The book shop on Trafalgar Square is a branch of Waterstones, a nationwide chain. We have one in our town. But there are two much nicer independent ones as well.

Thank you for that information. I couldn't recall the name but do remember Waterstones. I think I'd like the two independent ones more. Chains aren't as eclectic and quirky as independently owned stores. Not sure if "quirky" is the word I'm looking for, but hopefully you get what I'm trying to say 🙂

Love independent bookstores! We have an adorable one in our town.

I seldom purchase books any more. They have become expensive and I get pretty much anything I want from our library system. But there are a couple of great independent bookstores close by. The one in town invites lingering, with lots of cushy chairs. The one in the neighboring town not so much but still a great atmosphere. I look to them if I want a book for a gift or if I can't wait for the library to bring in the newest editions of my favorite authors.

My local library also has great book sales on a biweekly basis. These are donated books from a variety of sources and they are sold at amazingly low prices - no more than a couple of bucks, even big fancy coffeetable books. Proceeds go to the library to purchase new books.

@sephia_wa - I thought that was you! 😆 Did you ever visit Elliott Bay Book Company in Pioneer square before it moved to Capitol Hill? When I worked in DT Seattle I often went into the Pioneer Square store to browse around.

I lost any sentimental feelings I had decades ago when I realized that the few independent bookstores I went to on occasion had rip-off prices. Better values (and often selection) could be found at the national chains (Borders, Barnes & Noble) and, ultimately, from Amazon.

At about the same time, I was also getting more active with audiobooks instead of physical (or Kindle) ones.

We visited Powell's about 10 years ago when we were in the area. It was a trip back in time, a book store with an old fashioned vibe. If my memory serves, Voodoo Donuts was just a few blocks away. We were glad to have seen both but neither seemed to live up to the advance hype we'd heard.

Me too! Me too!! 40 miles south of Portland. I remember going to Powells, then stopping for crab cakes and Spanish coffees at Jakes. Now Im strictly a kindle gal, but those were fun times for sure.

We have a wonderful and cozy bookstore locally that also serves a light lunch. You can check out or buy books. It’s so charming - a converted old house. My dad goes weekly and saw a singing celebrity there recently. They had lunch together. :)

I mainly read with Kindle, but still enjoy going to bookstores.

I love bookstores for the same reason I love libraries - there's something comforting about being surrounded by all those books and the smell of old paper. Unfortunately, the independent bookstore here in my small city doesn't carry a lot of books other than children's books. There's a small collection of adult books (non-fiction, I think) and a few best sellers, and then lots of book-related gifts. It's very well regarded and patronized, though. I still give them my book business when I buy books - I just have to order them in advance most of the time. Prices are reasonable compared to online mega-stores, and sometimes cheaper.

We have an independent bookstore in our small town, which is kind of amazing because the population in the whole shire/county is about 3,600, many of whom are not readers, though we do have two small (10-12 members) book clubs which have been going for decades.

Down in the city DH and I frequent three different independent bookstores, because they have a lot of books that are out of the mainstream, which we tend to prefer.

I prefer bookshops to ordering online because I can see a lot of titles that pique my interest, whereas searching though online bookshops, not so much. I will order online if I have a specific title in mind, which I've got from a book review or personal recommendation.

KW PNW - yes, I love Elliott Bay books! My favorite local bookstore. In fact, I was just there a couple of weeks ago for an author discussion.

To follow-on to Elmer's thread about crime podcasts, the author I heard speak, Maria DiLorenzo, wrote a book about the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgeway. She gave a fascinating discussion about writing the book and her contact with Gary. Apparently, lots of journalists wrote to him asking for an interview. Maria said she wrote to Gary, introduced herself, and said she would like to interview him, and he could talk about anything he wanted. She was the only journalist to ever interview him. She said Gary told her he would send religious material to the other journalists. She was shocked when her phone rang and it was him.

During her discussion, she didn't talk about any of the grisly details about the murders, but more about the psychological impact of contact with him had on her. She talked to him almost every day for two years. She said she was conflicted because she knew he was manipulating her like he did his victims (psychologically, of course, not physically). She had to decide to "prostitute" herself to get information, i.e., continued conversation with him. She said she is still trying, with the help of therapy, to process all she learned from and about him.

Maria also said that Gary told her he would steal his victim's jewelry and take them to work when he worked at Kenworth in Renton, and leave the jewelry in women's restrooms. He got off on seeing women wear the jewelry from women he killed.

And I went to school with one of the Green River Killer victims. I was more friends with this person's brother than the victim herself. Gary operated in the area where I currently live.

Elmer, it's a good thing that I didn't know that Voodoo donuts are near Powell's 😆 I just googled it, and it's 5-to-10-minute walk (roughly 0.3 miles down West Burnside Street and SW 3rd Avenue.) Didn't need to know that 🤣

@sephia_wa I guess you also don’t know that Voodoo donuts now has a store here in Vancouver! It opened a couple years ago.

