by Jeffrey A. Rothermel Captain's Log August 15-16, 2026 Seminole Valley Farm Museum One weekend a year, I close my environmentally controlled and comfortable showroom and travel north to the humid and misty riverbanks of the Cedar Rapids. This was my fifth year of selling books from a tent in harmony with mother nature and her occasional outbursts. Why dare the misfortune of damaged paper from moisture? Believe it or not... nothing better than a rainy outdoor weekend of a

The ethical exploration of ideas (online & in store).

Bookselling in a snowstorm. Nine inches of snow fell in Iowa City, Iowa on small business Saturday. The storm disrupted in person book browsing on Small Business Saturday, but not internet book orders that continued to surge.

Captain's Book Shoppe Return Policy.

Bookstores deal in obvious secrets. Cookbooks [food & drink] along with sci-fi/fantasy are some of the books that people hunt and trade.

I discovered that some Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition (5e) books have an intriguing storyline. Hoard of the Dragon Queen is about alliances.

Bookselling is a lot like soldiering. Each person's experience is a bit different. Just as every veteran's combat experience differs, each bookseller's adventures also vary. Why some soldiers survive, while others perished is an age-old question pondered by each generation, similar to why some booksellers make it and others don't.

Captain’s Book Shoppe buys books only by appointment. Please call before you bring books into the store. (319) 351-3166.