Required Reading

Must-Visit Portland Indie Bookstores

Our list of more than 20 shops spotlighting the African diaspora and children’s books, sci-fi and fantasy, artist monographs, comics, and…yarn?

12/22/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Bookshelf

Portland Monthly’s Best Books of 2025

Our favorite fiction and nonfiction, children’s books, cartoons, and comics of the year by Oregon authors.

12/08/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Bookshelf

Local Authors on the 2025 Portland Book Festival Lineup

Jonathan Hill, Emma Pattee, Leah Sottile, and Leni Zumas share who they’re looking forward to seeing at this year’s fest.

10/27/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Gimme Five

The 5 Ursula K. Le Guin Books You Need to Read, According to Her Son

While curating an exhibition of her life and work, Theo Downes-Le Guin shares his favorite books by Portland’s greatest author, a.k.a. his mom.

10/14/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Author Events

Portland Book Festival Announces 2024 Lineup

Richard Powers, Renée Watson, Ani DiFranco, and Danez Smith are among this year’s 80+ authors.

09/12/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

Picture Book

Carson Ellis Finds Her Past in an Old Portland Warehouse

New paintings illustrate a 20-year-old diary in the artist’s latest book, recounting her first week in town, falling in love, and reading Dylan Thomas aloud.

09/10/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

Down the Aisles

11 Portland Authors’ Favorite Indie Bookstores

Where do Renée Watson, Dane Liu, Erica Berry, and Jon Raymond shop for books? Hint: it’s not Amazon.

05/06/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

As Told To

In ‘skin & bones,’ Renée Watson Writes for Her Devout Readers’ Parents

"I’m always writing for that little girl who needed to see herself and her ancestors represented in stories."

05/03/2024 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Raines

Awards Season

Erica Berry and Patrick deWitt Are among the 2024 Oregon Book Awards Winners

Kwame Alexander presented seven Oregon authors with new badges to add to their book covers at Monday’s ceremony.

04/10/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

Birthday Etiquette

20 Classic Portland Gifts for Kids and Adults

Gift cards, cash, and high-fives are out of the question. Use our guide instead.

03/15/2024 By Portland Monthly Staff Photography by Michael Novak

Books

A Margaret Talks to Margarets about Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret

We check in with legislator Margaret Carter, writer Margaret Malone, and others, in anticipation of the movie version of the Judy Blume classic.

04/19/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Long Story Short

Meet Portland’s Most Beloved Bookseller

Earl Dizon, of Green Bean Books, has gained a following for solid recommendations, a sunny attitude, and a worldview that’s committed to the written word.

03/24/2022 By Fiona McCann

Books

New Portland-Produced Book Teaches Kids and Parents about Anti-Asian Hate

A Kids Book About Anti-Asian Hate talks about what it means to be Asian American and how to use your voice to stand up to hatred.

04/20/2021 By Aurora Biggers

Footnotes

LISTEN: How Beverly Cleary Wrote about Motherhood, Parenting, and Portland

Portland Monthly’s news editor talks with Portland-based author Lydia Kiesling about the late writer's enduring legacy.

04/09/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

Pomo Picks

Pop Culture Worth Your Time: A Local Audiobook, an Apocalyptic Opus, and More

The content in our queues, from Jaime Schmidt's Supermaker to Lana Del Rey's Norman Fucking Rockwell!

04/08/2021 By Portland Monthly Staff

Essay

What Ramona Quimby Taught Me about Taking Up Space

YA author and Portlander Renée Watson on how meeting Ramona Quimby changed her life.

03/30/2021 By Renée Watson

News

Oregonians Remember Beverly Cleary

‘I’m just so sad. I think she becomes a little piece of you, and all of a sudden that little piece is gone, yet carries on, and I'm so grateful for what she's contributed. She brought a lot of joy to our family.’

03/27/2021 By Conner Reed