State bookstore guide
Maine coverage begins in Greater Portland, a walkable literary market with full-service new bookstores, used and antiquarian specialists, Maine authors, romance, children’s reading, and active community events.
Use the city guides for practical local browsing, or compare every verified bookstore currently listed across the state.
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Browse locally
Back Cove Books is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include new fiction and nonfiction, children’s books, Maine authors, gifts, neighborhood events, book clubs, and staff recommendations.
651 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04101Carlson & Turner Antiquarian Books is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include used, rare, and antiquarian books, maps, prints, Maine history, maritime material, literature, and collectible editions.
241 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101Grump & Sunshine Bookshop is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include romance, romantasy, queer love stories, contemporary and historical romance, signed books, gifts, book clubs, and reader events.
30 City Center, Portland, ME 04101Longfellow Books is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include new and used books, Maine authors, literary fiction, a dedicated children’s room, book clubs, and author readings.
1 Monument Way, Portland, ME 04101Print: A Bookstore is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include new literary and popular books, Maine authors, children’s reading, signed editions, staff picks, and author events.
273 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include new books, Maine and New England writing, children’s reading, gifts, puzzles, local history, and bookseller recommendations.
49 Exchange St, Portland, ME 04101The Green Hand Bookshop is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include used and new books, horror, weird fiction, science fiction, vintage paperbacks, local authors, and unusual discoveries.
661 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101Nonesuch Books & Cards is an independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore serving the Portland reader community. Its strengths include new books, fiction, nonfiction, children’s reading, cards, gifts, local interest, and broad community bookselling.
50 Market St, South Portland, ME 04106Profiles cover independently owned brick-and-mortar bookstores with broad reader appeal or a meaningful specialty such as children’s books, romance, comics, Black literature, queer books, or used and rare books.
Store information can change. Review the individual profile and official store website before making a special trip, and use the update link when a listing needs attention.
Directory standards
Listings focus on independently owned physical bookstores with a useful general collection or a clear reader-focused specialty. National chains, religious retailers, museum shops, and online-only sellers are excluded.
Many independent booksellers can special-order available editions. Contact the store with the title, author, or ISBN to confirm price and pickup timing.
Coverage is expanding market by market. Published city guides contain researched bookstore profiles rather than unverified bulk listings.