The Book Rack (WA)

The Book Rack is such an incredible space where you can always find a good book to read or game to play. Also a great place to get supplies for all your favorite hobbies! All the employees are amazing, wonderful people who always go above and beyond to ensure all customers are taken care of and have a good experience (even if they do not have what you are looking for). They offer a variety of events that are fun for all ages including a story time every Sunday at 11am for the kids, a silent book club every Sunday at 12 for the adults and DnD one shots and learn to plays for the nerds. Overall the perfect place to build and foster community, complete with delicious drinks and treats.

This place is wonderful! The cafe has a cozy atmosphere, making it the perfect place to work or read. The bookstore itself houses things for almost every hobby. They also have an amazing event hall with free to play in store board games. They also have a plethora of events that they host from storytime for children, Dungeons and Dragons learn to plays and one shots, as well as a silent book club and Friday night Magic. I always free comfortable when I'm here and it is my favorite place on the island!

After moving away from oak harbor twenty years ago l, it was great to see the store thriving. It still has fhe great charm It had as the book store and comic store it was in the 90s and early 2000s. Much more exciting to learn the same family owed it. I am glad to see success for them and the store. Highly recommend for gaming and books needs. No comics books anymore, but that make sense with how they evolved as a store. 5 out of 5. I will always stop by when I go back to visit my family.

I have been a loyal customer since 2021 and have intentionally chosen to spend my money here—on books and D&D items—rather than online, specifically to support a local business. Until today, my experiences had been largely positive. That changed completely. Before coming in, I stopped at Whidbey Bagel, where my drink took a while. I brought it with me into BookRack, made a purchase of over $30, and left a 25% tip. After paying, Amy—who identified herself as the store manager—told me I needed to dump my drink or go outside to finish it. I politely tried to explain the situation and asked for some flexibility. Amy refused. I was then told by Taylor (also management) and later by the owner, Matt, that this was “policy” and that enforcing it this way was not petty. It absolutely was. This was an unnecessarily rigid and petty interaction that completely disregarded customer goodwill and loyalty. There was no attempt at discretion, common sense, or appreciation for a long-time customer who was actively spending money in the store. Supporting local businesses only works when those businesses value their customers. Going forward, I’ll be buying books from Kingfisher Bookstore instead, and if I want to grab a coffee and relax or play games, I’ll go to Boba Toons—where customers are actually made to feel welcome. BookRack has permanently lost my business.