I'm writing this opener from the Outer Banks in North Carolina after two jampacked weeks in the Pacific Northwest that were wonderfully bookish and enlightening. Our family retreats to the Outer Banks a couple times each year, and it has become a real reflex place for me. After a day of horrific rain, the skies are beautiful and I'm getting lots of reading and knitting done (I brought boxes of both with me!) --- and am enjoying the company of my family and our neighbors along the beach. We're looking forward to celebrating Easter together.

For years, I have heard that Seattle and Portland are wonderful book towns --- and the past 10 days have confirmed this for me. I spent last Friday touring downtown Seattle, where I was lucky enough to experience Elliott Bay Books in its location in the Pioneer Square neighborhood before they begin their move next week to Capitol Hill, where they will reopen by April 14th. I loved the atmosphere in the store, which really had a “if these walls could talk” kind of feel to it. The creaking steps, the bookshelves that held well-culled selections, and the board where author appearances were announced all told such a rich bookish story. The café there has a fabulous menu, and I learned that, although the store is moving, the café will remain there as well as in a new location at the new store.

I have been in Seattle since Tuesday, where I am on an uber booklover adventure. I literally have been racing all over the city --- and I am loving every minute of it. Lourdes Orive, an old friend and one of our reviewers, has been Master Hostess. She is a native of Seattle, and thus on each block she has great stories about the history of the city. Here’s a taste of what has been going on.