Northwest Book Lovers’ core mission is to encourage our readers to get excited about the books authors they read about here and to take that enthusiasm into their local bookstores. So, naturally, we love it when we hear that our message has hit the mark. This holiday season we sponsored a contest via NW stores and their Holiday Books guide campaign, known to most participants as simply “the holiday catalog.” Northwest stores collectively circulate over a million of this new book showcase in their hometowns in November and December each year. Whether in Bandon or Boise or Butte, there’s a good chance you’ll notice the campaign, receiving a catalog in your local paper or spotting the posters in the store window or featured display in the store.
This year NWBL took a page in the signature “Best of the Northwest” section of the catalog where we asked store customers to get in touch with us at the site and tell us which indie gets their holiday gift business. We also asked participants to share their current reading lists so that we might cater to the tastes of several randomly selected prize-winners. Thank you and congratulations to the following book lovers who support their local bookstores and NWBookLovers.org and who each have a box of 10 books on the way.
Cathy Scholtens, of Stevensville, MT, submitted a One Nightstand entry (which anyone can do on the NWBL homepage!) and told us she received her holiday catalog from her favorite store in neighboring Hamilton, Chapter One Book Store.
Ricardo Olin received his catalog from Ravenna Third Place Books in his Seattle neighborhood. He’s a follower of local writers and is hoping to catch 2010 Pacific Northwest Book Award winner Cherie Priest at a reading soon.
Debby Meers is a supporter of locally grown shops like her favorite bookstore in hometown, Yakima. She was pretty clear about who that was: “I love Inklings Bookshop!”
Victoria Osbourne dropped in a One Nightstand review and told us her favorite local store is Klindt’s Booksellers, located in The Dalles, Oregon, across the Columbia River from her home in Dallesport, WA. She was submerged in some Jane Austen at the time, and we might have included something related in her box–only with zombies, or sea monsters or the like.
Lisa Jaffe Hubbell, lives in Kirkland, WA, where Parkplace Books rolls out the holiday catalog campaign every year for customers just like Lisa, who savor its choices. “The holiday book guide sits upstairs for nighttime perusal and list making…gifts for others, and for me!”
Bonnie Stevens lives in Cut Bank, MT, and we’re not quite sure if she visited the online version of the Holiday Books catalog or maybe made a freeway stop at a store in Helena or Butte. Somebody sold her a big book–Stephen King’s 11/22/63.
Thanks to everyone who dropped us a note, and keep checking in for additional giveaways!
Debby Meers – thanks for the shout out and congratulations! I’m so happy for you!