The Island Bookstore — Local services in Corolla

As many have shared, this is a very nice bookstore in one of the old Corolla Village buildings. Staff was helpful. So why only 1 star? As the photo shows, the end cap in the history area was exclusively devoted to pro-Palestinian books. Not a single book supporting the nation of Israel's right to exist. ZERO. The most common author is Ilan Pappé. He wrote about October 7 "It is this moral compass that led me, and others in our society, to stand by the Palestinian people in every way possible; and that enables us, at the same time, to admire the courage of the Palestinian fighters who took over a dozen military bases, overcoming the strongest army in the Middle East." He went on to say "people like me cannot avoid but raise questions about the moral or strategic value of some of the actions that accompanied this operation." All he can do is raise questions about killing civilians including children! No wonder he was condemned by the Knesset.

When looking at all these books critical of Israel with hand written recommendations, one has to wonder if the person responsible is guilty of antisemitism?

If you want a balanced view of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, I recommend Benny Morris's 1948. He criticizes both sides and gets to the brass tacks of a minority living among a population that does not think you should exist. The books on this end cap are...

We’ve been visiting the Island Bookstore in Corolla for over 20 years. It’s always been one of our favorite spots, and we typically stop by several times each summer to pick up books for our guests and anyone who visits us.

Today, however, was the most disappointing experience we’ve ever had there. The staff member on duty never looked up to greet anyone and stayed on her phone the entire time. When we asked about several specific titles, she did a quick search and said none of them were in stock. That seemed off, so I called another Island Bookstore location — and they confirmed that nearly every book I had asked about was actually in stock at the Corolla store.

A fun, welcoming bookstore with warm, helpful staff used to be the norm here — but sadly, that no longer seems to be the case. The woman working today, with short purple hair, gave the impression that helping customers was more of an inconvenience than a priority.

We’ve loved supporting this bookstore over the years, which makes this kind of experience especially disappointing. I hope you’ll take this feedback seriously and look into how the store is being managed, as it no longer reflects the spirit that’s made it such a special part of...

Great bookshop with a nice variety. Just don't pre-order and expect your books to be there when you arrive for your vacation. My wife made this mistake and they, "didn't realize that you wanted us to place the order yet because we didn't know if you would show up." I thought that this is how small bookstores made their living? People make requests for books, the store orders said book, you pick up and pay for it and then you buy more books there because you're satisfied with their service. They get to make money on top of just walk-in customers and build a reputation and grow the clientele. I still recommend the store, just don't...