William James Bookseller

Wonderful little bookstore with a great selection and good prices. A bibliophile must.

I used to patronize this store for many many years and so did a great many of my friends and their families.
But to day when I went there to ask them if they were interested in buying a book, I got a nasty look from the dark haired thin woman at the counter. Not only was I treated in a rude manner, but she was dismissive condescending and snarky. As if my book, was not up to the literary types. This author is world wide and her books are not in high demand. But this woman refused and found fault in my books.
I have told this to a number of people, and sad to say that they have lost 10% of their business. This is why locals and visitors will go to Kitsap and will not patronize downtown stores because of the total disregard of customer service.

Washington doesn’t have Powell’s bookstore… we have William James! This place is a delight and I make regular trips over to Port Townsend from Edmonds to visit and purchase books. The collection is brilliant, you will always be astounded by the depth and obscurity what you find, but it will be exactly the book you didn’t know you wanted.

Who doesn’t go on a vacation and spend their time in bookstores?
I loved this place. I spent several hours wandering around. I think I ended
up buying… 5 or 6 books. LOVE a used bookstore & they had an amazing selection.
The store staff was also fantastic! & the store had really great big comfy chairs
to read in. What a bookstore should be :)

I seem to end up in this bookstore every time I go to Port Townsend. They have a great selection and I’m often able to find some of the popular titles that aren’t yet available at other used stores. Their customer service is great, the layout of the store makes books easy to find, and I find the prices to be pretty reasonable as well. I’ll definitely be back!

There is no better place to buy or sell your books.
The staff is knowledgeable, the inventory is vast, and the ambiance is magical.

An update. Actually, an upbeat update…
William James– Bookseller has been purchased. Its gonna live on forever, or at least for the foreseeable forever… and that is why they call this town «Dream City.»
If you can dream it, you can do it in Port Townsend. Seriously.
I popped by the bookstore today. Expecting the worst. Expecting empty shelves, silly mass-​produced greeting cards. A porcelain flying pig or two. With «Port Townsend» bolding stamped on its shiny made-​in-​some-​unsupervised-​factory-​by-​poorly-​paid-​people side. (Hey! No one has enough piggy banks.)
Not so.
Longtime Port Townsend resident Paul Stafford purchased the store in December. Was right there, elbow to elbow with the old staff. Was selecting interesting books to stock the store’s shelves. And chatting with his new and old customers. Just like the days of yesteryear.
I purchased two books. One was an ancient copy of the classical children’s book «Dick Whittington’s Cat.» The other, a complete guide to the Native Americans of the Northwest. Paid for these two precious volumes with a twenty dollar bill. Received change. (Heads up, Mr Frugal!) Less that $ 20.00!
This is your wake up call. This is a town which knows how to handle cliffs, fiscal or otherwise:
WILLIAM JAMES-​BOOKSELLER is alive and well, and open for business in Port Townsend, WA. 98 368. On Water Street.
See you there!

Don’t be fooled by the small entryway — like the TARDIS, this bookstore is much bigger on the inside.
I entered on a whim, nearing the end of a full day of shopping, and was immediately struck by two things: the delightful, unmistakable smell of many old books, and the sight of shelf after shelf stretching back into the shop, so far back that I couldn’t see the end (thanks in part to the many people already there and browsing the shelves).
I got lost for a while just exploring, finding many unexpected treasures along the way. My fiancée had to find me in the end, and I realized I had stayed past closing. Despite my tardiness, the girl at the front was very friendly and helpful, and we chatted for a bit before I (reluctantly) left.
I left with a signed copy of a book for my daughter and a very affordable first edition of an old favourite, but I know there’s more there to find. As a former bookstore worker myself, I can be a little picky about the bookstores I like. I can already tell that I’ll be back to the Williams James bookshop on my next visit to Port Townsend… and I’ll leave myself more time to explore!

I absolutely loved this book store. It’s a small shop, but packed floor to ceiling with books that add up to quite a large collection. They specialize in collectible type books– first editions, signed and leatherbound options, but there is also a plethora of used hardcover and paperback books of every thinkable genre. If I’d had the time, I feel as though I could have spent hours pursuing their selection.

When I die and go to heaven I will immediately find myself in William James to pick up my reading material for the rest of my stay there. The tiny shop has the same quality of Mary Poppins’s carpet bag; somehow, the possibilities are limitless.
I found a Spanish shelf where I picked up Borges and Cortazar in Spanish of course, cookbooks on every regional cuisine possible, first editions that I will never be able afford, but still love to look at, tons of poetry books, stuff on ecology, botany, astronomy… you name it, somehow they have managed to thoughtfully choose and FIT the ideal library in their little shop, making it a haven for writers and readers everywhere.
And finally: I bought 3 books. They were $ 8. When are you guys opening one in Dallas?

A killer browsing bookstore.
I could have walked around all day.
The used book prices were great and it seemed like many of the new titles were at a crazy reduced price.
I really like it there and will be back next time I’m in Port Townsend

I find it amazing that no one has reviewed William James yet. Simply one of the best used and antiquarian bookstores in the Northwest, with a comfortable old-​fashioned atmosphere conducive to browsing and fine local history and Western Americana sections. Few afternoons are as rich and rewarding as those spent browsing at William James after a liesurely lunch at the Silverwater.