Daedalus Books

I suppose I may have been expecting something larger, but the Portland spirit is rooted in small businesses – and I do mean SMALL. There’s not even a business page for this store. This little store was right next to Ken’s, so we dropped by on our way back to the hostel, because I’m a book lover to the max. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes.
There weren’t any other customers that morning, but at least it was arranged well enough. Tall bookshelves with anything from poetry and astrology, etc. I kind of felt like I was in a library while I was there; with a decided hush surrounding me. I imagine this is the kind of store the owner created as a dream, something he’d wanted to do his whole life. Luckily, Portland is a great place to have a bookstore and a small business, and he seems to be doing well enough.
PROS:
The space, though small, really utilizes its space well.
Handicapped friendly – there’s a ramp.
Good location, near Ken’s Bakery.
Decent selection, considering the size.
CONS:
Really small selection and space.
Not very competitive pricing. Most books I picked up were about half the cost of the original book, even with tears/​ripped spines/​creases.
THE VERDICT:
I think this place, due to its size, is better suited for browsing and not active seeking (there’s always Powell’s for that). If you are dying for something to read while you eat at Ken’s, then sure, you’re bound to find something here. While there were a few books I had my eye on, I couldn’t justify the price tag, condition, and space it would take up in my suitcase on the way back home. Nothing special about this place, really, so I wouldn’t make a special visit here unless I was already nearby.

There is no real point in elaborating on how great a bookstore is. There is no point in describing the sheer joy of finding out that such gems exist. I walk through the door and there is a bookshelf for science fiction/​mystery. I am in a wonderful place right then and there.
There is a wide selection of books of various ages. There is a section about fiction and then about history. Someone sneezed and there are so many authors from different series that it’s not funny. It’s just joyous that this place even exists. I would recommend finding this and browsing through it. It has cheap prices and easily reached by foot.

Small store crammed with books of all genres. The guy at the counter was very consumed with what he was doing and wasn’t great about helping find the books I was looking for. They’re sections are fairly specific, so I wasn’t sure exactly where to look. He just pointed down an aisle and then got involved in a conversation with someone else.
I didn’t end up finding what I was looking for, but their prices seemed quite good and it’s a great place to waste a bit of time!

This store is little and quaint. Not much selection for fiction, and the hardbound books were pretty pricey for being used. It is pretty handy though, so if you just need to pick up something quick and aren’t looking for anything in particular it would be a good spot.

I loved Daedalus! I stumbled into it after having a great croissant at Ken’s bakery around the corner, which made that morning into one of the best I had during my trip to Portland.
The store has a fantastic selection of titles with a really wide range. The books are used but almost all of them are in pristine quality, as in, I had to double check that they were used a few times because they were so spotless.
Also, Daedalus had great prices. I got the aforementioned new-​looking books for less than half of their cover price. These amazing prices eventually got me into trouble with my wallet and my baggage weight but it was totally worth it. I can’t recommend this bookstore highly enough!

A fun place to browse for high quality used books. You’ll stumble upon well-​known titles and unusual books, too, but they are all interesting selections. A good children’s section, too.
If you don’t find what you want, their backroom has many thousands more selections, and they might be able to find something interesting for you.

Lovely place with quite a nice selection of books, including a lot of things I haven’t seen. We had a sweet conversation with the bookseller about kids books, too.
This shop is down-​to-​earth, friendly, and smart without being stuffy. Plus, you can stop at Ken’s before or after for some amazing bread.

A small used book store with a great selection of scholarly books, including real philosophy books (Kant, Sartre, Hobbes, etc.)
Grab a book (pay for it) and then head over to Ken’s bakery right around the corner for a read.