I was really impressed after stepping into this store on small biz saturday! The clerk behind the counter was super friendly and helpful, and was keeping a cool head with a rather large crowd! They had a great selection. I was in there to find a birthday present for a friend and easily found the perfect book and cute little bday card. They had a lot of the big hitters (fiction and non) but also a large local authors selection and unique picks. Also an adorable children's and YA section! Look in the back for those. Prices were pretty much on par with new books these days, probably between $15-35 for the majority of titles. read more

It is a pretty small bookstore and it started to pile in with people about 30 minutes before close. Each bookshelf was marked with genres and a small blurb of why a certain book was a staff's favorite. I was able to navigate around, but one section was more popular than the others so it was harder to browse the one section. Some decided to give up waiting for the aisle and browse elsewhere, while some decided to just grab closest to them as they looked around. Nobody was bothered and I didnt mind since we are all in our own browsing world. Overall, will definitely come back! Was a good stop on Seattle Independent Bookstore Day! read more

Paper Boat Booksellers - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

They just moved into the gorgeous space 3x the size of the original! The Alaska Junction has some of the best 2 blocks of shops in all Seattle! read more

See all

West Seattle is lucky to have paper boat. Great place to get birthday gifts- they have all sorts of sweet gifts at solid prices. They even wrap the gifts! We just love Paper Boat! read more

Super cute bookstore. Love the selection they have. The atmosphere is so warm and inviting. Definitely my new go-to West Seattle bookstore.

This is the best bookstore in West Seattle and one of the best I've been to in the city. It's a smallish shop that seems to be really intentional about what they stock. Even with classic or well-known titles, this shop seems to always carry the more interesting editions of the book. The staff is incredibly helpful. I found out too late about an author event held at the store I would have loved to have seen (Sara Novic who wrote True Biz), so I've been keeping my eye on their event calendar. I recently went by for their 5th anniversary and I was struck by how community oriented and friendly everyone there seemed to be. Definitely check this store out! read more

Friendly staff, wide selection of products, cool programs in-store. The coffee shop next door is a nice touch!!

Amazing!!! So kind and thoughtful. perfect selection with the heart to match. Our book retreat wouldn't have been the same without their contributions. so happy to support local Seattle bookshops. read more

Paper boat booksellers has that new book smell instantly as you enter the door. My husband makes fun of me for liking that smell and also gravitating towards real books still instead of relying solely on an e-reader, but I am still really happy it opened in the neighborhood. I was really missing a bookstore after B&N's in Westwood Village closed. They always have a lovely window display and will (so far) often have little special events with treats, like on their grand opening and over the holidays. The books are sectioned off thoughtfully with a PNW bestseller shelf right up front, then the usual categories through including a cute children's corner with a little table and chairs to sit and read at. My 2 year old loves to pick a book and stuffed animal and "read." They also stock a small selection of gift items to compliment a purchase if you're getting somebody a book as a gift. The staff have always had a smile and although I haven't yet needed to ask a question I bet they are also very helpful and knowledgeable and pretty good readers. read more

See all

Cozy book shop with an excellent array of books. What they don't have on hand they are happy to order for you. Great selection of gift/stationary type items as well. read more

Love this small bookstore. It has a lot of interesting books. They have a wide selection of fiction, non-fiction, historical, self-care, social justice, gardening, cooking, Asian-culture, comic, young adult, PNW bestsellers and books for children. I did notice there was no clear section devoted for LGBTQ authors, at least, not that I clearly noticed, but I was still able to find a few great gay novels. Interestingly enough, they have small reviews written by readers under several of the books which give you a sense of what the books are about. The bookstore was really clean and the location is convenient to the Junction where I live. The canvas tote bags were a little pricy, in my opinion! read more

Paper Boat Booksellers - Canvas tote bags from Paper Boat Booksellers - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is adorable! I had no idea they existed until I was walking that way and of course had to stop and look inside. Pretty new (most titles published within the last 2 years or so) books for all ages, along with cute paper, pens, games, and cards. I will definitely stop by here during the holidays to stock up on Christmas presents! read more

