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17a Books not bought at first without a couple of tokens (9)
R?M?N?E?S (reminders or romancers?)
21d Sort of training area used in bar job(8)?R?A?W??? (roadwork?)
36a Shut up about a jolly excellent kind of apple (8) ?E???A?N (pearmain?)
Help appreciated!

I have reminders. Unsold books are called remainders, drop the "a" and you have reminders. The other two look good.

Thanks Rusty. Could you explain how the other 2 are worked out?

36. Shut up is "pen", a jolly is a nickname for a Royal Marine. "aRM". Excellent is "A1".
So "arm" plus "A1" inside "pen" gives pearmain.

Thanks again Rusty. Jolly is new to me.

A is the abbreviation for area. A bar is a rod. A job is work.
So, "a" inside "rod" plus "work" gives roadwork which is a form of training.

Rusty -
17A explanation for "REMINDERS" is interesting but how do words "couple of tokens" parse or constitute the definition?
Tokens could = reminders, but what about "couple"?
Mike

I think 'a couple' is there only because the setter needed the 'a' - it's really 'books not bought at first without a', then 'couple of tokens'.
The clue wouldn't have worked if it had just been 'books not bought at first without tokens' - as there would be nothing to inidcate taking the 'a' out of 'remainders'.

I agree with Malone, and would add that couple indicates more than one, to give reminders (plural) rather than reminder (singular).

Thanks Rusty & Malone for explanations.

I just think the clue is incredibly clumsy in using the extra word "couple" to indicate the plural.