ETA I looked up locations & see that Voodoo is also on Capitol Hill - not far from Elliott!! And, in Bellevue too. Guess you already knew about them….

^^^ No, didn't know that!

I've never actually had a Voodoo donut but have heard they're quite good. I just googled locations, and there is one in Bellevue and one on Capitol Hill.

Didn't need to know that either!

I don't often go into Seattle but do go to Bellevue. Uh oh 😄

Funny you should ask, I just came from an hour at Barnes & Noble, where I go every Friday after I eat at Panera next door. However, I don't buy books, but stalk around the stacks and find ones I want to read, snap a pic with my phone and take it to my weekly library visit to reserve. I have a gazillion hardcover books upstairs in the 'library room" ' courtesy of my husband, who when he retired from State Government, worked at Book of the Month Club and every day could buy up to three books for 25 cents!! So needless to say I don't buy books any longer but read them from the library.

We fortunately have an independent book store, McNally Robinson, that I love. We also have a national chain bookstore, Indigo/Chapters where I also shop on occasion, but not as often. An advantage to the chain bookstore is that when I'm visiting granddaughters who live distant from me, I can order books and pick them up at their location. That is how I gave one granddaughter Project Hail Mary for Christmas a couple of years ago.

I don't really go to bookstores these days. Prior to the advent of ebooks, I shopped at the bookstore every week. Back then, we had Crown Books that had all of the latest published fiction at discounted prices.

Until two years ago, I was getting most of books digitally from my hometown library. Now, I download most of my reading material onto my tablet from Amazon. For books that are image heavy, I tend to buy used hard covers on eBay or sometimes used through Amazon sellers.

I never pass up a chance to go into a bookstore, no matter where I am.

sephia, take a look at the Goodreads page for the DiLorenzo book. The comments overall aren't encouraging. Below is a link.

Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice by Maria DiLorenzo | Goodreads

I adore bookstores and libraries - the quirkier the better. I always make a point of purchasing something at the bookstore, although seldom books unless I find something unusual. Most of my reading is on the Kindle app on my iPad.

We don't have very many bookstores near me although there are several little used books places. But I just found out today that my Barnes and Nobel is losing their lease in 2027. They claim they're looking for another site in the area. The landlord has decided to bring in a new store - Uncle Giuseppe's to fill the 57,000 spot.

From the paper:

The Experience: True to the brand's "theatrical" shopping style, this location will feature open-view production rooms. You'll be able to watch artisans stretch fresh mozzarella by hand daily, roll out fresh pasta from scratch, and bake custom breads. It will also feature a full-service custom-cut butcher, a massive scratch bakery, an espresso bar, and rows of hard-to-find Italian imports.

I can easily see how a store like this will bring more customers to the area. I'm looking forward to stopping there when it opens - I just hope the Barnes and Noble finds a spot.

Elmer, I have no interest in reading Maria DiLorenzo's book. That's not my genre. I mentioned her and her book because KW PNW asked if I'd been to a popular bookstore here. I responded to her acknowledging I had, and while I was there, I listened to an author speak. I like true crime shows or podcasts, but true crime books aren't my thing. I could have purchased her book for half price and had her sign it but passed on that.

I especially won't be reading it given its low reviews. Listening to the author speak was interesting.

Sorry if I misunderstood. I thought you'd gone there for or had been interested in the author and the book and so attended the presentation.

Popular books rarely sell at half price. Especially not when signed by the author, that can sometimes command a premium over the retail price. That they did that is consistent with the ratings I saw. .

No problem. I did time my visit when there was an author speaking but wasn't necessarily hung up on seeing DiLorenzo speak. She was super interesting though, talking about the psychological impact of interviewing Ridgeway. I don't seek out signs books by the author either. Maybe if it was Shakespeare 😉

KW PNW: if you liked that book, have a look at Murderland, which traces serial killers in WA as well as the horrendous poison plume from the Asarco smelter in Tacoma. As someone who loves Pt Defiance and now, Pt Ruston, the book provides a history that is hard to shake.

When I was a kid, we used to drive through Tacoma to go to my grandparents house in Bremerton. I remember the Asarco smelter was called the "aroma of Tacoma."

Between the smelter and lumber mill, there was pollution in the air and the soil. Some neighborhoods had to have soil removed over 10 ft down to remove heavy metals like lead and arsenic.

I mentioned on post several weeks ago that my neice and her DH have an independent book store (actually 2 of them) in NYC

My niece and her DH met each other in a book club. They each had their own successful careers but dreamed of owning an independent book store.

After month and months of research and work they opened their store in Nov. 2019. It is called Book Club Bar at 197 East 3rd Street in NYC.

