Clackamas Book Exchange

The book build-​up at our house sometimes reaches epic proportions. Towering stacks of paperbacks line the bedroom walls. And sometimes I don’t have the patience for selling to Powell’s, where they examine each book exhaustively (don’t get me wrong I love me some Powell’s credit). Clackamas Book Exchange takes any paperback in good condition and gives you half the price in credit.
Now, this isn’t the place to find the NYT best books of 2011, but they have some good categories covered: slightly, smutty vampire fiction; Check. trade paperback chick lit; Check. Mysteries that I don’t want to pay too much for, Check. And romance, romance, romance. Seriously, if romance is your thing, this is your treasure trove.
There is a small section of trade paperbacks, this is where I find the majority of my trades (not counting the smutty vampire/​werewolf lit). Last trip I took home a Kate Atkinson, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, which I love and never get back when I lend it out, and Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Plus, some books I had seen around Powell’s but didn’t want to spend too much on.
That is the great thing about trading books, you can take a risk because you are getting so much credit for your books.

On a recent trip, I was able to find a Kingsolver and Atwood that I haven’t read, as well as another «chick lit» lighter read… which they have a lot of.
If you don’t mind having to scan the aisles for the few and far between good finds, this is a good place to pass on your old paperbacks and find a few new ones (that can always be passed on again, and again).
Also, if you find paperbacks at garage sales for cheap, you can always exchange them here and (possibly) find books you actually want to read.