order with half of the ISBN tied behind their backs. They'll wrap it, they'll ship it, they'll tell you all about the best thing they've read recently.
This is a great place to waste some time.Listed in: My Neighborhood, Let's buy things!
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Review from Art K.
Ann Arbor, MI
3/6/2008
One of the bookstores where I feel compelled to part with money. I always like the Books Inc places, I like their selection, which despite being limited is usually better than the big box chains. I like the recommended books, even though I last bought a Markus Zukas book that they had given their highest recommendation for, but I thought it sucked big time. It was sappy and without dexterity. But I would go back to Books Inc and buy another recommendation, because I actually believe these people read and like books, and I get the sense that they do not depend on a corporate book buyer who reads all the sales charts and knows how to maximize operating profit for Q2.
Actually I like the Books Inc on Van Ness more as a space, but I find that one harder to get to. This one is right on Market, easier to get to but the space is smaller and perhaps too cramped to spend an afternoon there.
Other good bookstores: Booksmith (Haight), Stacey's (downtown), Green Apple (Inner Richmond) -
Review from Marcelo T.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2010
I just love this bookstore, especially this location. It has been feeding my book addiction for quite a few years - in fact, besides the yearly Big Book Sale in Fort Mason, this is my main place to get books if I must have something that came out recently.
The store is nice, with big glass doors, and as others have said it's open late, which is awesome for those evenings I just feel like grabbing a new book and head to Sweet Inspirations for some cake. The frequent reader program is a good bonus (1 book free every ten, of whatever the average spend comes to be, or a discount for the amount if your desired book costs more). It has a great selection of literary fiction (something that at Barnes and Noble is stuck in some aisle on the side, past the rows of best sellers).
Their selection of books on sale is always interesting (I've found Saramago, Sean Alan Greer, William Boyd and many other good authors on the sales shelves here). They also have a good choice of travel books in back, and plenty of international magazines. All in all, the kind of place I love to amble into once a week or more... -
Review from Sean S.
Oakland, CA
2/5/2006
I don't buy books anywhere else. Well I mean, I have been sucked in by their frequent reader card but its the place overall.
The staff is top notch, smart and friendly, a rare combination in this city. For as small as it is, the selection is impressive and they have great guests.
Their displays are extremely well presented and they have chairs scattered throughout the store.
To sum it up, I leave you with what the clerk ringing up my copy of Dave Eggers Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius a few years ago said "O Sweetie, I just know you are agoing to love this!"
