Hello to all of my happy readers!!!

Hi there to all!! I happily write this the day before June 1st. I love the month of June. It is such a time of celebrating for our family. Between my birthday on June 8th, Father's Day, my son AJ's birthday and Pride, I am a real happy camper. 

My hubby knows that I really love Hannah Gadsby, she is an Australian comedian. I have been following her for years and we saw her several years ago live in Seattle for her show called "Douglas."  Then she was not performing during COVID and now she is back!! So Ben is taking me to Canada (it is where we could afford tickets) to see her latest show, "Her Body Of Work."  I could not be more thrilled!! Lovely gift! 

I am a very proud LGBTQ+ mama, so this month in particular means so much to me and my family. I am so excited that the City of Anacortes has passed a resolution to name June LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Anacortes. This makes my heart happy. If you have any questions please feel free to pop in and ask, I am very transparent and willing to share. We are so happy be an "Ally" sponsor level at the first annual Pride Parade here in Anacortes.  

This time of year also marks the end of school years. I had another kiddo graduate from high school. These are wild times. I am so proud of my AJ. He wants to design batteries. He has always been so crazy smart and he graduated with Honors. 

I had such good intentions for reading so many awesome titles this month and between my work schedule and my depression rearing her ugly head, I did not read nearly as much as I normally do. I am still listening to The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, I will report on it next month, I will say that so far I am enjoying it so much. What a great story. I did read Crossing Paths: A Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, edited by Howard Shapiro and Rees Hughes. This beautiful piece of non-fiction is simply magnificent.  Featuring 60 essays, perfect for the hiker, backpacker or just nature lover.  I also read Leech by Hiron Ennes and it does not come out til

September 2022.  This book was dark and complex.  I would say in some ways it really checked a lot of boxes for a good horror.  It is a mystery but with lots of strong sci-fi elements.  I enjoyed it very much.  I love dark novels and that part was perfect. 

This month I am going to continue to listen to The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles, on my Libro.fm app! I really like to listen to my books while I am putting together my puzzles.  I really enjoyed the first book, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, so this week I started the second book, The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson.  So far the story takes off on such an interesting path, I am very intrigued.  I am also going to read What's the T?, by Juno Dawson.  I am hopeful to also read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.  I shared an advanced read of it with a dear friend and she absolutely loved it and I am so excited to read it myself. 

Please stay safe, happy, and healthy...Happy Reading!!

Brandy~

Juneteenth - Sunday - June 19th

Public Holiday - June 20th

Oxford Dictionary defines Juneteenth as a holiday celebrated on 19 June to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

We will have a display of books to further one's knowledge on this very important day.  Please stop in and pick up a copy. 

Anacortes Pride Parade!

June is Pride Month, and June 18th is Anacortes's first Pride Parade. The parade will take place downtown, and will be followed by a picnic at Causland Park. Watermark is proud to be an ally--visit us at our table at the event! We will have books for all ages to purchase.  We wish you all a happy Pride Month!

Author Events and Book Signings

We are SO excited to start reintroducing author appearances into the shop. Last month we hosted Linda Stewart Henley and Gene Helfman, and we had such a lovely time at both of these gatherings -- thank you to our authors, and to everyone who came by to make the event special.

Please take a look at our calendar of upcoming events featured later in this newsletter, or you can check the Event Calendar on our website here--we have so much fun in store. 

Father's Day Is June 19th

Make the fathers in your life feel as special as they are with fun gifts, books, and cards!

This Just In for Kids: Educational Material

After this difficult school year, a lot of our kiddos are a little behind--aren't we all? We have a wide selection of educational material that is fun and engaging--find that perfect activity to bridge the gap between school years! 

These guides are here to help you master that subject you're struggling with. 

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These activity and work books are the perfect way to keep your kiddo engaged in their learning over summer vacation. 

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Flash cards are a great learning tool, and we have so many options.

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Mystery Series by Local Author DW Ulsterman

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Wednesday, June 8th--10am-12pm

Saturday, June 18th-11 am

Anacortes Pride Parade

June 18th is Anacortes's first annual Pride Parade, and we are proud to be allies.

Visit our table after you enjoy the parade! 

We will have soooooo many LGBTQ+ books for purchase.  

Sunday, June 19th

Father's Day

We will be OPEN. 

Celebrate the fathers in your life with books, cards, chocolate--we have it all! Don't forget that we provide complimentary gift wrapping. Come on in and let us help you make this Father's Day a great one. 

July

Tuesday, July 12th--1pm

Author Event 

The Anacortes Public Library is hosting Nikki McClure for an author event, and we will be there selling books! Join us at the Heart of Anacortes at 1:00pm--don't miss this opportunity to meet an awesome writer and illustrator! 

Saturday, July 16th--12-3pm

Book Signing

Local author Kathleen Kaska will be HERE for a book signing event to celebrate her latest mystery novel, Murder at the Menger! Join us any time from 12:00-3:00pm to meet the author, ask your questions, and get your books signed. 

Watermark Book Club is on Zoom! It is a closed book club, and you can let us know if you would like to be added to the waitlist. In the meantime, feel free to read along with us! This month we are discussing American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins. Here's what Brandy has to say about the book:

"Oh man! I remember when I first heard about this book and then the controversy started and the intense "hating" on this novel began.  The Publisher, MPS did a real disservice to this this author by falsely advertising about this book.  It is a long story, but it was enough to pique my interest.... so....I picked up a copy.  I will tell you, it is a debut novel by this author and it is brilliant.  Absolutely brilliant.  Heartbreaking, raw, and well done.   I am so glad that I read it.  It takes place shortly after a family BBQ where everyone in this family in Mexico was slaughtered, except the mom and son.  They escape and make the hard decision to travel by themselves to El Norte.  A must read."