Fair Isle Books

08/18/2026

We will open late on Wednesday
8/18 at 11:30am due to the
planned electrical outage

08/11/2026

Loved this novel and how it explores our festival theme of "Belonging" - and I also love the tacos!

For this week’s “Books on Tour” post, Anika Fajardo’s “The Many Mothers of Margaret Moore” stopped by Washington Island’s new food truck, “Grandma Says Try.” It’s a perfect match: the book’s main character hears the voices of her dead relatives, and, at the food truck, just look at all “Grandma” has to say!!

Grandma also says to get to the island Literary Festival (Sept 17-19, 2026) for Fajardo’s Friday writing class and/or Saturday author talk. (And the food truck is open most evenings, thru December!) Register: WILitFest.com

This is the final of six Tuesday “Books on Tour” posts featuring books by our 2026 festival authors at related island locations. Better than these posts? The festival. Join us!

The Washington Island Literary Festival is a Write On, Door County event.

08/03/2026

We used to walk Maddie (our bookshop dog) to this spot every morning, and we love it almost as much as we love this new book by Catherine Jagoe!

Door County's only remaining Witness Tree is on Washington Island! It's a fitting location for today's "Books on Tour" post, as Catherine Jagoe's "Unbelonging: A Life in Search of Home" explores themes of home and belonging and displacement.

When surveyors arrived to plot and divide the island in 1835, their wooden stakes deteriorated in our damp climate, so they used nearby trees "to bear witness" to the location of the markers. The remains of this Witness Tree, a white pine, sit just beyond the eastern end of Town Line Road. (See comments to read the logbook notation by Surveyor Sylvester Sibley.)

Catherine Jagoe will lead a lyric-essay writing workshop and give an author presentation at the on September 17-19, 2026.

To register: wilitfest.com

This is the fourth of six "Books on Tour" posts featuring books by our 2026 featured authors at unique Washington Island locations. Better than these posts? The festival itself. 🙂 Join us!

The Washington Island Literary Festival is a On, Door County event.

07/21/2026

Our ever creative Kris O on the festival committee always finds the Best spot for each book while simultaneously spotlighting island treasures. Enjoy-and come visit!

Today, our Tuesday "Books on Tour" post shows Naeem Murr's novel "Every Exit Brings You Home" at the Washington Island Airport (all grass!) for the 73rd Annual Fly-In Fish Boil this past Saturday. Why here? Main character and Gazan immigrant Jamal ("Jack") works as a flight attendant.

Naeem Murr will visit the island to teach a writing class (a few spots remain) and give an author presentation at the on September 18-19, 2026.

To register: wilitfest.com

This is the third of six "Books on Tour" posts featuring books by our 2026 featured authors at unique Washington Island locations. Better than these posts? The festival itself. 🙂 Join us!

The Washington Island Literary Festival is a Write On, Door County event.

07/17/2026

We always love the “Book Tour Tuesday” posts that feature our 5 lit fest authors books in iconic island spots. Jane Hamilton is returning this September and her book pairs with the Red Barn well 😊

It's "Book Tour Tuesday"! Today, Jane Hamilton's "The Phoebe Variations" visits Washington Island's iconic Red Barn. If main character and concert pianist Phoebe had performed on the island, this barn would have been the venue. Though a bigger performing arts center opened in 2004, the Red Barn remains home to many local concerts and events -- including our writing workshops!

See author Jane Hamilton at this year's festival on Saturday, Sept 19! To register --> wilitfest.com

This is the second of six "Book Tour Tuesday" posts featuring books by our 2026 featured authors at unique Washington Island locations. Better than these posts? The festival itself. :) Join us!

The Washington Island Literary Festival is a Write On, Door County event.

07/07/2026

Happy to share the first books on tour post for the Literary Festival - we have a great lineup this year!

This year's theme is "Belonging," so we're kicking off "Book Tour Tuesday" at the Domer-Neff Nature Preserve. As part of the Door County Land Trust, the preserve functions like public land, so we ALL belong on it! 🌲🌲🌲 (Psst: we'll be doing a Poetry Walk on this very trail during the festival! Wondering about other Land Trust preserves on Washington Island? See comments.)

Over the next 5 Tuesdays, we'll visit an island location with a book by each of our 2026 WILitFest visiting authors (order matches photo stack, top to bottom):
+ Unbelonging, Catherine Jagoe (nonfiction)
+ The Phoebe Variations, Jane Hamilton (fiction)
+ Assembled Audience*, Erika Meitner (poetry)
+ The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore, Anika Fajardo (fiction)
+ Every Exit Brings You Home, Naeem Murr (fiction)

What's better than "Book Tour Tuesday" pics? Seeing these authors on the island in person! Register just for the Saturday author presentations or also enjoy the Writing Workshops (Fri) and free Creative Lab (Thurs).

--> Sept 17-19, 2026; register at wilitfest.com

07/07/2026

Happy to share the 1st books on tour for the Literary Festival - great linup.

This year's theme is "Belonging," so we're kicking off "Book Tour Tuesday" at the Domer-Neff Nature Preserve. As part of the Door County Land Trust, the preserve functions like public land, so we ALL belong on it! 🌲🌲🌲 (Psst: we'll be doing a Poetry Walk on this very trail during the festival! Wondering about other Land Trust preserves on Washington Island? See comments.)

Over the next 5 Tuesdays, we'll visit an island location with a book by each of our 2026 WILitFest visiting authors (order matches photo stack, top to bottom):
+ Unbelonging, Catherine Jagoe (nonfiction)
+ The Phoebe Variations, Jane Hamilton (fiction)
+ Assembled Audience*, Erika Meitner (poetry)
+ The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore, Anika Fajardo (fiction)
+ Every Exit Brings You Home, Naeem Murr (fiction)

What's better than "Book Tour Tuesday" pics? Seeing these authors on the island in person! Register just for the Saturday author presentations or also enjoy the Writing Workshops (Fri) and free Creative Lab (Thurs).

--> Sept 17-19, 2026; register at wilitfest.com

07/04/2026

Still open until four for your Fourth! Pick up a little more holiday spirit.

07/03/2026

Nick Petrie is in our shop until 3, talking about (and signing) his Peter Ash thrillers. The new one, The Dark Time, is still in hardback. Drop on by!

07/03/2026

Don't forget Nick Petrie is signing his book here tomorrow from 2-3PM! The Dark Time is the ninth in the Peter Ash series of thrillers.