Bookstores in Northwestern United States
Last change:
12 Feb 2009
There are separate files for lists for the West, the San Francisco Bay Area
(San Francisco and north), the San Francisco Bay Area (Berkeley, Oakland, and
East Bay), and the San Francisco Bay Area (Peninsula and south).
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Cities (listed geographically north-to-south, east-to-west) include:
Seattle/Tacoma WA (and other WA)
Portland OR (and other OR)
California (other than San Francisco Bay and S. California areas)
Idaho
Comments
other geographic areas
[Note 1: This list includes cities in Washington, Oregon, and California.
Lists for the San Francisco Bay area, the Western United States, and other
geographic areas are in separate files.
[Note 2: I collected these comments from a variety of people. I personally
have no knowledge of many of these places and take no responsibility if you
buy a book you don't enjoy. :-) Phone numbers and precise addresses can be
gotten by calling directory assistance for the appropriate city. Call ahead
for precise hours, as even when I list them they are subject to change.]
[Note 3: If you can add information for any of these, in particular
addresses when they are missing, please send it to me. *PLEASE SPECIFY CITY
AND STATE.*]
[Note 4: Area codes change so quickly these days that these may be wrong.]
============================================================================
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Seattle/Tacoma WA (and other WA):
Seattle:
The Armchair Sailor (2110 Westlake N). New nautical books, charts, &
miscellanea.
Arundel Books (across from the Seattle Art Museum). Fine art books.
"Lots o'books, but somehow they don't jell. Fiction, art, lots
of fiddly little non-fiction subjects."
B. Brown & Assoc. (3534 Stone Way N, 206-634-1481, FAX 206-634-1484,
bobbrown@wolfenet.com). New and used SF, horror,
supernatural, mystery, and historical fiction. Some
paperbacks, but mostly quality hardcover.
BLMF Books (Pike Place Market, 206-621-7894). Used books. I was
impressed with their selection--they had five different Borges
titles, and not the most common ones either! [04/07]
Bailey/Coy Books. Wonderful, full of good fiction and recommendations
from staff and customers.
Beyond the Closet Bookstore (518 E Pike, 98122, 206-322-4609,
FAX 206-322-6302, beyondtc@aol.com).
Gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender bookstore. New and used
books, magazines, newspapers, cards, jewelry, gifts and
novelty items. It has 2000 square feet and 15,000 titles, and
is located at Belmont Avenue in the Capitol Hill neighborhood,
3 blocks west of Broadway. Operating since 1988. Open
Sun-Sat 10AM-11PM.
Blackbird Books (3130 E Madison). Has a good selection of books for
the African-American community, including toys, posters,
children's books, and music.
Chameleon Books (510 15th Ave E, (Capitol Hill). Used. Strong
fiction (hardcover), art and archtecture books. Extensive
Northwest and ethnic studies section.
Discount Books. Has some of the lowest prices, but their selection is
usually limited.
Elliott Bay Books (101 S Main, Pioneer Square, 206-624-6600 or 800-962-5311,
FAX 206-343-9558, http://www.elliottbaybook.com/ebbco).
Booklover's paradise. 140,000 titles in stock. Also has a
used book section (soon [as of 01/00] to be integrated with
the new books), an extensive children's section, complete with
a playroom for kids as you browse other areas, a restaurant
downstairs, and frequent readings/book signings. [I have to
say that while EBB is very cozy-looking, etc., its selection
is not all I had hoped. I did a comparison between EBB and
Borders on three authors: Borders had twice as much Dumas,
five times as much George Eliot, and ten times as much Twain.]
Flora and Fauna Books (3121 W Government Way, near Discovery Park).
Best nature/outdoors bookstore in town, with both new and
selected used/rare titles. [03/08]
Fremont Place Book Co (621 N 35th, 206-547-5970). New books, has a
book club. [03/07]
Gemini Book Exchange (9614 16th SW, White Center). Typical
neighborhood used bookstore.
The Globe Bookstore (5220-B University Way). Used. "Seems to
specialize in books on Shakespeare and vintage racing cars."
Green Leaf Books (3422 Stone Way N, 98103-8922, 206-545-7465,
http://www.greenleafbookshop.com). Used cookbooks and
botanical books. Open Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM. [11/05]
Gregor Books (197a Second, Langley, Whidbey Island, 98260,
http://www.gregorbooks.com). Literary First Editions.
Open Wed-Sun 11AM-5PM. [08/04]
Half Price Books (4709 Roosevelt Way NE, University District. Large
collection of mostly used books. "Twice as large as any in
Austin. How does this work? I actually found some
architecture I needed."
Horizon Books (425 15th East--Capitol Hill by the Group Health
Hospital). Just your typical old house full of books.
Including the bathroom. SF, alternative religion, and life
styles. "It is also possessed of a truly amazing cat. Most
bookstore cats are extremely aloof or indifferent. This
weighty beast sets to purring directly you touch it." (Also
other branches.)
Kinokuniya (2nd floor of Uwajimaya, 525 S Weller, 98104, near the
Amtrak Station, 206-587-2477). Japanese books, DVDs, and
CDs. [09/08]
Lambda Books. The best place for gay/lesbian/bisexual titles and
postcards.
Lamplight Used Books (Pike Place Market, 206-652-5554). [04/07]
Left Bank Books (92 Pike, by the large sign for the Pike Market, next
to the flower shop, 206-622-0195, http://www.leftbankbooks.com).
