Welcome to Madison Books, the neighborhood bookstore for Madison Park and the surrounding communities in Seattle.

We’re proud that in 2022 Publishers Weekly named us as one of the five best bookstores in America!

4118 E Madison St., Seattle, WA 98112 206-325-3160 info@madisonbks.com

Hours of Operation: Sunday to Saturday 10am-6pm.

We will be closed August 17-September 4, 2024 as part of the transition of ownership of the bookstore.

Please don’t worry: we love our community and are looking forward to opening back up on September 5, 2024!

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Our latest book recommendations

Featured

New Book of the Week (August 8, 2024)

A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue

by Dean Jobb

During the 1920s, Arthur Barry—a jewel thief known for his debonair mien, audacious escapades, and deep-pocketed victims—stole an estimated half-million dollars in precious stones annually. Not bad for a former juvenile delinquent whose own mother thought him destined for either the gutter or the hoosegow. After serving in World War I, Barry returned to New York City, where he found his targets via newspaper society pages. He also found there the love of his life: widow Anna Blake. When the law finally caught up to Barry in 1927, he confessed to dozens of burglaries to protect her. And when Anna was diagnosed with cancer, he daringly escaped prison just so they could spend a few years longer together as fugitives. Told with brio, historical details galore, and attributes familiar from top-shelf crime fiction, Jobb delivers—dare I say it?—a gem of tale. —Jeff

New Book of the Week (August 8, 2024)

My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me

by Caleb Carr

I read this straight through and was entranced by the story and the relationship between the author and his cat. I am not necessarily a fan of pet memoirs, but this was different. It is, at its core, about two unapologetically difficult and eccentric personalities who redeem each other over the course of almost two decades together. It is strangely charming, weirdly compelling, but not particularly heartwarming in the Marley & Me sense. Carr is known for his clear, incisive nonfiction writing, as well as for his historical fiction, but this book doesn't fit into those categories any more easily than it does among regular pet memoirs. A unique read. —Sarah

New Book of the Week (August 8, 2024)

Godwin

by Joseph O'Neill

Godwin is, as advertised, about the search for a teenage soccer prodigy who may or may not exist in West Africa and who may or may not be the next Messi. But it's also about a minor power struggle at a small Pittsburgh firm of tech-writer freelancers. That O'Neill can credibly braid these two stories together—and make the latter drama as compelling as its more glamorous counterpart—is a sign of his particular talent for nailing with graceful irony (as he did in his marvelous novel, Netherland) the wonder, the pettiness, the greed, and the kindness that are all part of our interconnected modern world. He's one of the few writers I always read, and Godwin made me once again glad I do. —Tom

Old Book of the Week (August 8, 2024)

The Poppy War

by R.F. Kuang

R.F. Huang lulls you into a false sense of predictable dark academia before plunging you into an unputdownable journey. She plays out the consequences of seeing another's population as sub-human in exquisite, heartbreaking detail and magnifies the destruction left in its wake, all with a side of magic. Kuang's impeccable world-building ability deserves an award, too, as does her character development. It's a stunning, thought-provoking introduction to a trilogy for readers of all genres and some of the best fantasy I've ever read. No exaggeration. —Meghan

New Book of the Week (May 16, 2024)

América del Norte

by Nicolas Medina Mora

Medina Mora has produced a complex novel—intentionally so. I read other reviews that critiqued this book for being "too unconventional" and "too bookish." MM certainly makes few concessions for readers—from one chapter to the next, the point of view, the time period, and even the style of writing change. 20% of the book is in Spanish with no translations. The narrative arc is interwoven with exchanges between Mexico and the U.S. that did take place in the recent and historical past—except when the author decides to meander down a fictional side alley. The main character is sometimes sympathetic and sometimes an idiot. The author's idea of a joke is to call Nietzsche a "stateless writer of Zoroastrian fan fiction." I guess what I'm trying to say is that I loved this book and thought it communicated important sociopolitical ideas and often forgotten moments in history... but be prepared to work very hard while reading it. —Sarah

Events

Visit our Events page to see the upcoming schedule for the Madison Books Book Club, and all other store events. Our Book Club meets every month at 6:30 p.m., usually on the last Thursday, at Parlour Wines, across the street from the Madison Park tennis courts. All readers are welcome -- you don't need to sign up in advance, but registering here will help us plan for the right number of attendees. We try to have multiple copies of the book club’s monthly pick available in the store.

Our upcoming discussions:

September 26: The Country of the Pointed Firs
October 24: We Ride upon Sticks

Our Newsletter

Our newsletter activities are paused while the store is transitioning to new ownership. We will post here when we have a new sign-up link! Of course, please feel free to read our back issues or jump over to Phinney’s newsletter in the meantime.

Phinney Books

Don’t forget to visit our sibling store in Seattle’s Greenwood/Phinney Ridge neighborhood, Phinney Books. Pay a call in person at 7405 Greenwood Ave. N or find their presence online at phinneybooks.com.

2023 Bookseller Favorites

See James’s favorite books of 2023, fiction and nonfiction, including This Other Eden, The MANIAC, Dayswork, The Full-Moon Whaling Chronicles, and The Long Form.

Also check out top picks from booksellers Jeff, Kate, Meghan, Miranda, Sarah, and Christina.

Annual Bestsellers

What were your favorite books of the past full calendar year? Look no further!