Happy to see Indie bookstores fighting Amazon with success. I still use Amazon for e-books because the Kindle is a game changer, but for physical books an independent bookstore is the way to go.

@3 Thanks for the volunteer copyediting; I'll go fix.

Yeah - Third Place is in Lake Forest Park. It also has a location in Ravenna.

I don't understand why anyone would order books from Amazon in the first place. Especially anything rare or that you want to keep in nice condition. Amazon tends to mangle books a bit and they almost always tend to show up with at least some damage. It isn't worth saving a dollar or two. Besides, indie book stores are civic treasures that deserve our support.

@8 Fair enough, but I would imagine most of those people would have already migrated to digital formats.

I've never bought a book from or via Amazon, and I certainly don't intend to start now. My local bookstore down the street can get me anything I need and deliver it for free.

The indies need and deserve the support. Yes, you mention some excellent stores in our article--and, in addition, think Edmonds Bookshop, Island Books, BookTree Kirkland, and stores in many Seattle neighborhoods, including Madison Park and Phinney Ridge. And, of course, there are excellently curated used bookstores like Magus, Ophelia's, Pegasus, and Arundel. Shop where you want to, of course, but please consider indie bookstores a most deserving recipient of your book-buying dollar.

Great article, Christopher!

"Mountlake Terrance" sounds like a name you'd see on a really cheesy dating profile.