Between the Covers

Love It!
This local bookstore my go to place for books and gifts. The ambiance is great. The owner is fantastic — she can recommend something for anyone’s taste. I get all my gifts here from kids books to adults and I am never disappointed. They even gift wrap for free! If I am looking for something specific I call or email ahead to get the book ordered or reserved. She can even ship the books direct to my house, but then I would miss all the fun at the bookstore.

This book store is a classy little shop with a cozy feeling, warm old-​style wood floor and old-​time glass jars filled with candy. There’s even a giant, friendly dog to greet you at the entrance. The building is adorable and over all the feeling of BTC is just charming. My book club orders our books from here and they have book club discounts (think there is a limit though). The people in the store are knowledgeable and friendly. Also, if they don’t have a book you’re looking for they can have it ordered and ready in just a few days. It’s a great little Historic Bend neighborhood store.

This is a cool indie bookstore. I love the name of it, and I love the ambiance. It reminds me of what bookstores are supposed to be like.
Don’t go expecting Barnes and Noble or Borders. The selection is much more limited, and it’s much smaller. But I think that’s the whole point. If you shop here, you’re not looking for all the bells and whistles.
This is a great little place just to go and hang out. Just like another Unilocaler said, it’s Bend’s own little «Shop Around the Corner.»

Such a warm, local feeling with great service!

Poor Meg Ryan. Remember when she was America’s Sweetheart and starred in a rom-​com every year? Well recently I caught ‘You’ve Got Mail’ on TV which featured her as an adorable independent children’s bookstore owner opposite Tom Hanks as the big bad corporate executive at a bookstore chain trying to put independents out of business.
Well, there was definitely a sense of a war being waged in this store. Between the Covers is not just locally owned and independent, it is FIERCELY independent. Everywhere you looked there was a manifesto, petition or declaration about independent bookstores. And like Meg Ryan I had a hard time deciding whether it was spunky or annoying.
This is a great location on Bond Street halfway between downtown and the Old Mill District. Small but nice selection of books, but alas almost everything is full price. As was highlighted in the movie, it is hard for an independent bookseller to compete with the discounts and promotions offered by large chains. It is even harder for them to compete with my local library, where I get most of my books these days. But still, I had to buy something, because I am all for supporting local merchants. I was tempted by the conversation cubes, but ended up with a few games for the kiddos.
They also have an amazing loft space upstairs that can be rented out for book groups or meetings. It was seriously charming and the owner was fabulous and funny. The tag line for the store is «booklovers never go to bed alone.» They also have a coffee bar if you want to order a latte while you browse. So I wish them all the best, but hope they focus on the charm. No one wants to see Meg Ryan go commando!

I am never disappointed to see a new bookstore open. Especially one that is close to home or the office. Today I visited Between the Covers for the first time. The main draw for me, aside from the books, was the coffee and wifi. One of the things that bothers me about Barnes & Noble is it’s not cozy. One of the things that bothers me about Thump is that there are no books to browse. Between the Covers brings all of these together. (The format reminds me a bit of the Green Gables shop in Newport, where there is a small café together with a used bookstore.) Between the Covers seems well-​organized and has a nice variety of new books. I spent most of my time browsing the youth fiction section. I noticed many of my kids’ favorite authors, old and new, on the shelves. They also have picture books and board books.
And the place is just darn cozy. There are smaller gathering areas downstairs, and they are working on furnishing the upstairs for larger groups and meetings. There is a children’s play room in the works (hopefully to be well-​stocked with books, as well). The kitchen in the back has Strictly Organic coffee (serve yourself) and pastries from the Sparrow Bakery. There are old-​fashioned candies ranging in price from a dime on up, so keep an eye on your little ones as they peruse the area around the register. I didn’t ask, but maybe someday they will have espresso… and then I would just have to move in (or rent the secret apartment next door).
But then where would Scott and the kids sleep?