1114 21st Street (between L & K streets)
Sacramento, CA 95811 // USA
phone: 916-447-5696
email: info@timetestedbooks.net


Store Hours:
**MASKS STILL ENCOURAGED** CURRENT BROWSING HOURS (July 2024) Mon-Fri 1pm-6pm // Sat 11am-5pm // Sun 11am-3pm
PLEASE CALL 916-447-5696 FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP/DELIVERY AND/OR ANY QUESTIONS

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Aaron Carnes & Keith Lowell Jensen - 'In Defense of Ska: Expanded 2nd Edition' - October 24th

Time Tested Books
is proud to present
Aaron Carnes
in conversation with Keith Lowell Jensen
In Defense of Ska
(Expanded 2nd Edition)
reading / signing / Q&A
Thursday, October 24th, 7:00pm
 

With an additional 30,000 words of compelling stories, research, and analysis, music journalist and ‘In Defense of Ska’ podcast creator/host Aaron Carnes presents the case that ska never died, by jumping headfirst into ska’s “lost years,” i.e., the period after the ’90s third-wave ska boom.

New topics covered include LA’s ongoing vibrant traditional ska scene and how young Latinos are keeping the ska torch aflame; how the devastation of Hurricane Katrina inadvertently kicked off a thriving scene focused on keeping community alive in New Orleans; a deep review of Christian ska group Five Iron Frenzy, who broke a Kickstarter record in the ’10s while making progressive activists out of their fan base; a close inspection of a hipster rocksteady scene in Brooklyn that grew so popular it nearly kicked off a nationwide revival; and more secret ska past revelations with none other than Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump—who has a story that, up until recently, was carefully guarded.

Plus, the book re-explores several bands featured in the first edition, revealing new layers and more details about all the bands fans love, like Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Operation Ivy, the Slackers, Hepcat, Mephiskapheles, and Reel Big Fish. With 30,000 additional words, this is the complete ska package.

The combined force of the ‘In Defense of Ska’ podcast and the Expanded 2nd Edition makes a strong case that ska was not a trend but a way of life.

This expanded 2nd edition comes as Aaron’s podcast In Defense of Ska enters its fourth year, now a part of the Consequence Podcast Network. Proving that ska is as vital as any other genre, the over 150 episodes in the In Defense of Ska archives have featured guests like Fred Armisen, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, The Police’s Stewart Copeland, Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Joe Gittleman, Margaret Cho, Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis, Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon, and more.


PRAISE FOR IN DEFENSE OF SKA

 

"Aaron Carnes mixes reporting and memoir-esque essays in this deep dive, bringing new meaning to the underground legends like Operation Ivy." Rolling Stone

“Third-wave ska in general is an unfairly maligned genre…this is a point Aaron Carnes makes in his new book, In Defense of Ska, which is an excellent read.” Esquire (Dave Holmes)

In Defense of Ska does what it says on the tin. It champions not just the critically acclaimed, punk-adjacent two-tone bands of the late '70s and '80s, or the pioneering Jamaican bands from the '60s. In Defense of Ska offers a full-throated defense of ska's third wave. That means Reel Big Fish, Operation Ivy, Fishbone, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and more.” —NPR (Cannonball/Bullseye w/ Jesse Thorn)

“Aaron with this new book has put together an impressive assembly of bits of history of the genre, various opinions about the genre, its formation, its fall from grace in a way, and where it can go from here.” —Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop)

“Lately, the whole ska narrative is changing. The author Aaron Carnes wrote In Defense of Ska, an intelligent look at the much-maligned genre and its various ‘waves,’ from 1960s Jamaica to today.” GQ (Jason Diamond)

 

AARON CARNES is a music journalist based in Sacramento. His work has appeared in Playboy, Salon, Bandcamp Daily, Sierra, Noisey, The Sun, and Good Times. His book In Defense of Ska was an indie hit with strong grassroots swell without distribution. He is the host of the popular "In Defense of Ska” podcast. Guests have included Margaret Cho, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), John Darnielle (Mountain Goats), and Laura Jane Grace (Against Me).

photo by Casey Rafter

KEITH LOWELL JENSEN is a Sacramento comedian known for his subtle, smart approach, and his meandering storytelling. He has multiple hilarious comedy albums to his credit, along with two books: What I Was Arrested For and Punching Nazis: and other good ideas.

 


This event is FREE and everyone is invited. 

