You can also find store information and maps on our mobile-friendly site.

Seattle Independent Bookstore Day is the local home of the national Independent Bookstore Day, a one-day celebration on the last Saturday of April, hosted by independent booksellers for our readers and customers. The 2025 Independent Bookstore Day takes place on April 26. This year once again the participating Seattle-area booksellers are offering the Bookstore Day Passport Challenge, with ten days to complete the challenge. Please see below for details.

What Is Happening for Independent Bookstore Day 2025?

Seattle Independent Bookstore Day (SIBD) has come to mean a great deal to all of us working in the Seattle bookstore community, and we’re glad to say that the Seattle-area indie bookstores are once again celebrating Indie Bookstore Day with the popular Bookstore Day Passport Challenge this year. The challenge is for local book (and bookstore) lovers to visit all 29 participating Seattle-area independent bookstores, and, as in the past few years, they will have ten days to complete the challenge.

Independent Bookstore Day is on Saturday, April 26, and the challenge must be completed by Monday, May 5.

Book fanatics who complete the challenge will receive a Bookstore Day Champion Stamp Card, good for a one-time 25% discount at each participating store and valid until April 24, 2026.

We are also offering an intermediate reward: those who don’t complete the full challenge but get their passport stamped at at least five participating stores during the ten-day period will receive a single 25%-off coupon, good at any of the participating stores.

We are grateful for the support our bookstores receive. The Seattle area independent bookstore community continues to thrive because of you.

SIBD 2025, April 26 - May 5, FAQ Sheet

Is Indie Bookstore Day happening this year?

Yes, both nationally and in Seattle.

How do I qualify as an Indie Bookstore Day 2025 Champion?

Visit all 29 participating Seattle-area stores between April 26 and May 5, 2024, and turn in your passport with stamps from all the stores.

What’s the prize?

A Bookstore Day Champion Stamp Card, good for a one-time 25% discount at each of the participating stores. The card will be good through April 24, 2026 (the day before Independent Bookstore Day next year). *Discount exclusions apply. See individual stores for details.

Can I earn a prize if I don’t visit all the stores?

Yes, if you get your passport stamped at five or more stores during the ten-day period but don’t complete the full challenge, turn in your passport at the last store you visit and you’ll immediately receive a single-use 25% coupon good at any participating store.

Which bookstores are participating?

See the list of participating bookstores at the bottom of this page. There have been a few changes to the participating stores since last year’s challenge, so please note the current lineup. We have added one new store (Away with Words in Poulsbo, very close to longtime participant Liberty Bay), and Phinney Books and Madison Books are no longer under the same ownership, so they now appear separately on the passport. And two stores have moved locations since last year: Paper Boat, which moved to a new space in West Seattle, and Nook and Cranny, which is reopening in Ravenna/U District. As in previous years, while Third Place Books has three locations, you only need to visit one of their stores to get your stamp. Also please note that not all participating bookstores are open for all ten days of the challenge. You can see store hours below or on our mobile site.

How do I participate?

Pick up a passport in person at a participating bookstore, starting on Bookstore Day, April 26, 2025. Get your passport stamped at each store during the ten-day period, and turn it in at the last store you visit. No purchase is required to get your stamp at each store, though of course you are encouraged to shop. Online visits or purchases are not included: you must have your card stamped, in person, at each store.

When will I receive my discount card?

When you turn in your passport, you will choose your “home” store, where your Champion Discount Card will be held for you to pick up, starting on June 8.

What Is Independent Bookstore Day?

Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April. Every store is unique and independent and hosts its own party. And in addition to author appearances, treats, scavenger hunts, kids events, contests, and the other fun stuff that various stores may be planning, many stores offer exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. Not before. Not online. And only as long as supplies last.

What Is Seattle Independent Bookstore Day?

