Welcome to your monthly update from

Watermark Book Company!

Below, you'll find what's new in the store, upcoming events,

book reviews, and more!

Hello to all of my happy readers!!!

Happy September everyone! Good grief, I cannot believe that it is already September. I am doing ok, for those of you who did not know...I had a very dear friend who lived locally fighting cancer. I would spend time with her on the weekends and love on her as much as I could. It is one of the reasons I have been so careful and cautious during the Pandemic: I never wanted to expose her to anything.  She lost her battle on Friday, August 5th, and I found out during my volunteer shift at the Arts Festival. I was devastated, and I am still changed by this great loss in my life. I loved her dearly. I will miss our shenanigans and Hallmark weekends and baking together. I am so grateful for my awesome team and hubby, who really stepped it up for me this last month. I am still not sleeping well. I am just so grateful for the time I spent with her and that she is no longer in that kind of pain. I am still trying to return to some level of okay at this time. Really thankful for all who have sent kind thoughts and such.  

My sweet Janet is returning to school and we are so busy at the shop preparing for the holiday season, which will be here before we know it. Jaycee and I are attending the PNBA Holiday Show this month. So exciting...This is my first time getting to take a team member. We have 2 author events that I am so excited for. AND...we are planning the store's Anniversary event in November. I am so excited for these things...They fill my cup.  

I did not read as much as I normally do this month. I will admit to being just a little too depressed, etc. But I did read quite a bit, considering.  I read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin...Wow, just wow! I do not care about video games....other than Animal Crossing...at all. Yet, she made me care. Her character development is really one of a kind. I am about 75% percent through Hardland, by Ashley E. Sweeney, which is out Sept 13th, and I have to say that I am enjoying it. The setting is late 1880's, a woman trying to raise her kids and do right by her family in the region of Jericho. Hot Arizona is the backdrop, and, while it is not ultra sophisticated, I found it to be very interesting, and every night I wanted to return to learn what happened while I was away. I attempted to listen to It Girl, by Ruth Ware...I listened to 60% of it. I really, really liked the narrator and her voices, etc. But the writing was not what I would listen to. I really do not like when authors drag on scenes and descriptions. I felt like the story could have been told in 3 chapters and the character relationship was not super believable either. Sorry, but that is my thought on that one; I discontinued listening to it. I then started listening to A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas. This is a young adult novel, and it is very popular. I will say that it is not my typical favorite writing style. I do feel like am listening to a more mature re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. I am going to finish it and I will surely give an updated review next month. I also finished Both Sides of the Fire Line, by Bobbie Scopa. I decided to read this one because she will be our guest author later this month. This is her telling of her story. Bobbie is a transgender woman who is a firefighter. She has had a 45-year-long wild fire fighting career. This book is her recounting of working as a very feminine biological male in a very male-driven industry. There are reflections of her personal life and the book opens with this amazing wild fire story. I enjoyed reading this title and appreciated her perspective.  

This month my plans are to read: Nightmare on the Scottie: Maiden Voyage of a Doomed King Crabber, by Stephen Orsini. He is a local author and will also be our guest in October. I have heard it is hilarious. I also plan to Taylor Jenkins Reid's new title, out this past week--Carrie Soto is Back. I also want to read Less is Lost, by Andrew Sean Greer. It is the second in the series, and I really enjoyed his first book, Less. I am also going to read Inciting Joy, by Ross Gay, whom I LOVE. I am so excited to read this--his previous works have delighted me! I will give an update later :)

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

Brandy~

Author Events and Book Signings

We had so much fun welcoming back Rachel Linden! She signed copies of her books for us, and had a lovely time chatting with customers! We still have signed copies of her book here in the shop--

For information on future events, please take a look at our calendar featured later in this newsletter, or you can check the Events Calendar on our website here.

We have so much fun planned.

Mark Your Calendars...

Our Anniversary Celebration Is On its Way!

