(Almost) All the indie bookstores in Seattle
- Kiraz Baysal
- Sep 26, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 9
This year I went to 28 bookstores in the Seattle area. Here's a little bit about each of them.
Seattle does a passport challenge for the Indie Bookstore Day. Hit all the participating bookstores in 10 days and win a 20% discount at each. Since it includes 28 bookstores, it's no easy feat. This is the first year I actually did it!
✨ = top favorite
💕 = dedicated romance section
Kingston, WA
This cute bookstore is waiting for you in Kingston, right up the street from the ferry. They opened on the 2023 indie bookstore day! Even in one year they had expanded their collection so much. I love their kids' reading room, where I found many great YA and MG reads.
Poulsbo, WA
This place has a small but good selection of books, but they also have a great selection of bath bombs and other cute giftables. Stepping in here always smells so heavenly. I love stopping by here whenever I'm in Poulsbo. If you go to Poulsbo don't miss out on the great
Poulsbo, WA
Another great stop in Poulsbo, WA is Liberty Bay Books. They have a great selection of mysteries. I usually find some great finds here especially from local authors, though the rest of their selection is wide as well.
Bainbridge Island, WA
Eagle Harbor is right after the Bainbridge ferry. This is a very nice and polished bookstore with many signed editions of books. It has a wide variety for almost all genres, I always find books here I haven't seen before and have a great time.
✨Ballast Book Company💕
Bremerton, WA
This became one of my favorite bookstores. And I promised to go back even though it's all the way in Bremerton. It is very queer friendly; they have little flag bookmarks in books to show the kind of LGBTQIA+ representation it has. All of their shelves our chock full of books, it really is a place to get lost among the shelves. I also loved their logo and both me and my husband immediately bought merch.
✨Page 2 Books💕
Burien, WA
This is a great sized bookstore in Burien. I had limited time at each bookstore, but this is one of the ones that made me want to stay for much longer! They had so many indie books that I never see anywhere else, even at the biggest bookstores.
Burien, WA
Another great stop in Burien. I love the vibes at this bookstore with their rolling ladder big windows letting all the sunshine in. It's a very small bookstore but has a bit of everything. Their children's section is also very cute.
Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
This is a bookstore for the poetry lovers. They only sell poetry and novels in verse. With beautiful rugs and a reading room you can book, I really like the vibes here as well. I also loved how loudly they were supporting Palestine when I visited, including many highlighted selections from Palestinian poets.
Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
This place looks like it belongs in a beautiful train station with its high ceilings and tiling. The people working there are very passionate and helpful, always ready to give you a recommendation. They have a wide range of selections across the genres, I especially love their fantasy section.
West Seattle, WA
I love Paper Boat Booksellers' YA section. Both for fantasy and contemporary, they have a wide selection of books that I don't always see everywhere. Their other sections are rich in great finds as well and I love how it has many nooks and crannies to lose yourself in.
Magnolia, Seattle, WA
Another great bookstore for mystery lovers. I always find new books here I hadn't heard of. They also have a large kids' section, almost the whole half of the bookstore. A great neighborhood bookstore. I also usually find great cozy mysteries here.
✨Queen Anne Book Company💕
Queen Anne, Seattle, WA
This is one of the bigger bookstores in the greater Seattle area with a wide selection in all the genres. I love even driving in here with the trees all around, and the attached cafe is very nice as well. They have a small romance section, but I always appreciate a dedicated romance section even if it is small. Thewy
✨Charlie's Queer Books💕
Fremont, Seattle, WA
Seattle's only queer bookstore! An awesome bookstore with great design all around. They hold many events, have a cute reading area upstairs and have queer books from all the genres. I love that they have the LGBTQIA+ flags for all their romance books based on representation. Charlie is always super helpful with whatever random genre combinations you might be interested in. And their children's section is super cute!
Don't miss the bathroom.
Nook and Cranny (moving soon)
Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA
This bookstore is very close to one of my favorite bakeries in Seattle, Bakery Nouveau. I love that they have books separated by vibes rather than genres, like: "great for a rainy day". It works great since it's a relatively smaller space and makes for a great exploration experience.
Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA
Ada's is a great space for coffee, books, or eats. I used to have brunch in their room that has wall to wall books all the time when I lived nearby. Their main focus is technical books, think computer science books, for example. But they also have a selection of YA, fantasy and graphic novels that I always enjoy perusing. Also, if you like puzzles, they have a great selection of physical puzzles to play with.
✨Elliott Bay Book Company💕
Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA
This is my first love in Seattle. Probably the most famous bookstore in the Seattle area, right in Capitol Hill, right around the corner from Molly Moon's, and with a great cafe right inside, this is a Seattle staple. I feel like Elliott is best for the fiction genre, but their selection for all other genres is very vast as well. The owners changed last year and now they have a much bigger and better curated romance section which made me very excited to see. I can spend a whole day here going from the fantasy section to YA to romance. Don't miss out on their wall of staff picks. They also often have author events.
University District, Seattle, WA
Don't be fooled by the name, while this is a university bookstore, its books section is bigger than most in the Seattle area. There's something for everyone here and if you're in the area it's worth checking out.
Green Lake, Seattle, WA
I love this little bookstore that mostly has fantasy, and many indie ones at that. Though they carry other genres as well. This one is not so big, but you will still come across many unique finds. They sell used books along with new ones. I love the that it feels open despite its size with its half height shelves and cozy thanks to the rugs on the floor.
Fremont, Seattle, WA
A bookstore dedicated to cookbooks! Wall to wall books from across many cultures, countries and dietary worlds. They also have a counter towards the back where the authors/cooks hold events and classes.
Ballard, Seattle, WA
I love this Ballard bookstore. They're especially great for kids with one of the biggest selections for kids. But they also have great options for adults.
Greenwood/Madison Valley, Seattle, WA
Phinney Books and Madison Books are owned by the same people. They both have big windows and filled with a great selection of books. I used to live 5 minutes away from Madison Books but this was my first time in Phinney Books, and I immeditely fell in love. Another bookstore that I didn't want to ever leave despite my limited time. Phinney Books is definitely much bigger than the Madison one and has a super cozy vibe with comfy chairs and a great kid's corner.
Shoreline, WA
This is the latest addition to the Seattle bookstore world. They just opened this March. I was glad they were already a part of the indie bookstore day in April. I love their corner of YA and MG books. Very bright and open and becomes magical with the afternoon sun.
✨Third Place Books💕
Third Place Books is the biggest chain store of the Seattle area with three stores in Seward Park, Ravenna and Lake Forest Park. Lake Forest Park is by the far the biggest. I even think it's the biggest indie bookstore among all of these. All of their stores sell new and used books, so it is also a good place to sell your books. They all have some kind of cafe/brewery inside. They also hold many events.
Lake Forest Park: Stepping in, you're faced with shelves of books as far as the eye can see. They have the biggest section for any genre you can think of. Including romance! There's a delicious bakery and gyro place there, both of which I highly recommend as well.
Redmond, WA
It's a bit specific but I love this bookstore's mascot. They're in Redmond Town Center and a great big open space for book lovers. Whenever I'm here, I always wanna spend more time than I have. I especially enjoy their YA section.
Kirkland, WA
This bookstore almost feels more like someone's living room. With super cozy and lived in chairs and rugs, shelves filled with new and used books, a really large reading room for kids, it feels very homy.
Island Books💕
Mercer Island, WA
This is one of my favorites in the area. If you like little reading corners, this is the bookstore for you, since they made lovely nooks with each set of shelves. It has such a warm and welcoming vibe, and rugs making it feel even cozier. They have great staff picks, and they're also all super lovely. I always end up getting into a bookish chat here.
Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA
This bookstore right in Pike Place Market has a vast diverse book selection. It's small but has many little corners and filled as much as possible giving it a feeling of being bigger than it is. I always myself in the room in the rear which mainly focuses on fantasy and YA fiction. They require masks and also provide them. Great stop if you're in the area.