Tsunami Books

Since moving to Eugene I have been to ALL the used book stores and this is by far my favorite … The owner is nice and helpful and so are al his staff. The books he has are great and he has subjects on all books. Prices are extremely reasonable ! Usually I leave Barnes and nobles paying 30.00 for 1 book so it’s nice to come here and leave with 5 books for the same price. :)

So glad we stumbled upon this place! We had brunch across the street from the store, and saw the table and rack of used books outside for only a dollar! I definitely was able to add to my collection at such an affordable cost! Inside too, there’s a great selection of used books. The staff is friendly and really knowledgeable. After the cashier learned I was from Seattle, they recommended some local, non-​tourist places around the area to check out. This is the kind of bookstore that you can tell the community supports and treasures.

I just played a concert at Tsunami Books and found it to be one of the BEST venues I’ve played in my 40 years as a touring recording artist. it turns out, stacks of books are the BEST for acoustic treatment of a room! And both the stage and the audience space are so roomy and comfortable. Scott has created a fantastic space for book, music and poetry lovers. I’m utterly charmed and can’t wait to go back and hunt through the stacks. Highly recommended! This is such a rare and wonderful find.

A must do must see in Eugene. A wonderful place, a place to get lost in…

Good bookstore: very organized, inexpensive, both new and used books, two separate large rooms full of selection.

Tsunami Books is a community gem! The selection is great with a wide depth and breadth, the service is always friendly and thoughtful, and the community events totally rock! This place knows how to keep customers coming back for more. Always a great place to stop in for a look around. Supportive of local authors, artists, and musicians.
And poetry slam is not to be missed!

Cozy and big with the great smell of books. Very nice staff.
Nice selection of books and some vinyl records for sale too! Great finds!

I love that places like Tsunami Books are still kicking. In a world of smart phones, texting, and facebook it is refreshing to find a place like Tsunami Books.
Biggest strength is the events they put on. I went to a Ken Kesey story night one evening that was eclectic and poignant. Lots of other events going on worth checking at and would love to tap into more.
As for the books, you might find more selection in the chaotic beauty of Smiths or organized greatest in J Michaels, but here it is a solid selection of local authors and lot of variety. Lots of cool art around the store and signs.
You don’t come here to just find a book and leave, but rather feel the place. It is in the feeling you find yourself in a time warp where values aren’t lost and you might even find a book that you didn’t know you were looking for in the first place. Tsunami Books is a treasure in Eugene and glad that it is a timeless as a worn pair of jeans that still feel great years latter!

This has become my favorite bookstore in town. I’m embarrassed that it took me a few years before I finally made a visit. I had been on the hunt for a very silly out-​of-​print book for about a year. I decided to stop in and take a look for it. I asked if they had heard of it, and they just so happened to have it sitting right there behind the counter. Now, they had the chance to gouge me given my giddy response, but instead they sold it to me for $ 3. That was all it took to make me a lifetime customer which is saying a lot. I have a pretty serious book habit.
Since then I’ve been back many times to buy as well as sell/​trade books. I prefer to trade. They are picky about what they will take; however, they give good credit for those books. I’m a fan of their cheap reads section. I tend to buy a stack of books priced under $ 5each, and this section always has lots to offer. I also suggest their section of translated books. Just FYI, this section is separate from their general literature. I usually buy kids books here at xmas too. They will order it if they don’t have it so always ask if you are looking for something specific.

What a great find! Very organized; helpful staff; and there was a band playing while we were there. Obviously a popular local place. Great selection. Definitely worth a stop.

I love this place. The atmosphere is relaxed and the employees are always willing to chat while you peruse the shelves. The store and employees themselves are very involved in the community, and it shows. You can always find some sort of treasure here, I do every time I walk in.

Great little local store. Very old school. They have a lot of metaphysical books and local stuff. They’ll order things if they don’t have them too. Great atmosphere.