The shop's 33rd Anniversary is just around the corner, and we have a fun celebration in the works! Stay tuned to learn more about our week-long celebration from

Sunday, November 13th - Sunday, November 20th.

Packing Materials FREE to a Good Home

If you need packing materials, we have them!

Call, email, or drop in to ask us for more information!

Libro.fm 2-for-1 Special!

Libro.fm is a fantastic audiobook site based in Seattle that we partner with to provide our customers with audiobook downloads! They are offering a bonus audiobook with the purchase of a new monthly membership. If you follow this link below and use the code CHOOSEINDIE, your 2-for-1 special will be waiting for you! We love Libro.fm - you can support an independent audiobook business while 

supporting your favorite local bookstore!

This Just In

We are filling up for the holiday season! Come check out all kinds of new inventory

and start your  shopping soon--when it's gone, it's gone! 

New Sock It to Me Socks for All Ages!

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We have a fresh new shipment of Paperblanks, featuring old favorites and new designs! Our Paperblanks engagement planners are on their way--keep an eye out for them!

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The newest addition to our kitchen? Mushroom tea towels! 

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This Just In for Kids

New games--

Spanish Bingo, Twizzle, With a Cherry on Top, Alphabet Bingo, Count your Chickens, and Mermaid Island!

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Stickers, stickers, and more SCENTED stickers! 

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September

Monday, September 5th--Labor Day

Open!

We will be open for our regular hours on Labor Day! Come see us!

Wednesday, September 7th--3:00-5:00pm

Book Signing Event with Bobbie Scopa 

Bobbie Scopa will join us on Wednesday, September 7th

for a book signing event!

Her book, Both Sides of the Fire Line,

is a memoir about her life as a transgender firefighter.

Come on down from 3:00-5:00pm to meet the author, discover a cool new memoir,

and get your copy signed! 

Sunday, September 11th

Grandparents' Day

Celebrate those special grandparents in your life with a book!

Thursday, September 15th 3-5pm

Book Signing Event

We are so excited to host Jan Wright, the author of Dear Mrs. Wright, : A Teacher's Memoir Inspired by Students' Letters. Our team member, Diane, is reading this book and absolutely loving it. Jan will be in shop on Thursday, September 15th from 3:00-5:00pm--come in to meet and chat with her, and get a signed copy of her book! If you can't make it to the event, buy your book in advance and we are so happy to ask her to sign and personalize your copy! 

Sunday, September 18th-Saturday, September 24th

Banned Books Week

Celebrate banned books week with us!

We will have our favorite banned books on display--come ask us about it!

Sunday, September 25th

Oyster Run--We are OPEN!

It's time again for the annual Oyster Run! We will be open our regular hours,

11:00am-4:00pm. 

October

Thursday, October 6th-Saturday, October 8th

Skagit River Poetry Festival

This year is the 11th Biennial Skagit River Poetry Festival, and Watermark is SO excited

to be selling books at the event.

For more information on the festival, and to sign up, follow this link. 

Monday, October 31st--OPEN!

Halloween

Come see us on Halloween! We will be dressed up and passing out candy! 

Watermark Book Club is on hiatus! We will send a call for new members in the winter, and we will resume our book club in January. In the meantime, we'd love to share with you some of the books we are "book-clubbing" as a team. This month, Amberly finished The Liar's Dictionary, by Eley Williams, and passed it on to Diane to read next! Here's what Amberly thought about the book.

"The Liar's Dictionary is the perfect combination of sweet, funny, and serious. Taking place during two timelines, the story is about a man working as a lexicographer for a dictionary during the late 1800s, and a young woman working as an intern at that same dictionary during the present. The frustrated lexicographer decides to write fake definitions and sneak them into the dictionary, and it becomes the present-day intern's job to find the "mountweazels," as these fake definitions are called. The characters are immediately lovable, and I enjoyed getting to know them better as they also got to know themselves."