Paper Moon Books

There are many positive aspects of having an online retailer that also has a brick-​and-​mortar presence. Andrea Drinard, the owner and operator (along with her son and a few volunteers) has run this shop in various places around Portland for at least two decades or more. The store is well-​stocked with a generous selection of classics, children’s books, Americana, psychology, natural history and a large stock of hardback and paperback fiction.
Take your time to browse. It is a small retail space but like all used bookstores, is full of things you might not have even known you wanted or that even existed. I appreciate the fact that it isn’t crammed full of merchandise or other distractions, which you can easily get at Powell’s.
Bookstores like Paper Moon are key components of a community. Showing your face more often and getting to know the bookseller keeps you alive as a customer to Andrea and her small staff. Something might come in from a recent estate purchase or a buyback and may even be set aside for you. She is constantly inputing new items into her online inventory, a slow and never-​ending process. There will be discrepancies, if you’ve been in the book business as long as they have, but most of the time I’ve just waited a little longer and it was found.
As in all transactions in life, be courteous and patient and you’ll likely have the same returned to you. When I lived in the neighborhood, visit after visit had me acquiring new and now precious volumes for my bookshelves. I hope you find the same at Paper Moon.

You won’t like this place. You’ll feel sorry about that conclusion, but you won’t like it. It should be your favorite bookstore, but they are really focused on selling online, not to humans. You will feel like you went to a chocolate store that refused to sell to you.
I went in asking about ephemera — booklets, pamphlets, and the like.
«Oh, yes, we have a bunch of that.» She showed me a large box of materials, but refused to let me touch it.
«All of this material is online.»
«Do you have a list of materials?»
«No.»
I checked, and they have no inventory on their website. It may be listed with Amazon or Alibris, but that only allows you to find something that you are specifically looking for, not to browse, and that is the essence of collecting ephemera.
They have a large collectible section with perhaps a thousand fine books behind the counter, too far away to make out the titles.
«May I look at those books?»
«No, they are all online.
„Can I stand where I can read the titles, if I promise not to touch?“
„No.“
I asked about a particular book series that I was looking for.»
«No, we don’t have any of those.»
«How about. (I named something else).?»
«Yes, but it’s in the backroom. You’d have to look for it.»
She reluctantly let me look in the back room. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, but I almost immediately saw the series that I had been looking for. Unfortunately, it was priced about double what it was worth.
I left my card with a description of some things I was looking for, but never heard from them.
I emailed them with a query about a book, but they didn’t respond.
In short, they probably have a fascinating collection of books, but they don’t seem
to want to sell them. The lady stayed down low, behind a high counter, where I could barely see the top of her head. She made it pretty clear that I was bothering her, although I was the only person in the store. So I left.

Pretty cool little bookstore. The lady who ran it was very nice and I asked her some questions and she was very helpful. We chatted for a little while and she was most pleasant. As far as used bookstores go, this is what I consider to be pretty standard, that is: good selection, slightly unorganized until you ask where something is and the savant like qualities of the proprietor never fail to impress, the prices were decent, not the best, not the worst, and just a hint of must. Enough to make you go «ah books“I should think this will become my go-​to used book store now.

I hesitate to give such a poor rating because if you don’t have kids this might be a great used book shop. But if you do have children, this review is for you. This book store may have a children’s section but the owner does not like children. I, like several others (read the google reviews), had a terrible experience with my children reading the books and having the owner ask me to not let them touch the books. I always shelve the books that my children look at and neither of them have ever ruined a book. I have never had a problem in any other book store. I totally respect that there are places children shouldn’t be but don’t have a children’s section if you don’t want children in your store (I mean, she even has board books!).

Unfortunately, I am not happy as others. Purchased a book online from Paper Moon through hpb described as «Like New» condition only to find out it was severely defective. One quick glance inside would have revealed inside covers were printed upside down. Very disappointed. I can return, but am out the postage. I would expect a more professional examination of their products and would not do business with them again.

Walked in waiting for my laundry to finish drying up the street. Found a text on family systems therapy for school…$ 5. Holla! I couldn’t stay long, which is good. I could easily have stacked books to purchase.

I mutter, «This store is dangerous!» The lady behind the counter looks up in alarm. I hurriedly explain that I’ve only been in the store a few minutes and already have three books I just *have* to have.