I emailed paper boat about two books I was looking to purchase. They responded quickly and got the books in within two days. They emailed me when ready and it was Super easy (and safe!) to pick up! Love how quickly the books came in. In a world where Amazon is so fast and easy, this local bookstore keeps up!! Sadly we are moving away from West Seattle, but I think they have a shipping option that supports them as well. read more

What a great local bookstore! I like the staff-picks and their top PNW books section. I have to peruse the entire fiction section of any bookstore I step into, so these curated sections are a nice touch for me :) Really cute store with some gifts, stationery, and a good variety of selections. Well laid-out by genre and has YA, and youth sections that look like a great selection too. I was able to pre-order a T. Kawaguchi book that I am looking forward to as well. Highly recommend stopping by this shop and supporting a great local book store. It is perfect to stop in for a specific purchase, or to have a lazy roam around the store to see what calls to you! read more

Great selection, locally owned. Super friendly, and happy to work with book clubs, and schools to support the love of the written word. When I asked how fast they can place an order, sounds like just 1-3 days to get in what you want. Support local everyone!!!!! read more

i visited the store for the first time on its grand opening day when they had coffee, pastries, a children's book reading and tons of people oohing and aaahing over what an amazing job they have done to bring to our community an independent bookstore that stocks a wide selection of books and assorted associated gift items. there are carefully, thoughtfully placed pieces of furniture to occupy while deciding on your potential items, the sections are fabulously curated, the space itself (while tiny) is used so well and i can't wait to frequent it for purchases for myself and friends. i am thrilled to see something like this on our very own peninsula. i was never a fan of barnes and noble in westwood and have found myself being motivated less and less to drive to capital hill to elliott bay despite my decades-long allegiance, even after they moved from pioneer square. paper boat is going to be seeing me a lot because they've truly insured there's a book in their inventory for everyone. from nature, to self help, to children's and staff picks. from sci fi to new arrivals, this place is well stocked and clearly a labor of love for its owners. i hope west seattleites realize what a gem we've acquired, and that we choose to patronize the store to keep it a successful and vibrant location into the future. read more

Quaint little place, quite Pleasant and calm, had some time in my day, first visit looking forward to the next. Ps. Left with a complimentary book mark! See pictures if interested! : ) read more

See all

I love having a small, locally-owned bookstore near me! I just moved to the area and this happens to be right around the corner from my place! What a great business to support. Some wine tasting next door and perusing some books - a perfect way to spend a rainy Seattle day. It's small but feels spacious, with a nice reading area, all of the genres separated out neatly and clearly with hand-written labels. They have your fun tchotchkes like socks and candles, plus local guides, cookbooks, a kids section, and your usual fiction, non-fiction, and popular books up by the front door. It just has a really nice vibe overall and is open until 7 (on a weekday at least), which was nice. I'll be back to purchase a book next time I come in! read more

Our family LOVES this bookstore. We were fortunate enough to spend time within its walls exploring the variety of selections for all of us, and are equally fortunate to have ordered books for our kid's birthday and supported a valuable local business. Who knew they would be so Essential during covid AND the closure of the West Seattle Bridge (shame on you, City of Seattle elected officials in 2013. Motherf'ing shame). Paper Boat is rocking pick up orders! The richest man in the world doesn't need your money, 'kay? read more

A great new spot in West Seattle, so excited to have a quality bookstore near to my home! It's incredibly well curated and has a cozy vibe. They not only have books, but they have puzzles, games, candles, art, and a number of other fun gifts. read more

Although I had been ordering on-line from this store via Bookshop.com, this was my first in-person visit. It took me abt 5 minutes to decide that this is my new neighborhood store. Excellent selection, from dragons to new fiction, with plants, and poetry, and local authors along the way. A nice choice of bookish items as well: pens, paint, journals, cards, calendars. I was especially pleased by the variety of woodcut designs. But here's the ultimate accolade: I found several new things I did not know about. And in my special areas, I am pretty watchful. This is the advantage of independent booksellers over algorithms: knowledge, taste, and a certain quirkiness. Staff was helpful and relaxed as well. read more

