King’s Books

King's Books has been a fixture of the Stadium District since April 1, 2000, in a St. Helens Avenue building that dates to the early 1900s and once housed a laundromat and a cabinet maker. Owner sweet pea Flaherty came to work there in 2003 and bought the store in 2010 from John Schoppert and Pat McDermott. About 100,000 new and used books fill its 4,500 square feet, and the shop cats Carmilla and Janie keep watch over the stacks.

The events calendar is the other reason to come. Most weeks bring author readings and book clubs in the store, from a Banned Book Club to one run with Destiny City Comics, while other clubs meet at libraries and pubs around town. Each year the store also hosts Tacoma Wayzgoose, a letterpress and book arts festival with steamroller printing. Check the calendar before you go.