As a voracious reader, I was dismayed to read in the Jan. 9 edition of The Washington Post that 46% of Americans did not read a single book in 2023.

Close to a million books are traditionally published each year in the U.S. Here in La Conner, we have an outstanding new library and a wonderful independent bookstore. With all the books available in a wide number of genres (non-fiction and fiction, including literary, historical, thriller/suspense, mystery/crime, science-fiction, romance, westerns, fantasy, young adult, graphic, etc.), there is something for everyone in a myriad of formats: hardb...