Now Is the Month of Maying
Maybe you're looking for a reason to pay Island Books a visit. If so, Jim Lynch's appearance on May 16th gives you an awfully good excuse. He's touring in support of his new novel, Truth Like the Sun, which paints a dual portrait of Seattle, showing it as it was in the 1960s and as it is in our current century. Lynch is a Mercer Island product and a gem among Northwest writers, and this latest book may be his finest yet.
Give these other a-May-zing books a try, too.
April, Come She Will
Come she has, in fact. Time for spring break, spending time in the garden, and National Poetry Month. In honor of that last one, we're sponsoring a poetry contest open to young and old alike. Be a part of it! Submit your own verses and read those written by your neighbors--the poems will be on display in the store all month long.
April is also a great opportunity to reacquaint yourself with poetry in general. You can start with this list of recently published work if you like. Don't neglect the prose, though. There's a great lineup of fiction and nonfiction on our shelves to choose from, as always.
Spring in Our Steps
It's the season of new growth and rejuvenation, of haggadot and Fran's chocolate eggs. We've got those items on hand if you need them, and we're doing some other things to help celebrate spring, too.
We're commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Space Needle on Wednesday the 21st of March with a not-to-be-missed appearance by the authors of the beautiful and informative history book The Future Remembered.
On Saturday the 24th, we're celebrating a different birthday, that of our esteemed owner/operator, Roger Page. We won't say whether he's older or younger than the Space Needle, but we will say that you're the ones getting a gift. Bring in your special Roger Dollars that day and get a substantial discount on purchases.
And don't forget to check our events calendar for our usual book club meetings and Saturday Story Times.
Coming in Like a Lion
Our annual false spring is behind us, and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so it looks like we'll have to batten down the hatches for a few more weeks of winter. Not to worry--we'll remain a haven, a port in all storms. Join us for our open book club meetings or our children's story hour, or just drop in to flip through the titles below.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Browse our unique gifts to find the perfect way to say "I love you." We're sitting on a treasure trove of thoughtful presents, including fine jewelry, chocolates, bags, soaps, candles, and more. Don't forget the card!
Learn More About Our Featured Products
Watermark Bindery:
The Watermark Bindery was founded in 1973 by John Hansen, a Seattle aspiring writer who found himself unable to buy a notebook he enjoyed writing in. Each book is made from fine materials and sewn by hand, so they lie flat when open. The covers are made with selected handmade papers from around the world, each different from the next. Pages are archival, chlorine-free paper with a deckle edge. The result is a blank book you will enjoy and really use. Use them as journals, sketchbooks, scrapbooks, photo albums, guest books, and more. Write something on the first page to someone special, or fill a photo album with pictures for a unique gift.
Joli Jewelry
This gorgeous limited edition vintage jewelry is made mostly from ’20s-’60s period glass, ’40s-’80s plastics including celluloid and Bakelite, and semi-precious stones like new jade, coral, agates, carnelian, onyx, amethyst, and more.
Neeru Kumar Silk Scarves:
Neeru Kumar is one of the top weavers and designers of India, whose products enjoy worldwide acclaim and popularity. Classy and refined, her handwoven silk scarves have a refined sense of aesthetics and sophisticated use of color.
Scrabble Tile Necklaces from In Small Packages:
These fun, funky pendant necklaces, each made by hand, using reclaimed Scrabble tiles, are reversible with charming images on the side opposite the letter (pick out the first letter of your loved one's name!).
Baggallini:
Functional and fun to carry, Baggallini bags are well known for their distinctive color pallets, fun fabrics and lightweight durability.
My Mother's Buttons:
These one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories are made from antique and vintage buttons from around the world, which date back as far as the early 1800s.
Lucia Candles and Soaps:
Lucia's sophisticated candles and soaps use 100% natural vegetable and botanical oils and vegetable-based colors that will leave your skin feeling clean and soft. The gorgeous packaging is printed on recycled paper with vegetable based inks.
