Seattle Indie Bookstore Day 2025
Independent Bookstore Day is Saturday, April 26.
All around the Seattle area, independent bookstores offer special deals and events, plus the chance to fill up a bookstore passport in order to claim a special prize — a discount to all of them! (And, of course, the bragging rights and the experience.)
Below you’ll find the 31 participating stores, organized by general region; a little info on each; and what they’re up to that’s special for Indie Bookstore Day. (Note: the 31 includes 3 locations of Third Place Books. You only need to visit one location, for 29 stores total, to collect your prize.)
This year, you’ll have 10 days (4/26 to 5/5) to collect stamps at all the stores in order to claim your prize. Missed it? That’s OK — you can still have a great time visiting local stores any time of year.
More info on Seattle Independent Bookstore Day on the official site here.
South Sound readers, don’t be left out: see the South Sound Book Crawl (and collect stamps 4/26 to 5/4) here.
Note: Store hours listed are for 4/26 only, except where noted. Hours vary on other days.
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South & Westside
Burien, Georgetown, Seward Park, West Seattle
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery (Seattle – Georgetown)
Storefront of established Seattle-based comic and graphic novel publisher, plus comics and graphic novels from other presses; with occasional book release and signing events.
– Book signing (1-3pm) celebrating artist Chuk Baldock and writer Chris Dusterhoff’s new second installment of the Charles Bukowski graphic biography, If I Were the Village Blacksmith You Wouldn’t Fuck with Me
– Periodic “speed readings” throughout the day from contributors to Dusterhoff’s long-running short-form poetry pamphlet Spread (with Stacey Levine, Willie Smith, Cristie Coffing, Hamish Todd, Matt Briggs, and others)
Store hours: 11:30-8
Page 2 Books (Burien)
Established, community-focused bookstore with book groups.
– Drawing for gift basket of local art and bookish accessories (raffle ticket with every purchase)
– Prize wheel (with coupons, extra raffle ticket, blind date with a book)
– Hunt for two $10 gift certificates hidden in the store
– Hunt for the Libro.fm Golden Ticket hidden in store (one-year subscription for free audio books)
– Local vegan bakery pop-up (Simply Amazing Treats)
Store hours: 10-7
Paper Boat Booksellers (West Seattle)
Neighborhood bookstore with book club and off-site classics (books/movies) club.
– Blind date with a book (with every purchase)
– Snacks and goodies
– Indie Bookstore Day exclusive tote bags and freebies
Store hours: 10-8
Third Place Books (Seattle – Seward Park)
Bustling neighborhood location with large selection (new and used), frequent author events, and wide-ranging book clubs; with Chuck’s Hop Shop (taps and bottle shop), food, and coffee shop.
– Prize wheel (win books, ARCs, candy, and more)
– Coloring stations (kids and adults)
– Explore the store with a scavenger hunt
Store hours: 9am – 9pm
Three Trees Books (Burien)
Tiny bookstore surrounded by bakeries and shops in the south end.
Store hours: 10-6 (plus open 12-4 on 4/27 & 5/4)
Seattle – Central & East
Downtown, Capitol Hill, Madison Valley
Ada’s Technical Books (Seattle – Capitol Hill)
Neighborhood bookstore, cafe, and event space; hosting sci-fi book clubs (classics, 21st-century, and queer sci-fi/fantasy), social groups, silent book club (4th Mondays), and occasional author events.
– Free Ada’s tote bag (with purchase of $100+)
– Special treats
Store hours: 8am – 8pm
Arundel Books (Seattle – Pioneer Square)
Long-running bookstore specializing in rare books.
– Special giveaways for in-store purchases: Arundel Books t-shirt (with $120 purchase); sticker inspired by Edward Lear’s A Book of Nonsense (with $50 purchase)
– Enter to win $250 gift certificate (with newsletter sign-up)
Store hours: 11-7
Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle – Capitol Hill)
Landmark independent bookstore with near-daily author events and long-running book clubs; with a small cafe in store. Also sponsors off-site events.
