The Reading Room

Notes from the shop

Reading guides, trade-in tips, and bookish dispatches from the shelves of To Be Read.

Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
YA romantasy books: 8 young-adult fantasy romances to start with
Fantasy worlds, first love, and lower heat — eight YA romantasy reads perfect for teen readers and grown-ups who want the swoon without the steam.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Local guideReading life
Why Buy Used Books Instead of New? The Honest Case for It
Used books cost less, tread lighter on the planet, and turn up treasures you can't get new. Here's why a used bookstore beats the retail shelf.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
TradeMilwaukieLocal guide
Where to sell or donate used books in Clackamas County
Got boxes of books to clear out in Clackamas County? Here's how to sell, trade, or donate them responsibly — and turn the good ones into credit toward your next read.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
TradeLocal guide
What Books Can You Actually Sell to a Used Bookstore Today?
Not sure what a used bookstore will actually take? Here's which books stores want, which they pass on, and how to prep your box so more of it qualifies.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
VisitLocal guide
Used Books Near West Linn, Oregon: To Be Read in Milwaukie
From West Linn, your closest used bookstore is a short hop across the river in Milwaukie. Here's what's on To Be Read's shelves and how to get there.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitLocal guide
Used books near Tigard, Oregon: visit To Be Read in Milwaukie
Tigard readers: the nearest deep used bookstore worth the trip is a short hop across the metro in Milwaukie. Here's the route and what's waiting at To Be Read.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitLocal guide
Used Books Near Sellwood-Moreland, SE Portland | To Be Read
From Sellwood-Moreland, a quick run south on McLoughlin reaches To Be Read in Milwaukie. Here's what's on the shelves and how to get there.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitLocal guide
Used Books Near Oregon City, Oregon: To Be Read in Milwaukie
Live in Oregon City? Your closest used bookstore is a quick drive up 99E in Milwaukie. Here's what To Be Read keeps on the shelves — and how to get there.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitMilwaukieLocal guide
Used books near Oak Grove & Gladstone, Oregon
If you're in Oak Grove, Gladstone, or Jennings Lodge, your nearest used bookstore is closer than you think — minutes north in Milwaukie. Here's what to know.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitMilwaukieLocal guide
Used books near Lake Oswego, Oregon
Lake Oswego and West Linn readers: your nearest used bookstore is a quick trip across the river in Milwaukie. Here's what's waiting at To Be Read.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitMilwaukieLocal guide
Used books near Happy Valley, Oregon
Happy Valley and Damascus readers: a deep, browseable used bookstore is closer than you think — a short drive west in Milwaukie. Here's what's waiting.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitLocal guide
Used books near Gresham, Oregon: visit To Be Read in Milwaukie
Gresham readers: the nearest deep, browseable used bookstore worth the drive sits west and south in Milwaukie. Here's the honest route and what's waiting at To Be Read.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
VisitLocal guide
Used books near Canby, Oregon: visit To Be Read in Milwaukie
Canby readers: the nearest deep, browseable used bookstore worth the drive is a straight run up 99E to Milwaukie. Here's the route and what's waiting at To Be Read.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
Standalone romantasy books: 8 reads with no series to commit to
Not ready to start another five-book saga? Eight standalone romantasy reads that begin and end in one volume — full romance, full arc, no cliffhanger.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
TradeLocal guide
How to Sell Your Textbooks in Portland: An Honest Guide
Trying to offload textbooks around Portland? Here's an honest guide to what used bookstores take, what they don't, and the alternatives worth trying.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Reading lifeRecommendations
Fun reading challenge ideas to shake up your reading year
A good reading challenge isn't a chore — it's a nudge toward books you'd never have picked. Here are a few of our favorites to try this year.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
VisitMilwaukieLocal guide
Rainy-day things to do in Milwaukie, Oregon
When the Oregon drizzle settles in, lean into it. Here's a cozy, low-key plan for a rainy day in Milwaukie — starting, naturally, with a stack of used books.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
Local guideRecommendations
Pacific Northwest Authors to Read: Local Pride from Our Shelves
From Le Guin to Beverly Cleary, the Pacific Northwest has shaped some of America's best writers. Here are local-pride picks, most easy to find used.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
VisitMilwaukiePortlandLocal guide
A book lover's day out in Milwaukie, Oregon
Just south of Portland, Milwaukie is a quietly perfect spot for a slow reader's day: used books, a riverside walk, a Sunday market, and an easy MAX ride home.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Last-minute book gifts for readers (that don't feel last-minute)
Out of time? A used bookstore is the last-minute gift hero. Here's how to walk in and walk out with something thoughtful — no shipping, no stress.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
Reading lifeRecommendations
How to start a book club: a practical, low-stress guide
