Book-lovers are buzzing about Independent Bookstore Day, taking place on Saturday.
It’s the 10th anniversary of the event. It will feature city-wide bookstore crawls, author talks, and great deals on books.
J.B. Johnson owns the BLMF Literary Saloon inside Seattle's Pike Place Market. It's filled with books, some in precarious stacks and all collected by Johnson. He's owned the shop for 26 years and told KNKX owning a bookstore isn't easy.
"I have a lot of people who come through and say things like 'Oh, man, you got a bookstore! This is the kind of thing I want to do when I retire'," Johnson said.
"Wrong. This is not a retirement gig. This is labor intensive. You have to get on it and stay on it. I'm constantly looking at more books and more material, always."
Still, there's nothing else he'd rather do.
"I don't want to start over, so I have to be really good at it and I do work hard at it. Still, like I say, five out of seven days, it is the greatest job in the world," Johnson said.
How does BLMF Saloon plan to mark this celebration of unique indie bookstores? Not with stickers, journals or tote bags.
"I'm sorry, I just have books," Johnson said drily.
In a digitally-driven era, physical books and local literary destinations have come to represent community and in-person connections. This distinction may be one reason the American Booksellers Association, an independent bookstore trade organization, reported solid growth among its membership last year.
When there's dozens of ways to spend time on a phone or computer, Johnson's reminder is that reading is always an option.
"Reading is a privilege and don't tell me that you don't have time to read," Johnson said.
"If you have a favorite TV show, you have time to read. If you have a favorite podcast, you have time to read. If your Clash of Clans castle is above level 12, you have time to read. So put the phone down..."
And pick up a book.
Twenty-seven bookstores across Seattle are participating in Independent Bookstore Day this year. The day also kicks off the first annual South Sound Book Crawl featuring 10 independent bookstores south of Seattle.
