Books By The Sea was the realization of a lifelong dream of Joyce Phillips to own a specialty bookstore that promoted local authors and catered to a unique, book loving community. After owning a book store in Kingston, New York with her husband Tom, appropriately called "Wellspring", Joyce and Tom moved to Cape Cod in the nineties where they opened a used bookstore in Sandwich still fondly remembered to this day, called The Well Read Book. You might say "third time's a charm" as Joyce and Tom's 3rd bookstore, Books By The Sea, building as it does on the success of the first two, has firmly established roots in Osterville and South Yarmouth. The Original Books By The Sea was located in Sandwich.

Books By The Sea has become an important part of the Cape Cod artist community providing public exposure for many authors, musicians, artists and photographers through signings, readings, lectures and music performances. The Cape is an incredibly rich source of inspiration for authors and artists and the bookstores are literally packed with fascinating works from highly talented individuals.