A lovely little treasure trove of unusual books. Be prepared to squeeze through shelves and dig a bit. Its worth it! Not a place thats very handicap accessible, sadly. But the amount and breadth or good value books (and yarn, cant forget the yarn) make it an excellent shop.

I absolutely love this shop! Its got a wonderful vibe and great staff. if i could give more than 5 stars, i would.

This is my favorite book store in the world. The first time I patronized Backstory it was for a book for a friend. Amanda went out of here way to find and retrieve the book for me and I have been buying from her ever since. The quality of Backstory comes from its excellent owner. I have relied on Amanda for many requests and she has gone above and beyond in every occasion. She embodies a passion for her work and her customers and I am so thankful to have found this store. Backstory Books & Yarn is a gift to the community.

My adventure there was precovid, as many independent bookstore travels were. I remember my wife falling in love with the thought of knitting from her bought yarn, then taking a pause to read a book she had also bought while there. I loved the special feeling we had there, so different to its own. A feeling of cookies and hot chocolate and of a visit to Grandmas house, when I was young. I am sure each would have a different feeling, when you entered the little houses door, but that was my feeling then as it is now, thinking back on our trip inside. My name is Roger Browning. I am a writer. I hear she may be moving, so I will be sure to follow where. I am a rancher from Texas, born into the life that I live, but books are my love and the independent book store even more. Please visit this store often. My name is Roger Browning. Author of The Reckoning of Rance, now out on Amazon.

The owner is so helpful and knowledgeable. Great selection of used and new books.

Lovely little shop with some amazing treasures to find.

A wonderful store for yarn lovers and book lovers alike. Its a genuine treat to shop and search through the treasures. I made an hour appointment by reaching out on instagram and the owner was incredibly kind and helpful. It felt like a safe oasis. Bring a mask and be ready to find something amazing!

What sets this shop apart is the incredibly knowledgeable and interesting owner. She has a card catalog in her head. I can just tell her things I like, and she picks me perfect books. Its amazing.

Absolutely fantastic place. I have a new favorite bookstore. Sorry Powells, but this place is just more comfortable. Wonderful varied selection, some classic old books as well as new releases. Owner was welcoming and told me some about the antique books she has in the case. Absolutely delightful and I will be coming back 😊

Amanda is wonderful!! I learned about her just after COVID arrived this year and am so grateful for her kindness.She has been very willing to pick up and drop off books, so that my grandkids and I can keep up with all of our favorite stories.Now that I am grounded with a broken ankle I appreciate her even more.If you want a book, give her a call. She will make every effort to help you out.Just the best!:)

Its a little cramped but the selection is great. Its very well organized by genre. The yarn is good quality. The owners are very friendly and knowledgeable. They also have a service where you can ask them to look out for specific titles and the will contact you if the find something.

I love this store! Its not just a place to browse books (and yarn!) but you can get great recommendations and conversation as well.

I love this place! They are my go-to shop for both yarn and books. The owners are super nice and knowledgeable. They are reasonably priced, have quality books, and have an especially great childrens book selection. The store is cozy and a nice place to get lost for an hour.

The owner went out of her way to help me find the exact book I wanted. Pick up and payment were contact free and safe. I will be shopping here more!

Yarns not my thing but I really enjoy this book store. Their selection of books is surprisingly good; I always find something i want which cant be said for much larger book stores.

Lovely space, absolutely jam-packed with books of all sorts, old and new! The two folks on staff I spoke with were incredibly friendly. They told me they take both books and yarn (even partial skeins!) in trade, so if you like either this is a dream spot.

Wonderfuly cute shop with an eclectic selection of books at very reasonable prices. I love the yarn corner to! They have bundles of yarn that used to be sweaters which is a unique way to recycle.

I Was lucky enough to wander into this incredible used bookstore on Hawthorne today and as someone who rarely gets around to writing a yelp review, I think its pretty telling that Im not even a block away and have stopped walking to get on my phone and rave about this place !!! The store is well organized, the selection is varied with everything from all time favorites to rare books - youre bound to find something for everyone ! And the owner, Amanda and her staff are simply a pleasure to talk to about books and pretty much everything else. The space is a Portland staple, once owned by a couple who handmade everything from the book shelves to the desk youll check out on. Finding this gem really made my day and I cant wait to get reading so I can return and buy even more books here. If youre looking for books in Portland look no further then this amazing store !!

Books, yo. Get em

I made a special trip to Hawthorn and this was my favorite part of the day. I really enjoyed talking to the owner. She knows her inventory well.

Nice selection but definitely not a discount shop. They offer trade-in credit which is nice. Friendly staff too!

This is a wonderful and cozy small bookstore. Staff were knowledgeable about local authors and had great recommendations. Theres even some comfy places to read in the store. Lovely!

A must if you are in the Hawthorne area!!!!

You have to go and see it for yourself! Unbelievable selection of GOOD used books, and amazing yarn finds. And best, warmest service every time!!

Fantastic book selection and destash/new old stock & hand spun/dyed yarn & knit/crochet supplies!

Lovely little unassuming bookstore. Great selection and prices!

I love Backstory! They have an excellent selection of quality yarns for affordable prices, and the owner is recycling and repurposing to stock her shelves. Nice, relaxed atmosphere as well as a wonderful selection of books. The recent move to the new location on Hawthorne seems to be very positive and there is an excellent vibe in the building with sunlight spilling through the windows.

Such a great shop! Prices were good and the owner is really helpful and nice!

Backstory Books has been a great addition to the neighborhood! I have purchased several books and some amazing art there. Thanks for being such an awesome neighborhood bookstore!

Fantastic used book shop, great variety and prices, excellent staff.

Every time I go into this store, I am surprised by the quality of selection they have--they are clearly considering every book they put on the shelf, and it shows. Also, it is one of the most reasonably-priced bookstores in Portland. I know nothing about yarn, so cant comment on that, but as far as books go, this is a great place to find your next book to read.

Super fantastic selection of books with a solid variety of genres. They also have a corner section of yarn and crochet/knitting supplies - AWESOME!!!

This place is so great. Yarn and books-what is not to love? She is moving to a new location and I look forward to checking it out!

Books! Yarn! Fiber! Books about yarn and fiber! Knitting and crocheting supplies! Outstanding customer service. Who could ask for more?

Talked with the owner. She is knowledgeable and very pleasant.

Terrific books, attentive service and a lively calendar of events. A great old time neighborhood book shop.

Beautiful bookstore with a small, but treasure filled, knitting section.

Nice little place with good prices on yarn!

Great people with a huge knowledge of books new and old.

A cute bookstore with a good selection of books and yarn.

An absolute gem of a store. Deeply knowledgable owner.

Great selection and fair prices

Books piled everywhere made browsing difficult. For people interested in the yarn, there seem to be a combination of secondhand skeins and yarn reclaimed from sweaters.

Books books everywhere!

Nice bookstore, nice books, nice yarn

A happily surprising depth to the books

Sadly just closed. New location on Hawthorne. Yay!

The yarn finds are everything!

Wonderful, very helpful