This is a hidden gem of Salem. There is an incredible selection of books, more than you can imagine. The owners are friendly and down to earth. Books are in great condition and very affordable. I wish I would have found this place sooner.

This is the sort of book store that book lovers dream about. Books covering every wall, from floor to ceiling, one room to the next.The selection is great, and I found more than a few books that I had been hunting for quite some time. The operators were very knowledgeable and friendly, able to help me find exactly what I needed.Whether passing through, or living in the area, this is a great spot to find some good reading materials.

Best used bookstore that I have ever been to. The owner gives a mini tour of this labyrinthine space of floor to ceiling bookshelves for those new to his shop. Most used bookstores are daunting places of confusion causing anxiety and a sudden feeling of the walls closing in, but not here. It is inviting and cozy and overall amazing. If you have a problem locating a title, the owner whisks you off to a distant corner of the shop to show you exactly where it is located.

Cute bookstore. The woman working was very friendly and sweet. She gave us a tour of where everything is, and we found more books we were looking for here than any other store in town.

Very fun feel to this book store. My husband says its dungeon-esk but in a good way. I bought 3 books an paid $11. They have an amazing selection. I asked for Michael Critchton books and they lady working was able to take me right to them. It looks smaller from the outside than in an I feel like it gives it kind of a mysterious quality. As if you were in some fantasy yourself. I definitely would go back an world recommend checking this place out. Its got a little bit of everything for everyone!

The most amazing gem of a bookstore! Family owned and operated. The best people ever!

Very fair in giving discounts and trade and theyre always helpful and knowledgeable. So many books to chose from. Please support your local book store!

Best place in Salem to get used and new books! Extremely friendly staff who were also super helpful in navigating the maze of books. I will be back!

Have been buying books from Escape Fiction for years ! They aresuper helpful to deal with, as well as just fun to visit with ! Always recommend them to my friends.

Helpful? Friendly? Filled to the brim with more books than a person could possibly buy?! This just might be the best kept secret in all of Salem. You need to get there if you want some good fiction books.

All time favorite bookstore! I LOVE their selection of both used and new for great prices! And if they dont have what Im looking for theyre always ready and willing to help me acquire it. They also have great customer service. An employee was sweet enough to offer to help me carry my purchase to my car as I was also hefting my baby boy in his car seat. Highly recommend!

Anyone who has gone to Escape Fiction can do just that. Escape! Full service store. Thousands of books, NEW and used, room upon room fully lined floor to ceiling with paper and hard back tomes of all genre/nooks & crannies to sit on the floor and taste a book or 12 before you buy. Dont see it & want to support your local bookstore; they can order as well. Theyve provided more than adequate lighting enabling customers to see ALL titles plainly from top to bottom. You buy a book, get credit to pay less on the next. They keep track so Ive come out of there feeling like Ive stolen a few!😊 To look at the outside of the place youd never suspect the time it takes meandering through what feels like a mini Powells here in Salem. Not a fancy place, no room for a big luxuriously stuffed chair to sit in, no coffee unless you want to jump the back fence and get one from the new Starbucks on Commercial by Wilco or bring your own. They mean business and their business is books. Lots of em. Best thing for me? After shopping this store for years, they (Maria), know my tastes & can make suggestions within my genre; even help expand to a few others. She can do that! If you have books you dont want, take them there; they donate to our Servicemen and women. All in all, for me and the other regulars I see when I come through the door, an hour or so in my week I look forward to a whole lot.

Their knowledge of books is epic. They are incredibly fun to chat with as well. My nerd safe space.

Got on to read what everyone else’s reviews were. Seemed like a cool store. But you are not allowed to open the books. *smh* tried to buy my kid a book, and wanted to see what the skill level was and the employee working today jumped down my throat about quickly glancing at the inside pages.He tried to apologize about the rules. But I explained it is a private business and they are welcome to make whatever rules they want. But I as a customer am welcome to not spend my money or support their business. I was just glancing... not a big deal. But whatever.Don’t recommend coming here at all if you want to browse new books.

Escape Fiction will forever have my business! They have an amazing Tolkien section in their store! You can tell that they have a deep love of literature and it shows! I also had a wonderful time speaking (with who I assume was the owner) about all things related to Middle - Earth. The books I purchased are a sight to behold! Almost as beautiful as the Silmarils of Feanor! They were reasonably priced and even if they can be found cheaper online, nothing compares to the experience of finding them in such a wonderful bookstore! Thank you Escape Fiction!