Starting a book club is easier than you think. Here's how to gather people, pick books, run the first meeting, and keep everyone coming back.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
Trade-inStore creditHow-to
How to sell your used books (and get the most for them)
Got boxes of books to clear out? Here's how selling and trading used books actually works — what stores want, how to prep them, and how to get the most value.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
Reading lifeRecommendations
How to read more books: simple habits that actually stick
Reading more isn't about willpower — it's about friction. Here are the small, practical habits we've watched turn lapsed readers back into regulars.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Reading lifeRecommendations
How to organize your bookshelf: methods, pros, and cons
By genre, by color, by author, or TBR vs read? Here's how the main bookshelf-organizing methods stack up — and how to keep your TBR from taking over.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
Reading lifeRecommendations
How to choose your next book (and beat decision paralysis)
Standing in front of the shelf, unable to commit? Here's how to match a book to your mood, beat decision paralysis, and land on the right next read.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Reading lifeRecommendations
How to build a home library on a budget with used books
A great home library isn't bought all at once — it's gathered. Here's how to build one affordably, mostly from used books.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
TradeLocal guide
How Much Are Used Books Worth? An Honest Pricing Guide
Curious what your used books are worth? Here's an honest look at how condition, demand, and edition drive value — and why store credit goes further.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendationsRomantasy
Gifts for romantasy fans: what to get the Fourth Wing obsessed
They've got opinions about dragons and a lot of tabbed pages. Here's how to shop for the romantasy fan in your life — the books to give and the safe bet that never misses.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Gifts for mystery & thriller lovers: a book-gift guide
They guess the killer by chapter three and still can't put it down. Here's how to shop for the mystery and thriller lover — from cozies to white-knuckle thrillers.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Gifts for fantasy & sci-fi fans: a book-gift guide
From epic fantasy to hard sci-fi, here's how to shop for the speculative-fiction reader in your life — gateway picks, series to binge, and a safe bet that always lands.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendationsClassics
Gifts for classic literature lovers: a thoughtful book-gift guide
For the reader who quotes Austen and rereads Gatsby every fall: how to give a classic that feels personal, from handsome used editions to a no-risk safe bet.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
VisitMilwaukieLocal guide
Your first visit to To Be Read: what to know
Never been in before? Here's everything you need for a great first visit to To Be Read — where to park, how trading works, and how to leave with the perfect book.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
TradeLocal guide
Do Bookstores Buy Used Books? How It Works at a Used Shop
Wondering if a bookstore will take your old books? Here's how buying and trading used books actually works, what we look for, and how to bring a box in.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
TradeReading life
Decluttering Books: What to Do With the Ones You Clear Out
Ready to clear your bookshelves? Here's how to sort your books and decide what to trade, sell, donate, or recycle — so nothing useful ends up in the bin.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
VisitMilwaukieLocal guide
Cozy places to read in Milwaukie, Oregon
Found a good book and need somewhere to read it? Here are the coziest spots around Milwaukie, OR — riverside benches, shady parks, and a rainy-day plan B.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
Classic novels for people who hated them in school
If the classics were ruined for you by a pop quiz, give them a second chance. Seven that read like the page-turners they always were — no essay required.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
Classic novels by women: 9 essential reads from Austen to Morrison
From Austen's wit to Morrison's fire, women wrote some of the most enduring classics ever published. Nine essential reads, each with a note on why it still matters.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
TradeLocal guide
Cash for Books vs. Store Credit: Which One Pays You More?
Cash or store credit for your old books? Here's why trade-in credit usually goes further at a used bookstore — and when taking cash is the smarter call.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
VisitMilwaukieLocal guide
Looking for a bookstore near Clackamas Town Center?
Shopping the Clackamas area and want real books, not just big-box shelves? To Be Read is a longtime used bookstore minutes from Clackamas Town Center.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
Books Like The Silent Patient: 6 Twisty Thrillers to Read Next
Unreliable narrators, slow-burn dread, and a final-page twist that flips the whole book. Six thrillers to read after The Silent Patient.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
Books Like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: 6 to Read Next
Glamour, ambition, a larger-than-life heroine, and a secret worth keeping. Six novels to read after The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
5 Books Like The Priory of the Orange Tree to Read Next
