Hey!
I am having a great weekend, as my husband and I got out and went to a hotel for two nights in a city full of literary joys. Portland. It is about an hour and a half from our town in Oregon and it is a place where life is in the fastlane, a place that I love to visit, but I am not a city gal.
I am blessed that my husband is just as much a bookie as me, we have had a great weekend. We sold back some books at Powell's yesterday, about a box full. They gave me a card with store credit for $126!!Like a child in a candy shoppe with coins in her pocket I browsed through the selection. There were plenty of books, I had some to look for, but many of them were too new to find used copies. I have a hard time paying the prices for new ones, maybe that is strange, but it is still just hard for me.
Brad picked out a lovely tome of Willa Cather's Early Novels and Stories that has her trilogy of pioneering days in America. Blue Highways by Least Heat Moon and one of Bill Bryson's travel books. I classify those ones as manbooks, but I know there are probably women who love them too. What did I end up with? Well, I am feeling a little silly to admit, but I was pretty stingy with myself and I wanted to hold on to my giftcard. I splurged on New Moon by Stephenie Meyer because there was a used copy (TONS of used copies!) and I have just finished the first of the Twilight saga. Don't judge me for purchasing New Moon....I know you won't, but I just had to say that :)
Right now we are sitting at a splendid little coffee shop, it is my new favourite. Floyd's Coffee Shop in Old Town Portland. I am currently listening to Anne of Green Gables on audiobook since I need to return it to the library tomorrow. But, I have fallen in love with The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer, it is a YA book and so it is very well written, and sweet....just as it should be. I'll let you know more about it when I finish it.
Later on we are going to do a little more wandering through Portland, we'll head to the smaller (but I think better) Powell's on Hawthorne. Did you know there are 6 of them in Portland!? Yep, knock yourself out! Seriously. We are getting sushi for lunch and I have been taking so many pictures. I got a talking to at Powell's, a security woman made sure I knew not to take pictures of other customers...yeah, I would LOVE pictures of other people! (right!) My biggest goal was to find a place in Powell's that had NO people. I know it was her job though, so I just said: "thank you, I won't".
Okay, enough ranting....I tend to ramble, especially when excited.
22 comments:
I took pictures at several of the Powell's. The secret is this...you just need to look like you are supposed to be there taking pictures. They never question me! Walk with a purpose as they say. LOL.
I am so jealous! I am in California and wishing I was in Portland right about now.
ti- yes I did. and I have a huge camera with a big lens. I think they are getting pickier nowadays. They have never said anything to me before. Oh well.
Maybe you will come up for the book blogger retreat in june!?
You brought back some wonderful memories of my one and only visit to Powell's!
cathy- so glad! I will post the pictures I took tomorrow I think! I can't wait to share with you all :)
Sounds like a great getaway. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)
What a fun getaway! I've never been to the Portland area or to a Powell's so I'm enjoying reading about your adventures. The Teashop Girls is on my wishlist. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
I really enjoy Powell's Technical store, too; we made our way there last time, as it wasn't too far from where we were, and they had some really neat old engineering and mining books on display. Plus, they still have a lot of current fiction and sale on stock there, too. Next time we're in Portland, I'd like to check out Powell's on Hawthorne. We drove by it last time, but didn't have time to stop.
Still, for getting lost for a day, there's no store like the City of Books. My only disappointment there is the coffeeshop; we've never had anything really good there. So we've taken to going across the street to the gelato & pastry place (right across the street from the parking garage).
Our next trip to Powell's will be, we think, on my run around the flagpole. To get my permanent residency in Canada, I have to leave Canada, spend at least 24 hours (or maybe 48 or 72) in the US, and come back in to get my permanent resident stamp in my passport. Or something like that. We figure we may as well head to Powell's. (And maybe Ashland, OR, while we're at it.)
What a wonderful weekend! I'm jealous that you went to Powell's!
Looks like a lot of fun! I'm jealous, I know someone here who used to work at Powell's and I always wish I could go! Wrong side of the world unfortunately.
- Meghan @ Medieval Bookworm
Welcome to Portland! The Powell's on Hawthorne is just four blocks from our house. It is a great store and more manageable than the big one downtown, but sometimes I just like to go into the main one for the history and atmosphere of it. One benefit of living here -- if the Hawthorne store doesn't have a book but one of the other's does, they'll send it over to Hawthorne and I can pick it up there. No shipping charge. Sweet.
Glad you're enjoying your stay.
Very awesome! I wish I could go to Powell's sometime!
One of these days I'm goin to tour every bookshop in the US. IN the meantime, I'm tempted to send you my books to take to Powells for store cred. Egads, $126?!!!!!
Fabulous.
Better than new clothes.
Better than ice cream.
And thanks for sharing your pictures! wonderful.
So jealous that you live close to POWELLS. I got to go to Portland for the first time about 18 months ago now and I could have spent all day in that store.
I sold my Twilight books back to Powells...what are the chances you have my old copy of New Moon? Yeah, not good. But it's a fun thought.
Sounds like a fabulous weekend!
How nice that you are having a fun time in Portland and at Powell's! I haven't been there in a few years. I've only been to the main branch though, and I always feel so overwhelmed with choices when I go there.
About the book blogger retreat: Who is organizing it? Has a specific date been set? Has a location been picked?
Can you tell I would love to be involved with it? :)
Hubby and I love Portland! Is Taiphoon (sp), the restaurant, still in business?
Enjoy your weekend away!
I am so jealous you got to go to Powell's! And for the record, Blue Highways is a wonderful book, even for us girls. I had to read it long, long ago for high school required summer reading. An unusual choice for a Catholic girls' school!
I wish we had Powell's out here! I've heard so many great things about it!
My life goal, basically, is to visit Powells. Someday.
I am glad I only visit Portland a couple of times a year. I would be deeply in debt if I visited Powell's more often!
Wow, Powells sounds so cool!!
ANd you guys sure are having so much FUN!
:) Great pics Bethany :)
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