Bookstores of the Northwest

Newburg, OR

Astoria, O 

Ilwaco, WA

This series of indie bookstore photos are from our summer meanderings in the Northwest. I've taken to wandering through these stores searching for my misspent youth, when books became more exciting than life, well pool anyway. I found books aplenty and bought three to damp down the dark. Suffering a bit of disability, books replaced my hikes.

The good dusty smell I'm so allergic to seems especially potent where used books reside and the potential for discovering one of the books I am "collecting" elevates.  I've know I could simply buy these books online right down to deciding how many flaws and dollars to work into the trade.  I prefer the chase. The chase may be all there really is. That moment when the book dealer says, let me see. It's wonderfully pregnant with possibilities that usually grow stillborn as my book pursuit is of a narrow, though not so esoteric sort so as to prolong the pleasures.

Port Townsend, WA

Port Townsend, WA

 

Bend, OR

Bend, OR

Ashland, OR

I found multiple bookstores in some small towns and if I were a good sociologist I would try to make something of that. I suspect it means bookstore owners like small towns or the bars are really not very good. While the writing is on the wall about internet delivered books replacing bookstores and ebooks replacing paper, these shops seem happy serving up hot reads along with the occasional latte, vegan salad and good advice.











I told Rebecca in Bend I would include her store online (Dudley's) and here it is. I was wishing her store was closer to home.













Hope you have a favorite bookstore to haunt from time to time. There's a new one in town here I have to go visit.












When you're tired of reading and the smoke is too thick try the pool hall to get your life back on keel.