Queens, dragons, and women who hold up the sky. If The Priory of the Orange Tree wrecked you in the best way, here are five epic fantasies to read next.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
Books Like The Midnight Library: 6 Uplifting Reads to Try Next
Second chances, gentle philosophy, and a hopeful heart. Six uplifting novels to read after The Midnight Library.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
5 Books Like The Love Hypothesis to Read After You Finish
Fake dating, brilliant heroines, and a grumpy hero who melts. If The Love Hypothesis left you grinning, here are five books to read next.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
Books Like The Hunger Games: 6 Dystopian YA Survival Reads
Hooked on Katniss and the arena? Here are six dystopian and survival reads, from Divergent to Red Rising, to feed your need for high-stakes YA.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
Books Like It Ends With Us: 6 Emotional Romance Reads to Try
If Colleen Hoover wrecked you in the best way, here are six emotional contemporary romances to read next — tears, second chances, and all.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
5 Books Like Circe by Madeline Miller to Read Next, Ranked
Goddesses, witches, and the women myth left out. If Circe moved you, here are five mythology retellings to read next.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Read-alikesRecommendations
Books Like A Game of Thrones: 5 Epic Fantasy Reads to Try
Hooked on Westeros and its scheming, morally gray cast? Here are five epic and grimdark fantasy reads to fill the wait between books.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Bookish gifts under $20 that readers actually want
Great book gifts don't have to be expensive. Here's what $20 buys at a used bookstore — and why it goes a lot further than you'd think.
June 21, 20263 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Book gifts for young readers: a guide by age and stage
Giving books to a kid is one of the best gifts there is. Here's how to choose by age and stage — from picture books to first chapter books — without overthinking it.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Book Gifts for Teachers: A Thoughtful Gift Guide for Educators
Want to thank a teacher with more than a mug? Here's how to give books that build classroom libraries, win read-aloud time, and actually get used.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Book gifts for every type of reader: a giver's cheat sheet
Buying for a reader and don't know their shelf? Match the person to the pick with this cheat sheet — one reliable book gift for every type of reader.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
The best Victorian novels: 8 doorstoppers worth the page count
Fog, factories, fortunes lost and found — the Victorians wrote big, plotty novels built to be devoured. Eight of the best, with a note on which to open first.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
Local guideVisit
The Best Used Bookstore in the Portland Area? Meet To Be Read
What makes a used bookstore the best in its area? Here's the honest case for To Be Read, a 45-year favorite serving Portland and Clackamas readers.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The Best Standalone Fantasy Novels: Great One-and-Done Reads
Sometimes you want a whole world and a whole ending in a single book. These standalone fantasy novels deliver wonder, magic, and a real conclusion — no sequels required.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
Best short story collections to read for any kind of reader
Big payoffs in a small number of pages. Five short story collections worth keeping on the nightstand, whatever you usually read.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
Best poetry collections for beginners: an approachable start
Poetry without the homework. Five approachable collections that make a warm, welcoming place to start reading verse.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
Best narrative nonfiction: true stories that read like novels
True stories with the momentum of a thriller. Six narrative nonfiction books that read like the best novels — and happen to be real.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The Best Literary Thrillers: Smart, Beautifully Written Suspense
A thriller can keep you up all night and still be beautifully written. These literary thrillers deliver suspense and prose worth savoring — the best of both shelves.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The best literary fiction of the 21st century so far
What will last from this century's fiction? Six acclaimed, deeply rewarding literary novels worth your time, from The Road to The Overstory.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The best horror novels to start with (not too scary)
Horror isn't all gore — the best of it is atmosphere and dread. Six approachable starter novels, from quiet hauntings to modern gothic, with a line on each.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The best historical fiction novels to start with
Great historical fiction lets you live in another century for a few hundred pages. Six unforgettable novels to start with, with a line on each.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The best feel-good books to lift your mood and warm you up
Some books just make the day lighter. These heartwarming, uplifting reads are the ones to reach for when you need a reminder that people are mostly good.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The best dark academia books: secrets, obsession, and ivy
Cloistered campuses, brilliant friends, and a secret worth killing for. Dark academia is the genre of beautiful obsession — here are the essential titles.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The best cozy fantasy books: low-stakes, comforting reads