"Smallish, very left-leaning bookstore (collective-run). New
and used. Concentrates on 'radical and independent' stuff;
lots of books on politics (esp. labor, and histories of
movements), media, etc. Despite the fact that these topics
aren't my usual bag I rarely manage to leave the store without
buying something. Some SF, comics, magazines (a decent
selection of local zines), literature, etc. as well." [04/07]
Leisure Books (4537 California Ave SW, just up the block from
Pegasus). [03/08]
Louis Collins Books (1211 East Denny Way, 98122, 206-323-3999,
FAX 206-323-8233, http://www.collinsbooks.com/hannah/).
Out-of-print books in all fields, especially anthropology.
Magus Bookstore (1408 NE 42 St near University Way). Run-of-the-mill
university used bookstore.
Peter Miller (1930 First Ave, 206-441-4114). Architectural and design
books. Excellent selection, many things I'd never seen or
heard of before. Architectural theory, architectural history,
urban planning, landscape, model kits for the Leaning Tower of
Pisa, fine pens, and so forth. Catalog.
Mystery Bookshop (117 Cherry). Large collection of new and used
mysteries.
An Odd Volume, Ltd. (1309 NE Ravenna Blvd, entrance in alley). Used
books, lots of fiction, not much SF.
Open Books: A Poem Emporium (Wallingford). "Great poetry selection."
Well, I should hope so; the store is, according to PUBLISHERS
WEEKLY (18 Sept 95), "devoted entirely to poetry and
poetry-related titles." Five hundred square feet in "the
lower floor of a bungalow, which Open Books shares with a wine
bar."
Pegasus Book Exchange (4553 California Way, West Seattle Junction).
Typical neighborhood used bookstore.
Raverbooks (1205 E Pike, 206-328-7922). Rave-related books.
Santoro's Bookstore (7216 Greenwood Avenue North, 98103, 206-784-2113,
http://www.santorosbooks.com). New books. Also has a lending
library, a book club, and educational discounts. [03/07]
Seattle Book Center (3530 Stone Way N, 206-547-7870). This is next
door to the old location for Archie McPhee's, which has moved
to Ballard, near the Secret Garden.
Secret Garden Children's Bookshop (Ballard). A wonderful selection.
Up the street from Archie McPhee's, which is also recommended.
Totem Books (Totem Lake Mall East, Kirkland 98034, 425-821-4343). New
books. "Very knowledgeable about SF and fantasy, they've got
quite a good selection, and they'll happily order anything
they don't have--books ordered usually only take a couple of
days." Frequent author signings.
Toys in Babeland (707 E Pike St; http://www.babeland.com/). "Primarily
a sex-toy store but has a wallful of books (sex (how to); sex
(about); erotica).
Twice Sold Tales (905 East John on Capitol Hill, 206-324-2421;
3504 Fremont Ave N; 1309 NE 45th; http://www.twicesoldtales.com).
Has incredibly good used fiction at good prices. High
turnover of used books (all areas). All books 25% off midnight
to 8AM Friday night/Saturday morning. Great place to hang out
in the middle of a Friday night, great atmosphere, colorful
personalities, lots of cats. Open Sat-Thu 10AM-2AM, Fri all
night.
University Bookstore (4326 University Way, 206-634-3400; also Bellevue
and Tacoma; http://www.bookstore.washington.edu).
Simply massive, with good people to find the book you want,
and an extensive children's section. 20-25% off on
best-sellers that they choose, so can often get discounts on
books that aren't on regular best-seller list (e.g., Kroll's
"The Whole Internet" is almost always 20% off). Extra 10%
rebate for UW students, staff, and alumni association
members. "Better than any University bookstore I know
(including Harvard Coop) for general books." "The University
Book Store is by any measure one of the best all-round
independent bookstores in the country, and certainly one of
the absolute top independents when it comes to supporting
SF. I've long suspected that the reason Seattle has never
supported a full-fledged science fiction store like Other
Change of Hobbit or the Science Fiction Shop is that the
University Book Store does such a good job. Way back in 1982
when I lived in the apartment house across the alley (the
Malloy), the U Bookstore was devoting an entire shelf unit to
hardcover science fiction alone, to say nothing of the
paperbacks. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, support
these guys." And someone else adds, "The University Bookstore
is even better than the FAQ's comments suggest. I could easily
have spent $500 in there without moving from the architecture
section, the Italian history was at least two whole shelves
(most stores give it three books, if that), and the SF is
everything that it's cracked up to be." There is also a
branch downtown of just technical books. Book rate shipping
is free.
There are also others on or near University Way and several north of
the University bookstore about a mile.
"Browsing in Seattle has become more frustrating. Powells comes in a
couple of times a year and sets up a buying shop. And Thriftbook.com
is bottomfeeding away the scruffier tomes by buying(?) out the
overstock at the local thrift stores. In both cases, books end up out
of town. And real estate is taking it's toll, too."
Tacoma:
Culpepper Books (2521 North Proctor, 98406, 253-761-9000,
http://www.culpepperbooks.com). Used and rare, specializing in
in Civil War, Western Americana and Northwest History. Open
Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM. Say 10AM-5PM. [09/07]
Kings Books (St Helens Ave, Tacoma).
Lady Jayne's Comics & Books (5969 6th Ave, Tacoma 98406, 206-564-6168,
LDYJAYNE@aol.com). Just
off Hwy 16 (Bremerton link from I-5); take the 6th Ave exit
and go behind Blockbuster Video in the next block. New and
used SF and fantasy.
Steep & Story: Books and Tea (1936 Pacific Ave, Tacoma WA 98402,
253-274-0090, http://www.booksandtea.com) .
General selection. Specialty modern literature.
Tacoma Book Center (324 E 26th, one block from Tacoma Dome-take the
Tacoma Dome exit from I5, corner of 26th and D, 206-572-8248).
Very good selection of used and collectible books at good
prices. Worth the stop if you're traveling through.
