The Shop
Edmonds Bookshop is the quintessential booklover’s haven. Located in the heart of the picturesque North End waterfront community for which it’s named, the store boasts a comprehensive collection of books in an impressive array of genres and categories, all neatly presented on floor-to-ceiling shelves and stout bookcases perfect for browsing.
The Atmosphere
The cozy shop is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the world. Its small size makes it easy to navigate, and shelf tags with handwritten notes from the staff offer personal recommendations for bestsellers and undiscovered gems. Warm, welcoming, and filled with brightly colored spines, Edmonds Bookshop is a place for relaxed literary discovery.
Key People
Mary Kay Sneeringer and David Brewster are the store’s fourth owners since its founding in 1972. The two met while working at the University Bookstore in Seattle, and never intended to run their own shop.
“However, fifteen years ago we noticed that the bookshop in our town was for sale,” said Sneeringer. “We decided to take the plunge against our better judgment, and we have been very pleasantly surprised at the many ways our lives have been enriched. The community and the fellow store owners have been very supportive.”
What You’ll Find
Edmonds Bookshop stocks plenty of fiction and non-fiction titles, including sci-fi and fantasy as well as art, design, and cookbooks. Tables at the front of the store display recent releases, while an extensive children’s section in the back has books for every age: board books for babies, bright and beautiful picture books, the latest chapter books, and a wide variety of young adult options.
“I buy what I think will sell,” Sneeringer said of the store’s offerings, but sometimes, she admitted, “there are books that I find funny, or beautiful, or important in some way that I just take a chance on and hope someone else will love, too.”
In addition to books, you’ll also find a vibrant customer base. Avid readers flock to Edmonds Bookshop—not a small feat for an independent bookstore in the age of online book behemoths.
“We are fortunate to live in an area of the country where people are aware of how their choices affect their community. We are still here because people choose to buy books from us,” said Sneeringer.
And, accordingly, her favorite part of running the store is being around people who love books and reading. The shop, she said, appeals to those who “are curious about their world. People who experience many lifetimes through the characters they read about. People who delight in the way an author says things. People who love language.”
Owner’s (Current) Favorite Book
With a wide assortment from which to choose, it was understandably difficult for Sneeringer to select her current favorite book. She settled on a newly released children’s picture book, The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas, which she said is quirky, sweet, and beautifully illustrated by Erin E. Stead.
Edmonds Bookshop
111 5th Ave. S., Edmonds
425.775.2789
edmondsbookshop.com
