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Happy Birthday University Book Store!

January 8, 2010 in bookstore, essay by Kim | 2 comments

University Book Store in Seattle, WA (the most literary city in the nation, just ask anyone from Seattle) is celebrating its 110th birthday on Sunday, that’s 110 on 1/10/10.  In honor of this numerically significant birthday, the store asked 110 authors to each write a 110 word essay.  The results are published in 110/110. Buy a book by one of the 110 contributors during 2010 and you’ll receive a free copy of 110/110. Several selections are accessible through the website, but Lensey Namioka’s contribution resonated with me:

“Why do I spend so much time in the University Bookstore?  Let
me count the ways:
pawing through the box of books on sale;
reading the titles of books recommended by the staff;
visiting the children’s department and seeing kids listening to their
mother reading something aloud;
flipping through books in the humor section and giggling, until I see
someone staring at me;
browsing in the travel section and dreaming about visiting some of the places mentioned;
looking for a birthday card for a friend, trying to find one that
doesn’t tell her she’s an antique;
needing a break, and going to the café to eat a cranberry-apple scone.”

Lensey pretty much sums up my favorite bookstore experiences.

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Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo, WA

February 15, 2009 in bookstore by Kim | No comments

Liberty Bay BooksThe Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal recently published a profile on Suzanne Droppert, the owner of Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo, WA (okay, I had no idea where Kitsap Peninsula or Poulsbo were, they’re in the Puget Sound so it’s gorgeous).  I resonated with Ms. Droppert, she knew that after forty she was going to do something different, that there was life after the corporate world, and she believes independent bookstores are a community center.  She approached the previous owners of Liberty Bay with an offer to buy the store and eventually they agreed.  Hmm, maybe my dream of one day owning Gallery Bookshop isn’t so crazy.

Liberty Bay Books specializes in Scandinavian and nautical/boating books along with general bookstore stock.  They also sell toys and gift items.  Currently, they’re selling reusable tote bags with their logo on it, for everyone sold they donate 5 cents to charity.  They offer books via the Internet with a discount.

Next time you’re soaking up the beauty in Washington, stop by and visit Liberty Bay Books.

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Our First Post from the Independent Bookstore Reader’s Challenge!

February 5, 2009 in bookstore, Challenge by Kim | No comments

challengeWe received our first post from the Independent Bookstore Reader’s Challenge from Robin at A Fondness for Reading.  We love Robin, she designed our Challenge button (notice on the left) and has been a terrific supporter.  She describes herself as passionate about reading.  She loves bookstores in all shapes and sizes, “But having worked in an independent bookstore at one point in my life, I know how much heart there is in each one, and how important they are to their community. I just want to encourage people to find them and enjoy them, because that’s how they’ll survive.”  She’s got it!  She posted her review of The Snow Goose Bookstore on her blog earlier this week and kindly gave us permission to post it here also.  If you’re interested in joining the challenge, we’d love to have you and to hear about your discoveries, just sign up.

The Snow Goose Bookstore
8616 271st St. NW
Stanwood, WA 98292

There’s nothing quite like spending part of an afternoon or evening in a bookstore. B and I particularly enjoy the independent bookstores that are so much a part of a community. We love to browse with nothing to hurry us along, sometimes we’ll have a cup of coffee offered and happily accepted, and the staff always takes time to visit, get to know us a little. It’s our favorite “date.”

This weekend, we drove to Stanwood, Washington, a small town about 50 miles north of Seattle, and visited a very nice independent bookshop called The Snow Goose. I had heard about this store, but had never been there, so I wanted to check it out for the Independent Bookstore Reader’s Challenge.

B picked out a couple of books, and I found one that caught my eye — The Last Town on Earth, by Thomas Mullen. When I showed it to the bookseller, she smiled and told me that the book I had chosen (quite by random) just happened to be the book that had been chosen for their “Community Big Read” last fall. The local library and the historical society had put together some special activities, the high school teacher read the book aloud to her classes, and the bookstore was crowded with townspeople on the day of the discussion. The author, himself, flew out from the east coast and attended the “celebrations” of his book. The story had, after all, been set in a fictional town based on the area around Stanwood.

So I’m looking forward to reading a book the whole town has read, and will plan on returning to this little bookstore from time to time. It’s worth the trip.

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Abraxus Books in Seattle, WA

January 29, 2009 in bookstore, first editions, used books by Kim | No comments

The Ballard News-Tribune recently published an article about Abraxus Books describing it as an “old world approach to bookstores.”  I love the atmosphere it described, a former library offering over 120,000 used books to peruse.  Abraxus has a nice online store also, offering Internet specials and free shipping in the United States for orders over $30.  However, owner Tony Topalian and the staff prefer to deal with customers in person to help them explore their interests.  It sounds like a nice way to combine the old and the new.  If you’re in the area, stop by and let the staff help you discover something new.

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One of the Nation’s Best – The Elliott Bay Book Company

November 16, 2008 in book review, bookstore, first editions, gifts, One of the Nation's Best, Uncategorized by Kim | No comments

A Gem still Glows

Eighteen years ago I visited Seattle for the first time.  It was our first weekend trip away from a job I hated and a city I swore I would never live in (now I realize I’ll live in Los Angeles for the rest of my life, but I did get rid of that job).  The angst I felt over all the changes in my life lifted the moment I walked into The Elliott Bay Book Company.  I found a book during that first visit about living in suburbia; the recommendation card described the tedium of living in tract housing as the constant evenly paced whoosh of a Rainbird sprinkler.  The description struck me, so I bought the book.  It detailed the brain-numbing monotony of suburban life.  Whenever I drive through tract housing I feel that oppression.

Interestingly enough, during my recent trip to Elliot Bay, I bought two more books about home life (really, they have over 150,000 titles, the breadth and depth of the store is amazing, I just seem to have a theme whenever I go there).  When I walked into the store I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices.  In front of me as soon as I entered where four 9 foot or taller bookshelves full of staff recommendations.  I wanted all of them.  More recommendations were spread among the various subjects.  An entire bookshelf is dedicated to recommendations for books groups (plus book groups can meet with a staff member to discuss recommendations for their group and tips on how to keep the conversation on topic).  I gave up trying to make a decision and asked the woman at the information desk if there was a unique book she liked.  She had two that she talked about as we walked over to the books (I learned later that employees are trained to walk the customer over to the book they’re asking about chatting with them the entire way, I loved it).  The first was Cost by Roxana Robinson, a story of what all of us give up for family.  I haven’t read it yet, but I’m looking forward to it.  Hmm, is this the appropriate book to be reading around the Christmas tree surrounded by family?  Maybe not.  Read the rest of this entry »

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