South Suburbs:
Comstock's Bindery and Bookshop (257 E Main, Auburn--formerly on
Ranier Ave S in Seattle, 206-939-8770). Good selection of
used SF, history, military. "As a book binder primarily he
has interest in antiquarian books. He gets a lot of books
donated from local libraries that he then binds up and
resells. The most tenacious man at finding an out-of-print
book I have ever found, especially rare and unusual SF. Has
reading rooms, two store cats and one store dog (Bouvier de
Flanders) often mistaken for large rug. Very knowlegeable on
many subjects, and will without hesitation send you to a
competitor if they have the volume you need. Used to be
located in Seattle, moved down to Auburn for cheaper rents,
keeps expanding, and may soon have the entire block of
buildings as a bookstore. He and his wife will help you find
anything you want or need, and will spend time to make sure
you get what you want in many subjects, including assessing
the value of an older book. 2-for-1 trade-ins for SF and
others; will outright buy rare titles. Will give you a
better price than other antiquarians in Seattle area."
Page 2 Book Exchange (15706 1st Ave S, the Five Corners neighborhood
of Burien).
Bellevue:
Barnes & Noble (626 106th NE). This is the new kid on the block. It
is in a converted bowling alley. This sounds fairly tacky,
but the bowling alley was built with an arched roof that does
not have any internal support columns. The result is that the
bookstore has an unusually light, open, and airy feel to it.
It's a quite pleasant place to browse. There's a Starbucks
espresso shop in the corner (this is de rigueur for the
Seattle area). There is a large children's book section.
It's quite popular with the local residents and is very
difficult to find a parking space out front (but there is a
lot of parking nearby).
Barnes & Noble (Crossroads Mall). "This store just opened up. It's
only two or three miles from the downtown Bellevue store.
Everyone thinks that Barnes and Noble is out of their gourd to
open another store in Bellevue. The only thing that I can
figure out is that Borders has just moved into the area, and
Barnes and Noble is trying to launch a pre-emptive strike.
Barnes and Noble describes it as a superstore, but is not as
big as the downtown store, which must be a super-duper store.
You have to walk several hundred feet if you want some
espresso."
City News (10116 NE 8th). This is a news/magazine shop located in a
grocery store across the street from the University Book
Store. They have a small trade paperback section. The
selection of newpapers, magazines, and books is not very
impressive. However, across the hall is an espresso shop
(remember espresso is a staple of life in the Pacific
Northwest). The area between the news stand and the espresso
shop seems to be a popular hangout on Saturday morning.
Eastside Daily Planet (Crossroads Mall). An okay newstand. The
newspaper selection is not too remarkable. The magazine
selection is okay. It's also close to Starbucks.
Half Price Books (Crossroads Mall). "I'm not a big used bookstore
fan, but I have occasionally found some interesting stuff
here. The store is right next to (surprise, surprise) a
Starbucks espresso stand."
Software Etc (Bellevue Sqaure Mall). Has a decent selection of
computer books.
University Book Store (990 102nd Ave NE). This is a branch of the
bookstore that serves the University of Washington. They
don't stock textbooks, however. "It also has a light, open
feel to it. I enjoy browsing it. The selection of books
seems better than you find in the typical chain bookstore.
In response to Barnes and Noble coming to town, they expanded
into an adjacent storefront and opened a children's book
section. They also have a small office/art supply section and
sell University of Washington memorabilia. No espresso (the
campus branch has espresso)." They offer a 10% discount card
to educators.
Waldenbooks (Bellevue Square Mall).
"Crossroads is a quite interesting mall. A few years ago, it was a
second-rate mall that was on the verge of collapse. To revive it, the
developers attempted to convert it into a suburban Pike Place Market.
This strategy failed, but there were some interesting side effects.
During the farmer's market phase, several ethnic food stands opened
up. These proved to be quite popular, and are going great guns right
now. For example, there are Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, and
Mediterranean food stands. You can pick up a nice meal for $5 to
$10. It is much nicer than the typical mall food court. The mall
also started offering free evening concerts on Fridays and Saturdays.
So it's become a fairly popular place."
Bellingham:
R. R. Henderson (112 Grand Ave, 360-734-6855). "This is one of the
more amazing used emporia I've been in. Very deep stock in
everything I was interested in, which included art history,
art, architectural theory and urban planning, historical
novels, mysteries, and SF. As my husband noted, the truly
astonishing thing about the place--outside the incredible
breadth of its holdings--was the degree of organization, which
was almost perfect."
Michael's Books (109 Grand Ave, 360-733-6272, http://www.michaelsbooks.com).
Old London Bookstore (111 Central Ave, 360-733-7273). A
seventeen-room historical mansion in the dead center of town.
Entire rooms on everything you can imagine, SF, mysteries,
philosophy, archeology, "the classics", you name it. Every
room in the house except the bathroom is floor-to-ceiling,
wall-to-wall used hardcover books. There are chairs and lamps
scattered about for customers to use to do a little reading,
and the owners frequently serve finger foods and tea/coffee.
The store is also the owner's home (you have to walk around
the bed to view the shelves of books in the bedroom) so it
isn't just a walk-in type place. Someone is home most times,
but you'll need to call ahead to make sure it's okay to come
by. You've got to see this place to believe it.
Village Books (historic Fairhaven District, 1210 11th, 360-671-2626,
http://www.villagebooks.com).
Duvall:
Duvall Books (15635 Main NE, no phone). Used books. 40,000 volumes
in this store dating back to the 1970s. Open Mon-Fri
10AM-5:30PM, Sat 10AM-9PM. Unsure about Sunday hours.
