The Neverending Independent Bookstore Day Adventure, Episode IV

When last we met here (and before that here and originally here) Scott and I were waiting at Roosevelt station for a light rail to take us to Capitol Hill. Clearly, a train came along:

Portrait of a Family Outing

It was raining when we emerged from the light-rail station, and my vision likely wasn't as clear as one might like as we cycled up the half dozen blocks to reach 15th and knock off two shops that were due to close shortly--though not quite as soon as I thought. My exhausted state and poor vision led me to misread my watch, making me think it was nearly 8:00.

Bikes  posed by Nook and Cranny

Nook and Cranny Books and More has an interesting approach to shelving: books are grouped by idiosyncratic theme so you'll find shelves of "books to read in the bath" or "books if you want to feel inspired." (I don't swear these are actual categories at Nook and Cranny, but you get the idea.) Unfortunately, they did not have a shelf of "books if you are very tired of looking at books and are anxious about the store closing soon" so the categories weren't as helpful to me as they might have been. Thus I was very relieved to at last stumble across a book by Young Adult author Rebecca Stead whose When You Reach Me truly is phenomenal. Sure it's "Young Adult," but I still recommend it to everyone everywhere all at once.

Scott got to spin the wheel at Nook & Cranny but my book was too cheap so I didn't get that opportunity; I can't remember what treasure he won this time. We left the bikes where they were and scurried up to Ada's Technical Books since I still hadn't realized I'd misread my watch. It was likely that sense of urgency that led me to at last succumb to the book that I'd decided against at at least half a dozen stores by then:

It's a take-off of a Shakespeare story, how could I not like it?

Purchases completed and time pressure at last relieved, we shifted the bikes to in front of Ada's so we could get the traditional snap there before heading down the hill to the last shop of the day.

Sort of a "last homely bookshop" feel to Ada's in the gloaming

Elliott Bay Book Company is traditionally the last stop for us--and probably many other people--since its 10:00 p.m. closing time is later than most stores. As usual, there was a crowd of people handing in their completed cards. ("How, people, how?" I always wonder until I remember that most people start earlier than we do and, oh yeah, drive. But still, 28 stores--some of them requiring a ferry--in a single day? Crazy, man.) I didn't see anything I particularly wanted on any of the "recommended" shelves, but it occurred to me to wonder if they'd have a Connie Willis I hadn't read so I went into the stacks and found one I'd not heard of and carried it up to the checkout, though I wasn't wild about the cover.

 

As it turned out, you pretty much could judge this book by its cover; it was a little disappointing. Not awful, just pretty light and predictable. But sometimes I'm okay with light.

"Do all those books make my pannier look big?" Scott's bike might ask.

I want to say "And so ends the first of this year's Seattle Independent Bookstore days," but then I remember that we opted to return to the light rail to get downtown which meant shifting the bikes out of the Westlake station via the elevator which, alas, provided an all-too-vivid illustration of what happens when a city lacks adequate public restrooms. We ended the day standing in half an inch of urine, grateful for our thick-soled shoes. I soaked mine in bleach after we got home; Scott decided he'd been about ready to throw that pair of Docs out anyway. Ah, Seattle . . . 

Day One's Final Haul

Still to come: Making use of those EXTRA days