Whether it’s picture books, young-adult dystopian thrillers, storm-watching romance, spine-tingling thrillers, juicy memoirs or best-selling fiction that tickles your fancy, Oregon is full of deliciously cozy shops to curl up with a book. Here are some of our favorite bookshops to explore in Oregon.
Portland Region
Famously known as the world’s largest independent bookstore, Powell’s City of Books houses a full city block of titles for browsing and readings. It’s been on book lovers’ bucket lists since 1971. Get lost along the new and used novels, warm up inside the cafe, and then take advantage of Oregon’s lack of sales tax and hit the designer stores clustered in the Pearl District. In Northwest Portland, Bishop & Wilde is a unique and inclusive queer-friendly bookstore that was included in the Gay Cities’ list of the 10 most unique LGBTQ+ bookstores in the U.S. In addition to new and used books, the shop also sells plants, records, gifts and art and serves as a vital community space.
Soon to come: Look for the August 2024 Portland opening of Grand Gesture Books (currently operating only online) by owner Katherine Morgan. Morgan says it will be the city’s first romance bookstore and its third Black-owned bookstore.
Southern Oregon
Located in a vintage bank across from Lithia Park, TreeHouse Books has been a mainstay in downtown Ashland since 1978. Specializing in children and young-adult books, as well as unique gifts, TreeHouse transports little ones to other worlds. Each genre or reading level represents a magical land and monthly story-games follow inventive themes like Gnome for the Holiday. Cap your reading adventure with bites at vegetarian-friendly Greenleaf Restaurant down the block.
Eastern Oregon
Betty’s Books in historic downtown Baker City is a gathering place for bibliophiles, as the only bookstore for new and used books in Baker County. Housed in Main Street’s Bamberger Building, est. 1888, the shop is full of history, with medicine bottles and other artifacts that were once part of the old pharmacy in the building.
Willamette Valley
The Book Bin has been a staple for generations of readers in Corvallis for more than 40 years. Its most famous book reviewer is Tess the Cat, who posts her eloquent reviews on Facebook and Instagram. Grab some new releases and head two blocks east for a slice at American Dream Pizza Downtown. Their second location in Salem also houses a wide array of books and Rose, an orange tabby that naps between stacks of magazines.
Central Oregon
Roundabout Books is a newer shop in Bend — just around the corner from The Sparrow Bakery and Restaurant’s Northwest Crossing location — working to nurture young book lovers. Their carefully curated assortment of children’s and young-adult fiction, local authors, and Northwest regional culture is enough to keep readers of all ages busy all season. A small on-site cafe offers a selection of snacks, wine and beer.
Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge
Klindt’s Booksellers in The Dalles has serious roots: Established in 1870, it is the oldest bookstore in Oregon. The tiny, unassuming downtown storefront next to to Route 30 Bottles and Brews carries an array of new and out-of-print titles as well as cards, toys, crafts, stationery and more.
Oregon Coast
Gold Beach Books is part bookshop, part coffeehouse and part art gallery showcasing local artists. The two floors of space house a whopping 75,000 volumes of new and used books — making it the largest bookstore on the Oregon Coast. Spend a rainy afternoon exploring the rare-book area, with leather-bound sets of famous and autographed books from all over.
