What a dream bookstore for book lovers indeed! Founded in 1971, Powell's is such a Portland staple,…read moreand this location in the Pearl District is ginormous. You can seriously spend hours perusing all the books and choosing your next read, coffee table book, or whatever your heart desires. My favorite section of the bookstore hands down was the Rare Book Room, a special temperature and humidity-controlled room filled with some of the coolest books I have ever laid eyes on. And yes, they are for sale! To me, the room felt alive as I stood in the presence of historical literature, just as when I stand in the presence of great artifacts at a museum. Access to the Rare Book Room is granted as long as you grab a pass, and no food, drink, or unpaid books/merchandise is allowed inside. You can spend as long as you like (as long as it's not crowded in the room), and there is also a staff member present to answer any questions you may have. Of course I had to purchase a book from Powell's, called Freeway Birding, San Francisco to Seattle (it was even signed)! As an avid birdwatcher, this was the perfect book to add to my ever-expanding library. I also grabbed one of their wooden postcards and a couple of stickers to commemorate our time spent at this amazing bookstore. While the entire store was bustling, even on a weekday in August, take your time at Powell's and get swept away by any and all genres of literature that call to you. You never know what you may find next.

Powell's City of Books is kind of a must for any book lover! Whenever I visit a city, I try to…read morefind a local bookstore, and I knew before we even arrived that I had to check out Powell's. It was within walking distance of our hotel in the Pearl District, so we didn't need to contend with parking. It's overwhelming at first - I had heard of how large it was, but you don't quite get the scope until you start walking through - here are books and people everywhere you look! You can just wander, or make a plan of attack and strategically try to visit every corner of the store. We kind of did a combination of both, and started at the top floor and worked our way back down to ground level. The prices are typical of an independent book store, but they had a nice selection of used books and some great value books to snap up, too. There is literally something for everyone. There are lots of local authors and books set in the region. There are bookmarks around each info station with suggested/popular reads for each section of the store. There was a nice selection of local and bookish items and gifts, too - totes, t-shirts, postcards, stickers, etc. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. I'll be stopping in any time I'm in Portland!

I've been looking at this place for a while and finally decided to go on a side quest! When I…read morewalked in I was immediately in awe with how many books there were and how the sections were neatly labelled. The owner was so kind and I felt so welcomed when I walked in. The pricing is pretty reasonable, not as great as some used book stores I've been to, but I understand you gotta pay that overhead! Overall this place was great and I'm already planning my next trip :)

Updated - It's been several years since my last visit and review of this story.....boy has it…read morechanged!!! Heather has been the owner of Literary Leftovers for three years now....and her store looks awesome!!! Clean, organized, a small sitting area, coffee and hot chocolate for sale.....this is a great way to spend an afternoon!! The books are very reasonably priced, and you can see she takes care what she brings in....I saw no books that were damaged or overly worn. Lastly, if you bring in books to donate the store, she offers a discount on whatever you purchase that day! A nice win-win!

It's just an all around lovely place to be. Host an event…read morehere, join an event, pick a book, get a coffee and a snack, relax. This place is so adorable! I used to come here back in college for a group meeting each month and still occasionally will find myself strolling back in for a relaxing time to myself or with friends. Staff sometimes feels like just teens working a first time job, and sometimes staff are chatty and sociable. Never matters tooooo much to me, because, I get it. We were all kids with jobs when we didn't want them. Anyhoo, this small town hidden gem will never fail to impress me. (:

What an awesome coffee shop and small bookstore. We were passing through town and couldn't have…read morebeen more pleased. Coffees were great, bagels good. Stop by and check it out!

White Oak Books was a surprise. Stepping in, it was way bigger than I thought it would be. The…read moreselection was fantastic! We roamed the isles, and I found a few books that were on my reading list. One was an employee pick, so I think they have good taste in reading materials! Great book selection, very helpful staff!

My favorite new book store with great selections, perfect ambience. Great card section, and…read moreinvolved staff. It's wonderful to have a local, independent bookstore with easy parking and fair pricing. I'll come back again and again.

This is a cute little bookstore hidden inside a record shop. They have a small selection of books…read morebut its cute to browse their selection. They also have some older neat books that would be great to round out a collection or decorate a moody study. The owner was super nice and provided great service. We didnt find anything that we were looking for but the prices seemed reasonable for a second hand bookstore.

Best bookstore in downtown Vancouver! Located beneath Ronald Records, Birdhouse Books has a…read morecreative and cozy vibe with an impressive selection of used books at a reasonable price.

cozy environment to study/work and enjoy a cup of joe in the process. I appreciate their wide range…read moreof books and items in general. They've got good discounts and fair pricing imo. The workers that interacted with me were very attentive and helpful.

