Located in Portland’s Hollywood district, Second Glance Books is a bricks and mortar bookstore specializing in books for readers: Fiction and literature, including mystery, romance and science fiction; A large collection of nonfiction including history, biography, metaphysics, cookbooks and more; and, a great selection of children’s books.

In Other Words has been serving the Portland community as a feminist bookstore, a low-cost and safe events space, and as a community resource center for the past 17 years. They were founded in 1993 by Johanna Brenner, a PSU professor, and Kathryn Tetrick, and Kathryn Zameh, both women’s health activists, when A Woman’s Place, Portland’s only feminist bookstore, closed.

When they opened in 1993 there were over 200 feminist bookstores in the United States and today there are fewer than 30. In Other Words is the only feminist bookstore in the United States that also functions as a nonprofit organization, which has allowed them to serve a unique role in the community.

They’ve recently began one of the largest expansions in their organization’s history: becoming In Other Words Feminist Community Center.

Image credit Facebook-In Other Words.

Ampersand is a gallery, bookshop & retail archive located at 2916 NE Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon. Committed to cultural preservation, they buy & sell vintage photography, paper ephemera, historic documents & collectible books. Their book inventory, consisting of both new & used volumes, is focused primarily on visual content, with particular emphasis on art, design & photography. Their monthly gallery shows feature either contemporary artworks or curated selections from their vintage inventory. In both cases, the intent is to investigate the colliding point between now & then, past & present, vintage & contemporary.

A Children’s Place Bookstore opened its doors to Portland families more than thirty years ago and has been helping to raise readers ever since. A Children’s Place has been through a few changes over the past decades: expansions, contractions, and relocations, but it’s still pretty much the same as it was when Lynn Kelly and Jan Bruton started up in a small store front on Broadway in 1974.

Since the time that Lynn and Jan started out, the store has been through a couple of different owners and moved to its present location on Fremont St. in the Beaumont neighborhood.

In 2003, the present owner, Pam Erlandson, bought the store and in 2006 was able to expand it, adding more display space and a stage area for author events and an enlarged play area for children.

Image credit Flickr-Bart King.

St. Johns Booksellers is a family-owned neighborhood bookstore located in the historic heart of North Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood.  They offer new, used, and remaindered books in a wide range of subject areas.  Their strengths include children’s books, progressive politics, mysteries, and Northwestern Americana.

Image credit Facebook-St. John’s Books.

Green Bean Books is a unique, community based, independent children’s bookstore located in the Alberta Arts District of Portland, Oregon.  They offer an excellent selection of affordable, new and used children’s books.  Books for babies through adults and all stages in between can be found at Green Bean Books.

The bookstore space is bright and colorful and offers a cozy couch area that encourages families to spend time browsing, reading, and exploring.  Children can purchase items such as finger puppets, fake mustaches, and miniature journals for themselves from quirky coin-operated vintage vending machines throughout the shop.

Green Bean Books has a large deck for hosting events and a magical draping bush tree in the yard for children to explore and read under.  Customers can also buy, sell or trade books at the store during regular business hours.

Reading Frenzy — An Independent Press Emporium — is a small, specialty bookshop/gallery/event space in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1994, they are devoted to supporting independent/alternative media and culture.

They stock hundreds of hard to find titles, and host dozens of literary and art events every year.

Image credit Bangback.

Monograph Bookwerks is a fine art and object bookstore featuring a curated selection of books on contemporary art and artists, architecture, graphic design, fashion, photography, artist biographies and art criticism.

Rare and uncommon, and new and used books from around the world share shelf space with local publishers and small press editions. The store also carries studio pottery, mid-century ceramics, vintage art and office supplies and selected art objects, prints and paintings.

Artists John Brodie and Blair Saxon-Hill opened Monograph Bookwerks in May 2010 to provide a place in Portland for artists and the public to study, explore and purchase the best contemporary art books being published today. It is their belief that the resource of a serious art bookstore will forward excellence in art and design locally, and connect Portland with the greater world of art and culture, and vice versa.

Annie Bloom’s Books first opened its doors in Multnomah Village in 1978. Over thirty years later, they’re still thriving!

A neighborhood independent bookstore, they carry a broad range of titles across many genres. Along with a strong fiction section, they excel in children’s, travel, current events, and cooking. You can find it all at Annie Bloom’s, including magazines, CDs, and a fabulous selection of cards. And, for you bargain hunters out there, they are constantly bringing in new stacks of amazing sale books.

Image credit Luke Olsen.

Murder by the Book has been serving the mystery reading community since 1983, and are proud to be a locally-owned independent bookstore!

Jill Hinckley began Murder by the Book (not surprisingly, one of her favorite authors is Rex Stout), and she was joined shortly afterward by Carolyn Lane. After Jill’s retirement in 2008, Barbara Tom became a partner. Jean May is the store manager. Nick, Jackie, John, and Mallory round out the team.

Image credit Facebook-Murder by the Book.