Several family members thought they were crazy to do so try and open an independent book store and that was before Covid became a factor and getting their liquor license took months. They persevered with their dream and 6 plus years later they are going strong and have opened a second location at 380 Troutman St, Brooklyn, NY 11237.

In addition to books and beverages they have numerous events scheduled throughout the months such as: Meet the Author/Book Launches, Literary Trivia, Creative Writing Workshops, Various Book Club in person Discussion Groups, Adult Spelling Bees, etc, etc.

The Book Club Bar is a book store and much more. Check it out if you are in NYC.

Sephia, thanks for the wave! I don't know if you ever go to bookstores in Olympia, but Browser's books is wonderful and woman run. We also have a book co-op, Orca Books - a very Olympia type, hippie dippy (tho we call them Greeners here), alternative bookstore. They have interesting speakers, many PNW based, on lots of different subjects. I don't ever buy books from Barnes and Noble, because I prefer to support small, independent bookstores, but B&N has the best greeting card selection in town, so I do go in once in a while.

I used to visit Portland frequently - bookstores - or specifically Powells, breweries, and plant nurseries! And many concerts. But my friends who lived there moved out close to Mt Hood, so now I bypass Portland and my favorite nursery closed, so I'm not motivated to go into the city very often.

Wow, Oly, thanks for the bookstore recommendations in Olympia! I have them on my list and will plan to go to them. I recently went to the bookstore on Bainbridge Island - that store has an entire wall dedicated to Kristin Hannah.

If/when I visit the Olympia bookstores, I will let you know in advance 😊

Badgergal, I am going to put Book Club Bar on my list. I don't know if it is still open, but there was a bookstore in Washington, DC called "Kramerbooks and Afterwords", sort of the same thing. It was at Dupont Circle.

My DDIL's friend opened a bookstore in Kennett Square, PA last February and it seems to have found a sweet niche. She has always wanted a bookstore and when she happened to stumble upon an empty store front she quickly made her move. It's not very large and in a nice area outside Philadelphia near Longwood Gardens. The shop is adorable with wonderfully created window displays, interior decor, plants etc. She's made the most of social media (IG and FB) and has had authors visit to talk about their books, offered children's story hours, enhanced her shop with gift items crafted by local artists, sidewalk sales, silent books clubs and has more ideas yet to implement. She has put her entire heart and energy into it and I hope it is a continued success.

https://www.foragebooksksq.com/

Lots of authors live on Bainbridge Island. Lots of artists, too. It's a pretty creative place or at least appeals to a creative mentality :-))

@ sephia_wa, give me a shout when you are next on the Island. Eagle Harbor Books is in the center of town, an easy hike from the ferry and with plenty of spots to grab a coffee and natter.

I’m enjoying reading about independent bookstores mentioned here, thanks for sharing. They bring to mind Meg’s in ”You’ve Got Mail”.

@ gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9), I definitely will let you know! I love Eagle Harbor Books, great bookstore. I'm thinking about some day this coming week or the following week.

Sadly, we don't have any good indy bookstores, but I have always loved going to the library. I remember the first book I checked out from the adult section, instead of children, and that was some 55 years ago!

I was delighted when our library started using printed receipts, showing what you checked out and the due date. Often folks used them as bookmarks (I did), and I sometimes found one in a book. Suddenly I had a potential list of books/authors that were liked by someone who liked the book I was reading! I discovered a few new authors that way, and I made sure I always left my receipts in my returned books (they just had library card number, not personal info).

Love books and bookstores. My grandmother was a librarian. Also, had an aunt who I visited frequently, not related to the librarian, who encouraged my love of books. I am fairly introverted and reading books is a favorite pass time. I read physical books, new and used, as well as ebooks. These days the independent book stores me are used books, they are okay but the stores are not particularly inviting for a long visit. I will check in with them when I am looking to purchase a book but I am willing to go to Barnes and Noble too. I enjoy visiting Powell Books when I visit Portland, usually at least once a year. Love Powell's, I can get lost in the aisles of books. The Waterstones near Trafalgar Square must be hugely popular, we visited it in June, it was only a couple of blocks from our hotel. I found a lovely book about London for my grandson.

(120) Hammonds Books - Short Film - YouTube

Here's a prize winning video about a neat bookstore!

In Tacoma, I’m partial to King’s Books. A great community bookstore that has become my go-to place to order books. They are efficient, friendly, and LOCAL. It has the vibe of an old library , nothing fancy and all the better for it!

Oh yes, I've been to King's Books. Not recently so perhaps need to go there. About a half hour from me.

I love bookstores. Hard to find any these days.

A couple of months ago, I paid $6 extra for a book sold (ordered) by a brick and mortar store (via phone) rather than buy from a well-patronized online vendor.

@petalique I do the same thing If my local independent doesn't have it, I order from them. Not giving my money to that guy.