Everett:
Aeolian Books (1403 8th, Marysville, just north of Everett, 360-659-8553,
aeolian@everett.com). Used books upstairs in an old house. "Their
selection of modern poetry & literature are excellent but they
have books in many other subject areas as well." Irregular hours.
Half Price Books (on Everett Mall Way, across from the mall). Used books.
Pilchuck Books (2821 Wetmore Ave). Used books.
Secondhand Prose. (Used books. "All the books are old, and not in a good
way."
Lake Forest Park:
Third Place Books. 200,000 new and used books, six ethnic restaurants,
a stage, a kitchen (for demonstrations), and a cafe.
Long Beach:
Sandpiper Books (110 & 112 South Pacific Hwy, 98631, 360-642-4969,
sandpiper@willapabay.org). Both new and used books with a large
section of SF and mystery (featuring a large Sherlockian collection)
with titles in both hardback and paper. Has a warehouse off-site as
well if your book isn't on the shelf.
Mt. Vernon:
B & M Books (take the George Hopper exit). "This is about a 90-minute drive
from Seattle. For anyone who likes used bookstores, this is worth
the drive up, at least once. The bookstore is run out of a
converted warehouse almost solely by this old dude. There are more
books in this place than in any store I've ever been in, including
the Tattered Cover. The books are vaguely ordered by first letter
of authors last name, and subject. All books are *very* cheap, but
you may get a bit frustrated when trying to find a specific book.
There are, of course, cats running around which you may run into
randomly while lost in the labyrinth, and there's a huge fireplace
they fire up on cold days." [NOTE: As of 3/98, this had a sign up,
saying "Closed Until Spring." There is some possibility it may not
re-open as the "old dude" has died.]
Easton's Books (307 Main, 360-336-2066, http://www.eastonsbooks.com).
Used books. Particularly strong in books on the Pacific Northwest,
but covers all categories.
Scott's Bookstore.
Olympia:
Barnes & Noble (1530 Black Lake Blvd SW). "Typical example of this
chain store, with all the good and bad that that implies.
Extremely large selection, and pleasant enough to browse, but
it can't escape that synthetic feeling lurking in the
background. If you want the latest SciFi Blockbuster, they'll
have it, but their stock is mile wide and an inch deep. Heavy
on the TV/movie tie-ins. This is out on the Westside."
[12/03]
Browsers' Bookshop (107 N. Capitol Way). "Another store in downtown
Olympia. Basically a heavily compacted version of Orca,
without the politics. SF section exists, but is skimpy."
[12/03]
Orca Books (509 E 4th). "Orca is a large store in downtown Olympia
that sells (and buys) both new and used books. Often holds
author readings. You can special-order new books there, but
they aren't as well-connected as some of the big chains; if
you're trying to obtain something from a small press outfit,
you'll probably be out of luck. While politics are not
exactly the store's main focus, the place is still totally
left-wing; if a visitor is a conservative, he'll probably find
it annoying. The used SF section is acceptable but nothing
spectacular. A really fun place in which to simply browse and
people-watch; you never know who or what'll turn up on the
shelves." [12/03]
Paperback Exchange (400 Cooper Point Rd SW; 909 Sleater-Kinney Rd,
Lacey). "Two branches of a store that are exactly what they
say: a no-frills place to bring in your old paperbacks and
swap them for 'new' ones. (Or you can of course pay cash.)
The SF section(s) here are actually quite impressive; if
you're looking for a used paperback copy of any moderately
well-known science fiction novel, there's a good chance that
one branch or the other will have it. (And even if they
don't have exactly what you are looking for, you can probably
find *something* of interest.) The Olympia store is on the
city's 'Westside', a large commerical sprawl in that direction
away from the downtown. Lacey is a city to Olympia's east;
the two towns are mashed together cheek-and-jowl, so you could
easily visit both of these stores in one day, if you were so
inclined. There is a third branch of the store in Centralia,
a small city about 30 minutes further down I-5 to the south."
[12/03]
Whodounit? Books (301 4th Ave). Also downtown. Deals exclusively in
mysteries. [12/03]
"There are other bookstores in town, but none will be of much interest
to SciFi fans."
Spokane:
Auntie's Bookstore (402 W Main, 888-802-6657, http://www.auntiesbooks.com).
Used books. Collectibles section upstairs. Open Mon-Sat 9AM-9PM,
Sun 11AM-6PM.
"There are no truly outstanding bookstores in Bellevue; however, the
number of bookstores per capita is astounding; no one can figure out
how so many bookstores can make a go of it."
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Portland OR (and other OR):
The Book Bin (450 Court NE, Salem, 97301, 503-361-1235,
http://www.bookbin.com). Used books. Open Mon-Sat
9:30AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-6PM. [08/05]
Broadway Books (1714 NE Broadway, 503-284-1726). "It's a small shop
with owners who are very helpful. I've been impressed with
their biography section and shop there when I'm looking for a
nice gift book (their selection seems to fit my relatives'
tastes). They have a 'buy-12-get-one-free' program, a
newsletter, and they sponsor occasional readings. They seem
to be holding on nicely even though a big Barnes & Noble
opened just down the street." [04/07]
Cameron's Books & Magazines (336 SW Third Ave, 503-228-2391). Claims
to be the oldest used bookstore in Portland. Narrow pathways
filled with books and and more than 50,000 magazines. [04/07]
Captain's Nautical Supplies (138 NW 10th Ave, 503-227-1648). "They had
the best supply of maps I have ever seen outside of the USGS
office in VA. Worth checking out." Almost exclusively maps.
