While attending Wordstock, the wonderful Portland book festival, in the Spring of 2005, Karen Emmerling realized the world she should have spent the previous 35 years working in - the world of books. So, after a lot of reading, even more soul-searching and with both children off to college, when a cozy location was being renovated on a convenient side street in downtown Seaside, she jumped in with both feet. After 7 years as the bookstore around the corner, Beach Books outgrew the space. When the ideal location on the most prominent corner in Seaside became available, Beach Books expanded to where they are today.