Reviews, reflections, and literary discoveries — from timeless classics to new curiosities. Whether it’s a novel, a memoir, or a book haul, this is where stories live and thinking begins.
Portland Area Booksellers
There are booksellers I like to frequent. You can find more find booksellers at the Cascade Booksellers Association.
Downtown
Daedalus Books
2074 NW Flanders St.
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 274-7742
https://abebooks.com/home/daedalus
Specialties: Pacific Northwest and Western Americana, Native American studies, and Lewis and Clark
North & Northeast
Arches Bookhouse
8900 N. Wall Ave.
Portland, OR 97203
(503) 251-5383
https://archesbookhouse.com
Specialties: The Humanities—religion, philosophy, art, poetry, history, fiction
Southeast
Backstory Books & Yarn
3129 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97214
(971) 282-3332
https://backstorybooksandyarn.com
Specialties: Nautical, Black authors/history, Women, Collectible Illustrators, Craft/Textile
Southwest
Jan’s Book Exchange 🏳️🌈
4838 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Portland, OR 97225
(503) 648-5821
https://janspaperbacks.com
Specialties: Mainly used paperback fiction
🏳️🌈 Queer-owned bookstore
Book Series
Here are some of the book series that I’m working my way through as the mood strikes.
Mystery & Detective:
Bruno, Chief of Police
Commissario Brunnetti
County Kerry Mysteries
Marcus Didius Falco
Home to Ireland
Inspector Gamache
Irish Village Mysteries
Nautical Fiction:
Aubrey-Maturin
Spies & Espionage:
Gabriel Allon
Crime Stories:
The Godfather
Historical Fiction:
Wars of the Roses
Science Fiction:
The Murderbot Diaries
Latest Posts
The Dispatch for 29 July 2025
Hi. And that’s not all I want to say. I switched my Instagram handle back to a long-term username (marko.pdx) before I tried to get all brand-y in the last year or two. I’m just not focused enough to create a brand. If one thing is consistent about me, it is that I’m inconsistent. READING…
July’s selection from Easton Press: Tess of the D’Urbervilles
I received my July selection from the Greatest Books Ever Written subscription with Easton Press. This month the book is Tess of the d’Urbervilles. It is not one I would likely pick to read, but that is part of the reason I am signed up for this subscription. I plan to read most, if not…
Faith, Terror, and the Modern Spy: Daniel Silva’s “The Messenger”
Story Synopsis When a deadly jihadist plot targets the Vatican, Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon is drawn back into the shadows. Fresh off a high-profile Paris operation, Allon races across Europe in a mission that escalates from papal protection to a hunt for a global terrorist network. What Works for Me John Le Carré remains…
The Philomath 