My Favorite Old Book Shop

In my on-going effort to divert those of you Dear Readers who are waiting for the Caribbean Chronicles, I offer this little note on my favorite old book store. It's in (where else?) Port Townsend, Washington and is located on Washington Street at No. 821. This is, for me, the perfect sort of book shop. It has twisty-turny aisles, bookcases loaded with all sorts of esoteric tomes on various subjects, beautifully bound old books, maps, chairs set here and there so you can plop down and give the wonder you just discovered your full -has-been-loved-and-read-and-reread-and-stored-carefully-for-years-and-years-smell. It's a cozy space and you want to stay for hours and look in each drawer and scan each shelf for the treasures that are waiting you. Kathy Graham, the proprietor, really knows how to put together a book shop!

Besides the books, Kathy always has a selection of finds....old folding frame spectacles that I purchased from her several years ago, various items decorated with shells, an old crate that Japanese tea was shipped in.....all of these things now reside at my house.

So, Dear Reader, the next time you find yourself in Port Townsend, maybe after a lovely lunch of noodles, you might want to spend a happy afternoon in Insatiables. It won't be time wasted.