Day-of events:
– Afternoon performance/reading
– Crafts for adults and kids
– Bookseller bingo, cakewalk/book walk, giveaways, and prizes
– Blind date with a book
Store hours: 9am – 10pm
Left Bank Books (Seattle – Pike Place)
Long-running bookstore collective, specializing in leftist politics, global and local movements, and small presses; located right at the Market entrance.
Store hours: 10-7
Madison Books (Seattle – Madison Park)
Neighborhood bookstore with book club; sibling of Phinney Books.
Store hours: 10-6
Open Books (Seattle – Pioneer Square)
Long-running bookstore focused on poetry.
Day-of events:
– Coinciding with the store’s 30th anniversary celebration, past owners John Marshall and Christine Deavel will help stamp passports throughout the day, and will return for an evening Conversation & Celebration with store owner Billie Swift (7pm)
Store hours: noon-5 (reopens at 6:30 for evening event)
Seattle – North of Downtown
Queen Anne, Magnolia, Fremont, Ballard, U-District (etc.)
Book Larder (Seattle – Fremont)
Food-focused bookstore, featuring talks with cookbook authors, demonstrations, and other culinary-oriented events.
– Free mystery book (with purchase of $50+)
– Treats, deals, and giveaways
– Local coffee pop-up (Kuma Coffee) (11-2)
Store hours: 11-5
Charlie’s Queer Books (Seattle – Fremont)
Specialty bookstore focused on queer authors, with wide range of book clubs and author events.
Store hours: 11-7
Magnolia’s Bookstore (Seattle – Magnolia)
Established neighborhood bookstore with focus on Pacific Northwest, outdoors, and fiction.
Day-of events:
– Free gift with purchase
– Snacks and treats
Store hours: 9-6
Nook & Cranny Books (Seattle – U-District)
Neighborhood bookstore with community focus, hosting open mics and book clubs. (New location!)
Day-of events:
– Coinciding with the store’s Grand Re-Opening Extravaganza at the new location, the kick-off includes snacks, a prize wheel, and Indie Bookstore Day merch
– Later on, a Spoken Word Open Mic (5/1) (optional theme: “Reboot”)
Store hours: 9-8 (plus extended hours on 4/27: 10-6)
Phinney Books (Seattle – Greenwood)
Established neighborhood bookstore with book club; sibling of Madison Books.
Store hours: 10-7
Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle – Queen Anne)
Neighborhood bookstore with book club and patio.
– Blind date with a book (with every purchase)
– Stickers and giveaways
Store hours: 8am – 8pm
Secret Garden Books (Seattle – Ballard)
Long-running bookstore, specializing in children’s books.
– Local authors moonlighting as booksellers
– Snacks and exclusive giveaways
– Blind date with a book (free with $50 purchase)
– Indie Bookstore Day merch for sale
Store hours: 11-6
Third Place Books (Seattle – Ravenna)
Cozy location features large selection and frequent author events; with cafe on lower level.
– Prize wheel (win books, ARCs, candy, and more)
– Coloring stations (kids and adults)
– Explore the store with a scavenger hunt
Store hours: 9am – 9pm
Wise Owl Books & Music (Seattle – Green Lake)
Specialty bookstore focused on horror, along with sci-fi, fantasy, and music (vinyl).
Day-of events:
– Soft launch coinciding with the store’s renovation and rebranding
– Hunt for the Libro.fm Golden Ticket hidden in store (one-year subscription for free audio books)
Store hours: 10-6
Eastside
Mercer Island, Kirkland, Redmond
BookTree (Kirkland)
Established bookstore on the Eastside.
Day-of events:
– Meet local authors (12-5pm), including mystery-romance author Jacquie May Miller
– Local artists greeting in-store, with wall-displayed art also for sale
– Giveaways with purchase
– Custom BookTree tote bags and IBD merch for sale
– Later on, in-store appearances from writer David D. Horowitz (4/28 and 5/3); and free writing workshop (5/3), followed by reading and open mic
Store hours: 11-6:30
Brick & Mortar Books (Redmond)
Established bookstore, with wide range of book clubs (general, non-fiction, romance, cozy mystery, true crime) and occasional author events.