When Independent Bookstore Day went national in 2015 (after its founding in 2014 by booksellers in Northern California was a rousing success), Seattle's indie bookstores collaborated to showcase what we do best: build human connections through physical books, in a daylong celebration of the work we do and the readers and customers who make it possible. We offered many of the same events and exclusive items as our colleagues across the country, but we also introduced the Passport Challenge, encouraging readers to get their passports stamped at as many participating stores as possible on Bookstore Day. Those who got their passports stamped at every participating store that day were crowned Grand Champions, with a crown, a party, and a 25% discount at all participating stores for the following year. Over the years, we have been stunned by the response: in our first year, we weren't sure if anyone would complete the full Passport Challenge, but we crowned 42 Grand Champions. In 2017, our third year, the number of Grand Champions, all of whom visited stores from Poulsbo to Kirkland to Queen Anne to Georgetown in a single day, exploded to 320, and in 2019 our total number of Champions increased to 636. We weren’t able to continue the in-person Passport Challenge under COVID restrictions in 2020 and 2021, but in 2022 we introduced the 10-day Passport Challenge, and we crowned 335 champions to celebrate the return of Bookstore Day, and were up to 414 champions last year, in 2024.

Why Are We Celebrating Independent Bookstores?

Independent bookstores in the Pacific Northwest aren’t just brick and mortar storefronts. We’re part of a thriving literary scene made up of writers, readers, librarians, and publishers (which was declared by UNESCO in 2017 an official "City of Literature"). We’re local literary destinations for our communities and staffed by passionate, well-read booksellers. We’re entire universes of ideas that contain the possibility of real serendipity. We’re lively performance spaces and quiet places where “just that right book” can be discovered.

Bookstores are living, breathing organisms that continue to grow and develop each year. In a world of tweets, algorithms, and digital downloads customers find it reassuring to walk into a bookstore, smell the books, talk with a bookseller, and hold the books in their hands. This won’t change. We’re here to stay, and in fact we’re growing: our first Bookstore Challenge included only 19 stores, and now we’re up to 29, many of them having opened in the years since.

When Does It Happen?

Seattle Independent Bookstore Day takes place on the last Saturday in April.

How to Connect with Us

Visit our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Use #SEABookstoreDay if you want to add to the conversation.

Participating Stores

Ada's Technical Books

Ada's Technical Books is a general bookstore with an emphasis on STEM titles. We have an amazing children's section as well. We also feature a vegetarian cafe and specialty coffee shop.

425 15th Ave. E, Seattle

www.adasbooks.com

(206) 322-1058

Hours: Everyday 8am-8pm

Instagram: @adason15th

Twitter: @adason15th

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdasOn15th

Arundel Books

Arundel Books was founded as a fine press publisher specializing in art and poetry; we began selling rare and out-of print books and now operate a retail bookstore in Pioneer Square, an affiliated Indie publishing company called Chatwin Books, and a book printing and binding operation including both digital printing and our own vintage letterpress printing press.

322 1st Ave. S, Seattle

www.arundelbooks.com

(206) 624-4442

Hours: Bookstore Day 9am-9pm, Sun-Thu 10am-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-9pm, Mon May 5 10am-9pm

Instagram: @arundelbooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/arundelbooks

Away with Words (New!)

We are a husband-and-wife-owned shop and we try to focus on small brands and local artisans who make high-quality, sustainable goods. We look forward to seeing you in Historic Downtown Poulsbo!

18954 Front Street NE #100, Poulsbo

https://awaywithwordsbookshop.com

(360) 908-7469

Hours: Bookstore Day 9am-6pm, Sun. Apr. 27 10am-6pm, Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat. May 3 10am-6pm, Sun May 4 10am-5pm

Instagram: @awaywithwordsbooks

Ballast Book Co.

Ballast Books: a little bit irreverent, a lot of plants, and some sarcasm on the side. New books and stickers are our jam, and trans rights are human rights.

409 Pacific Ave., Ste. 202, Bremerton

www.ballastbookco.com

(360) 626-3430

Hours: Bookstore Day 8am-8pm, Sun-Thu 10am-7pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8

Instagram: @ballastbookco

Twitter: @ballastbookco

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ballastbookcompany

Book Larder

Book Larder is Seattle's only culinary bookstore, celebrating 13 years in business, carrying a carefully selected collection of new and imported cookbooks to lovers of food and cooking in Seattle and beyond.

4252 Fremont Ave. N, Seattle

www.booklarder.com

(206) 397-4271

Hours: Sat 11am-5pm, Sun Noon-4pm, Mon-Fri 11am-6pm

Instagram: @booklarder

Twitter: @booklarder

Facebook: www.facebook.com/booklarder

BookTree

BookTree is the only new-and-gently-used indie bookstore in Kirkland, owned by a local writer-poet since 2016.