First time being there and they had the books i wanted. Will go back. Person who helped was very sweet

Inside was a huge array of book choices used and new. Ended up looking around for quite awhile. Was able to get a book for my daughter that was for school and some other great series of books for my son😊

Place is huge! Looks small when you first walk in but there are new rooms around every corner! Wonderfully helpfull staff.

These people are so nice, friendly and easy to get along with. This store is much larger than it appears from the outside. I could spend hours in this store!! The staff are so helpful, but not in your face. Bring in your trades and check them out.

Very well stocked, very organized..... Owner is friendly and knowledgeable.

Real nice owner. He took us on a tour of the bookstore and it is just as big as the other two used bookstores in Salem. Nice used prices.

Great selection but was not very organized and the customer service was embarrassingly bad. The employee was loudly arguing and talked about immigrants alot, made me very uncomfortable and felt un welcome. Dont recommend (edit) he also made a very uncomfortable comment about looking at me. Im 14....

Perfect bookstore. Knowledge owners, lovely support of my habit.

I am an avid reader with a collection of several hundred (maybe 1000+?) books and i am constantly buying more. The staff at Escape Fiction are generally nice, but i have had negative experiences too.They have a good number of books - a nice selection, and sometimes they are priced well, but generally a little high imho. When you trade in books you can only apply your store credit to half of the cost of your purchases - which, if theyre priced high means you could have still purchased it elsewhere for less. I understand that this guarantees continued cash flow for the store, but other stores allow you to purchase books 100% on store credit.All these reasons make Escape Fiction only my 4th or 5th preferred place to purchased used books.

The people who run this store are amazing! They will help you look for any book you want, make sure you get the best prices and communicate however you need.

Love this place, will come here first before looking anywhere else. Staff are friendly and very helpful. Love this place.

Most unwelcome I have ever felt. My little sister was visiting from out of state. We walked in and some older gentlemen was arguing with a lady and did not cease the arguing when we walked in. We looked around and the lady there made her way to us after a couple of minutes and asked if she could help us. We said no thank you and continued to look around. The atmosphere was so uncomfortable and tense that we decided to head out. On the way out I saw a book of poems by my favorite poet. I was so excited and mentioned out loud to my sister I have to buy this for you! I grabbed a book off the shelf and we started for the cashier. My sister was behind me and I suppose she opened the book to skim through pages. The man proceeded by saying Are you going to buy that book? I was so confused and just looked at him. He was clearly flustered. He continued by saying The book is labeled new and if you open it you will bend the spine and it will not look new! I realized he was addressing my young sister and I turned to look at her. Her face was red and looked like she was on the verge of tears. I grabbed the book from her hands set is down, grabbed her hand and lead her out. I have not been back since. Very disappointing because I am new to the area and was looking for a good book store near by.

Has what you want. Dont have to Amazon it

My first visit and Im extremely happy at the selection of books. I bought 6 hardbound books of a series... all in great condition! Highly recommended.

The owners are amazing and are well read. If you need assistance finding a book or having one suggested, they will help you out.For a used book store, their stock is the best quality I have seen. They are choosy when it comes to what they take in trade - only taking books that have no damage. So, when you buy something you know you have a product that has no defects.This is my go to place for all my book needs.

The best book store in Salem Oregon, hands down.

It was awesome with wide variety of genre and a fun maze set up with the books

Great books store known owners for awhile love it

Best book store Ive ever been! The owners are so amazing and friendly! Wide variety of books to choose from, whatever your genre they have it!

I was looking for a book by Nora Roberts, the lady who answered the phone found what I wanted and held it for me. There looks to be a very large selection of used books. The clerk was helpful and friendly. I plan to go back and browse when the corona virus is under control. I would encourage anyone looking for a book to call to see if it is available.

I love this place, the owner is so nice and boy does he have interesting things to say! I love the look and feel of the entire shop, wall to wall books! I love hardcover fantasy books and I love that I can find them here at an incredible price!I highly recommend them as they are kind, informative and if you bring in old books they can take it off your new book price :D

Super friendly staff well stocked a real hidden gem

I love this place..the friendly service is wonderful

Awesome store great, knowlegable service for all my book needs...Thank You Escape...Must see store

I dont go as often as I like, but they still recognize me and greet me every time I visit. I love getting lost among their large book selection.

