Bremerton is a city of 40,000 residents and zero bookstores (well, at least the family-friendly kind).

That will change Saturday when Poulsbo-based Liberty Bay Books opens a holiday pop-up store at 409 Pacific Ave.

The store will only be open in November and December, but Liberty Bay Books owner Suzanne Droppert said she would consider opening a permanent downtown Bremerton location if the pop-up proves popular.

“We’ll see if the readers of Bremerton want a bookstore,” Droppert said.

Liberty Bay Books is taking over a 750-square-foot space next to Hot Java Café. Droppert said her staff will stock the pop-up store with a wide selection of new books, cards and games, then tailor the inventory based on response from shoppers. Customers will also be able to special order books and pick them up at the shop.

Droppert said she likes the eclectic mix of restaurants, retailers and art galleries along Pacific, and thinks a bookstore would fit in well.

“(People) want to see some personality back in downtown Bremerton and we want to bring that personality,” she said.

Hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, beginning Oct. 31. You can check out Liberty Bay Book’s Facebook page for updates, and watch for a full story in the Kitsap Sun.

What was Bremerton’s last bookstore?

We’ve done some digging in our archives trying to determine the name of Bremerton’s last dedicated bookstore, and what year it closed. We’ve come up with a few candidates but no definitive answer yet.

If you have an idea, please drop a comment below or email me at tad.sooter@kitsapsun.com