609 Market Street, Kirkland

www.booktreekirkland.com

(425) 202-7791

Hours: Sat 11am-6pm, Mon 11:30am-5:30pm, Tue/Wed/Fri 11:30am-6pm, Closed Thur & Sun

Instagram: @booktreekirkland

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BookTreeBookstore

Brick & Mortar Books

A local family-owned independent bookstore in Redmond.

7430 164th Ave. NE, Suite B105, Redmond

www.brickandmortarbooks.com

(425) 869-0606

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm

Instagram: @brick_and_mortar_books

Twitter: @BrckMrtrBooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brickandmortarbooks

Charlie’s Queer Books

Seattle's home for queer books in every genre!

465 N. 36th St., Seattle

charliesqueerbooks.com

Hours: Wed-Sat/Mon 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm, Closed Tue

Instagram: @charliesqueerbooks

TikTok: @charliesqueerbooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/charliesqueerbooks

Eagle Harbor Book Co.

We are a full service, locally-owned, and proudly independent bookstore. A short ferry ride from Seattle and a quick walk from the ferry terminal, we have been serving the Kitsap Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest since 1970.

157 Winslow Way E, Bainbridge Island

www.eagleharborbooks.com

(206) 842-5332, (360) 692-2375

Hours: Bookstore Day 7:30am-7pm, everyday 10am-6pm

Instagram: @eagleharborbooks

Twitter: @EagleHarborBook

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EagleHarborBookCo

Edmonds Bookshop

Located in thriving downtown Edmonds WA, we have books for readers of all ages and interests. We also offer a fun selection of gift items and a large, unique selection of cards.

111 Fifth Avenue South, Edmonds

www.edmondsbookshop.com

(425) 775-2789

Hours: Bookstore Day 10am-7pm, Sun Apr 27 11am-5pm, Mon-Wed 10am-6pm, Thu 10am-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-5pm

Instagram: @edmondsbookshop

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EdmondsBookshop

Elliott Bay Book Company

The Elliott Bay Book Company is a full service bookstore located in the heart of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. We offer one of the region's best selection of new books, with over 150,000 titles, and present an unparalleled schedule of author readings and events throughout the year.

1521 10th Ave., Seattle

www.elliottbaybook.com

(206) 624-6600

Hours: Everyday 9am-10pm

Instagram: @elliottbaybookco

Twitter: @ElliottBayBooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elliottbaybookcompany

Fantagraphics Bookstore

Fantagraphics Bookstore specializes in offbeat comix, graphic novels, and badass books from local, national, and international artists. Since opening in 2006, the shop has hosted hundreds of events as the surrounding area has become home to a colorful arts community.

1201 S Vale St., Seattle

fantagraphics.com/flog/bookstore

(206) 557-4910

Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30am-8pm, Sun 11:30am-5pm

Instagram: @fantagraphicsbookstore

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fantagraphicsbookstore

Island Books

Welcome to Island Books. We are the only independent bookstore proudly serving Mercer Island for over 45 years.

3014 78th Ave. SE, Mercer Island

www.islandbooks.com

(206) 232-6920

Hours: Bookstore Day 9am-7pm, Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm

Instagram: @island.books

Twitter: @islandbooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mercerislandbooks

Left Bank Books Collective

Left Bank Books is a collectively run anarchist bookstore specializing in anti-authoritarian, independent, and radical literature since 1973.

92 Pike St., Seattle

www.leftbankbooks.com

(206) 622-0195

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-6pm, Closed on May Day, Thu May 1

Instagram: @leftbankbookscollective

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeftBankBooksSeattle

Liberty Bay Books

Kitsap's Oldest Bookstore!

18881 D Front Street NE, Poulsbo

www.libertybaybooks.com

(360) 779-5909

Hours: Bookstore day: 8am-7pm, Everyday 10am-5pm

Instagram: @libertybaybooks

Twitter: @libertybaybooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/libertybaybooks

Madison Books

Madison Books is the "tiny but mighty" neighborhood bookstore for Madison Park and its surrounding communities.

4118 E. Madison St., Seattle

www.madisonbks.com

(206) 325-3160

Hours: Everyday 10am-6pm

Instagram: @madisonbkstagram, @phinneybooks

Magnolia’s Bookstore

Neighborhood general bookstore, small in size but not in inventory!