Dragons optional, comfort guaranteed. Cozy fantasy trades epic battles for warm hearths, found family, and small magic — here are the titles to start with.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Genre guideRecommendations
The Best Book Series to Binge: Addictive Reads to Start Now
Some books end. These don't — at least not for a few hundred more pages. Here are the most addictive series worth committing a long weekend (or a whole season) to.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsBook club
The best book club books: 10 picks that spark real discussion
A great book club pick isn't just a good read — it's an argument waiting to happen. Ten novels that reliably get every chair in the circle talking.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsGift guide
The best beach reads: 10 summer books you'll tear through
Sun, sand, and a book you can't put down. Ten beach reads — romance, thrillers, and feel-good fiction — picked for pure momentum and minimal homework.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Local guideReading life
Are Used Bookstores Worth It? Yes, and Here's Why They Are
Are used bookstores worth it in the age of one-click shopping? Absolutely, for value, discovery, and community. Here's what makes a great one.
June 21, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
American classic novels: 9 essential reads and where to start
The Great American Novel isn't one book — it's a shelf. Nine essential American classics, each with a note on what it's really about and why it still lands.
June 21, 20265 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyRomance
Spicy romantasy books: 8 high-heat reads (and how spicy they get)
Want the magic and the heat dialed all the way up? Eight high-spice romantasy reads with a rough heat note on each — so the only surprise is the plot.
June 20, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
8 books like Fourth Wing for your next romantasy binge
Dragons, deadly trials, and a slow-burn that wrecks you. If Fourth Wing left you feral for more, here are eight romantasy reads to fill the gap.
June 20, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasyRomance
Best romantasy books to start with (one of our best-sellers)
Romantasy — romance with dragons, fae courts, and high stakes — is one of the most-loved (and best-selling) genres on our shelves. Here's where to start.
June 20, 20265 min readRead
Trade-inStore creditHow-to
How book trade-in credit works at To Be Read
Bring books, earn store credit, take home your next read the same afternoon. Here's exactly how our trade-in works — what we accept, how credit adds up, and the rules worth knowing first.
June 19, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
Fae romantasy books: 8 reads for courts, bargains & dangerous princes
Glittering courts, bargains with a catch, and fae princes you absolutely should not trust — eight romantasy reads that live in faerie, ranked for the obsessed.
June 19, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsDark academia
8 books like The Secret History for your next dark-academia binge
Donna Tartt ruined you for normal campus novels. Here are eight dark-academia reads — secret societies, obsessive friendships, beautiful dread — to fill the hole she left.
June 19, 20265 min readRead
VisitMilwaukiePortland
Finding a used bookstore near Milwaukie & Southeast Portland
New to the east side of the Portland metro and hunting for a neighborhood used bookstore? Here's how to find us in Milwaukie, what makes the shop tick, and how to plan a first visit.
June 18, 20263 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
Russian classic novels for beginners: where to actually start
You don't have to open with 1,200 pages and forty characters. Seven beginner-friendly Russian classics — shorter, gripping, and worth pushing through the patronymics.
June 18, 20265 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
Gothic classic novels: 8 atmospheric reads for a stormy night
Crumbling estates, buried secrets, and a dread that seeps in slowly — eight gothic classics that built the genre, perfect for a stormy night and a heavy blanket.
June 17, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsCozy mystery
The cozy mystery starter shelf: 7 series to curl up with
Murder, but make it comforting. Seven beginner-friendly cozy-mystery series — amateur sleuths, small towns, tea and cake, no gore — to start your collection.
June 17, 20264 min readRead
Trade-inPortlandLocal guide
What to do with used books in the Portland area (besides recycle them)
Boxes of books you've finished and a shelf that's overflowing? Here's a practical rundown of what to do with used books in the Portland area — trade, donate, or rehome.
June 16, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
Romantasy books with dragons: 8 reads for the dragon-rider fix
Bonded riders, snarky sentient dragons, and battles fought from the saddle — eight romantasy books that scratch the dragon-rider itch long after Fourth Wing.
June 16, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyRomance
Enemies-to-lovers romantasy: 8 books where the tension does the work
Sworn enemies, simmering banter, and a slow burn that finally catches — these eight enemies-to-lovers romantasy reads live for the tension before the fall.
June 15, 20264 min readRead
Reading habitsTBR
How to build a reading habit (and a TBR pile worth the name)
We named the shop after the to-be-read pile, so we have opinions. Here's a practical, guilt-free way to read more and build a TBR you'll actually finish.
June 15, 20265 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsBook club
7 books like Where the Crawdads Sing for your next book club
