Gifts for Seattle Book Lovers: A Local Shopping Guide

🎨 For the Aesthetic Reader / Readers Who Love Pretty Things

#1: Paper Butterfly Forge

📍 Available at Fremont Sunday Market and local craft fairs
🌐 Visit website
💰 $2–$25

You might recognize Laura Dodson’s fun upcycled paper goods from the Fremont Sunday market or other craft fairs around town. She makes journals and notebooks from vintage books, children’s books, and even old game boards like Scrabble or Monopoly. Most are hand-bound with a coptic stitch, which means the books lay flat when they’re open—a bonus for folks who like to jot down notes while they read. These Nancy Drew titles would be a great pick for someone who loves the teenage sleuth, or just mystery detective vibes in general. Pair one with a Nancy Drew bookmark for double the Drew, or choose one of these cool laminated bookmarks made from old French dictionaries. 

💡 Pro tips:
🛒 Find her most regularly at the Fremont Sunday Market
📓 Nancy Drew journals make perfect gifts for mystery lovers
🔖 French dictionary bookmarks offer a sophisticated touch
📦 Custom orders available for specific titles

#2: Push/Pull 

📍 2000 NW Market St, Seattle (Ballard)
🕐 Monday – Saturday: 10 am – 8 pm | Sunday: 10 am – 7 pm
💰 Price range varies
🚗 Street parking available; D Line stops nearby

Ballard’s coolest indie art space is a treasure trove for fans of underground comics and zines. One choice zine, from Seth Goodkind, is called “Witch, Please” and features sketches and reviews created after he watched every single video in Scarecrow Video’s Witches and Warlocks section. The shelves are also lined with gorgeous risograph printed notebooks, journals, and many fancy writing implements. If you can’t decide what to get a friend, why not try the subscription box ($55), which will deliver art supplies, zines, and artist-made items like stickers and patches directly to your giftee.

🌟 Highlights:
🛠️ Regular workshops and events
📠 Gorgeous risograph printed notebooks
💥 Curated selection of indie comics
🏷️ Artist-made stickers and patches
📦 Monthly subscription box ($55) featuring art supplies and zines

#3: Northwest Art & Frame

📍 4733 California Ave SW, Seattle (West Seattle)
🕐 Monday – Saturday 9:30 am – 6 pm, Sunday 11 am – 6 pm
💰 Price range varies
🚗 Free parking lot behind store

West Seattle’s beloved gift shop (running since 1962) is a wonderland of literary accessories. Located in the heart of the Alaska Junction, it’s perfect for finding those special little extras for book lovers. In addition to gift books and cook books, it’s a veritable tchotchke wonderland. Does your best reading buddy need a refresh on bookmarks—perhaps a lovely enamel one with a black cat that says “Hiss Off I’m Reading”?

✔️ Must-see items:
🎁 Extensive gift wrap selection
🔖 Enamel bookmarks (including the popular “Hiss Off I’m Reading” cat design)
🩻 “Cracked Spines Expand Minds” sticker collection
📒 Classic book cover wristlets featuring Dracula and Alice in Wonderland
✏️ Louise Pretzel’s “Book Lover’s Box” with curated stationary

🍸For the Social Reader

#1: Silent Reading Party

📍 Sorrento Hotel: 900 Madison St, Seattle (First Hill)
🗓️ First Wednesday of every month
💰 $12 – $65 before fees
⚠️ 21+ only, $25 food/drink minimum
🚗 Valet parking available; easily accessible by First Hill Streetcar

Have a friend who loves reading but also loves relaxing in fancy hotel bars? This is the night for them. Seattle’s most luxurious literary event transforms the Sorrento’s mahogany-lined Fireside Room into a cozy reading sanctuary. Hosted by former Stranger editor Christopher Frizzelle, the parties feature two hours of languid piano music from Paul Matthew Moore but little to no chatter. Yes, it’s a party where everyone shuts up and reads. (What you read is entirely up to you.)

📣 Pro tips:
🛋️ Consider a loveseat ticket for a reading date night
🔥 Book “by the fire” seats early—they sell out fast
☕ The Sorrento’s famous hot chocolate pairs perfectly with winter reading
🍻 Since it takes place in a bar, this is a 21+ event

#2: Folio Membership

📍 93 Pike Street #307 (3rd Floor, Pike Place Market), Seattle
🕐 Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm
💰 Memberships: Student ($75), Individual ($150), Family ($240)
🚗 Multiple parking garages nearby; accessible via Link light rail to Westlake

Did you know there’s a handsome members-only library inside the Pike Place Market? This hidden gem in Pike Place Market is Seattle’s answer to private membership libraries of old, offering Elliott Bay views and thousands of carefully curated volumes. Year-long memberships include access to wonderfully quiet reading and work spaces as well as the lending library, which features a great selection of books on history (local and global), biographies, works in translation, and much more.