HUUUUGE selection and very nicely organized.

Wonderful bookstore with a great selection of new and used books. Very helpful owners.

Im new to this store but Im soon to become a regular! Well organized, clean and amazing variety of new and used. The staff was amazingly helpful. I was after certain books that are not easy to find and he was able to get them all for me at great prices, plus I found a great out of print book that no one else had! It is the kind of store you can relax, explore and loose yourself in a book. Thank you for making my day fun today.

This was an amazing find! From the looks of the outside you dont realize how big it it! When we walked in we were greeted right away and given a tour and shown each section. It felt cozy and had a family feel. They were able to answer questions and gave some great recommendations! I will definitely be back! Prices were awesome as well! I even was given a free bookmark.

Amazing selection of used and new manga

Cool. Great paperback store with loads of books and vast selection.

Lots of books, donated books find a home, dont end up in dumpster

Great place, kind and helpful people...Great prices

Great selection, and they can order anything they dont have. They also do pre orders!

This is without a doubt my favorite place to visit and Shop. The owner is friendly and one of the most knowledgeable persons Ive ever met. He also knows his inventory and his customers. If he doesnt have the book you want, he will locate and order it for you. The shelves are well-organized and well-stocked. He also has mail service to send books as presents.

Easily my favorite book store. Just being there makes my day a bit brighter. There is a good selection of books and the customer service is amazing.

Wonderful selection of books the gentleman in there is super nice and very knowledgeable will always forever have my business

One of the few places you can find used books. Girlfriend says you have a nice selection

Easily my favorite bookstore. I have been coming here since I stumbled across it one day in middle school. They have a great selection of old and new books, and if there is ever a book you need that is not in stock they will order it for you at no extra cost. Escape Fiction is definitely the kind of cozy, classic bookstore you can get lost in.

Best place for SCI-FI and Fantasy in all of Oregon. Great place.

Best place to buy books in Salem! If they dont have it they will do their best to find it for you. While the front area with new books looks like a normal, quirky book shop, the rest is a Labyrinth of glorious used books is just about every genre. You could lose yourself in there for days (but not get lost against your will).It is family owned, the staff are friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. Go once or twice and you might just feel like family yourself.

This has become my one stop shop for all things book related. I live mostly in the science fiction and fantasy genre and their selection of new and used has never disappointed. Coupled with the staffs seemingly never ending wealth of knowledge with the genre has been wonderful. I have devoured a couple series based off recommendations I got here. They don’t have a book you need? No problem. You can order it at no extra cost and they’ll give you a ring when it comes in. Oh and series are discounted if you buy them together. An all around excellent experience with very fair prices. A must for anyone in the greater Salem area.

The employees/owners are very courteous & helpful. I really like their simple, upfront policy with purchases, trades, exchange,etc. You wont be surprised @ being low-balled. The store is quite large & includes new books as well, although could be a little more user friendly. However, if you frequent the store youll learn the system. This is a great new, used, trade Bookstore. My new GO TO !

This place is a hidden gem! Had exactly the book I was looking for after trying numerous other stores. Store was clean, organized, and had an impressive inventory. The gentleman working was incredibly helpful and wonderful to chat with. Will undoubtedly be going back. Would much rather support local business like this rather than Amazon.

Neat place! I had no idea how cool the maze of books is!!! Great people, excellent customer service and an INCREDIBLE selection of books.

This bookstore is simply the best. They are unmatched in customer service of any store I have frequented. They have taken the time to learn my interests so can recommend fabulous books to me. They strive to keep the prices low and always suggest used before new. I appreciate the service they provide to local schools for OBOB also. When consigning books one can use credit earned towards purchasing. Its just the best shop for a book lover or a parent in need of books for school.

Great books, gor great pricesI got 8 manga books (death note) for only$16, staff is super nice as well!

Amazing owners. Always have what we need. Very knowledgeable about all genres. Only place we buy our books!

Really fell in love with the place. Never been to a second hand book store that’s so organized. I could be here for hours on end. However, as helpful & welcoming as the staff was, I couldn’t help but get the sense that we were being talked down to. When asked if their manga & comic books would be next to each other, one man responded with ‘no, why would they be?’, as if the question was ridiculous. Wasn’t very polite. Then when we were gonna buy a book by Tolkien, we were flipping through it & the same man walked buy & told us not to flip through it since it was new. Definitely talked us out of buying it. That being said, how they spoke to us isn’t going to deter me from coming back. It’s very much worth it. I will just keep my questions to myself unless I can be spoken to nicely. Very glad my family brought us here. It was near perfection!