Moleskine Bags:
Bringing the personality of the legendary notebook to the classic over-the-shoulder urban carryall, the Moleskine bags are robust and flexible pieces to accompany your travels, whether near or far. This family of contemporary travel bags is designed for life on the move.
Ringing In The New
Another page in the calendar has turned and a new year is underway, hopefully one that brings positive change while retaining the best elements of the old one. That's what we're always trying to do here--offer you new books and new ways of interacting with us without altering the essence of our store.
Our first author event of the year happens on Friday, January 6th, as Julie Marie Wade visits the store to read from her lyrical essay collection Small Fires. Mother and daughter parse reconciliation and celebration, all in an attempt to answer the question--what have you given up to become who you are?
Speaking of calendars as we were above, all 2012 calendars are currently 50% off, and all holiday-themed books and cards are also discounted 50% while they last. This is the time those commendable people who are more organized than most plan ahead, stock up, and save. We hereby resolve to become people like that. As soon as we get through this pile of reading we're working on, that is.
The Greatest Gift Is A Passion For Reading
It's the season of glad tidings and warm hearts, but also of inclement skies and cold temperatures. The barometer and the thermometer may be falling, but our store is always warm and dry, and the activity level is rising. New books are arriving every day, along with a surprising variety of toys, games, housewares, and other items. Check out our gift page or better yet, drop in and see everything that's on the shelves.
In our ongoing attempt to recreate at least a bit of the real-world Island Books on our website, we're launching a new feature. Something we take a good deal of pride in is our ability to find the right book for the right person. Collectively we have over 100 years of bookselling experience (we suspect it may be more than 150 years, but saying that makes us feel old) that we can bring to bear when recommendations are needed, and we're giving you the opportunity to ask for our help online. Visit our Ask the Booksellers page, make a post on our Facebook wall, or just send us an email to ask us tough questions about books for tough customers.
Giving Thanks and Giving Back
Big doings this time of year--it's book fair season! Each year we help raise funds for schools across the island and beyond, pre-K to high school and everything in between. Over the years we've given back almost $300,000 to the community, and we couldn't do it without your help, so check the schedule and drop in to do some shopping (and enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres, perhaps) when the time is right. It's a great opportunity to take care of holiday necessities and luxuries.
Speaking of holidays, we've got your culinary interests covered, too. Check out some seasonal cookbook highlights and don't forget there are hundreds more to choose from on our shelves, virtual and otherwise.
The Frost is on the Pumpkin
All manner of events are cropping up on the calendar in October, including our Reading Group Book Night on October 18th. $10 paperbacks that evening only! We've also got Sharon and Julie Kramis on tap with their latest Cast Iron Skillet cookbook, and Kim Allison is in town with her new memoir.
We'd also like to remind you to sign up for our new eNewsletter, which is debuting this month. We respect your email privacy and hope to keep you updated on book news, store happenings, and our quirky tastes.
In even more high-tech news, we're now offering eBooks on our site. This is a very exciting development that lets you read anywhere you go on almost any platform, whether it's a desktop, smart phone, or dedicated reading device. You'll be surprised how easy they are to use, and how inexpensive they are. Find out more here.
Dear Old Golden Rule Days . . .
The academic year is getting underway, but don't tell Mother Nature. We may still get a month of summer out of her before she's through. Whatever she may decide, this is definitely the time to pick up one of our ever-popular August to August organizers in the bright color of your choice.
September 22nd features a great off-site author event with Naseem Rakha, author of The Crying Tree. Details are here. We've also got memoirist Suzanne Morrison, author of Yoga Bitch, coming to the store on the 30th.
And did you notice the new tab on the menu above? We're always interested in conversation with our friends and neighbors, so we've recently launched a blog that gives us one more way to talk to you. Even more importantly, it gives you one more way to talk to us, and to each other. The door is always open--let us know what you think.