🎟 Membership perks:
📖 Regular literary events and discussions
🤫 Access to quiet reading and work spaces
📚 Extensive lending library
🏛️ Discounts at local bookstores
🗂️ Reciprocal privileges at other membership libraries

#3: SAL Lecture Series Passes

📍 Various venues (primarily Town Hall and Benaroya Hall)
💰 $119 – $1,350
🎟️ Virtual streaming options available

Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) has been bringing literary luminaries to Seattle since 1988. Their 2024-25 season features an impressive lineup including Percival Everett, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Natasha Lyonne. SAL is a great choice for the literary friend who enjoys keeping up with the latest and greatest and loves the thrill of seeing their favorite minds in person. The events at Seattle Arts & Lectures usually take place at Town Hall or Benaroya Hall, although there are also streaming options in case folks want to see their fave author while in their jammies. 

🎫 Subscription benefits:
🏨 Local dining and hotel deals
🗓️ Choose 4, 6, or 15 events
🎥 Mix of in-person and streaming options
🚚 Some passes include books shipped to your door
📚 10% discount at local independent bookstores
🤩 Access to exclusive author events

☕ For the Cozy Reader

#1: Ada’s Technical Books Subscriptions

📍 425 15th Ave E, Seattle (Capitol Hill)
💰 $20 – $25 monthly
📦 3, 6, or 12-month options

Don’t let the “technical” in the name fool you—this Capitol Hill bookstore in a converted house offers thoughtfully curated subscriptions for various reading tastes. Ada’s subscriptions will deliver a book to your home once a month for 3, 6, or 12 months.

🎟️ Subscription options:

• Non-fiction
• Feminist sci-fi
• Sci-fi classics
• Young adult
• Kids picture books

💡 Pro tip: Visit the store’s cozy cafe while picking up your first subscription book.

#2: Elliott Bay Books’ Reading Accessories

📍 1521 10th Ave, Seattle (Capitol Hill)
🕐 10am – 10pm daily
💰 Price varies
🚗 Multiple parking lots nearby; Capitol Hill light rail station 2 blocks away

Seattle’s iconic bookstore (50+ years and counting) offers much more than books. Their carefully selected accessories make perfect gifts for literary enthusiasts. One of their most novel offerings (pun not intended) is the Rolife Book Nook Shelf Inserts—magical little wooden puzzle houses that can be assembled to perch between books on your bookshelf. EBB also has literary advent calendars, tote bags, and games such as Random House copyediting chief Benjamin Dreyer’s “Stet! Dreyer’s English: A Game for Language Lovers, Grammar Geeks, and Bibliophiles.” (Who says copyeditors aren’t fun at parties?) Meanwhile, Watermark Bindery’s hand-sewn journals have been local faves for decades.

🦋 Unique offerings:
🛍️ Locally designed book-themed merchandise
🪑 Rolife Book Nook Shelf Inserts (miniature wooden scenes for your bookshelf)
🎄 Literary advent calendars
📓 Watermark Bindery’s hand-sewn journals
🕹 “Stet! Dreyer’s English” word game

#3: Book Subscriptions From Nook & Cranny Books

📍 324 15th Ave E, Suite 101, Seattle (Capitol Hill)
💰 $18–$36
📦 Monthly, quarterly, or twice yearly options

Looking for even more book subscriptions from local shops? This cozy Capitol Hill newcomer offers thoughtfully curated subscription boxes for various reading preferences. The “Fresh Reads” box (featuring recently released fiction in hardcover) is perfect for folks who like to stay-up-to-date with their fiction, while “STE(A)M Powered” follows the same idea for non-fiction. There are two cute options for kids, too: The “Curious & Confident” box is aimed at kids aged 8-12, while the “Kiddie Korner” box is for littles who love picture books. 

🎟️ Subscription options:

• “Fresh Reads” (new release fiction)
• “STE(A)M Powered” (science and technology non-fiction)
• “Curious & Confident” (ages 8-12)
• “Kiddie Korner” (picture books)

💡 Pro tip: Each subscription comes with a handwritten note and small bonus gifts from local makers.