3206 W. McGraw St., Seattle

www.magnoliasbookstore.com

(206) 283-1062

Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 12-5pm

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Magnolias-Bookstore-534506929900550

Nook & Cranny Books (New location!)

WE'VE MOVED! Nook & Cranny is a boutique bookstore and community space highlighting underrepresented voices from around the world. Come check out our new digs near Cowen Park and celebrate our Grand Re-Opening!

5637 University Way NE, Seattle

nookandcrannybooks.com

(425) 780-6027

Hours: Bookstore Day 9am-8pm, Sun Apr 27 11am-6, Tue-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12-4pm, Closed Mon

Instagram: @nookandcrannyseattle

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NookAndCrannyBooks

Open Books: A Poem Emporium

A bookstore devoted to poetry.

108 Cherry St., Seattle

openpoetrybooks.com

(206) 633-0811

Hours: Wed-Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm, Closed Mon-Tue

Instagram: @openpoetrybooks

Twitter: @openpoetrybooks

Page 2 Books

Page 2 Books has served the readers of Burien since 1989. With a love of community building and all things literature, Page 2 sells new and used titles as well as cards, puzzles, journals, art by local artists, and more!

560 SW 152nd St., Burien

page2books.com

(206) 248-7248

Hours: Bookstore Day 10am-7pm, Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm

Instagram: @Page2Books

Twitter: @page2books

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Page2Books

Paper Boat Booksellers (New location!)

Paper Boat Booksellers is located in the heart of West Seattle offering a wide variety of book genres and other fun stuff!

4522 California Ave. SW, Seattle

www.paperboatbooksellers.com

(206) 743-8283

Hours: Fri-Sat 10am-8pm, Tue-Thu 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm, Closed Mon

Instagram: @paperboatbooksellers

Facebook: www.facebook.com/paperboatbooksellers

Phinney Books

A neighborhood bookstore for Phinney Ridge and Greenwood in north Seattle.

7405 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle

www.phinneybooks.com

(206) 297-2665

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 12-5pm

Instagram: @phinneybooks

Queen Anne Book Company

Queen Anne Book Co has been a neighborhood treasure since 2013, with new books, gifts, and community events for all ages.

1811 Queen Anne Ave. N, Seattle

www.qabookco.com

(206) 284-2427

Hours: Bookstore Day 8am-8pm, Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm

Instagram: @queen.anne.book.company

Twitter: @queenannebookco

Facebook: www.facebook.com/qabookco

Ridgecrest Books

A welcoming new and used bookstore in Shoreline with a focus on curation and community

512 NE 165th St., Shoreline

https://ridgecrestbookstore.com

(206) 644-7105

Hours: Bookstore Day and Sun Apr 27 10am-7pm, Everyday 11am-7pm

Instagram: @ridgecrestbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551410211634

Saltwater Bookshop

Kingston's first-ever indie bookstore! Women-owned with a little bit of everything but a focus on local interest, Indigenous Peoples, and a large children's room. We're attached to Borrowed Kitchen Bakery—get a treat and peruse the stacks.

10978 NE State Hwy 104 Ste. 109, Kingston

https://www.saltwaterbookshop.com

(360) 638-6136

Hours: Bookstore Day 8am-5pm, Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-3pm

Instagram: @saltwaterbookshop

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089977286809

Secret Garden Books

We are a full-service, general bookstore, featuring books for everyone, with a particular specialty in children's books. Located in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, we're within walking distance of cafes, galleries, shops, and, of course, coffee, in every direction! Our knowledgeable staff includes longtime booksellers and avid young adult and general readers alike!

2214 NW Market St., Seattle

www.secretgardenbooks.com

(206) 789-5006

Hours: Sat 11am-6pm, Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm

Instagram: @secretgardenbks

Twitter: @SecretGardenBks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Secret-Garden-Books-294448783913568

Third Place Books

Now celebrating over 25 years in business, Third Place Books is a PNW bookselling institution with three locations in the Seattle area, each featuring a partner restaurant and gathering space. Our name comes from the concept coined by sociologist Ray Oldenberg in his book The Great Good Place—that if our "first place" is our home, and our "second place" is work, we need a "third place" to gather and converse as a community. Third Place Books hosts nearly 300 author events a year at our three locations. New and used books.