On a beautifully sunny October Saturday, my daughter-in-law Naselle and I set off on an adventure – a bookstore crawl.
It’s like a pub crawl with books instead of booze!
New bookstores in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake beckoned.
Our first stop: Beans & Bind. The brightly lit, cheerful spot on East Sprague bustled with coffee drinkers and readers.
On one side of the store, books lined shelves and towered on tables. Shoppers browsed selections including new releases, romance, fantasy, cookbooks and more.
Plenty of comfy seating offered places to sit and peruse possible purchases, and almost every chair was occupied.
In the children’s section, tables and chairs filled the room while a group of ladies chatted around one of the tables. The spot serves as an event space available to rent for meetings or events.
Merchandise displays filled with bookmarks, tote bags, candles, and mugs attracted browsers.
On the café side, the tables brimmed with folks sipping lattes and noshing on paninis or pastries. Since I’d just come from brunch with a friend, we didn’t get anything, but we plan to sample some goodies on our next visit.
As we headed to Liberty Lake for our next stop, I mentioned that I thought a coffee shop on my list to review for the newspaper’s food section might be nearby.
I can always drink more coffee, so we popped in to Fox and Onyx.
Owner Eric Parker served us delicious pumpkin spice iced lattes, and Naselle ordered a tasty scone. We enjoyed our treats and the sunshine at an outdoor table.
Thus fortified, we traveled a few blocks east to Paragraphs and Pages.
We stepped through the door, and I knew I’d found a new favorite store. Deep slate blue walls lined with carefully lit, meticulously labeled wooden bookshelves stretched from the front of the shop to the back.
The well-organized and beautifully curated selection of books and bookish accessories offers something for all literary tastes.
A grouping of black leather chairs near a fireplace provides the perfect place to soak in the bookish vibes.
Tables stacked with new releases and bestsellers beckoned. A signed first -edition copy of “Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel” caught my eye.
As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan, I’d been eagerly following the news of the release of the first new Miss Marple mystery in 50 years!
Author Lucy Foley penned the novel at the behest of Christie’s estate. I knew the library waitlist would be formidable, so I treated myself to a brand new hardback book.
On our way back to Spokane, Naselle asked if I’d like to stop at Page 42 Bookstore. I hadn’t visited its new location, so I happily agreed.
We enjoyed browsing the shelves overflowing with secondhand books. I found a copy of one of my favorite novels, “Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger. I also found a book by him I hadn’t read, “The River We Remember.”
Naselle discovered a couple of books in a series she enjoyed, and I encouraged her to buy a copy of Anthony Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See.”
Sated with sunshine, coffee and literature, we returned to our homes.
Our October bookstore crawl proved perfectly timed.
November’s darkening days and chilly evenings hold no dread. My to-read pile towers. It’s the perfect season to curl up with a cozy blanket and a good book.
If you Go
Beans & Bind
When: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Where: 17325 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley
Phone: 509-294-0962
Info: beansandbind.com
Fox and Onyx
When: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Where: 1948 N. Harvest Parkway, Liberty Lake
Paragraphs and Pages
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday
Where: 21801 E. Indiana Ave., Liberty Lake
Phone: 509-509-3786
Page 42 Bookstore
When: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
Where: 3010 N. Crestline St.
Phone: 509-202-2551
Online: http://www.page42bookstore.com
We want to know
What are you reading and where did you pick it up?
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