. >> up next, booktv interviewed jake reese, the owner of alabama booksmith, during our recent visit to birmingham, alabama, as part of our cities tour examining the literary culture of eight southern cities. >> in these tough economic times, how has business been? >> i'm almost embarrassed. it's been great. we, we have a unique situation, and we're selling the product, the thing, the books. you pay your $24.95 for your book or thereabouts, and you get your entertainment, pleasure from reading it. once you get through, you have a wonderful, warm, fuzzy book that's signed by the author to put on your shelf and, hopefully, someday it might send your grand kids to column. it's a sad thing when any bookstore closes whether it's a chain or a big box or one of our fellow independents. it's not good, a foreboding sign, but there are bookstores around the country contrary to what many of your viewers think that are thriving. our business is phenomenal, it's grown every year, and we've found that those bookstores around the country that have a niche, that specialize whether it's mysteries or

jake, why were you madder? >> because i was like -- [ screaming ] >> jimmy: you love candy, right? >> yeah. >> jimmy: what's your favorite kind? >> reese'soo. what about you, what's your favorite? >> same exact. >> jimmy: what? oh, the same, okay, right. so, that could cause a problem in the house. so, mom said, i ate it, and you guys believed it. and then at the end, she told you that she was tricking you. and did you think it was funny then? you did think it was funny. are you planning to get her back? are you going to play a trick on her? >> play a trick on her. >> jimmy: what are you going to do to her, jake? >> i'm going to eat all her candy. >> jimmy: you're going to eat all her candy? [ laughter ] you know what you ought to do? if you see her car keys laying around, just hide them somewhere. [ laughter ] any time you see her car keys. put them -- [ applause ] >> put them in a shirt. >> jimmy: what's that? >> hide them in a shirt. >> jimmy: or you know what's a funny place to put them? the toilet. [ laughter ] now, have people been recognizing you and taking pictures with you and stuff? where did they do that? >> ah -- i remember o