Message in a Bottle

Island Books is delighted to host our longtime friend and author, Justina Chen, for the release of her brand-new middle grade novel, With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei , on Tuesday, May 7th at 6:30p...

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A new book from Emily Henry is the perfect way to finish up the month of April, and this is definitely one of those times when the bookseller perk of getting to read Funny Story early was a wond...

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I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember. I have wonderful memories of visiting the old downtown Bellevue Library on Main Street, signing up for the annual summer reading program at the...

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As we welcome April, we know all you Indie Bookstore aficionados are getting ready for your (and our) favorite day of the year: Independent Bookstore Day! Celebrated across the country, here in t...

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My reading in the first quarter of this year has had an inadvertent theme of suffragists and polar exploration. I haven’t gone out searching for them; these books keep finding me. Which was mad...

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Some of you may have noticed a new addition to our store — Island Books now has a dedicated romance section and I couldn’t be happier. Cheerful covers in bright colors, containing stories whe...

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And we’re back! I know it’s been a while since our last Cookbook Book Club, but we have a great author event lined up for our next one. We really love having the author of the cookbook attend...

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Sometimes you pick up a book on a whim and feel, almost against your will, pulled into the plot. Unable to extricate yourself because each chapter expertly leads you into the next until you’re ...

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The adult and young adult fantasy genre has seen so many iterations of fairytale retellings. And many of us are happy to discover our favorite fairytales in inventive new frameworks and settings ...

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One of the perks of bookselling I was unaware of when I came into the business is author dinners. When a publisher is trying to build momentum for a book, they can host dinners with local booksel...

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I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been told how wonderful our children’s section is, how thoughtfully curated, how delighted people are to find unique books and gifts for the children in ...

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Now, several of you will likely recognize the name Robin Oliveria. This may be because she’s a wonderful local author, or because we’ve had the honor of hosting her several times, or because ...

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I’m sure I’m not alone in having a long-standing relationship with Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women . My first introduction to the March sisters was the 1933 film starring Katherine Hepburn...

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Imagine the romance of Bridgerton, with its intrigue and dresses and anonymous gossip column, then add a dash of magic, and you’ll have Allison Saft’s newest YA fantasy, A Fragile Enchantment...

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As I type these words, I’m watching the rain/snow come down out of a grey sky and thinking how good it is that so many different books exist. I can choose if I want to complement the day or sea...

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Hello everyone! It’s that time of year again. We’ve compiled our lists, we’ve gone over them with highlighters, and now we present to you: Our Top 20 Bestsellers of 2023 ! This list is a re...

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It’s hard to believe we’re already at the end of 2023. It’s been such a special year for Island Books: celebrating our 50th anniversary all year long and looking back at our history and the...

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When we’re tired out from trying to find the perfect gift or calculating just how long we can procrastinate on sending packages without actually missing Christmas, it’s nice to escape into th...

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As so we come, last but not least, to our favorites from the nonfiction releases of 2023. I will admit that this is a category that I personally don’t read widely in, so I am very grateful to m...

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Get ready for a slew of recommendations from our outstanding children’s section! We’ve compiled lists for each age range, from pictures books to early chapter books, graphic novels to YA, wit...

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