Standard Barnes and Noble experience. The store was sadly quite empty. My Starbucks coffee there…read morewas standard Starbucks, no complaints. They still let you read magazines which is pretty great.

What a delight visiting Jan's Books. As a newbie, I only know it from their new location in Raleigh…read moreHills. What's strange, is that most of the space used to house my favorite thrift store, run by The Cat Adoption Team...but I digress. I had the incredible opportunity to talk with the shop's owner, Lori. She is a major book lover, is extremely knowledgeable and has the best organization system for her inventory. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she has areas within the store for us. I love knowing where I can find an array of queer books by genre, including a small selection of new books. Vast majority of the inventory is used and the prices are extremely reasonable. I can see why customers are loyal to this store. I was so impressed, I bought a few books and also signed onto be a monthly member. This helps ensure that we keep these unique small businesses in business. I'm putting my money where my mouth is and supporting them. It's a trek for me but it's my new book home and I highly recommend them. Friendly staff, easy parking and very reasonable prices! If you love books, you will love this place!

This place is so fun and not that far from the main street at all. They have a really wide…read moreselection from history to YA fantasy to cookbooks and lots of romance. Note though that a lot of sections are labeled romance but aren't actually romance books. Definitely a hidden gem for all book lovers!

A rarity in our present society: a new/used independent bookseller. They have quite the collection…read moreor books lining fairly tall shelves and paper sacks of books that have been brought in for trade are scattered around the floor. Surprisingly, their books are well organized! Whenever we can't find what we are looking for, they kindly order it for us, knock off 20%, and have it in just a few short days. Can't bet that even with Prime. I take my kiddo here about every other month to get the next Warriors book and oftentimes we make a couple other finds. My kiddo loves to be able to walk in and request the book we ordered and happily start flipping through the pages. In response to some negative reviews: everyone can have a bad day so maybe take that in consideration. Not everyone is living the same life. We are all just trying to do our best. My kiddo just started another book series, Wings of Fire, so we'll be heading back soon to request the books we can't find at the library.

Indie-Book stores are a dying breed sadly. I love to support them wherever I travel, as they…read morenormally have great clientele, interesting selections, and decent prices for instant gratification. Paperbacks Galore is a great place. More than paperbacks, with a decent selection of hardcovers and one of the most impressive children's / youth section that I have seen. Very well organized store with so much to look at. awesome selection of titles with many rare and unique editions to choose from. Their used prices are very decent and all of the others seem to be 20 percent off of list which can work out well in many cases. Friendly staff who are very helpful. It is great to see children get excited about reading, and this store caters to that crowd. We saw two families with children tat were having a great time picking out books for themselves. In this sad society filled with so much laissez faire parenting, it is so refreshing to see parents involved and invested in their children's minds. This shop has been serving the area for quite a while, so please shop local and shop indie!!!!

Weird Sisters/Two Rivers Books is a magical place, and the folx here are so welcoming, helpful, and…read morefriendly. I live in SW, so I don't get to visit as often as I'd like. This is a wonderful gem in the heart of St Johns. The yarn shop side has a lovely selection of mid- to luxury yarns. I was excited to see Brown Sheep yarns here because they are a sweet reminder of my humble beginnings when learning to knit 20+ years ago. It was my go-to yarn for felting projects. Not many shops carry Brown Sheep. Did I need more yarn? You never ask a fiber artist that question. The factual answer is likely no, but the spiritual answer is always yes. I ended up with a gorgeous skein of Blue Sky Woolstock in Earth Ivy. The bookshop side has a lovely selection of books, cards, games, gifts, stickers, and bookish ephemera. When I visited last week, a fantastic Summerween display sat at the front of the shop. I couldn't help myself and had to buy "A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls." I was also happy to find a paperback edition of My Friends by Fredrik Backman, which has been on my list for ages. The same rules apply to the question of factual vs. spiritual need for books in the heart of a hopeless bibliophile. I'm excited to tuck into "A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls" because the lovely bookseller, Christine, mentioned that bar owners in St John's are IN this book! How awesome is that?!? It was such a delight to chat with Christine. I'm so grateful to booksellers like them for daring to dream and investing in spaces that nurture learning and imagination. Looking forward to my next visit!

What a lovely shop in the heart of St.Johns! They had something for everyone: book lovers, yarn…read moreenthusiasts, unique souvenirs, and kids items. Plenty of free street parking. The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable. A must-stop if you are in the area and shop local!