Harbor Books in Hoquiam is an independent book shop with an eclectic selection of new and used books for all ages is a must-see the next time you visit or explore the charming city known for its rich history and interesting architecture. When you step inside the thoughtfully curated space, you are met with an energy of friendliness, inspiration and a sense of belonging.
Harbor Books, now in its third location at 720 Simpson Avenue, was first opened in Aberdeen in 2017 by Ruth and Greg Zschomler. The couple launched the bookstore to support local authors. Harbor Books’ current owners, Melinda and Kaide Einander continue to carry the bookstore’s founding purpose forward. The new owners seek to be a place for all kinds of readers through a commitment to improving equity and sustainability in their company and also in the community.
“It is important to me to be everybody’s bookstore and make sure the whole community has access to a broad range of topics and genres that are represented in my store,” says Melinda. “Because of this, I stock more used books than new books. The focus on new books includes giftables, new voices, new perspectives, local authors and books with local interests like history, nature and guide books.”
Meet the Owners of Downtown Hoquiam Bookstore
Melinda and Kaide moved to Grays Harbor in 2020. Prior to this move, Kaide, a home birth midwife in Aberdeen/Hoquiam since 2017, was commuting from Olympia, where the couple lived. Melinda was making the trek to Seattle where she was serving as the director of children’s religious education for her church and also working as an elementary Montessori school teacher.
Frequenting the harbor area led to the discovery of the bookstore when it was owned by the Zschomlers. So, when they retired in 2021 and wanted to sell their full-service bookstore, Melinda and Kaide decided to purchase it. “Their love for Harbor Books was a major reason my wife and I made the decision to purchase it,” shares Melinda. “It had the charm of a space nurtured by love and community engagement—a uniqueness not found in a typical chain store.”
Melinda and Kaide first opened Harbor Books in 2021 on 2200 Simpson Avenue in Hoquiam. With no prior bookselling experience, Melinda received basic training in bookstore management to pair with her curiosity and love for books. “I listened to my customers’ needs,” says Melinda, “and worked to create an environment that would nurture growth, creativity and learning.”
Several years later and prompted by uncertainty in leasing terms, Melinda and Kaide decided to move Harbor Books to its current downtown Hoquiam location in late November 2024. The new venue is larger and has potential for increased foot traffic. “So many people helped to make the move happen,” explains Melinda, “and we couldn’t have done it without them. Our immediate neighbors—Rex’s Barber & Style, Harbor Ceramics and Brunch 101 have been especially supportive and welcoming.”
Find New and Used Books in Grays Harbor at Harbor Books
With its core values of community, literacy and inclusion of a diversity of voices on display, Harbor Books stands apart in its approach to book selection. “A good bookstore won’t carry the same books as the big box stores,” shares Melinda. “In a small bookstore like ours, you are much more likely to find small press, self-published and otherwise offbeat or unique books.”
Harbor Books’ collection of local authors includes fiction, memoir, local history, poetry and children’s books. Patrons can also find a selection of greeting cards, post cards and other gift items created by local artisans. You can also find audio books and e-books. Melinda will help you find what you are looking for if you don’t see it in her shop.
“We are constantly keeping an eye out for interesting and unusual finds, items of local interest and good gift items,” explains Melinda. “We believe that all forms of reading are reading and that having multiple ways to access books allows more people to enjoy more books,” she adds. “The best thing we offer is something you won’t often find in online shopping—the joy of browsing and stumbling across a delightful book you didn’t even know you were looking for.”
Harbor Books accepts used books for donation or for store credit and often accept donations that would otherwise have been taken to the landfill. “Some of our surplus books are sold online with that income helping to support our physical store location,” explains Melinda. “Any (books) that are worn or outdated beyond usefulness are donated to the Aberdeen Lions Club for their recycling program.”
Harbor Books hosts two monthly book clubs—All-Genre club and Flights of Fantasy club. “We are looking at hosting additional book clubs and are considering offering a non-fiction book club, an audio book club and a book club for teens and tweens. If anybody wants to start a new book club that meets here, I am happy to source books for a book club,” shares Melinda. “We also aspire to use our new space to build more connections and to offer more events for the community and to continue to build relationships with other businesses and organizations.”
Grays Harbor’s historic downtown Hoquiam is becoming a destination hub. Next time you are in the market for a new or used book, Harbor Books should be your destination. Learn more at the Harbor Books website.
Harbor Books
720 Simpson Ave, Hoquiam
360.836.1613
