UPDATE: Vote for your favorite Portland bookstore. People's Choice vote will be open through Jan. 14.

Portland is among the nation's best cities for book lovers. It's simply understood. Just ask Highbrow Magazine, Livability or National Geographic, which ranked Portland 7th in its picks for the World's Most Literary Cities, between Stockholm and Washington, D.C. A large part of the credit for our literary reputation, naturally, goes to Powell's City of Books. But that's not the only game in town. Far from it. And in our minds, it's not the best, at least not for locals looking for literary treasures.





So what are the best Portland area bookstores? We asked our life and culture staff to share their favorites. The choice for the Portland area's BEST bookstore goes to a uniquely Portland experience: Longfellows Books.



Allow Doug Perry to explain:



Longfellows Books

1401 S.E. Division St.

Longfellows doesn't look like much from the outside. Driving past on Southeast Division Street, you've probably assumed that the small, concrete-gray building houses some outdated manufacturing concern. Nope. It's the best used bookstore in Portland. It doesn't have the selection that Powell's Books offers. Not even close. Powell's is a behemoth. If you know what you want, go to Powell's: they probably have it. Longfellows Books is for browsing. It won't overwhelm you. At the same time, it'll take you some time to make your way through the warren-like shop. Some shelves seem like they're about to tip over. Some aisles appear to close in on you as you're flipping through a book. Ancient dust will settle on your arms and shoulders during your visit. You wouldn't want it any other way. The family-run, 35-year-old business offers a well-curated selection of commercially popular, oddball and antiquarian books, from Kathryn Harrison's controversial incest memoir "The Kiss" to Simon Winchester's epic volcano-eruption history "Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded." Go ahead and ask for recommendations. Longfellows also has posters, other paper collectibles and an impressive selection of magazines. (Doug Perry)



Here are nine more Portland area bookstores we love.



Annie Bloom's Books

7834 S.W. Capitol Highway



Annie Bloom's Books (noun, proper): 1. An independent bookstore in Southwest Portland's Multnomah Village. 2. A perfect place to pick up the latest prize winner or sleeper hit, find a gift, renew acquaintance with a classic, or just while away an hour or two in the company of good books. At Annie Bloom's, the youngest customers head straight to the back, where they can ogle picture books and easy readers, while older shoppers browse shelves and tables reflecting the literary zeitgeist: mindfulness coloring books, the current must-have cookbook or must-read memoir, a best-selling author's backlist. Grab a cup of complimentary coffee, pet Molly the store cat and relax - you're in good hands here. (Amy Wang)



Broadway Books

1714 N.E. Broadway



Since 1992, Broadway Books has been a bright spot in Northeast Portland, and a must-stop for lovers of eclectic reading choices, and personal service. The small, independently owned shop has just the right amount of everything: smartly chosen literary works, best-sellers, nonfiction gems, and everything in between. If you're not sure what book should be next on your list, a trip to Broadway Books will suggest a wide variety of options, each interesting in its own way. In addition to a solid magazine selection and creative cards, Broadway Books has also made a specialty of supporting local authors, which is why Cheryl Strayed, Chelsea Cain, Lidia Yuknavitch, and other Portland-based writers have made special appearances at the shop. (Kristi Turnquist)



The Booktique

3975 Mercantile Dr., Lake Oswego



Depending on the source of their inventory and how knowledgeable their staffs are about books, used-book stores can be a heap of pulp or a trove of potential treasure. The nonprofit Booktique, run by the Friends of the Lake Oswego Public Library, is the latter. Run by volunteers, it has something for everyone: children's classics, young adult series, pop culture mainstays such as Marvel graphic novels and "Star Trek" books, rare books and collectibles, trade paperbacks, romance novels, mysteries, Westerns. The nonfiction collection is organized scrupulously, and occasionally slyly: The political section includes a shelf labeled "Axes to Grind." And you can't beat the prices: paperbacks start at 50 cents, hardcovers at a dollar. (AW)

UPDATE: SMUT Vintage closed at the end of 2016.