Monday, July 1, 2024

July 2024 Update

 *MASKS STILL ENCOURAGED & PROVIDED AT FRONT DOOR🙏

BROWSING: Mon-Fri 1pm-6pm / Sat 11am-5pm / Sun 11am-3pm

BOOK-BUYING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

PLEASE CALL US WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
 
TAKE CARE & BE WELL. 💚TTB

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

"Don't Panic!" BUT....

BROWSING: Mon-Fri 1pm-6pm / Sat 11am-5pm / Sun 11am-3pm

DUE TO LIMITED STAFF & UNLIMITED UNCERTAINTY,
BUSINESS HOURS MAY FLUCTUATE DAY-TO-DAY.
PLEASE CALL US WITH ANY QUESTIONS. 
SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
TAKE CARE & BE WELL. 💜TTB

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Looking for a great gift..?

Time Tested Bucks make great gifts! 😉

Time Tested Books is proud to present our unique take on the gift certificate. We call them Time Tested Bucks, and you can put different denominations together in any amount for a clever, individualized gift--suitable for any occasion... (Click here to purchase online.)

Time Tested Bucks can be used to purchase new or used books and records, and can be applied to special orders. They are available in $50$20$10$5$2, and $1 denominations--each featuring an original drawing of a literary legend rendered by Sacramento artist Miriam Davis.

Stuff a stocking, tuck some into a birthday card, or slip them into books when you pass them along... Good book karma 👍


$50 James Joyce


Gift certificates are good for the purchase of 

new or used books and records, and they can be 

applied to special orders.


$20 Joan Didion




$10 Toni Morrison 


You can make your gift certificate purchase in the store, or call us and we can process your order over the phone.

You can also purchase gift certificates using Paypal (click here). We'll mail them directly to whomever you choose....


$5 Emily Dickinson

$2 Mark Twain

>>>CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ONLINE VIA PAYPAL

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Time to catch up on that to-read pile...

It is with major regret (but also serious consideration) that we announce this: Time Tested Books is closed to browsing--for now!--while we wait for this COVID-19 nightmare to run its course….

MEANWHILE: We'll be taking orders by phone (916-447-5696) and/or email (info@timetestedbooks.net), and we’ll be offering FREE shipping where possible. (We can also arrange delivery and/or pickup options: just ask!)

Really, folks: stay home, read books, wash your hands and take care of each other.💞

Friday, March 13, 2020

Don't panic! BUT...

DUE TO LIMITED STAFF & UNLIMITED UNCERTAINTY,
BUSINESS HOURS MAY FLUCTUATE DAY-TO-DAY.
PLEASE CALL US WITH ANY QUESTIONS. 
SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
TAKE CARE & BE WELL.  -TTB

Monday, January 6, 2020

Elizabeth Varadan reading/signing 'Deadly Vintage' - January 19th




Time Tested Books 
is pleased to welcome back
Elizabeth Varadan
reading / signing / Q&A
Deadly Vintage

Sunday, January 19th, 3:00pm
Elizabeth Varadan’s latest thriller is a classic whodunit murder mystery. Carla Bass, an interior decorator and wannabe sleuth, moves to Braga, Portugal for her husband’s career. When a nervous wine seller accidentally slips a bottle of Port into Carla’s bag, she later attempts to return it to him--only to find his body slumped behind the counter. Unable to leave the country, Carla must crack the case herself before she becomes the next victim of the criminal conspiracy.

“This is a fine tale of mayhem and the setting is almost palpable, a heartfelt look at Portugal, plus the glorious tastes, including a tawny Port.  For a tense, twisty mystery and a sample of Portugal, Deadly Vintage hits all the taste buds!”
--Michele Drier, author of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles and The Stained Glass Mysteries

“With straightforward prose and a compelling main character, Deadly Vintage is a solid mystery for anyone who enjoys good storytelling told right.”
--Mark Noce, author of the Queen Branwen series


Elizabeth Varadan is a former teacher who writes children’s fiction, poetry, and adult mysteries. She is a fan of both Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe. (“The Raven” is one of her favorite poems.) Her previous stories and flash fiction have appeared in several literary magazines. Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, a middle grade mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes, was published in 2015 by MX Publishing. Her short story, “Kidnapped” was included in the 2016 Sherlock Holmes-related story collection, Beyond Watson, by Belanger Books, and in 2018, Belanger Books published her children’s book Carnival of the Animals. A new story, “What the Raven Knew,” involving both Poe and Holmes, will be included in a forthcoming story collection by Belanger Books.

Deadly Vintage, released in November 2019 by Belanger Books, is her first cozy mystery for adults and is set in Braga, Portugal, a city she and her husband travel to frequently.

This event is FREE & all are welcome