Island Books owner Laurie Raisys balks at synthesizing the independent bookstore’s 50-year history through any one book – or even through a half-dozen of them.
“I think what defines this bookstore is this community,” Raisys said. “It would not be here without community.” When she bought it in 2015, she took on the role of the store’s fourth steward, though she believes it belongs to the people who frequent and cherish it.
Entering its sixth decade of existence, Island Books has sustained – and been sustained by – the local community, playing host to events and experiences as diverse as the titles stocked on the store’s bookshelves.
The store’s curated catalog and unapologetic local focus keep customers coming back, as do unique literary-focused events. At Harry Potter release parties, Potterheads donned Hogwarts garb and gathered at midnight to be among the first to leaf through the latest release. The celebrations grew so big over the years that they outgrew the store and had to be hosted at the Community Center.
Throngs of eager listeners packed Island Books to greet Daniel James Brown, author of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, ready to learn more about the nearly forgotten saga of the UW men’s rowing team. “When we had the launch, it was pretty big,” Raisys recalled of the standing-room-only crowd. “And it’s a big bookstore.” Maria Semple gave author talks at the store twice, including for her bestselling PNW satire Where’d You Go, Bernadette, taking swipes at the privileged pockets of the Seattle area all too familiar to islanders. And comedian Joel McHale’s return to the island to talk about his book Thanks for the Money, turned out equal parts lecture and homecoming tour for Mercer Island High School alum.
Beyond the typical bookstore events, Island Books assumed an explicit role as a civic space on Mercer Island. Every four years, it plays host to local political candidates, who chat with local residents and customers through an unstructured meet and greet. Candidates channel the store’s civic ethos to make a case for their campaigns, encourage others to get involved, and chart a course for the island’s shared future.
“It’s a community place,” Raisys says, and that means responding to the island’s needs, celebrations, and even departures. Students use its typewriter-forward decor and long rows of paperbacks and hardcovers as a bookish background for senior pictures. Early last year, the store hosted a wedding, after the pandemic foiled the couple’s original plans to get married in Mexico – aptly reflecting the store’s own pandemic-induced struggles. It also welcomed a memorial service for two dedicated customers who passed away.
Looking to the coming decades, Island Books sees its commitment to community as the fuel that will keep it going, playing host to buzzworthy titles, notable figures, and meaningful events in the years to come. “If you like what’s in your backyard, you have to support it,” Raisys said. “Otherwise it’s gonna go away.”
Celebrate 50 years of Island Books at the shop on Saturday, November 4, with activities starting at 9 am and continuing through a Champagne toast at 5 pm.