Wide variety of books. Very friendly staff. A little pricey but the books are in in very good condition and they have new books too.

Stepping into a used book store can be unpredictable. You never know exactly what you will find. Im happy to say that setting foot into Escape Fiction Books was a fantastic experience. The staff was incredibly friendly, and they helped me find exactly what I was looking for right away. And even if what I was looking for wasnt there, I wouldnt have been disappointed. They have such a great selection of books. I browsed for a little while afterward and it was very pleased with what I found. Im not a local, but will definitely stop by again the next time Im in town.

This place is utterly amazing! Any avid reader will think theyve entered Nirvana. If, for some strange reason, they dont have the book youre looking for, theyll gladly order it for you. The family that owns/runs the store are very, very kind & knows an astonishing amount about books and authors! I love Escape Fiction!!

They are always helpful in looking on their shelves for a book I want to purchase. They can also get new books within one day-which is awesome service. Very nice people and great hours of operation as well. Thank you Escape Fiction of Salem!

I have been coming here for well over a decade, and if they dont have what you are looking for they will definitely find it for you. One time I tasked the owner with finding an obscure Japanese manga series, where all i had to describe it was a vague premise of the story, and he found it in five minutes. Amazing place.

Here there be Dragons.... and everything else to. Found the perfect gifts. The help was intuitive and took very random information and somehow made it all happen. Great prices and even wrapped it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This book store has used and new books with a wide variety. The prices for the older books are inside the cover. You can also turn in books that are in good condition.

Ive been going to this book store since I was a kid.First off, this is a strictly used fiction book store. If you are looking for the new york times best seller top 10 of last week you wont find it.What you will find is a treasure trove of well priced fiction books and a family owned business who can talk your head off about them. Ive never had a bad time here and they will buy your books back from you. Definitely check out this gem.

I absolutely LOVE Escape Fiction. Great prices, both new and previously read. The previously read books are in great shape, they wont take anything less. The owners are both friendly and knowledgeable.You can turn in gently used books for credit on your account, then use 1/2 towards the price of any book you are buying. Its perfect for book lovers.

My 7 year old is an advanced reader and loves Harry Potter. We went into Escape Fiction Books this afternoon with a hope that we could find something to help push her reading repertoire a bit. We came away with 17 books that should last her a while. This was due to the help of Scott working this afternoon who was able to hand us books that were not too mature for her to start reading on. Scott was also able to give us a quick synopsis of the story as he handed the books to us. We are highly impressed! We will be back. Thank you for the service that you provide.

This is my favorite book store. Helpful and knowledgeable staff that seem to have read everything already. Great recommendations. Careful not to get lost!

Nice selection, fair prices. One warning though, it is a bit of a labyrinth inside so bring a ball of string to find your way back. Ran into this Theseus guy who kept ranting about a Minotaur.

Really cool stuff. Had pretty much everything you could imagine. Customer service was top notch. The variety of all the different things makes it a place for everyone to find their favorite things

Best place to buy books, new and used. Staff is very friendly and so helpful. They can help you find what you are looking for and also make recommendations. Books are reasonably priced. A little tricky to find the building but so worth the hunt!

Amazing place! Staff is so friendly and eager to help. My one stop for books.

Escape Fiction books has a wonderful assortment of books in a tantalizing maze. The shop owners are very helpful & friendly. If they dont have a book in stock, theyll happily order it for you. I definitely recommend it.

I love book stores that you literally get lost in a book maze the best in South Salem:)

Love this place, such a fun selection of new and used books. And every question I have about the books is answered by the owner. He must have read every single book in that building!

I love this family owned book store. Everyone is super friendly and helpful with what ever youre looking for, Scott especially puts 110% in customer service and makes you feel very welcome. Going through the review and noticing the negative comments I just want say, as someone that has experienced the same book plucking endeavor I understand the insult but after the explanation of poor handling of new books it makes sense. To hold a grudge instead of asking why shows poor character. This really is a great little book store!