Atmospheric settings, a lonely heroine, a slow-burn mystery, and a landscape that's practically a character. Seven novels to read after Where the Crawdads Sing.
June 14, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsFantasy
Fantasy books for beginners: 7 great places to start
Fantasy can feel like it demands a 14-book vow and a map of made-up rivers. It doesn't. Seven welcoming places to start — standalones and easy series openers.
June 13, 20264 min readRead
Gift guideRecommendations
Gifts for book lovers: a used-bookshop gift guide
Shopping for a reader who already owns a lot of books? Here's how to give a book lover something they'll genuinely love — without guessing at titles they've read.
June 12, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsLiterary fiction
8 literary novels that will make you cry (in the good way)
Sometimes you want a book that earns its tears. Eight literary novels that wreck readers in the most cathartic, can't-stop-thinking-about-it way.
June 11, 20265 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsScience fiction
7 books like Project Hail Mary for your next sci-fi fix
Andy Weir's blend of nail-biting problem-solving, real science, and unexpected friendship is hard to match. Seven sci-fi novels to scratch the same itch.
June 10, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomance
Romance novels for people who don't read romance
"I don't really read romance." Famous last words. Seven smart, funny, genuinely great novels that make perfect gateway reads for the romance-skeptical.
June 9, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsMemoir
8 unforgettable memoirs to start with
The best memoirs read like the best novels — only they're true. Eight unforgettable life stories to start with, from laugh-out-loud to quietly shattering.
June 8, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsReading habits
9 short books you can finish in a weekend
Nothing breaks a reading slump like actually finishing something. Nine short, powerful books — most under 250 pages — you can polish off in a weekend.
June 7, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsScience fictionFantasy
7 books like Dune for epic sci-fi and fantasy fans
Vast worlds, scheming houses, ecology and prophecy and power. If Arrakis left you hungry for more epic scope, here are seven places to go next.
June 6, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsThriller
8 thriller books that will keep you up all night
You know the kind: "just one more chapter" at 1 a.m. Eight twisty, propulsive thrillers guaranteed to wreck your sleep schedule in the best way.
June 5, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
9 classic novels worth reading once in your life
Not the dusty, homework kind — the classics that still hit. Nine timeless novels that earn their reputation and are genuinely worth reading once.
June 4, 20265 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsKids
10 best chapter books for young readers
The right chapter book turns a reluctant reader into a flashlight-under-the-covers one. Ten beloved picks for kids roughly 7–11 to fall in love with reading.
June 3, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassicsRomance
9 classic romance novels that still hold up
Before BookTok, there was Austen. Nine classic romance novels — swoony, sharp, and timeless — that prove the genre's roots run deep.
June 2, 20265 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassicsFantasy
8 classic fantasy novels every fan should read
Romantasy and modern epics owe everything to these. Eight foundational classic fantasy novels every fan should read at least once.
June 1, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
8 books like A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)
Fae courts, a slow-burn that levels you, and a heroine who grows into her power. If ACOTAR left a hole in your chest, here are eight books to fill it.
May 29, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassicsReading habits
9 short classic novels you can read in a sitting
Classics don't have to mean 800 pages. Nine short, powerful classic novels — most under 200 pages — perfect for dipping a toe into the canon.
May 28, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
7 low-spice romantasy books (all swoon, little heat)
Love the magic and the yearning but want to skip the steam? Seven low-spice romantasy reads that deliver all the swoon with a gentler heat level.
May 28, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassicsScience fiction
8 classic science fiction novels that still hold up
The novels that built modern sci-fi — and still feel sharp decades later. Eight classic science fiction reads every fan should know.
May 27, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
6 romantasy series worth committing to
Sometimes you don't want one book — you want a world to live in for weeks. Six romantasy series worth clearing your calendar for.
May 26, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsRomantasyFantasy
Romantasy for fantasy readers: 7 picks heavy on the world-building
Love epic fantasy but side-eye the romance shelf? These seven romantasy reads bring real world-building and plot — the romance is a bonus, not the whole point.
May 25, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
9 classic novels that became great movies
Loved the movie? The book is usually even better. Nine classic novels behind great films — a perfect on-ramp if the screen got you first.
May 24, 20264 min readRead
Reading guidesRecommendationsClassics
8 underrated classic novels worth discovering
Everyone's read Gatsby. These eight underrated classics deserve the same love — brilliant, moving, and somehow still flying under the radar.
May 23, 20264 min readRead

