As a kid growing up in Portland, I couldn’t wait to go downtown. It had a large B. Dalton bookstore (the chain was liquidated and eventually bought by Barnes & Noble), and I would peruse every aisle, checking out as many books and magazines as time allowed. I absolutely loved bookstores, and even the book and magazine racks at supermarkets.

I was intrigued, then, when I saw the announcement that Barnes & Noble would reopen in Bellevue — in Bellevue Square — on Jan. 15. The bookseller had operated a store in downtown Bellevue for 29 years until a residential development forced its closure in 2022. Even more interesting: The location is just the first of 60 the chain plans to open this year after it opened 50 in 2024. 

I was surprised to learn that Barnes & Noble still operates more than 650 bookstores across the United States. The company even said it is “enjoying a period of tremendous growth (and) strong sales in its existing stores.”

We all know the industry has undergone substantial change because of retail giants like Amazon. Big Little News, in the Pike-Pine corridor, sadly closed last year after just three years in business. As Barnes & Noble proves, however, others are doing just fine.

A report from research firm IBISWorld shows that bookstore revenue is projected to reach more than $34 billion in 2024, though it also notes that “brick-and-mortar will continue struggling against e-commerce book sales.” Barnes & Noble, in fact, is the largest bookseller in the U.S. in terms of market share.

One of my favorite local indie bookstores is Third Place Books, a seller that operates locations in Ravenna, Seward Park and Lake Forest Park. A year-end wrap-up shows that Third Place — now in its 27th year — is increasingly meeting an audience on its own terms. 

Last year alone, Third Place:

• Hosted 494 authors as part of its author series.
• Hosted 277 events across its three stores.
• Escorted 36 authors to local schools for more than 70 school visits.
• Donated $25,177 of books to students in the Seattle metro area. 

The store also noted that 48% of its events featured authors from Washington state.

Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park.

Photo courtesy of Third Place Books

Seattle’s wealth of independent bookstores will again celebrate this year on Independent Bookstore Day on April 26. The nationwide event involves more than 1,000 bookstores across the United States, including some longtime Seattle favorites like Fantagraphics Bookstore, Queen Anne Book Co., Third Place Books, Left Bank Books, Elliott Bay Book Co., and University Book Store.  

In other words, the story safari in Seattle seems strong and well. It’s easy to hunt for tales that spark your imagination.