Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Spoke & Word Books

Our December Literary Road Trip Box takes us to Oregon, where we’ve partnered with Spoke & Word Books. Located in Milwaukie, just over six miles from Portland, Spoke & Word Books opened its brick-and-mortar location in 2023. Before settling into its current spot, the store began as a pop-up.

The name "Spoke & Word" is a blend of two passions: store owner Cierra Cook’s love of books and their husband’s enthusiasm for mountain biking. Cierra’s husband owns a mountain bike repair shop and came up with the name, combining "spoke" (a part of a bicycle wheel) with "word" (representing books).

Supporting community, diversity, and inclusion is at the heart of Spoke & Word Books. The store is queer-owned and strives to create a welcoming space for everyone. They host events with the mission of bringing the community together. For example, as I’m writing this blog post, the store is hosting a storytime with Santa. They also offer monthly book clubs and even hold event-themed sleepovers in the store! To stay connected, the store has a Discord group where members can share book recommendations and participate in "ask me anything" sessions with authors. Much like our Books Inside Boxes book club, the Discord group is a great way for book lovers to connect and engage.

One of my favorite parts of any bookstore is the staff recommendations. I love seeing what fellow booksellers are reading and recommending, and it’s also a great way to discover new books from someone who might share your reading tastes. Be sure to check out the books Cierra, Bonnie, Gere, and Carolyn are recommending!

Spoke & Word sells both new and used books and offers a used book trade-in credit. They also have a variety of store membership options. A membership is a great way to support your local indie bookstore while earning benefits like discounts. Interested in a book box? Since you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re already a fan of book boxes and indie bookstores! Spoke & Word Books offers four themed monthly boxes: a romance box, a queer-themed box, a kids’ book box, and a bookseller’s choice box. Trust me, you need more books in your life, so reach out to Spoke & Word Books for their monthly picks!

The December 2025 box includes a store merch bookmark and sticker. The sticker was designed by local artist Toni—check out her designs on Instagram. Please show some love to Spoke & Word Books by visiting their store, shopping online, or liking their Instagram page.