Earlier this month, we were visited by a delightful 11-year-old boy from Niagara Falls, Canada. Upon our recommendation, he purchased The Brothers’ War by Jeff Grubb. The next day, he returned with his mother and said, “This is the best bookstore EVER!” He plans to work in a bookstore part-time when he gets to high school. We hope we inspired his intention or at least helped contribute to the idea. This is where bookstores shine. It’s the ability to connect people of all ages with a love of books, the treasures they hold and the world of possibilities presented in the pages. To physically place a book on a shelf and then in a customer’s hands and then wish them both well as they leave the store – that’s as good as it gets. Here are a few quotes about bookstores that make us smile. Of course, we now will always have a soft spot for the words spoken by the gentleman from Canada: “This is the best bookstore EVER!”
“A bookstore is one of the many pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.”
― Jerry Seinfeld
“Perhaps that is the best way to say it: printed books are magical, and real bookshops keep that magic alive.”
― Jen Campbell, The Bookshop Book
“His hands were weak and shaking from carrying far too many books from the bookshop. It was the best feeling.”
― Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 1
We made it! April 26th marked our one year anniversary here at Seaport Books. Our THANKS to all of you who have made our success even sweeter by your encouragement and support. We’ve hosted 24 events and welcomed readers from across the globe including over 7 countries. It’s been a year of applying know how and discovering need to know. We’ve put together a countdown of the top five things we learned this past year about having a bookstore. Here we go:
Bringing a book to the silver screen is no doubt a daunting task. We in the audience have experienced the disappointing results when the transfer doesn’t work and the cheers when it does. Here’s hoping this next title is in the latter category. Look out Jodi Picoult fans. Her latest novel Small Great Things is bound for Hollywood and slated to star Viola Davis and Julia Roberts. Even though Picoult’s past novel-to-movie venture My Sister’s Keeper got mixed reactions, its brutal look at the subjects of medical emancipation and euthanasia caused quite a stir. Small Great Things looks to channel this very visceral and raw look at the current rhetoric in the society right now. Indeed, at a time when the political and social climate is charged with issues related to color, there couldn’t be a more appropriate environment to tell a tale about race relations and white supremacy on the big screen. Casting choice for the two lead roles has already sprouted sides for and against. Fingers crossed that this dream team can do justice to a powerful story. Read our 
We love the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve and then spending the night reading. Images come to mind of wool socks and hot cocoa as pages turn in front of a cozy fire. At Seaport Books, we salute the spirit of treasured reads. Our “timeless tales” display features books that have informed, entertained and inspired for generations. Hard cover, soft bound, large print, illustrated – classics come in a variety of versions. Whichever you choose to gift, know that when you give a book – you give a lifetime of opportunity.
Last month we shared our joy at becoming the community hub we had envisioned. Author nights, book clubs, workshops, meet ‘n greets, book launches – it’s all happening. But who could have guessed the reach our store would realize? Our map of the United States is mounted on a wall so customers can mark where they are visiting from. Lots of dots from WA, BC and CA; quite a number from the East Coast states; sprinklings of folks from just about every state in between; out to HI and down into Mexico. We love seeing all those marks representing happy readers. And what we really love is the thrill of what now feels like a global community. Customers from Melborne, Tokyo, Hamburg, Kuala Lumpur and just last week, four visitors from Tallinn, Estonia. Wow! We’re going to need a bigger map! At a time when much focus is being placed on divisive words, we are pleased to be a place where a diverse audience can read works by diverse artists. Books carry the power to illuminate, engage and guide. Here’s to readers of all ages whatever corner of Planet Earth you hail from. “It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me the most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” James Baldwin
When we opened our doors a little less than four months ago, one of our primary goals was to become a community hub. A small town needs a place to fuel expanding minds and foster diverse conversations. We believed that books had the power to draw people out and to bring them together and we wanted to write a new and exciting chapter on connection. What remained to be seen, however, was whether or not the “if you build it, they will come,” concept would actually work. So, how’s it going? The short answer is: we couldn’t be happier. From day one, we’ve seen the interest and felt the excitement as customers discover our happy little store. People are surprised and delighted that we offer new books and in such a wide variety of topics. It’s wonderful watching folks connect over a hot-off-the-press title or suggest their favorite read from a best selling author. All ages, all backgrounds, all demographics … in a bookstore, no one leaves a stranger. In just these few short months, we’ve expanded our shelf space and our event calender largely in response to the community need. We’re hosting multiple book clubs, book launches, children’s story time and starting in October, an evening Read Aloud. The best part? Being a part of the community. Some days it’s ordering a special request. Some days it’s saying yes to a hopeful new author. Or welcoming guests to a book launch. And sometimes it’s simply sharing a friendly wave hello with neighbor. It does indeed take a village and we’re happy to be a part of yours! 
For many of us, our earliest memories include those of being read to by a parent. Long before we could read the words, we were mesmerized by the power of books to capture our imagination and transport us to another time and place. The world came to our door in soft and comforting ways.
“Independent bookstores are not just stores, they’re community centers and local anchors run by passionate readers. They are entire universes of ideas that contain the possibility of real serendipity. They are lively performance spaces and quiet places where aimless perusal is a day well spent.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. And here’s more from the folks at the helm of Indie Bookstore Day: “In a world of tweets and algorithms and pageless digital downloads, bookstores are not a dying anachronism. They are living, breathing organisms that continue to grow and expand. In fact, there are more of them this year than there were last year. And they are at your service.” That we are! Seaport Books looks forward to being a community resource and book lover haven for years to come. Join us on Saturday April 29th as we celebrate 
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