– Blind date with a book (free with $25 purchase)
– Indie Bookstore Day merch for sale
– Samples of new Brick & Mortar t-shirt designs, by local artists Nate Taylor and Kevan Atteberry
Store hours: 10-8
Island Books (Mercer Island)
Established bookstore with book clubs (general, cookbooks, knitting, kids) and storytime.
– Blind date with a book (with minimum purchase)
– Treats, giveaways, and selfie stations, with the World’s Largest Bookmark
– Typewriters from the store’s collection set up to try out
– Morning storytime (9:30) and kids’ character hunt
– Hunt for the Libro.fm Golden Ticket hidden in store (one-year subscription for free audio books)
Store hours: 9-6
Up North
Shoreline, Edmonds, Lake Forest Park
Edmonds Bookshop (Edmonds)
Long-running bookstore, with book club and occasional author events.
– Author appearances: Liz Wong (book signing, art/sketching demo, and prize giveaway) (10am); David B. Williams (book signing and “vest-dressed” contest) (11am); Marie Bostwick (book signing and prize giveaway) (1pm)
– Blind date with a book
– Local bakery pop-up (The Cottage) (10-2)
Store hours: 10-7
Ridgecrest Books (Shoreline)
Neighborhood bookstore hosting book club, storytime, and occasional author events, in-store or at the bar next door.
Store hours: 11-7
Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park)
First and largest location of three-store independent store features popular author events and large selection; surrounded by shops in Town Center and events with Third Place Commons.
– Prize wheel (win books, ARCs, candy, and more)
– Coloring stations (kids and adults)
– Explore the store with a scavenger hunt
Store hours: 9am – 9pm
Kitsap – the ferry trip stores
Bremerton, Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Kingston
Away With Words (Poulsbo)
Bookstore with gifts and bath boutique.
Day-of events:
– Author appearances: Julie Farley (print copies of the Ferry Tales rom-com series available, and exclusive merch) (10-noon); and Emily Rath (print copies of the Jacksonville Rays hockey romance series, new book pre-order, and Finnish folklore reimagining North Is the Night) (1-3pm)
– Free Away With Words tote bag (with purchase of $75+)
– Later on, an appearance from cookbook author Makenna Held for her new book, Mostly French (co-presented with Poulsbo Sons of Norway) (5/3)
Store hours: 8am – 7pm
Ballast Book Company (Bremerton)
Bookstore with several book clubs, each meeting off-site at one of Bremerton’s local businesses: a wine & cider bar (horror, general fiction, and silent book clubs), a pub (sci-fi book club), and a movie theater (movie lovers’ book club).
Day-of events:
– Hunt for the Libro.fm Golden Ticket (one-year subscription for free audio books) and Silver Ticket (six-month subscription) hidden in store
Store hours: 8am – 8pm
Eagle Harbor Book Co. (Bainbridge Island)
Long-running bookstore with large selection, hosting book clubs and occasional author events.
Store hours: 8am – 8pm
Liberty Bay Books (Poulsbo)
Long-running bookstore with wide-ranging book groups (general/daytime, history and historical fiction, mystery, Nordic, romantasy) and occasional author events.
– Author appearances: Suzanne Selfors, Lynn Brunelle, and Jennifer Mann (kids’ authors) (1-2); and Marie Bostwick and Susan Wiggs (6pm)
– Blind date with a book (free with $25 purchase)
– Free 12oz. drink at Cups (next door to the shop) (with Liberty Bay purchase of $35)
Store hours: 8am – 7pm
Saltwater Books (Kingston)
Newly opened bookstore across the water.
– Author appearances and book signings: Lynn Brunelle (9-11am); Rachel Linden (11-noon); Julie Farley (1-3); Mary Lou Sanelli (3-5)
– Free Saltwater tote bag (with purchase of $75+)
Store hours: 8-5
Happy browsing! 📚