[Not listed in 2007 phone book] [04/07]
David Morrison Books (630 NW 12th, 503-295-6882). Specializes in
photography, decorative arts, architecture, general
antiquarian, and Americana. [Not listed in 2007 phone book]
[04/07]
Future Dreams (1847 E Burnside, 503-231-8311; also 10508 NE Halsey,
503-255-5245). Fantasy and SF, new and used. Information on
the Portland Science Fiction Society is available here.
Appears to be in a warehouse-type building. [NE Halsey store
not listed in 2007 phone book] [04/07]
The Great Northwest Bookstore (3314 SW 1st Ave, 503-223-8098, FAX
503-223-9474). Very neat, alphabetized, rare books room, good
paperback genre collections (mystery, SF), first editions.
Reasonable prices. Open Mon-Fri 9AM-7PM, Sat 11AM-7PM,
Sun 12N-5PM. [04/07]
Hawthorne Books & Literary Arts (1221 SW 10th Ave, 503-231-1441).
Good quality used books. [04/07]
Hawthorne Boulevard Books (3129 SE Hawthorne Blvd). "This is a little
white house, stuffed full of books in many different subject
areas. No paperbacks, just all hardbacks of various
vintages. Not much in genre fiction, but good selection of
nonfiction of all types." [10/07]
Kinokuniya (10500 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton, 97005,
503-641-6240). Japanese books, DVDs, and CDs. [09/08]
Murder by the Book (3210 SW Hawthorne Blvd, 503-232-9995).
Mysteries. [04/07]
Norwest Textbook (2800 Pringle Rd off I-5, Salem, OR 97302,
http://www.bookbyte.com). Open Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM. [09/04]
Periodicals & Books Paradise (3315 SE Hawthorne, 503-234-6003). More
paperbacks and magazine back issues than you can imagine.
They buy, sell and will trade. [04/07]
Paper Moon (4704 SE Belmont, 503-239-8848). General second-hand
books. [04/17]
Powell's City of Books (main store) (1005 W Burnside, 800-878-7323 or
503-228-4651, FAX 503-228-4631, http://www.powells.com).
Truly a national treasure, one of the wonders of Portland.
Powell's has new and used books by the millions (over one
milllion at their main store). Its depth and coverage exceeds
most large-city libraries. There is a coffee shop in the store
for more serious browsing. This store is an easy walk from the
Amtrak station; one reader reports returning to the train with
an additional piece of carry-on luggage after her four-hour
layover. Will ship worldwide. Does searches for out-of-print
books. Someone asked on the Net, "How do people find good books to
read?" Marcy Thompson's response was:
1. Read rab [rec.arts.books].
2. Save all postings which mention interesting-looking books to a
file.
3. Every six weeks, do:
i. edit down saved file to just include title and author of
interesting-looking books
ii. print edited file
iii. get in car and drive to Portland OR (if it's summer, this
means going through customs at some whacko hour like
midnight to avoid the lines, so plan carefully)
iv. sleep at a cheap motel. get up in the morning and go to
Powell's
v. wander the store for several hours, list in hand
vi. pay attention to the "Highly Recommended" cards on the
shelves
vii. when your basket gets full, retreat to the benches by the
drinking fountains
viii. winnow the basket's contents down and reshelve the ones you
decide not to buy
ix. add up the prices of the books that are left.
x. if it's not too much, repeat substeps v thru ix
xi. drive back to Canada, stopping to attempt unsuccessfully to
convince the customs inspector that you intend to read all
those books, really
Easy, eh?
According to one poster, Powell's isn't the largest bookstore
in the world--Dom Knig in Moscow is--but Powell's is the
largest in the US. The only problem is parking. Powell's has
its own garage, which is almost always full (but worth
checking out--it's on the west side of the building, which is
one-way heading *towards* Burnside). We had no problem
getting in late one Sunday afternoon. Well, what I mean is
that there were lots of free spaces. But the in/out ramp has
the tightest turns I can remember--it took me a three-point
turn going and a *five*-point one going down to make the turn.
Metered parking probably would not allow you enough time
(assuming you could find a space), and lots are not cheap,
Your best times may be weekends, when parking can be found for
$3 all day. Or use public transportation. Open 9AM-11PM
365 days a year. [04/07]
Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd). Open
Mon-Sat 9AM-11PM, Sun 10AM-9PM. [04/07]
Powell's at PDX (Portland International Airport, 503-249-1950). Opem
Sun-Fri 6AM-10PM, Sat 5AM-8PM. [04/07]
Powell's Books for Home & Garden (3747 SE Hawthorne, 503-235-3802).
Formerly Powell's Books for Cooks. Open Mon-Sat 9AM-9PM, Sun
9AM-8PM. [04/07]
Powell's Books in Beaverton (Cascade Plaza, 8775 SW Cascade Ave, Beaverton,
503-643-3131). Although a mere shadow of Powell's main store in
Portland, this branch is still a very large and very well-organized
used bookstore, with used and publisher's overstock in all
categories. There is a children's section in a separate store next
to it.
Powell's Books for Kids (Cascade Plaza, 8775 SW Cascade Ave, Beaverton,
503-671-0671).
Powell's Books on Hawthorne (3723 SE Hawthorne, 503-235-3802). A new
branch of the main store. Good mystery and SF selection.
Open Mon-Thu 9AM-10PM, Fri-Sat 9AM-11PM, Sun 9AM-9PM. [04/07]
Powell's Technical Bookstore (33 NW Park at Couch, 800-225-6911 or
503-228-3906). The largest technical bookstore in the Portland
area. Open Mon-Sat 9AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-7PM. [04/07]
Scribner's Bookstore (Pioneer Place, 503-222-2822). On the bottom floor
of the mall, off the food court. Classy. [Not listed in 2007
phone book] [04/07]
Second Story (3325A SE Hawthorne). Literary used books. [Not listed
in 2007 phone book] [04/07]
Title Wave (216 NE Knott, 503-988-5021). The cutout bin for Multnomah
County Library. This is not a once-in-awhile-Friends-of type
sale--they are open Mon-Sat 10AM-4PM, selling discards.
