12 Awesome Bookstores in Portland (tried and tested)

Located in Portland’s Pearl District, Powell’s City of Books is the largest bookstore in the world that houses both new and used books. With nine color-coded rooms and 3,500 different sections, Powell’s City of Books has to offer something for every interest. 

Powell’s City of Books is home to approximately one million books from different genres, including literature, history, politics, romance, mystery, science fiction and fantasy, philosophy, gardening, and cooking, among many others.

I seriously love this place, with such a massive collection of books, you can quickly quench your reading appetite regardless of your taste.  I’d recommend staying for a while to really soak up the atmosphere.

If you’re planning a visit by car there are plenty of parking spaces. The bookstore stays open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Barnes & Noble is one of the largest national bookstore chains in the United States. It has two retail outlets in Portland, one in Lloyd Center and one at Clackamas Town Center Mall.

The Lloyd Center outlet houses a massive selection of current bestsellers and still-in-print titles belonging to a wide range of genres and I’m a big fan of this place. 

Barnes & Noble also sells eReaders and tablets with over 3.6 million eBooks, newspapers, magazines, and digital comics. With Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Tablet, you can enjoy your favorite novel, exciting games, and the latest news from anywhere, anytime, without straining your eyes.

The bookstore also has a B&N cafe that serves ‘Starbucks style’ coffee and many other treats you don’t see at Starbucks itself. 

Barnes & Noble, Lloyd Center, open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, the store closes an hour early on Sundays. 

Located in Northeast Portland, Broadway Books is an ideal destination for book lovers and avid readers. This independently run bookstore houses a conglomerate of book selections, from non-fiction and informative books to literary gems and bestsellers.

Broadway Books also features an exciting selection of magazines and creative cards. Broadway Books has a policy to support local authors. Many Portland-based writers have made special appearances at the bookstore, including Lidia Yuknavitch, Cheryl Strayed, and Chelsea Cain.

Broadway Books stays open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The store is closed on Mondays.

Wallace Books features a diverse collection of vintage literature. Wallace Books has a treasure of hot classics, current bestsellers, and rare pieces of literature that are hard to find in other bookstores. The bookstore is located inside a 1930s house and has been in existence for 21 years.

It has floor-to-ceiling book storage cases and shelves with hundreds of books stuffed inside them, making it a perfect place for people who enjoy browsing for books.

I’d suggest asking the friendly staff for book recommendations as they’re very happy to help you out. Wallace Books stays open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and weekends. 

Backstory Books & Yarn is a women-owned book and yarn store. This independently run store is an amalgamation of crafters and readers. At Backstory Books & Yarn, you’ll find exquisite pieces of fine craftsmanship.

They specialize in Nautical and African-American crafting/making. Backstory hosts art shows, classes, crafts nights, and poetry readings. 

The backstory also has an e-store featuring a vast array of books belonging to various genres, including travel, sports, religion, theatre, humor, science fiction, fantasy/paranormal, and mystery, among others. The e-store gives you access to every book found in the retail outlet of Backstory. 

The Backstory is open for in-store shopping from Wednesday to Monday between 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

Located in Southwest Portland’s Multnomah Village, Annie Bloom’s is a perfect place to indulge in hot bestsellers and quirky classics.

Annie Bloom’s is an independent bookstore that houses a broad range of books for people of all ages. It has a dedicated area for children’s books filled with easy readers, coloring books, and pictorial novels. The bookstore also features a mesmerizing selection of adult books. 

At Annie Bloom’s, you get to enjoy a cup of complimentary coffee as you browse around the bookstore. The store is open between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. 

Green Bean Books is the ultimate bookstore for kids in Portland. The bookstore offers everything kids want, from picture books to educational toys.

At Green Bean Books, kids can hear stories, meet authors, and browse through books by theme, such as ‘sports, ‘bedtime’, ‘animals, ‘fa,’ is,’ etc. Green Be’ Books allows children to indulge in reading while lying in a comfortable squashy chair.

The bookstore also has a beautiful garden and a back deck. 

Green Bean Books serves as a community center as it is a significant participant in Alberta Main Street activities. The bookstore is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Located in inner Southeast Portland, Mother Foucault’s Bookshop is a sanctuary of severe readers. It has a curated collection of rare, used, and vintage books.

The bookstore also hosts several events, including poetry readings, readers’ panels, art performances, and literary talks. 

Mother Foucault’s Bookshop is a browsable repository of philosophy, literary criticism, fiction, foreign language, and poetry books. They are open Tuesday through Saturday between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Kinokuniya Bookstore is a Japanese-based book retailer. The bookstore has a giant collection of Manga, Gundama, and other Japanese comic books.

At Kinokuniya Bookstore, you’ll also find a decent selection of DVDs, Gundama tools, anime statues, Studio Ghibli goods, stationery items, and home goods. 

The refund policy of Kinokuniya Bookstore extends to books and unopened comics. They are open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Bingo Used Books has a vast inventory of both new and used books. The bookstore also sells movies, sports cards, and music.

Bingo Used Books has a good selection of non-fiction books of different types, including engineering, mathematics, business, stock market, technical, psychology, and other textbooks. 

Bingo Used Books also houses many remaining books at meager prices. They are open Monday through Saturday between 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Sunday, the store stays open between 11.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Bearly Read Books is a small bookstore that houses hundreds of books. The bookstore has an extensive collection of romantic novels, cookbooks, memoirs, and gardening books, 

Bearly Read Books has a super-friendly and knowledgeable staff to show you around the place. It’s easy to browse books at Bearly Read Books as all books are very well-organized.

On weekdays, the store is open between 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturdays, they are available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sundays, they open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. 

Monograph Bookwerks is a rare bookstore that features a giant collection of well-chosen books.

It is an ephemera, art, and object bookstore that houses hundreds of books belonging to unique genres, such as architecture, graphic design, artist memoirs, photography, countercultures, fashion, art criticism, contemporary art, and theory,

They are only open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.