Find your favorite new bookstore in Eugene-Springfield

Our region is teeming with bookstores. There are the beloved places like J. Michaels Books and Smith Family Bookstore that have logged decades as mainstays, and grassroots independent spots, such as Tsunami Books and Black Sun Books, started in the 1990s that have since carved out literary corners in the community.

But new stores are staking out their own corners in recent months. Here’s a roundup of three newer bookstores in Eugene and Springfield.

If you’re looking for books and beer… 

Hodgepodge

The dictionary defines hodgepodge as a confused mixture. 

Yet Sophie and Stuart Raymond seem anything but confused. 

The young Eugene couple are crafting a new community space in Eugene in the form of a bookstore and bar. 

“We’re combining two different things, and Stuart and I are not very serious, so we wanted to be playful and we want to be inviting,” Sophie said. 

Hodgepodge Books & Taproom has hosted several events since its opening April 26. The business is housed in a historic house just west of the University of Oregon and south of downtown Eugene. The couple purchased and renovated the home last year. 

The shop sells new books and popular titles in many genres. It also has a bar that caters housemade cocktails, regional beers and nonalcoholic options like kombucha. It serves Eugene-made Second Breakfast Pies, savory and sweet options to enjoy with a beverage. The space is full of seating for customers, from a dining table with benches to sunrooms on the top floor and a patio out front. 

“We’re genuinely a community space where you can come to hang out,” Sophie Raymond said. “Obviously, we have books for sale and we’re a business, but we made a business for the people. … We’re molding it to the best we can for them.” 

Hodgepodge recently hosted a UO researcher to present on the neuroscience of psilocybin as part of an educational talk series it’s organizing. The Raymonds have arranged book releases and Q-and-A events with local authors. Multiple book clubs have gathered at the shop. A local writer is hosting a writing workshop at the store. 

On Tuesday evening, the shop was filled to the brim for the Raymonds’ debut of their book-themed trivia night. The first category: pen names. 

Molly Finch, 31 of Springfield, had arrived at Hodgepodge to shop with a friend. They didn’t know it was trivia night but decided to stay, joining strangers at the large wooden table in front of the bar. Finch said Hodgepodge is creating a great community at a time when residents are trying to do more things locally. 

“I think the businesses that survive are the ones that host activities and events that actively give the community a reason to come to them,” Finch said. 

Hodgepodge is hosting another trivia night on June 24. Visit the shop’s website and social media to see all upcoming events. 

Hodgepodge | 158 E. 14th Ave. in Eugene.

Good for: Fans of trivia, curated selections and buying more books than you planned on.

If you’re looking for high-fantasy romance… 

Daffodil Romantasy

Here be dragons. And kissing. Daffodil Romantasy, located at 27 W. Fifth Ave. in downtown Eugene, is Eugene’s only romance-specific bookstore. Even more specifically, it’s a “romantasy” bookstore, devoted to the booming genre that combines fantasy with romance and frequently tops bestseller lists. 

Daffodil Romantasy opened last October. It is owned and operated by Eugene resident Bailey Prusz, who grew up working for her parents’ food truck businesses around the city. Prusz said she had seen the recent opening of romance-specific bookstores all over the country, like The Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn. But she wasn’t a big reader of contemporary romance novels set in our regular world. 

“There is so much in the world of romantasy that I was like, ‘I think there’s enough there to do a whole store,’” she said. “And there is, because I get more people every day.”

Books at Daffodil are categorized by moods within that larger label. Cozier picks and gothic fantasy are on different shelves than hit series like Sarah J. Maas’ fae romance “A Court of Thorns and Roses” or Rebecca Yarros’ dragon rider tale “Fourth Wing.” 

Prusz said the release of Yarros’ latest book, “Onyx Storm,” was a huge day for business. But she also scans for smaller releases from lesser-known indie authors to fill the shelves, in a monthly survey of titles to add.

Books are also organized in terms of “spice” level. That’s common lingo on BookTok, the book-themed slice of TikTok that often loves romantasy titles, for how intimate or graphic any book’s romance becomes. The store is full of merchandise nodding to the genre’s love of “spice.” 

Other offerings include themed events to bring romantasy fans together, like classes for making “potions,” friendship bracelets, book clubs and embroidery.

“The community aspect is the most important part for me,” Prusz said. “Romantasy is such an important community on BookTok, but it’s hard to find those people in person.”

Daffodil Romantasy | 27 W. 5th Ave. in Eugene.

Good for: Fans of Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas and ironic merch about scenes in books you may not log on Goodreads. 

If you’re looking for a book and a vinyl record… 

Vinyl and Pine

Downtown Springfield’s newest (and only) independently owned bookshop started out as an online record store. 

“But the vision was always to have a store,” said Sara Dubick, who co-owns Vinyl and Pine with her partner, Trevor Brooks. The book and record shop opened April 18. 

The couple started selling new and used records online in early 2024. But they live close to the downtown area and enjoy going on walks and visiting local shops. Last fall, when they saw the vacant space at 660 Main St., they felt like it had been waiting for them. 

The shop has wide windows that bathe the room in natural light. Blue walls lighten the mood and pale plank flooring makes the area feel spacious. 

“I wanted it to feel really welcoming, really bright, really joyful,” Dubick said. 

Visitors can find popular paperbacks and brand new hardcovers in a range of genres, including a small children’s section. Vinyl and Pine also carries art supplies, puzzles and games. 

And in one corner is the shop’s record selection, with artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Ariana Grande and Arctic Monkeys. 

The shop is complete with a small lounge where guests can sit and read. Dubick said they are also considering hosting events, like acoustic concerts, writing workshops and book clubs. 

Vinyl and Pine is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, June 13, at 4 p.m. The shop also will have a grand opening sale Friday-Sunday. 

Vinyl and Pine | 660 Main St. B, in Springfield.

Good for: Former college radio DJs, people who live in Springfield and don’t want to trek over to Eugene for a cute bookstore.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the type of records sold at Vinyl and Pine. They are new records.