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Greetings from Port Book and News!

Don't look know, but tomorrow we flip another page on the calendar.

The beginning of September means that 2024 calendars have started arriving in the store. Some local favorites (Nikki McClure, for example) have already arrived, and always sell out.

Image of 2024 Nikki McClure Calendar

For those starting school, we have a great selection of children's books for the first day of school (see below), as well as planners, backpacks, writing instruments and a lot more for more grown-up students.

We're also getting ready to get ready for fall. Watch our front window for seasonally appropriate displays, and come in to see what's new. Just remember that we've switched to our fall hours, so we're open 9-7 Monday through Saturday, and 10-6 on Sunday. Don't let too much time pass before coming by to say hello.

New Books
Cover of Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words
Cover of The Underworld
Cover of Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf
Cover of Good Bad Girl

Exterior of the bookstore on Romance Day, with the magnificent balloon arch
Romance Day 2023 was so much fun!

We had a wonderful turnout for the 5th Annual Bookstore Romance Day, celebrating Romance Readers, Writers and the Genre. We saw many of our regular customers and made new friends as well!

We started the day off with a wonderful Balloon Arch outside our window, done By Caylie Pitz and gorgeous window art created by our own Helena Pohl! As you entered under the Archway, light treats were provided and if you purchased a Romance Book we offered tasty creative cookies from So So Sweet by Ashley.

We want to thank everyone who not only came out to this event on a weekend full of happenings around town but to the people who helped us turn our store into a place full of color and smiles. (Even Grumpy was seen with a smile on his face that day) just don't tell Alan we caught him in the act.

We hope to continue this tradition for years to come and can't wait to see you all next year!

Romance section shelves decorated for Bookstore Romance Day
Interior of bookstore with treats and prizes for Bookstore Romance Day

Books we are excited about
The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight
by Andrew Leland

Fascinating historical and scientific explorations of blindness are woven through the author's reckoning with his own impending blindness in this informative and touching memoir. While Andrew Leland mourns the loss of his sight (he lost a great deal of his vision while writing this book) he is also led by incredible curiosity to explore every conceivable aspect of his new world.

His frankly described apprehensions of a new community and of how blindness is changing his relationships to his wife and son are well-observed and affecting. For me, listening to In The Country of the Blind as an audiobook was a natural choice, since the author's narration evoked the beloved but defunct Organist podcast from KCRW, which Leland hosted and produced. This is a superb, eye-opening and inspiring book. -Steven

Safe and Sound by Mercury Stardust

Are you familiar with Mercury Stardust? She is the Trans Handy Ma'am of TikTok fame and she has a book for renters new and old, or anyone who wants to know how maintain their home. In Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair, Mercury will empower you to navigate the inevitable trials of having a home, rented or otherwise.

Home maintenance is not only for homeowners and renters face unique obstacles, a fact Mercury is intimately familiar with. We all panic when the toilet overflows, right? With compassion and experience, she will give you options, recommend tools and materials, and guide you clearly through the steps to repair what has broken and keep your home safe.

First Day of School Children's Books
Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures

In Jason Pamment's graphic novel for children, Ember, a tiny boy living by himself in a city of giants meets a gentle sea turtle who escorts him to fantastical island with a school just for little creatures. We were so smitten with it that we added to a list of "First Day of School" books that we love. -Helena

Cover of We Don't Eat Our Classmates
Cover of Moonlight School
Cover of Chrysanthemum
Cover of Starvation Heights
FIELD EVENTS HALL PRESENTS
Dr. Alvy Ray Smith
Book cover for A Biography of the Pixel by Alvy Ray Smith

Dr. Alvy Ray Smith cofounded two successful startups: Pixar (sold to Disney) and Altamira (sold to Microsoft) and worked as the first director of computer graphics at Lucasfilm. In 2021, Dr. Smith published a book, A Biography of the Pixel, with MIT Press.

He joins us at Field Arts & Events Hall for the very first Community Conversation, sponsored by First Fed. This evening with Dr. Alvy Ray Smith will include a talk, Q&A, and a book signing opportunity.

Books will be available for pre-purchase at Port Book & News, and on sale at the event.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
5:30pm
This event is FREE and open to the public. Please RSVP.
Field Arts & Events Hall
201 W. Front St.
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Read more and RSVP
Our most refreshing non-book item, hands-down

You asked and we delivered... we are now offering the pink SodaStream cylinders which feature the quick connect for all you quick connect machine owners. We will continue to carry the blue bottles as well.

We love SodaStream and are happy to be a provider of cylinder exchanges. Frankly, nobody is sure if Alan would remain adequately hydrated if we didn't carry these.

Two different sodastream cartridges

Our In-Person Events keep on coming!
Reading

Thanks to Dave Kyu and Ilyssa Kyu for their enthusiastic reading and presentaion of their books Campfire Stories: Tales from America's National Parks, Volumes I and II. They were quite engaging and energetic, especially considering how long they have been on tour with two small children (who were also a joy to behold).

Dave and Ilyssa were generous with their time after the event and signed copies of the books. We have some signed stock left so come on in and check out the books.

Thanks to Mountaineers Books from Seattle for including us in the tour. We look forward to our next author appearance, Tim McNulty, presenting Salmon, Cedar, Rock and Rain: Washington's Olympic Peninsula, which should be a wonderful evening, Friday October 20th at 7pm in the Carver Room. The book is also a publication of Mountaineers, an independent, non-profit publisher of some of the best outdoor, recreation and field guides and conservation books currently in print, especially of Northwest focus. They've been at it since 1960.

We will also be at the Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival, selling books on everything you can imagine related to mycology. October 13-15th at the Clallam County Fairgrounds. Come say hello!

Fungi Festival

Port Book and News Best Sellers
Cover of Killers
Cover of Braiding
Cover of Crying
Cover of Fourth Wing
Cover of Court of Thorns
Cover of Trust
Cover of Every Good Boy Does Fine
Cover of Campfire
Joke of the Newsletter

Two robins are sitting in a tree.

The first robin turns to the other robin and says, “ I'm starving. I have to get some food. What do I do?” The Second robin says, “well it rained last night, the field is right down there, it has to be crawling with worms, we'll just fly down into the field and eat the worms.” Which they do. They proceed to gorge themselves on worms to the point at which they can't fly.

Now the first robin turns to the second robin and says, “Now what do I do? I've eaten so many worms I can't fly.” The second robin says, “well it's a beautiful day now, the sun is shining, we'll just bask in the sunshine until we digest the worms.” Which they do, until a cat comes by and sees these two robins that obviously can't fly.

The cat pounces on them and eats them. As the cat is walking away, it says to itself “I just love Baskin Robbins.”







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Port Book and News Bookstore · 104 E 1st St · Port Angeles, WA 98362-2903 · USA