Parallel Worlds Bookshop — Local services in Portland

This is my favorite indie bookstore in the city. It’s amazing how many books are held in this relatively small space, and so many great titles! If you’re a fan of sci-fi, fantasy or horror this charming little bookstore should be your first stop when you need to find your new favorite book. Sam, the owner, is friendly and very helpful if you need a recommendation too.

He also gets extra points for honesty! I went in to sell some books today but forgot to mention that one of them is very rare. He called me 20 minutes after I left to let me know that he’d done some research and realized that it’s much more valuable than the amount he’d given me and said I should come back so he could pay me more cash for it. I was blown away by his honesty and got a big chunk more for my rare book when I returned. I was already a fan of this gem of a bookstore but his customer service and honest nature just earned him a loyal lifetime customer! I’ll be singing its praises and shouting from mountain tops about how great this place is from now on. My dying words will be “go to Parallel Worlds… it’s awesome… and tell Sam I sent you… he’s a real...

You may not know you like science fiction books but you will after visiting this place. First and foremost, Sam (I'm assuming he's the owner) has an encyclopedic knowledge of SciFi and here's why that's a reason to get a book here. Tell him what type of book you're looking for and he'll find. "Sam, give me one with family drama, sort of like 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' or something like that. And damned if he doesn't get the right book. I've done this several times with him and he always finds the right book. Sometimes I'll go in and just ask for great sci-fi that he likes. He'll make a detailed recommendation without being preachy and lo and behold, I've got another favorite book. The man doesn't miss.

Second, the store is really pretty. Small location but easy enough to browse. The specials in the middle table contain some surprising great titles in terrific condition.

You may not know you're a sci-fi fan. But visit this store. Let Sam know what you're interested in. Browse a little. You'll find something and it'll...

I am obsessed with this store. I visited for the first time during Portland Book Week and was really surprised by the selection, especially considering the size of the store. I had a hard time narrowing down the number of books I was going to buy and actually ended up spending nearly all of the money I had initially budgeted for my bookstore crawl here...and it was the first stop of the day.

The person working there on Saturday easily struck up friendly conversations with people (in a way that seemed really natural, not forced). They made the store feel really welcoming.

Bonus points for being...