Five stars with a caveat: It only gets five if you care about poetry.
This place has an amazing poetry section, and supports the local poetry community with readings and meetups. It also has a good, cheap kids book section that’s easy to navigate. Other than that… you’re out of luck. But if you are in the market for poetry or kids stuff (which I always am) this is the place.

This is the kind of place that keeps culture alive. Come browse, buy a book, chat with friendly people, maybe find yourself in an interesting discussion. If I was President of the World, I’d give bookstores like this tax-​free status. There’s interesting original art on the walls, beautiful hunks of sanded lumber all over the place, concerts, readings, off-​beat books. Tsunami is a gem and Eugene is lucky to have it. GIVE THESE PEOPLE YOUR MONEY! They are the good guys!

Tsunami has a good selection of eclectic, antiquarian books at very affordable prices. The discount section holds a lot of treasures that do not pop up cheaply anywhere else. I’ve found some beloved books in this store that I will never give up. Though the store is small and the selection thus limited, it makes an afternoon of browsing easy and enjoyable. The store also holds all kinds of events– concerts, book signings, poetry slams and talks. The owner is a nice guy to talk to; he’ll be more than happy to offer you interesting opinions and suggestions. Definitely stop by if you wish to support a local business while helping yourself to a good deal. =)
Bottom Line: A great place for finding $ 1 books to add to your Discount Criterion Collection.

OK, but that is all.
Large space, somewhat sparsely stocked. Fiction selection is woefully inadequate given the size of the shop.
Not many of the things you would expect in an indy bookstore – no staff recommendations, no display of recent publications. They do have mildly subversive bumper stickers on the wall and a healthy Buddhist section, though.
I could lose myself all day in a really great bookstore – 20 minutes is my max in Tsunami.
They are ‘indy’ and they do good things for the community (at least I appreciate their sign notifying all passers-​by that Willamette is a potential speed trap for the local pigs) so they are worth a shot if you are in the area. But don’t be surprised if you don’t find what you are looking for.

I’m not sure why this store has so few books in such a very large space, except for the meetings and readings and such that are often held in the back room. Although prices are somewhat lower here, there needs to be a happy median between Tsunami and Smith Family.
Tsunami’s main redeeming feature is the great antiquarian room next door which has a large number of books being consigned for online sale (at typical online prices), and a very large and cool assortment of postcards, advertisements and ephemera. Make sure you ask the owner to let you in, it makes the visit worthwhile.

I come here if I can’t find the book I want at Smith family, usually without much luck. The owner always offers to order it but I go to a indie book seller to be able to touch and peruse books not just order what I want.
The place is good sized but not large, I will do my best to find the topics they do best here because, unfortunately, they are not the same as mine.

One of the top three used bookstores in Eugene, with a nice selection of paperback mysteries, good local section (from gardening to eco-​politics), and extensive literature array. I was pleased to recently find two Eudora Welty books that I’ve been searching for — an unexpected bonus! The quality compares with Black Sun Books; for sheer mass of selection, go to Smith Family.
Supporting independent booksellers is always a smart move — they’re the ones who buy houses here, shop here, and live here.

This is «my» used bookstore in Eugene. I love this place. I came here about a month after I moved here, and have been coming back ever since. Scott, the owner, is such a friendly, great guy. (Someone else mentioned in their review that the guy was raving about kerouac. This was definitely Scott. The last time I bought a kerouac book he was giving me all kinds of background information, too.) The staff are all professionals. People with some kind of literary degree, generally a masters and above. They’re happy to special order books for you, and will give you 10% off anything new, whether ordered or in the store. (Such a great deal!)
The book selection is great. They have some really off the path selections. My favorite areas are the «Good Cheap Reads» which is a huge shelf of popular paperbacks for 1 – 3 dollars, and the vintage sci-​fi section. They also have a great cooking section, with lots of diet-​specific options for a town with lots of vegans, vegetarians, raw-​food enthusiasts, and people with celiac disease.
I love this place!