Best Indie bookstore

1. Tsunami Books 2585 Willamette. 541-345-8986. TsunamiBooks.org.

2. Smith Family 525 Willamette. 541-343-4717. SmithFamilyBookstore.com.

3. Books With Pictures 99 W. Broadway, C. 541-485-1048. BooksWithPictures.com.

Whenever I have family in town, one of the first things we do is hit up all the bookstores in town. OK, that sounds boring, but books are serious business in our family. Every bookstore on this list has something for everyone — whether you’re on the hunt for graphic novels at third place Books With Pictures or a bibliophile’s dream inventory at second place Smith and first place Tsunami Books. 

Readers have voted Tsunami as the Best Indie Bookstore, making the shop a back-to-back champ in the category. Tsunami has a bit of everything, from local artwork to albums to a variety of genres. And the staff is always friendly and helpful. There have been times I’ve walked into the bookstore, offered vague interests in genres, and have left the shop with recommendations from staff, leaving with several books without breaking my budget. And for the vintage book collectors, Tsunami’s rare and collectables room always has something worthwhile — just ask my father in law, who often finds something in there to add to his collection.