Hawthorne Books Reviews

Very well placed! Tons of new & used books. Very eclectic!

What's not to love? It's Powell's, our legendary Portland bookstore.

Always fun to visit with an interesting selection of books and gift items. And it means I don't have to schlep across the river to pick something up. It has that great book store vibe that is very inviting and encourages you to browse and linger.

Love Powell's! They were open on a snow day which I greatly appreciated. Great selection of new and used books.

Love this place! Sounds every corner the is another treasure! They have loads of books, of course, but gifts and toys and everything you could imagine! Always a grand adventure....ok, seriously, no groceries, so not anything you could imagine... But it's truly awesome!

I love the Hawthorne Powells. It's way more chill and they always have what I need and lots of books I didn't know that I needed

Very interesting book store with great selection! I love the comments left by staff about the books.

If you need a book you can find it here. And many other things. Great store and great service!

Support independent bookstore that pays family wage and provides Portland community with great destination for browsing, reading, learning, exploring the written word! Do not compare to shipping speed and ease of online retailers that warehouse people and products, aka Amazon!

Wouldn't go looking for computer books but difficult to get out of there without buying other books. They seem to have maximized the book exposure surface area. Also a fine cafe on the side. More fun than the main Powell's store.

Despite being the smaller location between this one and the one downtown, this Powell's has a much better selection, even if it is smaller. The staff are generally kind, and it's quite easy to navigate.

Great cross-section of books. Parking generally sucks.

Eye candy for the mind. Powell's is always full of wonderful books. Who wouldn't want to go there everyday. Nice staff as well

Not as large as the Burnside "City of Books" but quite the variety and the coffee shop are excellent.

Who doesn't love Powell's? If you're looking for it, they probably have it. This is a truly gigantic store and it's easy to get turned around in due to its labrynth-like layout. Thankfully, staff is friendly and will offer to walk you to your destination and there are help desks scattered around as well.
I really love all of the staff recommendation note cards throughout and it doesn't take long to figure out whose tastes are similar to your own. I found two terrific memoirs based on staff recommendations.
You can sell your used books here after you've read them if you choose. I don't know what they pay but it's worth looking into. There was a long line of people waiting to sell so it must be in line with other bookstores' buyback policies.
There are also some fun shopping areas for the non-book junkies and a great greeting card selection with quirky cards you won't find in your local drugstore. I bought several to hang onto for future occasions.
Finally, there's a coffee shop where you can take a respite and rest your eyes before heading back out in search of new literary adventures.

I love that Powell's has so many unique new and used books and magazines, including political and special interest magazines that i have never seen in a brick & mortar store before. I love being here. The reason i didn't give 5 stars is because of some unfair treatment of staff by management that i am aware of from someone who used to work there. Maybe they have fixed that in the past few years though, i don't know.

A beloved place, and where I get all my pre-roadtrip reads. Well organized and friendly staff. Not as big as the downtown location, but significantly closer if you're on the other side of the river.

I m spoiled when it comes to bookstores. My previous city is somewhere you ve never heard of but they ve managed to land a bookstore that often finds itself on best-of lists with Powell s and it s not as busy. It s more of a best kept secret than destination. Powell s holds its own. Of note, for me, three or four times in just as many months I ve been in there looking for something rare enough and the nearest bookseller goes out of their way to find it, or try, or give me a coupon if they come up short. And really, even if they don t have what I came looking for, the store is loaded with easy to find options.

Great prices on books and they are in good quality too!

I love this bookstore. Awesome selection. Friendly service. Service Dog friendly.

Just as great as the flagship store. Not as big but it still has a lot to offer. Love the little coffee shop next door as well.

Went on New Year's day. Nice and chill. I shopped local.

Perfect place to pop into to get out of the NW rain. Great selection of new and used books (of course). Hoping they'll expand into the former Pastaworks disserve next door to their Hawthorne location!

Another branch of the biggest independent bookstore on the planet! See the other review for the downtown location! The Powell's Books Home and Garden Store is here too, right next door.

Pretty picky about what books they take, but give good prices on those few they do.

Powell's bookstore(s) have ALWAYS been an adventure to explore.
Be an adventurous explorer, visit Powell's bookstores

I like this location better than the downtown one because it's smaller and way less crowded. It's split into two storefronts.

Always enriching! The quintessential bookstore experience everytime!

I've been visiting Powells for over 30 years, and I love it more with every visit. A true Portland institution.

Love not having to drive downtown to get to Powells

I LOVE BOOKS SO THIS IS MY KINDA PLACE LOVE IT RECOMMEND FROM CHEAP TO EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE BUT STILL KNOWLEDGE IS USEFUL I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN A WHILE!

I've found every book I've ever wanted in Powell's. They support local and independent literature with a special section devoted to literary journals, zines, and off-the-beaten-track options from indie publishers.

You may not get the money you want for your used books, but them's the breaks. Deal with it.

A bit more manageable than the one downtown, this location has pretty much what you'll need and it's also just a good place to browse around. I especially like looking longingly at all the little note books and such. Good place to buy some gifts!

Great store! Prices seem about right and it's nice to go into a book store these days!

Staff is always around to help. Friendly atmosphere. It's on Hawthorne, so it's always busy.

It's small but very big at the same time. Something you'd expect in a Harry Potter world!

Some time ago, Powell's offered multiple prices on books based on their condition. Now I only see two costs new and used.

Powell's is a staple here in Portland and sometimes, the multiple floors of the downtown location are just too much. This location is the perfect solution! Neatly laid out and easy to navigate, it brings all the benefits of it's bigger location without the drawbacks. It's perfect for an afternoon wandering through rows of reading goodness!

I love Powell's so much!! I usually like to go to the main location in downton, but the location off Hawthorne is a bit closer to home and more convenient. I always find way too many books to buy. I love the smell of a good bookstore and the staff is always super friendly and helpful! I recommend to anyone visiting or looking for a good place to explore!

Amazing book store with thousands of books, new and used

Always great staff, and always has what I'm looking for!

Not the real Powell's, but still a great place to browse and buy books.

Very good selection of books and new releases. They have many copies on different various topics and genres and educate kids on what they should read! :)

Not the selection of the downtown location, but surprisingly good. Of course, it's much easier to get in and out of. The children's area is great here. I always like check out the collectable books.

Great store. I like this one a lot better than the one downtown. A bit less crowded and touristy. The nerd section (boardgames and whatnot) is better here too.

Smaller selection than downtown but could still find lots of things

I really enjoyed this book store. Great selection of books and a great atmosphere.

They've got tons, and tons, and tons of great books. So many books and so little money.

Amazing location. Really has the essence of portland baked into the book store itself. The gift shop here is amazing; the gifts are unique and they have lots of local selections to reflect the heart of portland. They also buy books back from you, they are choosey on what they take but they offer fair prices for both parties.

A closer location of the well known City of books, friendly staff and great selection

I went to 3 of the Powell book store. The main one is truly huge and easy to get lost. Love the used books and the prices!

The kids area is great and the coffee shop attached is convenient

Smaller then the location in the Pearl District but still a great place to visit. Same atmosphere of great book recommendations, board games, coffee shop and fun reading related items.
One perk this location has over the Pearl District is the smaller size makes it feel cozier and more like a local bookshop. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other spot and it's a must visit in my opinion, but because it's so large it can be a bit overwhelming.