Twenty-Third Avenue Books (1015 NW 23rd, 503-224-5097). Northwest
Portland is the arts center of Oregon. A walk around will
find this place and many more of interest to the reader.
? (across the street from Hawthorne Boulevard Books) Mystery
bookshop. "They specialize in new books but do have some used,
Among the new books, they have some titles imported from
Great Britain and some from smaller reprint presses that are
not easily available in other bookstores." [10/07]
"There are also the Stone Ave bookstores in the Fremont neighborhood of
Seattle. There's actually three stores in a row: B. Brown & Assocs,
with a wide range of fine first editions and rare collectibles in
science fiction and horror; SeaOcean Books, which specializes in
nautical books both fiction and nonfiction; and Seattle Book Center,
which has hardcovers in all fields, lots of firsts and older books.
These three are all in the 3500 block of Stone." [10/07]
"I've only listed stores I'm personally familiar with. In truth, after
Powell's, nothing else can compare for sheer browsability." [Britt Klein]
"I should tell you that if I really want to find something I generally head
to Powells. How can one not? The chances of finding a used copy of even
recent stuff are pretty good and there are acres of consolation prizes if I
end up deciding to look for something else. I even like Big John's, the
infamous parking garage; 1 free hour with validation (but I have a small
car with good power steering). A trip to Portland without a trip to Powells
... well, I can't imagine it. Sort of like making the trip to Mecca and then
not bothering with the pilgrimage." [Karen Anderson]
[I found a lot more bookstores in the Portland Yellow Pages than are
listed here, but I know nothing about them]
Astoria:
Godfather's Books (1108 Commercial, 503-325-8143). New and some
used. Used varies from cheap mass market paperbacks to
multi-volume antiquarian George Eliot set for $275. Also has
an espresso bar. [04/07]
Lucy's Books (348 12th, 503-325-4210). New books downstairs, used
books upstairs on the small balcony. Considerably smaller than
Godfather's, but more in some categories (e.g. children's).
Open Mon-Sat 10:30AM-5:30PM. [04/07]
Bend:
Paperback Exchange. A lot of wonderful used books.
Depoe Bay:
Oregon Books. Books by and about Oregonians. 9000 titles. (Some
Oregonians stocked include Robert Sheckley, Peg Bracken, and
Gus Van Sant.)
Corvallis:
Avocet (614 SW 3rd). Small, pretty well-ordered,diverse selection. Good
philosophy, no theology. Very good prices.
Enterprise:
The Bookloft (107 E Main, 97828, 541-426-3351). "For anyone heading to
Eastern Oregon, this is a must-see. Eclectic collection, great
coffee and pastries, local art, friendly owner." Open Mon-Fri
9:30AM-5:30PM, Sat 10AM-4PM.
Eugene:
Smith Family Bookstore (768 E 13th, one block west of the University of
Oregon, 503-345-1651). The largest used bookstore in a city with
many bookstores. This store mainly serves the university community,
and has large sections on technical, historical, science, etc.,
hardcover books, although it also has many paperbacks. Two floors
of books. There is a smaller branch just north of downtown on
525 Willamette.
============================================================================
------------------------------
CA (other than San Francisco Bay and S. California areas):
Carmel/Monterey:
Books Inc. (Carmel Plaza, Carmel-by-the-Sea, 93921, 831-625-0440,
http://www.booksinc.net). New, many remainders.
Old Capitol Books (639A Lighthouse Ave, Monterey, 93940, 831-375-2665).
Used books.
Cedarville:
Great Basin Books (540 Main St, Cedarville CA 96104, 530-279-2337,
bookwood@jps.net). Used and new, all subjects, huge
inventory. Field guides and maps (topological & BLM), wildlife,
geology & botany of Nevada, Warner Mountains, and the Sierras. All
new stock and new management as of July 1999.
Davis:
Bogey's Books (223 E Davis, 916-757-6127). Mixes used and new. As this is
a college town, there are often interesting used titles which had
probably been used in an interesting course. "We're a Berkeley-
quality new and used bookstore" says their ad.
Coffee and Classics (132 E St, 916-758-7358). Mixes used books and small
coffeeshop. Interesting collection for same reasons as Bogey's.
Sometimes it seems like the staff is more concerned with the
espresso and the croissants than the books, which are pricy used,
but there are treasures to be found here.
Grass Valley:
Ames Bookstore (916-273-9261). "Stuffed to the rafters with
tens of thousands of used books, and comes equipped with a proper
bookstore cat, as well. Open Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun 12N-5PM.
The Book Seller (107 Mill, 916-272-2131). New books.
The Booksmith (10221-C Wolf Road and Hwy 49 btwn Auburn & Grass Valley,
916-268-1793). Small store with new and some used books.
Closed Sundays.
Brigadoon Books (421 Broad, Nevada City 95959, 916-265-3450). Used general
stock, specialty Scottish and the British Isles. Open Mon-Sat
10AM-5PM, Sun 12N-4PM.
Broad St. Books & Espresso Cafe (426 Broad, Nevada City 95959, 916-265-4204).
New and used books. Open 7 days.
Carol's Recycled Paperbacks (1237 E Main, 916-274-9837). Used paperbacks.
Open Mon-Fri 9:30AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-4PM.
