In a feature headlined "A book-filled journey through Whatcom County," the Seattle Times explored the "literary landscapes" of Washington's northwest corner, including Fairhaven, "once a city unto itself, now the southernmost neighborhood of Bellingham and a nationally designated historic district." Once there, visitors' "mandatory first stop is Village Books (1200 11th Street), one of the West Coast's finest indie bookstores, with a hopping events calendar that features visiting authors and a literature-infused variety show called The Chuckanut Radio Hour.
"Not only can you find thousands of new and used books in the store, but you MAY also notice that the store (or its co-founders, Chuck and Dee Robinson) can be found in many books. These include dedications (in Jo Dereske's Catalogue of Death, part of her Bellingham-inspired Miss Zukas mystery series), acknowledgments (in Jim Lynch's latest novel, Before the Wind), and even subject matter--when business author Robert Spector started lining up interviews for The Mom & Pop Store, his 2010 book on American shopkeepers, the Robinsons, he says, 'were at the top of my list.' "