Have you heard?? Eight Cousins is turning 30! To celebrate, here’s a list of why we love em’. One for every year!

1.  Paper beats Rock – Yes, you may think your e-reader “rocks” and that doesn’t make you a bad person, we promise. BUT, any reader will tell you, the look, the feel, even the smell of a physical book is crave-worthy and something an electronicbook-sniffing simply can’t compete with. Strolling through Eight Cousins blissfully unaware of what you’re shopping for is one of our favorite things to do. You just don’t get that same sensation from the finger flip.

2. Events – The EC team is constantly throwing awesome events for the community. Book signings, book groups, author talks… you name it, they’re doing it.

3. Nifty Gifties – In addition to books, Eight Cousins has tons of awesome gift options. This is definitely a must-stop on the way to a party. Dinner party? Coffee table book and beautiful earrings. Kid’s party? Children’s book and a game!

Gifts

4. Grandparent Help – Grandmas and Grandpas have a lot to focus on… important stuff like making the world’s best cookies and finding the best fishing holes! Keeping track of which book they’ve bought for which grandchild can prove difficult. Eight Cousins offers these book buying grandpappys a system to keep track of it all! Just ask!

5. Window Art – The talented staff at Eight Cousins is constantly outdoing themselves with their window decorations. Have you seen them lately? They’re getting excited for this month’s Kanreki exhibit at Highfield Hall!

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6. Location! – If you’ve never had an outdoor margarita at Anejo’s and followed it up with some book shopping… you are missing out! Eight Cousins’ perch on Main Street is primo.

7. THERE’S WALDO! – How can we forget that the lovely people at Eight Cousins are responsible for bringing Waldo (and Wenda… lest we forget Wenda) into our lives! Every July, you can pick up your Where’s Waldo Passport from Eight Cousins or any of the other participating locations and explore the village as you track him down!

8. Summer Hours! Nine to Nine. Every day.

9. YOUR people – The staff at Eight Cousins knows how to have a good time. They’re your people. Don’t believe me? Watch this.

11. Join the Club – That’s right, Eight Cousins has a super secret, super exclusive club! Just kidding. They do have a club (called the Cousin’s Club) but anyone can join! Book sniffers and non-book sniffers are welcome. All you need to give them is some basic personal info and boom! You’re in the club! You immediately start earning points and once you’ve spent $100, you get a $10 gift certificate! Ask about it next time you’re in, or check it out here.

12. BOOKS! Okay, this may seem like an obvious one, but they have SO MANY BOOKS! And what’s more than that – they have a staff who is happy to talk to you about all of the books. That reminds me…

13. Book Family – The staff at Eight Cousins cares about books, and they care about you. They’re happy to help you if you’re looking for a new favorite, or jonesing for a classic.

14. Diversity – Eight Cousins understands the importance of diverse books in schools. They’re working with local schools, bringing authors of diverse literature to the community and helping all kids have books available to them that tell their story. Learn more about this important effort here.

15. Story Time! Looking for something to do with the little ones? Check the EC website for upcoming story times!

pup16. Four Legged Fans – Occasionally at Eight Cousins you’ll run into a furry customer! Who doesn’t love a little pooch with their Proust!?

17. Bookstore Love – Eight Cousins happily promotes other independent bookstores on Cape Cod. They even have a map so you can do your own little self guided book nerd tour!

18. Book Binding – Talin Bookbindery (it’s a word) in Yarmouthport restores book bindings of old or worn books and they now pick up and drop off at Eight Cousins! Save yourself a trip, and a book!

19. TICKETS! – In addition to books, and toys, and gifts, and bags, and cards, and games and more… Eight Cousins also sells TICKETS to local cultural events in Falmouth and Woods Hole!  Awesome!

20. Book Review – Check out the blog for new book reviews!

21. COMMUNITY – The folks at Eight Cousins care about Falmouth and are very involved in the community. In fact, Sara’s addition to the Falmouth Village Association’s marketing committee recently resulted in a grant for the association. The money secured from the grant is being pumped back into the village – making our events bigger and better than ever!

22. Young Adults – From book group to events, Eight Cousins has a ton to offer the young adults of Falmouth and beyond. Their extensive YA section truly has something for everyone! You can be on the lookout for upcoming events!

23. faceBOOK – They share really cool stuff on their Facebook page. Right now, they’re counting down the 30 days to their official anniversary with 30 awesome book recommendations! They also share fun community events, cool news stories, just-in products and more. Check it out!

24. Moving? They’ll help! – Well, they’ll help you help yourself. EC receives books in strong boxes, and once they’ve shelved the books… they’re left with a bunch of strong boxes! If you find yourself in need of boxes, head on down and ask!Capture

25.  Displays for Days – The EC team is awesome at creating really unique and timely displays as you enter the store. They change constantly, and checking out the new book displays can be equally as exciting as checking out the new books!

26. Honestly, no. – You very well may hear this answer after asking “Do you think I should buy this book?” – and that’s awesome! When the staff gets a sense of your book likes and dislikes, they will honestly tell you if they think another book will make a better read. So refreshing!

27. The Giving Tree – This is a great one. This allows you to give the holiday gift of a book to a child who might not otherwise receive any. EC covers 15% of the cost, the wrapping and the delivery. This is the kind of thing that only happens at locally owned and operated shops. Do good, feel good.

28. Roots – Eight Cousins is proud of their past, and thoughtfully move forward into the future. Have you seen their new logo? No? Well take a peek and read the super cool line of thinking behind the innovation here.

29. Teacher’s Helpers – Eight Cousins understands that often times, teachers stock classroom supplies out of their own pockets. Their Gold Star Teachers program offers an effective 10% discount: when a teacher spends $100, she/he receives a $10 credit toward future purchases. Posters, pre-publication book samples, and other supporting materials are available with each purchase.

30. The thirtieth reason we love Eight Cousins is because this list could go on for pages ;)! Happy anniversary Eight Cousins, thanks for all you bring to the community!!