Frontier 101 Books (916-274-8006). Used, out-of-print hardcover books on the
West, California, Native Americans, Civil War and general stock. By
appointment.
Harmony Books (231 Broad, Nevada City 95959, 916-265-9565). Open Sun-Thu
10AM-6PM, Fri-Sat 10AM-9PM.
Joan D. Henry (11455 Penn View Lane, Penn Valley 95946, 916-432-1372).
Used books and bookbinding. By appointment only.
Lost Horse Books (916-265-3441). Used and antiquarian, fiction and
non-fiction, equine, women's literature, photography and children's.
Open Mon-Fri 9AM-7PM by appointment only.
Main Street Antiques and Books (214 1/2 Main, Nevada City 95959,
916-265-3108). Out of print regional California, Old West, mining,
illustrated children's books, 1900s postcards/photos/paper.
Open Thu-Mon 11AM-4PM or by appointment (916-272-7949).
Carl Mautz (244B Commercial, Nevada City 95959, 916-478-1610,
cmautz@nccn.net). Vintage photographs & books on photography.
By appointment.
Mountain House Books (418 Broad, Nevada City 95959, 916-265-0241). Out of
print and rare. Antiquarian. Specialty California and the West.
Open Thu-Sat 12N-5PM and by appointment.
Mt. Eden Books and Bindery (Cedar Ridge, 916-274-2665, mteden@oro.net). Out
of print earth science, geology, mining, mineraloy, paleontology, oil,
water, earthquakes, geography, maps and atlases.
Odyssey Books (11989 Sutton Way, 916-477-2856). New general bookstore.
Open Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM, Sun 10AM-5PM.
Tomes (916-265-3002, tomes@nccn.net). Used general stock. Religion,
philosophy, history, fiction and children's books.
Sacramento unless otherwise noted:
Almost Perfect Books (1911 Douglas Blvd, Roseville, 916-781-7935). "Very
crowded store, mostly paperbacks but a good sprinkling of more
collectible books and hardcovers. Much better selection than
the Elk Grove store." [10/07]
Almost Perfect (Elk Grove).
Almost Perfect Books (8459 Elk Grove Blvd, Walmart Shopping Center,
Elk Grove). Focus is on paperbacks. [10/07]
Avid Reader (1003 L St, across from the State Capitol). "A good small
store, new books, general selection, good sections on politics
& children's classics, extensive section on California,
professional staff." They have (also?) opened a larger new
store in the former Tower Books at Broadway and 16th St (near
the Tower Theater). [10/07]
Ballou (124 Riverside, Roseville).
Beers (915 S, 916-443-5165). "Definitely worth a visit. Forced to
move twice by 'urban redevelopment' they now own their own
building. Excellent general selection, some collectibles,
reasonable prices. New location also has a very attractive
cafe/coffee bar in the store. [10/07]
Book-Chek (2800 Marconi Ave, in Taylor Square). Used, many romances. He
gives discounts to teachers, for things like National Geographics.
It's hard to figure what he'll take, unlike Trent's Bookworm.
The Book Collector (1014 24th between J and K, 916-442-9295). No
longer a co-op, but a small, well-stocked eclectic store, especially
strong in poetry. [10/07]
The Book Den (Belvedere Ave, east of Power Inn Rd). Run by the
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library. "Mostly donated
stock; the ex-library copies are usually for uncommon or
interesting books. Includes a large section of 'collectibles'
which ranges from just old to genuinely uncommon. Also
shelves of bargain books ($1). Arranged topically; fiction
and literature are arranged by author. Open Saturday. [10/07]
Books of Paradise (6141 Skyway, Paradise, 916-877-8741). A real
old-fashioned *used* bookstore. 50,000+ stock, no remainders, just
good old and rare books in a comfortably unkempt atmosphere. Cozy
chairs. Sierra foothill community. Open Mon-Sat.
The Bookstore (118 Main, Chico 95928, 916-345-7441). "Book dealers from
Sacramento-area used bookstores often come *here* for stock.
Largest northern California used bookstore outside of the Bay Area.
Remainders, too. Easy to browse; chairs, but not so comfy. In the
heart of this college town's espresso district. Open Sun-Sat
9AM-9PM.
Booktrader (9219 Folsom Bvd).
Bookworm (2310 Montgomery, Oroville, 916-534-1974). Smallish store,
well-organized. High-quality used books, reasonably priced. Open
7 days.
Cassidy's Books (801 Grand Ave #3, San Marcos, 92078, 760-761-4910).
Housed in a small older house, interesting specialty stock.
[12/08]
City Books (3609 Bradshaw Rd).
J. Crawford's Books (5011 Freeport Blvd, 916-731-8001). "A good
neighborhood store, run by a husband-and-wife team who are
enthusiastic about books. Books are almost all in much better
than average conditions, lots of paperbacks, but also an
interesting selection of hardcovers in many different areas,
including some 'collectibles'. Worth a visit." [10/07]
Jack London (14300 Arnold Dr, Glen Ellen).
Jan's Paperback Exchange (5409 Palm Ave, 916-334-1192). Almost entirely
romances.
Richard L Fine Press: Fine and Scholarly Books on the Arts (1727-1/2 I,
916-447-3413). [10/07]
Time Tested (1114 21st). Good selections. Well worth the visit. Wide
selection of used books, no bargains on the prices, book search,
and a proper cat.
Trent's Bookworm (8550 Madison, Fair Oaks, 916-961-0542; 11050 Coloma Rd,
#5, Rancho Cordova, 916-852-8525; 8121 F-4 Madison Avenue, Fair
Oaks, 916-967-1247; and 4132 Manzanita Ave, ste 900, Carmichael,
916-485-1284). Takes anything. Which means, of course, they *have*
anything. If you are there that day. You can use the credit for
half off used books. "Management insists on separating mysteries by
male and female authors (and get it wrong as often as not). If they
must split, 'cozy' vs. 'hard-boiled' would make more sense."
