Portland is chock full of great bookstores where you’ll find a ton of gifts, and of course, Powell’s is an easy choice... that can also be overwhelming, and more often than not, crowded. So why not try some smaller local shops that may surprise you? Note: This is by no means an exhaustive list, but if you’re looking to explore beyond the City of Books, here are a few to start with.
Best Bookstore for Gift Shopping on a Budget: Title Wave
The stock at Multnomah County Library’s used bookshop can fluctuate quite a bit, so you don’t want to go here in search of anything specific. But if you’re in the mood to browse for deals, you can do no better than Title Wave. On a recent trip, I picked up a hardcover copy of Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow—which got a lot of buzz when it came out last year—for a mere $1.50. But my favorite part of Title Wave isn’t the book selection; it’s the big stack of vintage LIFE magazines, whose pages are filled with advertisements for healthy low-tar cigarettes and glossy photo spreads of Tricia Nixon’s White House wedding. That’s a great gift, friends. (216 NE Knott, Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat 10 am-4 pm; Wed-Thurs 10 am-6 pm)
Best Bookstore for the “Highbrows” on Your List: Mother Foucault’s
“I don’t want any old book,” I proclaimed before a recent trip to Mother Foucault’s. “I want some literature.” And this inner Southeast spot delivered, serving up towers of existential philosophy, political theory, novels in Russian and German, and thin poetry books from small publishing houses. With eclectic art, an old piano, and a nook with books piled up the stairs, Mother Foucault’s is also one of the coziest bookshops in Portland. Yeah, it might be a little pretentious, but in the best possible way. (523 SE Morrison, Sun-Mon 11 am-3 pm; Tues, Wed, Sat 11 am-6 pm; Thurs & Fri 11 am-7 pm)
Best Bookstore for Loved Ones Who Love Graphic Novels: Books with Pictures
Everything you need to know about Books with Pictures is right there in its name: They sell books with pictures in them! This is the spot to find a wide range of comics and graphic novels, and the shop takes particular pride in stocking a lot of feminist, queer, and kid-friendly titles and authors. If you’re a graphic novel dabbler like I am, you might share my tendency to be intimidated by the vast fan culture around comics—but at Books with Pictures, casual browsers are welcome. (1401 SE Division, Sun & Mon 10 am-6 pm, Tues 10 am-7 pm, Wed-Sat 10 am-9 pm)
Best Book Store for When You Want Powell’s But Not Powell’s: Wallace Books
Imagine if you took Powell’s entire inventory and crammed it all into an old house in Sellwood. That’s Wallace Books. There’s something delightful about a bookstore that’s packed to the brim with titles both popular and obscure, and the staff’s freakish ability to locate any title on demand makes it even better. Mess? What mess? At Wallace, there’s a method to the madness. (7241 SE Milwaukie, Mon-Sat 10 am-7 pm, Sun 10 am-6 pm)
More great bookstores that will also have the perfect gift:
Annie Bloom’s Books (7834 SW Capitol Hwy.)
Broadway Books (1714 NE Broadway)
Powell’s Books on Hawthorne (3723 SE Hawthorne)
Daedalus Books (2074 NW Flanders)
Another Read Through (3932 N Mississippi)
Floating World Comics (400 NW Couch)
Cosmic Monkey Comics (5335 NE Sandy)
