I visited this cozy Bellingham-area bookstore with a $25 budget. What I got
I love to read.
I’ve always searching for my next romance novel.
When deciding where to visit next for The Bellingham Herald’s On a Budget series, which focuses on affordable fun and cheap eats in Whatcom County, however, I realized I’ve visited most of the bookstores in the Bellingham area.
I narrowed down my remaining choices and settled on a local staple, Village Books and Paper Dreams.
Village Books has two locations, including a store in Bellingham’s Fairhaven neighborhood, but I had never visited its Lynden location.
I was excited to see what the store had to offer.
Here’s what I got on my $25 budget:
What is Village Books and Paper Dreams in Lynden?
Village Books and Paper Dreams is a staple of the small business scene in Whatcom County. .
Chuck and Dee Robinson founded Village Books in Bellingham in 1980, opening their independent bookstore on 11th Street. A gift store, Paper Dreams, soon followed.
In 2004, the Robinsons built a new home for Village Books at 1200 11th St. Suite 201, in Bellingham just steps away from the original location.
In 2015, a second Village Books location opened at 430 Front St. in Lynden.
It’s part of the historic Waples Mercantile Building, “a modern-day downtown anchor” that also houses the Inn at Lynden, Overflow Taps, Avenue Bread, Cheeks and Bellingham Baby Company, the bookstore’s website said.
Both Village Books locations sell new, used and bargain books. The stores also host writer workshops and events where local authors speak about new and upcoming books.
What is Lynden bookstore like?
I had one goal for my visit to Village Books and Paper Dreams in Lynden: I wanted to buy a book. However, I didn’t know which kind of book I was going to walk away with.
When I walked into the Front Street store on a recent weekday afternoon, I immediately felt welcome.
The store had a cozy vibe, with warm lighting and shelves of books everywhere. Since this was my first time in this location, I decided to do a few laps around the store to see what they had to offer.
On those laps, I noticed that Lynden’s Village Books had a lot of unique offerings that I hadn’t seen in the Fairhaven location, including boysenberry taffy and raspberry jam made from Curt Maberry Farm raspberries.
On the lower level of the store, I discovered walls of board games and card games, another aspect that’s unique to the Lynden location.
Next door to the bookstore is Avenue Bread, known for its coffee drinks and housemade bread.
How did I spend $25 budget at Front Street store?
With so many choices, I had a very difficult time deciding how to spend my precious $25.
After about 15 minutes of shopping, my arms were full of books and other items, including raspberry jam, gummy bears and a tea towel decorated with a black Labrador dog surrounded by flowers.
I had to dwindle down my selections to fit my budget, so I decided to save the towel, jam and candy for another time. For the purposes of this On A Budget visit, I wanted to prioritize getting books.
I found myself returning to a cart stacked with discounted books near the entrance of the store.
The first book that caught my eye was “Lessons In Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus for $11. I’ve watched the Apple TV+ show and had been wanting to read the book as well, so that felt like a good choice.
I also was interested in “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley, on sale for $10. After reading the first chapter of the novel, I was hooked.
I did two more laps around the store until I found “Learwife” by J.R. Thorp. While it wasn’t on the discount shelf, the book had a green dot on the spine, indicating it was on sale.
The striking image on the cover — a blue queen in profile on a red background — immediately caught captured my attention. Was I judging this book by its cover? Maybe.
After I read the first chapter, it was clear “Learwife” was right up my alley. I decided to buy the book for $9.
With my budget sitting at $19, I looked for something small to add to my haul.
When I approached the cashier area, I saw a turning display of stickers, including a sloth sticker. I love the sloth plushie that hangs from the trees on northbound Interstate 5 in Bellingham, so the sloth sticker felt like the natural choice.
Is Village Books affordable?
My total for two books and a sticker came to $26.20, including tax.
Although some items are pricier, including new books costing $15 to $30. Village Books and Paper Dreams can be an affordable option for book lovers — if you know where to look.
If you want to get the most for your money, keep your eyes peeled for books with green or yellow stickers on their spines indicating that they’re on sale.
Where should I go next?
Have a suggestion for my next stop for On a Budget? Fill out the form below, or email me directly at jhawkins@bellnghamherald.com.