South Lake Tahoe:
Keynote Used Books (2660 South Lake Tahoe Blvd, 96151,
keynoteltahoe@sbcglobal.net). Used books and records.
[08/08]
============================================================================
------------------------------
Idaho:
Boise:
Bargain Books. "Mostly junk, but some good stuff."
Boise Books (Rainbow). Used.
Rediscovered Bookshop. [12/07]
Vista Book Gallery (890 Vista Ave). New books. Boise's last independent
since the closing of The Book Shop.
? (Broadway). Used paperbacks and some hardbacks.
Hyde Park:
The Book Store (State St). New with used stock in the back, not a lot.
Nampa:
Yesteryear. Used and vintage.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Comments:
For more used bookstores, you might check http://www.abaa-booknet.com/ or
http://www.bookweb.org/bookstores/usa_states.html.
For the Pacific Northwest, try http://www.eskimo.com/~recall/nwbooks.html
or http://www.recollectionbooks.com/nwbooks.html
For Seattle, try http://www.eskimo.com/~recall/seattle.html
For more bookstores in California, see also http://www.nciba.com/stores.html.
There are also Book Hunter Press's USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO [various
regions], seven regional guides to over 7,900 used, out-of-print, and
antiquarian book dealers in the United States and Canada. The complete
database is online and can be searched by location, dealer name, specialty,
and type of dealer. Access to the database is available on a two tier basis:
partial access is free, full access is by subscription.The web page also
includes free access to regional and city maps showing locations with used
bookstores. For more information or a free catalog, check their web page at
http://bookhunterpress.com/.
Sonia Sachs (ssachs@moonlight.berkeley.edu) reports on the availability
of BROWSING THE BEST WEST COAST USED BOOK STORES: A SELECT GUIDE: I
have discovered a new and very thoughtful California travel guide
called BROWSING THE BEST WEST COAST USED BOOK STORES, [subtitled A
Series of Guides to The Foremost General Stock Used and Out-of-Print
Establishments in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Seattle, San Francisco, San
Diego, Portland, Sacramento & Orange County]. This terrific little
guide--which is actually a series of eight separate folio guides--was
probably intended for visiting scholars and other bibliophiles, but it
will likely appeal to local residents as well because it offers fresh
views of well-known places. Four cities are featured in the first
series of guides--Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Seattle. A
second series of four guides--due out later this year--tours San Diego,
Orange County, Sacramento, and Portland, Oregon. Each guide begins
with introductory essays that expound, quite eloquently and at some
length, on the value of out-of-print bookstore browsing. Readers are
then offered tips on how to browse out-of-print bookstores and
simultaneously avoid big price tags. Would-be hobbyists are shown how
to develop and advance book collections. Novice bibliophiles are given
a glossary of terms to explain different classifications of
books--rare, used, out-of-print, first edition, etc. This is not just
an ode to bookstores. It is an ode to books. The travel aspect is the
guides' most exciting feature. Each guide contains an insightful city
essay and ten descriptive bookstore narratives that go a long way
toward situating the reader in the town he or she is visiting. And who
hasn't been looking for a new way to explore a faraway city?
Individually, these guides form a strong argument that bookstore
touring is the best way to learn the physical and intellectual contours
of any town. Taken together, the guides are nothing less than a grand
tour of literary landmarks all along America's Pacific Coast. Maps, of
course, are included. The author of these guides is a West Coast
native and long-time bibliophile who is not affiliated with any
bookstore or bookstore association. Consequently, and happily so, the
narrative point-of-view is that of a bookbuyer rather than a
bookseller. In terms of style, each guide is often as humorous as it
is telling, and the author does not shy away from pointed comments.
"The Los Angeles metropolitan area is surprisingly good used book store
territory," begins the city essay for the Los Angeles guide.
"Admittedly, there is a glut of shops that tend to feature first
editions of Eddie Fisher's autobiography, but sequestered between all
these hackneyed enterprises are some very reputable bookstores." The
guides, which read like booklets with a map as centerpiece, sell for
$6.00 each. For more information, write Browsing The Best
Publications, Box 7263, Berkeley, California 94707-0263, USA.
And there is also ANTIQUARIAN, SPECIALTY, AND USED BOOK SELLERS
DIRECTORY 1997-98, covering 5,261 dealers in 863 pages. For more
information, send E-mail request asubs@aol.com, or check their web page
at http://www.auldbooks.com/biblio/asubs.
==========================================================================
Copyright Notice
Information contained in this FAQ is compiled from many sources. The
compiler accepts no responsibility for the comments contained herein.
The comments are provided "as is" with no warranty, express or implied,
for the information provided within them.
This FAQ is not to be reproduced for commercial use unless the party
reproducing the FAQ agrees to the following:
1) They will contact the FAQ maintainer to obtain the latest version for
their collection.
2) They will provide the FAQ maintainer with information on what collection
the copy of the FAQ is in, and how that collection may be obtained.
3) They will agree, in writing, that the FAQ will be included in the
collection without modification, and that acknowledgements of
contributors (if any) to the FAQ remain in the FAQ.
4) They will agree, in writing, that the collection including the FAQ will
be distributed on either a non-profit basis, or have some percentage of
profit donated to a non-profit literacy program. Project Gutenberg
counts.
To support this, this FAQ is Compilation Copyright 2009 by Evelyn C. Leeper
(the FAQ maintainer).
============================================================================
Evelyn C. Leeper (eleeper@optonline.net)
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