Notes from the shop

YA romantasy books: 8 young-adult fantasy romances to start with

Why Buy Used Books Instead of New? The Honest Case for It

Where to sell or donate used books in Clackamas County

What Books Can You Actually Sell to a Used Bookstore Today?

Used Books Near West Linn, Oregon: To Be Read in Milwaukie

Used books near Tigard, Oregon: visit To Be Read in Milwaukie

Used Books Near Sellwood-Moreland, SE Portland | To Be Read

Used Books Near Oregon City, Oregon: To Be Read in Milwaukie

Used books near Oak Grove & Gladstone, Oregon

Used books near Lake Oswego, Oregon

Used books near Happy Valley, Oregon

Used books near Gresham, Oregon: visit To Be Read in Milwaukie

Used books near Canby, Oregon: visit To Be Read in Milwaukie

Standalone romantasy books: 8 reads with no series to commit to

How to Sell Your Textbooks in Portland: An Honest Guide

Fun reading challenge ideas to shake up your reading year

Rainy-day things to do in Milwaukie, Oregon

Pacific Northwest Authors to Read: Local Pride from Our Shelves

A book lover's day out in Milwaukie, Oregon

Last-minute book gifts for readers (that don't feel last-minute)

How to start a book club: a practical, low-stress guide

How to sell your used books (and get the most for them)

How to read more books: simple habits that actually stick

How to organize your bookshelf: methods, pros, and cons

How to choose your next book (and beat decision paralysis)

How to build a home library on a budget with used books

How Much Are Used Books Worth? An Honest Pricing Guide

Gifts for romantasy fans: what to get the Fourth Wing obsessed

Gifts for mystery & thriller lovers: a book-gift guide

Gifts for fantasy & sci-fi fans: a book-gift guide

Gifts for classic literature lovers: a thoughtful book-gift guide

Your first visit to To Be Read: what to know

Do Bookstores Buy Used Books? How It Works at a Used Shop

Decluttering Books: What to Do With the Ones You Clear Out

Cozy places to read in Milwaukie, Oregon

Classic novels for people who hated them in school

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Books Like The Silent Patient: 6 Twisty Thrillers to Read Next

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Book gifts for young readers: a guide by age and stage

Book Gifts for Teachers: A Thoughtful Gift Guide for Educators

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The Best Used Bookstore in the Portland Area? Meet To Be Read

The Best Standalone Fantasy Novels: Great One-and-Done Reads

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The Best Book Series to Binge: Addictive Reads to Start Now

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Are Used Bookstores Worth It? Yes, and Here's Why They Are

American classic novels: 9 essential reads and where to start

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