SMUT Vintage

7 S.E. 28th Ave.

OK, this isn't a bookstore. It also isn't a sex shop. SMUT is an acronym: So Many Unique Treasures. Around the corner from the Laurelhurst Theater, this knickknack nostalgia shop has a vigorous heap of cheap paperbacks, mostly from the 1950s, '60s and '70s. You'll find pulp novels with fantastic, manly-man titles like "Death and the Naked Lady." There are supposedly true sexual-kink exposes. Also slapdash sports biographies of long-ago stars like Billie Jean King and Bart Starr. These are the kinds of books that were featured in rotating metal display trees at your local pharmacy back in the day. Few used bookstores carry these tomes. Fewer libraries have them. They are our forgotten literary heritage, and they're awful and wonderful in equal measure. (DP)

A Children's Place

1423 N.E. Fremont St.



This Northeast Portland institution is endorsed by no less a personage than Raffi, an institution himself, who last year called it "a wonderful little bookstore" and fondly remembered his early-career performances there. A Children's Place opened in 1974 and has worked diligently since, through moves and ownership changes, to support local authors and teachers, offer storytimes and live children's music, and provide personalized guidance to a carefully curated mix of old favorites and new discoveries. It's all in service to a simple but inspiring motto: "Raising readers." (AW)



Green Bean Books

1600 N.E. Alberta St.



Green Bean Books knows what kids want. They want to hear stories and meet authors. They want to look for books by theme, like "sports" and "fairies" and "bedtime." And they want to plop down in a squashy, comfy chair and read. They can do all that and much more at this cozy Alberta Street shop. Green Bean also serves as a community hub of sorts: It's a lead participant in Alberta Main Street activities such as the annual Easter egg hunt, it has a calendar crammed full of free events, it buys and trades books, and it welcomes customers to its back deck and garden. See you under the umbrella tree. (AW)



Bridge City Comics

3725 N. Mississippi Ave.



It may not be the Portland area's largest comic book store, but that's one of the joys of this colorful and friendly geek outpost along styling Mississippi Avenue. You'll find a perfectly curated amalgamation of comic books, graphic novels and books exploring pop culture, with an obvious appreciation for both the history and the constant reinvention of the business. Whether you're searching for an out-of-print Dark Horse omnibus or just picking up the latest copy of "Archie vs. Predator," the staff gives beginners and hard-core collectors equal love. Special release parties abound. Special orders are welcome. It's everything a neighborhood comic shop should be: Organized, other-worldly, cozy and - above all else -- fun. In this space, nothing smells better than the fresh ink and paper of comics on a Saturday morning. To quote Han Solo in the new "Star Wars" movie: We're home. (Joseph Rose)



Floating World Comics

400 N.W. Couch St.



When you've had enough of Superman, Batman and the rest of the costumed usual suspects, try Floating World. The downtown store is Portland's best place to find independent comics and a hub for the city's creators, whom you'll find signing copies at monthly release events. Floating World also carries art and design books as well as a solid selection of vinyl LPs, for the rest of your nerdy interests -- and yeah, they have your favorite caped crusaders on the shelves, too. (David Greenwald)



Powell's City of Books and its offspring



No list of Portland's best bookstores would be complete without Powell's. It's a natural. But it's simply too obvious to be our No. 1 pick. It is, however, the giant piece of heaven any book-lover visiting Portland will want to see.



Powell's City of Books is a full city block of new and used books in downtown Portland (1005 W. Burnside St.). Powell's nine rooms, 3,500 sections and about a million books easily make it the largest independent bookstore in the world. It is known by bibliophiles for its Rare Book Room, where you can find autographed first editions and other collectibles. While Portlanders and visitors alike flock to the store for its massive selection of books and gifts, they also love it for its author speaking events, kids storytimes and writing workshops. The downtown giant can be overwhelming for some. Consider visiting Powell's four other locations. Two stores are just doors apart on Southeast Hawthorne, one (3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) is a general-interest bookstore, the other (3747 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) specializes in home and garden books and gifts. Powell's recently announced that it is connecting the two stores by expanding into the former Pastaworks location. The expanded store will be about a third the size of the downtown store and will have a larger children's section and author event space. Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing, (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd. in Beaverton) is second only in size to the downtown Portland store and is known for its children's and young adult sections, sci-fi offerings and a wealth of board games. Finally, one of the best stops you can make at the Portland International Airport is Powell's Books at PDX (7000 NE Airport Way, Suite 2250). Who doesn't need a book for their flight or a gift for someone at your destination? (Sue Jepsen)



What's your favorite Portland-area bookstore? Tell us about it in the comments, and come back Friday, Jan. 8, to nominate your favorites as we look for the People's Choice winner for the Portland area's best bookstore.

-- The Oregonian/OreognLive Life and Culture team