Book 'em - A Used Book Store in Port Orchard Tops the Literary List of Things to Do in Kitsap County!


 I will be the first to admit I am a bookaholic! 


I love to read. I remember as a child reading with a flashlight until way past midnight because I was supposed to be sleeping. My favorite genre has always been Science Fiction. In my later years I have branched out to fantasy, mysteries, and best-selling literature.
    
When traveling, the first thing I look for in a new town is a bookstore - new or used. I have no interest in chain stores with tens of thousands of books and few clerks, who don’t know the difference between true crime and fiction, let alone science fiction and fantasy.
  

Book 'em - The Quintessential Used Book Store for Avid Readers.  


Upon my arrival to Port Orchard, Washington, I was amazed to find not just a book store in my town but the largest used book store in Kitsap County! That’s right, Book‘em on Bethel Rd. has over 10,000 books lining their shelves.
    Picture four rooms with shelves from floor to ceiling filled with both hardback and paperback books. Each room has several sections divided by genre AND each section is alphabetized by author. For the uninitiated being alphabetized is a big deal. Have you ever been to a thrift store with books shelved with no rhyme or reason why they were placed on the shelf? UGH! I want genre, I want alphabetized authors, I want to find the author, see if there is a book by that person I haven’t read and leave happily. With over 10,000 books on the shelves, Book’em lets me find the author I am interested in and keep browsing!

Knowledgeable Staff Points You in the Right Direction.


    Geri, Jim and new staff member Tracie always greet me with a smile. All three share their love of books and know where to point me for a given title or author. I can’t tell you how many times when I am looking for a title and am not sure of the author, Geri hops on the computer and looks it up for me.

   In one little corner is a shelf labeled Cozy Mysteries. I had no idea what that meant but I am a sucker for kitschy titles. “For Whom the Mini Van Rolls”, “Some Like it Hot Buttered”, and “The Long Quiche Goodbye” to name a few. Jim easily answered my questions. A Cozy Mystery is a murder mystery without the blow by blow description of a bloody, ghastly murder. They take place in small intimate communities and the detectives are almost always amateurs. Yes, someone is murdered, yes, there is blood (not guts and gore) BUT the murderer is always caught and brought to justice! In other words, a quick, fun, fluffy read. Just what I need to escape from a dreary, Northwest winter day.
   It gets better!! Book’em trades books. When you bring in your books you will get credit. If I have credit with them, any book I want to purchase is half off the sale price! I look at it like a lending library with a fee.

   If you are like me and have the need to read, Book 'em at 2289 Bethel Rd SE in Port Orchard should be a regular stop!

Location: Seattle, WA, USA

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