This is an awesome surprisingly well stocked shop. The owners are knowledgeable of their stock. Its definitely the greatest book shop in the area

This is my favorite bookstore! I only recently discovered this awesome place a few months ago. I drive 30 min to Salem to shop here, rather than at other used bookstores in my town. Scott and Scott Sr. are knowledgeable and always super helpful, and Scott has a wonderful sense of humor that is rather welcoming. They have a great selection of used as well as new books, great prices and can even special order books in. If youre an avid reader who knows what they want or a just a casual reader who is looking for something new or different, this place is for you!! Google says people generally spend 30 min here, but I would plan for more, if you love books... then MUCH more!

If ever there there was a book store that deserved your attention, this is it. Family owned and full of fantasy and sci. Fi.

Was in the parking lot

Love Escape Fictions! My favorite local book store. The owner is wonderful and can always get a book in fast if they dont have it.

They offered to special-order a new copy of a book I needed and sold it to me for quite a competitive price. The store gave me a courtesy call the next day before noon to let me know the book had arrived. I was very pleased with the entire process! Thanks!

Best place to buy books. The staff is inviting and helpful.

This is one of my favorites and not just in Salem. The owners are what make it a great place. They are both huge readers. They know books. Ask them and theyll probably know the author and odds are the book itself. The selection is great and even if you find the book new, they will always try to grab you the used one to save you money, if you want.

Very neat little place! The staff was friendly and very knowledgable about their selections! Cool kinda maze of book shelves to get lost in and just read away!

I usually purchase my books at a well-known local bookstore in the downtown area but I thought Id give this place a go...what a mistake that was. I walked in to have a browse and the shopkeeper, a bearded man in his 30s, was unbelievably rude to me. Apparently just touching a book is enough to damage it according to him. I told him I just opened it to see the publication date on it and he responded What do I gain from that? and tried to offer me a used copy. Apparently, Im not good enough for a new copy. Its a shame because I was going to purchase that copy of the first LOTR volume but now I think Ill go back to my regular store.Customer service is truly dead...at least for the guy in this store. Ill keep going to the downtown bookstore where Im treated with respect. Its no surprise that no one goes into this store and my coworkers tell me to stay away from it. What a poor way to treat your target market.Also, Im pretty sure the super narrow width between bookshelves are breaking ADA requirements.Response to owners reply: thanks for your passive-aggressive response and faux concern about my money, but I live quite comfortably and I dont need your help. Manners cost nothing - heed this advice.

Great selection and the owner was so knowledgeable and helpful. Found everything we were looking for and more. Love this place. Its small but not crowded or cluttered. Very well organized.

I had never been in before, but I wont be going back. I went in with two friends, one of which recommended it and has purchased here before. I loved the selection and the employee was friendly. I picked up a beautiful illustrated copy of a Harry Potter novel I hadnt seen before and the EMPLOYEE TOOK IT OUT OF MY HANDS saying they dont want books to be worn for customers who are actually going to buy them. The friend who recommended coming here said the employee had just done that to him a few moments before. Excuse me but if I cant look at a book, then I really wont be buying it.

I love this store. They give great recommendations, have fast special orders, and I get half off their prices with trade. Its the people that make this store happen for me 👍👍

Great store for book lovers. Owners are perceptive to your interests and helpful to finding just what you want.

As good as it gets? Really? Yes!! While this place may not carry every book on earth, it offers something the Book Bin and Powells dont and cant: personal service and a really cool atmosphere. The owners can locate any book in the shop and offer great suggestions based on what youve read in the past. Plus, the place is like a freaking book maze, making for a really fun experience!

Best bookstore in Salem! They have pretty much everything! Forget about Amazon, give them your business!

This book store is amazing, its family owned. Its not huge like borders, or barnes&noble. Its kind of hidden and not easy to stumble upon. But they have a huge selection, all the new books that come out, Scott has them, and if he doesnt have a certain book then he gets it in. They have an amazing return policy, Ive gotten more for my books from him, than I have from the bigger book stores. They are friendly with customers, I have met the whole family one time or another. Everyone that Ive taken there or told about this place, say its their favorite book store now. Stop by and check out this amazing place, youll love it!! I forgot to add that when you buy a complete series Scott gives an additional discount. Im about a 30 min drive from them, so when I get a chance to come up I try to buy as many books as possible. Scott always gives me some kind of a discount. Like I said this book store and Scott are amazing, its my favorite place I just get lost in there. I love it. Thank you Scott & family.