On tap last Friday evening at Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo, Wash.: the inaugural gathering of the Books and Brew over 21 Book Club. After discussing Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a dozen participants continued their discourse at a nearby watering hole. The club is co-sponsored by Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island, some 15 miles from Poulsbo, and monthly meetings will alternate between the two store locations.
The idea for the dual venture came after Liberty Bay Books owner Suzanne Droppert attended a session on reading groups at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association trade show last fall. After hearing about the success Queen Anne Books in Seattle has had with the books-and-bars combination, Droppert decided to give it a try and enlisted a 20-something employee to helm the gatherings at Liberty Bay. "We thought it would be a great way to go after the younger set," Droppert said. Participants in the book club must be under the age of 40.
Teaming up with Eagle Harbor was a natural choice, noted Droppert. Staff members already have a close working relationship, often referring patrons to the other locale if a book is not in stock, attending trade shows together and meeting jointly with publishers' sales reps. The retailers also are part of a consortium of independent bookstores and libraries that stages West Sound Reads, a program that sponsors author appearances to promote reading in the community. Lisa See and Jane Smiley are slated to appear as part of West Sound Reads on March 25 and April 16, respectively.
The next joint endeavor for Liberty Bay and Eagle Harbor is co-hosting a fête in February for Bainbridge Island resident Kristin Hannah, whose latest novel is Firefly Lane (on sale February 5). "She's so good to both of our stores that we thought it would be fun to do it together," said Mary Gleysteen, events coordinator at Eagle Harbor. "Kristin appeals to both our readerships," she added, and the soiree--which will be held at a local restaurant--is expected to draw women's fiction and romance readers who shop at one or both stores.
The pubs and wine bars the group visits for après discussion drinks will vary each month. The club is being promoted with signage in both store locations, and staffers are talking it up to appropriate customers. It also received a write-up in a local newspaper, in part because of its name. The club's moniker "has piqued people's interest," said bookseller Andrew Maiers, who will host the club when it convenes at Eagle Harbor.
Droppert selected Into the Wild as the club's first read because of its appeal to both men and women. Choosing a book that had been turned into a movie was a suggestion that was made at the PNBA workshop. "That way if somebody didn't have a chance to read the book but saw the movie, they could still attend and take part in the discussion," Maiers said. The next pick is Atonement by Ian McEwan.
This month Liberty Bay Books is launching another second initiative. The store is collaborating with the Resort at Port Ludlow, which will be the site of a monthly Writers Series. An $85 admission price includes a Saturday evening reception, a five-course dinner, presentations by regional writers and signed copies of their books. The first event took place this past weekend with Dr. Pepper Schwartz, the author of Prime: Adventures and Advice on Sex, Love, and the Sensual Years, and Linda Costello and Wendy Edelson, the paper engineer and illustrator of Lighthouses: A Pop-Up Gallery of America's Most Beloved Beacons.--Shannon McKenna Schmidt