Is it when the downtown Christmas tree is officially lit? Is it when the army of Halloween lawn decorations is finally turned back by an invading force of inflatable turkeys and Santas? Certainly it cannot be when the first ostensibly seasonal pumpkin spice beverage was slid across a counter?

No. The official start to the holiday season is unequivocally the completion of the Port Book and News book tree.

Isn't it beautiful? For this magnificent feat of bibliomasonry we have our own Helena to thank. Her painstaking work was accomplished over multiple days and as holiday traditions go, nothing else really... stacks up.

Thanksgiving is one of three days a year that the store is closed. We will be spending it acknowledging our gratitude and enjoying a day of rest and (hopefully) peace. Then of course we will dive right into the thick of holiday shopping.

If you plan to be downtown for the holiday tree lighting on Saturday (and why wouldn't you, with warm drinks, live music, food trucks, and even Santa himself), consider purchasing a tote bag from the Ice Village ticket booth for discounts around town the whole weekend. We will be offering a "draw for a discount," which could mean up to 25% off, on Friday and Saturday. Word to the wise: those tote bags can be purchased as early as Tuesday.

As thoughts of giving thanks turns to the bustle of giving gifts, rest assured that we have lots of great ideas to fill in the gaps on your shopping list.

We especially like pointing people to our GiveBooks holiday catalog, which has great gift choices from fiction to cookbooks and everything in between, with a Northwest focus and some of our own recommendations. If you like looking around the store, you will enjoy this catalog. Pick up a paper copy in the store, or check it out online.

There is no shortage of interesting things to find this year. Come by, say hello and see for yourself. It gets more important to stress every year, but if you need us to special order an item or are placing an order for shipment, we advise you to do it as early as possible. The United States Postal Service recommended ship-by dates for delivery by 12/25 are:

• Standard shipping: 12/15
• First Class/Ground Advantage: 12/16
• Priority: 12/18

The inevitable shipping delays of mid-December will make it difficult to guarantee delivery by Christmas the longer you wait to order. If you have a book in mind, check with us as soon as you can. Publishers' ship dates will have an impact as well. Come in and see us or give us a call!

A special thanks to all those who were in attendance to help Charlotte Warren celebrate the publication of her new collection of poems, If Not Him. It was an emotional evening, with readings from Charlotte along with Alice Derry and Kate Reavey in support. Charlotte's poetry touched everyone deeply. You could hear a pin drop.

It was a great gathering of friends. We and the poets “thank you for the privilege of your time."

Reading If Not Him demonstrates, in the clearest of language, how “happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light”- Albus Dumbledore

November started off strong out of the gate, with our Charlotte Warren reading and a midnight release for Iron Flame night. What a treat to see some excited and loyal readers braving a cold November night to get their hands on a book they loved. Wouldn't it be great if there were more midnight releases?

We have more to look forward to in upcoming weeks.