Watermark Book Company
612 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes WA 98221
Phone 360-293-4277
watermarkbookcompany@gmail.com
Open Monday-Saturday 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Sunday 11 am - 4 pm

Hello to all of my happy readers!!!

Hi there to all!! I write this month's newsletter column on Independent Bookstore Day. I am here with Jaycee, and we are happily and merrily slinging books. What a fun day...and everyone that has come in seems to be in really good spirits, so this adds to the celebrations.

We went on a family trip to Hawaii last month. We took my oldest and my youngest kiddo with us. We had an absolute blast--we went to the island of Maui and we spent most days lounging, walking, and swimming in the ocean. It was a really magical trip. We were on a beach where sea turtles would come ashore and lounge in the sun, and in the evenings they would come up onto the shore as a big group of 28 sea turtles and sleep in that spot overnight. It was something I had NEVER seen before.

We got back into town on Wednesday, April 13th, at 3 am. I woke at 7 am the next morning and headed straight to Bellingham for a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association "Pop-up." It was a two day event co-hosted by Village Books, and it covered authors, meet and greets, new books, and education. I really enjoyed my time, and I made new friendships, and I learned so much. I also got some new books to read...like I needed that!!!!

We are slowly introducing author signings again--not whole events as of yet. But we are certainly working in that direction. We hosted editor Howard Shapiro for IBD, and he was a hit, and such a delight to host. May 6th we are hosting Linda Henley for a signing of her new book. So please keep your eyes open for these events.

I read some fun things this month. I listened to Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation on Libro.fm--it's read by the author herself, Hannah Gadsby. It was absolutely wonderful. She is a lovely human and really transparent in this telling. I was so appreciative of her individual voice in her sharing of what it has been like for her to be on the autism spectrum and to be diagnosed late in life. I read The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden (out on 8/2/22). It is her 4th book, and she is a local author from Seattle. I have read 3 of her books, and, I will say, I love her and her writing...This is by far my favorite. It is fun. The characters are from Seattle. It involves a baker and a family-owned restaurant. And love...there is always love. It is very different from what I normally read, but I did enjoy it. I also read The Men, by Sandra Newman (out 6/14/22). This book is wild. The idea is that on a certain day at exactly the same time ALL the humans on the planet with a "y" chromosome just completely disappear. This books follows a couple of women and their experiences after "the men" in their lives disappear. I also read The Diary of an Oxygen Thief, by Anonymous. It was recommended to me by a team member. I did not appreciate this title. The story was of a man who treats women poorly, and then one day he gets treated poorly by a woman...essentially a female version of himself. He becomes so hurt by this that he feels he has to write this story about it...lame.

This month I am going to listen to The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles, on my Libro.fm app! I am excited for it. I am reading Crossing Paths: A Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, edited by Howard Shapiro and Rees Hughes. I started this one this weekend, and it is amazing! It is a collection of 60 anthologies from those that have traveled the PCT, and it is awe-inspiring. I am also going to read The Book Woman's Daughter, by Kim Michelle Richardson, out May 2022. I really enjoyed the first book, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I am so excited to read the continuation of this story. I am also going to read What's the T?, by Juno Dawson. This is another title from the author of This Book Is Gay. I am always so grateful to learn more. I also picked up a book called Leech, by Hiron Ennes (out September 2022). I picked this title up at the PNBA Pop-Up Event, and it is seems strange, weird, and dark...All of the things I like very much in a book. So we shall see what I think about this one.

Please stay safe, happy, and healthy...Happy Reading!!
Brandy~
Thank You for Making Our Anniversary Week and
Independent Bookstore Day so Special!
Joyce won the Baker Basket for our Anniversary Week Raffle Baskets!
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The girls rocking their Independent Bookstore Day shirts!
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Howard Shapiro was our amazing guest editor at our book signing event! We still have signed copies of Crossing Paths if you were unable to come!
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Briana and her IBD tote bag!
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Our Mystery Grab Bags were a hit!!!
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Anniversary Merchandise Markdowns
Our 30th anniversary long sleeve shirts are now $5.00 each!!! Drawstring backpacks have been marked down to $10.00. Get them before they're gone!
Spring Celebrations!
It's that time of year again! There are so many things to celebrate this spring--let us help you make the people in your life feel special.
Mother's Day is May 8th!
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Father's Day is June 19th!
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Graduation season is upon us!

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This Just In
We have new pens and scented erasers! They're SO cute.
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Art journals and fun new gel pens!
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New Pens!
Including color-changing tulips, light-up unicorns,
and crystal pens.
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New Stationery Sets from Oana Befort
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New Stickers!
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This Just In for Kids
New Swirly World Liquid Wand Pens--YOU add the glitter and the critter!
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Sticker Dolly Dressing Books
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These adorable animal friends are actually pencil sharpener and eraser sets!
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This panda family is actually a set of erasers!
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New and Noteworthy
New in Hardcover
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New in Paperback
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Upcoming Events
May
Friday, May 6th--4:00 pm
Book Signing with Linda Stewart Henley
Local author Linda Stewart Henley has a new book out! She will be here signing copies on Friday, May 6th at 4:00 pm--come meet the author, get your copy signed, and discover a new read!
Sunday, May 8th
Mother's Day
Take this day to honor the mothers in your life! We will be here from 11-4 to help you with any last-minute needs.
Monday, May 30th-Memorial Day
OPEN!
We will be open on Memorial Day.
June
Wednesday, June 8th--10am-12pm
Skagit Land Trust is hosting a Forest Walk with Jane Billinghurst, and we are happy to be selling copies of Forest Walking, her new book with Peter Wohlleben. RSVPs are required--please follow this link to the Skagit Land Trust website for more information on signing up!
Sunday, June 19th
Father's Day
Celebrate the fathers in your life with books, cards, chocolate--we have it all!
Watermark Book Club
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 The Book of Longings, by Sue Monk Kidd. Here's what Brandy has to say about the book:
"This book came out in 2020, and it was my favorite book of the year. Such a beautifully written book! I truly loved The Secret Life of Bees, so I had high hopes for this title. The Book of Longings is told from the voice of Ana, who is married to Jesus. She is a woman during a time when women had no freedoms--even your thoughts were not allowed. Ana loves to write and she is creative, and such things are prohibited. This book is about finding your true path and your voice, and that doing the right thing can be hard and scary. I thought this book has such a musicality to the writing. Just lovely. Enjoy!!"