Don't ever go to Barnes and Noble again. This is the place to go in West Seattle. They have a wide selection of books, they have cute knick knacks, and the owners are absolutely amazing. They are the kindest people in the world, they have so much passion for books and their store and have gone out of their way to help me out. I trust their recommendations, they treat their employees well & you can tell. Definitely will be back. read more

Feel good about shopping local at this West Seattle gem! They have such a wonderful selection of titles; this shop is really well done. I found holiday gifts for everyone from here this year: the gardener, the outdoorsman, the cook and baker, and the avid readers. Can't find the title you want? They can order it for you! Really the most kind and helpful staff. They also take care in displaying the most relevant titles at the front of the store, (during the holidays, they had the BEST holiday-themed books tables), which makes browsing very dangerous; in the best way of course! read more

It's a cute bookstore don't get me wrong if it was up to the esthetic I would give it a 4.5 but these are my reasonings for it rating a 3. First reason is the staff was very cold every time I've come in and I brushed it off the first couple times attributing it to me being new in the area and them not knowing me. But after the 4th time it actually really bothered me that when another lady came in they were very warm and friendly to her it was a much different welcome then the one I received. None of the cashiers never made small talk or even offered a friendly attitude. It was always here's your total and unless I would initiate the have a nice day they wouldn't say anything. So seeing beyond that my next issue is that I didn't like how unless it was science fiction it was placed in one section called general non fiction which for me was kind of overwhelming that all these various types of books an authors were just placed all together in one place without any organization. So unless you wanted to spend all day reading each individual book summary it didn't make sense. Also they tend to be priced a lot higher than other small business bookstores in the area which wasn't an issue for me but just something I found . Which was interesting cause I totally understand them having them to charge more since it is a small local bookstore but if your gonna charge more smiling and being pleasant to all of your customers is free. Why would I pay close to $30 to buy a book from here if another store in the area is selling it for 16 and they don't make it seem like it was such an inconvenience for them to look up from the computer screen they are working on. read more

Love it! So glad that a bookstore of this caliber has moved into West Seattle. A nice and interesting selection, and designed to be a place where you can actually sit down and read for a long time in the store itself. And I am no "if you've been to one bookstore you've been to Em' all" kinda book shopper-- I'm a regular bookstore aficionado. And I'm telling you, this place rocks. read more

Good selection of books. Cute little store. Awkward spot on the block with little to no parking. Only reason I'm leaving this review is because the staff is extremely unwelcoming. Listen, I don't mind if you don't greet me on the way into the store (which they didn't) but an almost silent transaction was extremely unpleasant and almost if they wanted me to get out as soon as possible. Weird. read more

Wonderful bookstore! It smells like new books! Thoughtful selection, cool gifts, welcoming kids' section. I'm buying all gifts at Paper Boat from now on. read more

Unbelievably cute with a great sci-fi/fantasy section--so perfect for Seattle. I wish I could bring a sleeping bag and just live in a corner of this bookstore. Wandering around I spotted many books on display that will make great Christmas gifts; I felt like someone was creating a selection of books that spoke directly to me. read more

Is it weird to be in love with a book store? If so, I'm fine with it, because this place is just that amazing. They have a fabulous selection, but if you can't find the title you're looking for, no sweat, they're happy to order it for you. I've been in multiple times over the last month, and it feels so good to be able to pick up books from a local spot with such phenomenal staff. Skip the Prime delivery and check out Paper Boat. The women running this shop are a whole lot more fun to hang out with than Bezos. read more

I contacted Paper Boat Booksellers to ask for help to plan a virtual middle reader book club for my daughter and a neighbor during the coronavirus quarantine. The staff member who answered my email was super responsive, sold me with several copies of a book to use, and even shared resources from their recent middle reader book club meeting at the shop. Awesome customer service, definitely above and beyond! read more

I wouldn't have thought you could fit so many great books and adorable things in one space. The staff is kind and always ready to offer a recommendation. And, bonus, it's in West Seattle, a walker-shopper's paradise. read more

So grateful to have this bookstore in the neighborhood. There are lots gems to be found there. I saw lots of books that have been on my wishlist and found some new ones too! read more