Title Wave Books

Oh, Title Wave how I heart you. There are isles (so many isles) of books. Everything that you possibly need or think you need are in there. This is a secondhand bookstore so not only are you able to buy at a discount — you can trade in for store credit too!
FYI: They do not typically carry college textbooks because the publishers revise them so often.
I don’t mind that, they have an array of planners/​calendars and journals to choose from. Not to mention the trails and hiking maps for the adventurers. ALSO– it’s located right next to Kaladi Brothers so grab that white chocolate Americano and find a book!

Powell’s is to Portland as Title Wave is to Anchorage.
Big-​ass independent bookstore with lots of used and new stuff and a special focus on all things Alaskan-​y. They’ve got a ton of used stuff and lots of comics/​graphic novels/whatever-I’m-supposed-to-call-them.
If they don’t have it here, they probably don’t have it in Alaska. I’ve even been referred here by AMH when looking for climbing books!
Bonus points for being linked into Yak & Yeti.

Hubs came here about two weeks ago and told me I HAD to see how cool this place was, so tonight we made a family outing of it.
The verdict?
I’m calling this place Anchorage’s answer to Portland’s Powell’s Books. Anyone on here who has been to Powell’s is going to know that’s a BIG ass compliment!
But the reality is that this place is even better, because most of the books are second hand, therefore very reasonably priced, and in very good condition. In short, this place is a damn goldmine! Moreover, you can TRADE books, which is unusual in this day and age. Got any books you’ve been needing to rehome? Take them here. You might even walk away with a whole new library lol.
Selection is vast because this place is bloody BIG. Makes me realize there’s got to be a lot of bookworms up here to support a place this extensive, thus further boosting Anchorage’s superiority to the place I moved from… where there wasn’t a bookstore to be had for miles.
The store is also conveniently annexed to a fast Indian food joint whose food isn’t too bad in its own right. Thus, you can sit down to eat and go peruse the bookstore to walk off the grub.
Their kids section is the biggest and best kids section I have ever seen. There’s a very cool little nook to hang out with the kids so you can actually look at the books that interest you. I loved it because it was in a private area that was set apart from the rest of the main store. Plus, it had dimmer light so it felt almost intimate if you can believe that. It helped that we were the only ones sitting there lol.
Fantastic store in every way. ¹⁰⁄₁₀. We will become frequent fliers of this place I am sure!

My favorite store to visit whenever I was in town from Kodiak! I’d grab a book find a chair and spend a couple of hours hanging out while the family ran errands. Now that I’m living here in Anchorage I’m looking forward to more opportunities to visit.

I’m so thankful to have Title Wave – it’s an excellent store for used media, new stationary and sundries, and even hanging out.
In addition to books of all genres, ranging from children’s to cookbooks, sociology to erotica, they have music and movies for those of us who like our old school wares.
They have community tables that groups can schedule. Game nights (maybe only during the winter) like Scrabble. A community chess/​checkers table.
The best part is you can buy and sell used to recycle and enjoy new titles regularly. They are fair in their pricing and accept a wide variety.
Conveniently located in Spenard, you can drop off books, run errands, and come back and shop, which is what I’m doing here today.
Thanks for filling a much-​needed hole in the Anchorage scene, Title Wave!

Excellent book shop. So hard to find these days. Wonderful service «with a smile». A HUGE Alaska section. Amazing children’s book selection. We grew up shopping at Maple Street Books in New Orleans. This is huge by comparison but the wonderful eclectic vibe is alive and well.

I just moved to Anchorage and am so glad a friend told me about this place. They have a variety of selections for a good price. I could get lost in here for hours. I only wish they had more current medical/​nursing books for students. But they can only stick what people sell to them right?

Charming and BIG SELECTION of books. Lots of new and used inexpensive books. Definitely worth checking this place out FIRST before the Barnes and Noble. TONS of books on Alaska! A whole section!

I pretty much love this place. It’s got a surprisingly decent-​sized selection of books and DVDs. I know they have CDs, and it looks like they have a whole lot, but to be honest, I never look at that section because… I mean really, I can’t remember the last time I bought a CD. Don’t judge me. They have some vinyl, too… which is always awesome.
But, their book selections are awesome and extensive; great selections of Alaskan-​authored and Alaskan-​themed books, impressive kids’ selection including a reasonable comic books selection, and all your normal book sections, all a lot more well-​stocked than I’d expect to find in a used bookstore, especially outside of like super rich neighborhoods of giant cities. Yeah, that was a weird way to explain that, but you know what I’m talking about.
I’ve also found a bunch of super obscure movies and TV series DVD box sets, some old autographed first edition copies of archaic looking literature I’ve never heard of, and even Rosetta Stone packages. Which… I mean, I assume is legal. Who knows, really?
Plus, you can sit and read, drink coffee, or play checkers. Which, in my opinion, pretty much makes up for the lack of a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Anchorage.
It’s also connected to Yak & Yeti if you’re hungry for some awesome pretty stinkin delicious Himalayan/​Indian/​Nepalese food. But, that’s a different review.
Anyway, Title Wave is sweet.
Oh, and the staff are always nice and helpful… and sometimes talk like pirates. So… that’s obviously a positive.

Such a fun store to go and visit! Who doesn’t love a good book? This place has a wide variety of options for bookworms. Why buy new when you can get a gently used book at less than half the price? There are fun areas within this store that you can sit and read parts of a book prior to purchasing. There is also a huge section for the kiddos so you can make it a family outing. The staff members are very pleasant and the overall layout of the store is nice making it easy to find the genre you are looking for. If you are looking for something to do I highly recommend visiting this place.

Love their selection of books for the most part, just don’t try and bring books in and expect much cash return, text books (basically new) new DVDs and only 10 $ back? Kind of a rip off, better to do the store credit for more but… Come on!

Improved Stock
Over the last couple of years, Title Wave has really improved its inventory and stock. It has gone from a decent used book store to an excellent used book store. I still miss the gifts, probably because I have about $ 250 in trade, but the change in business model is clearly working.

A used book mecca. We had some time to kill before leaving Anchorage and ended up here by accident. Really wished I could have bought more than I did. The selection was wide and of good quality. This place is a gem.

First place you should look for books that were published over 2 years ago. Huge selection & cheap prices compared to retail. They also have a selection of greeting cards, a comic book section, and even calendars and day planners. You can play chess or Japanese Go on the weekdays in the game table area.

I love this place. Cheap books, good titles, coffee… Seriously, what more could a girl ask for?

Check out title wave before heading to Barnes & Noble. The books are reasonably priced and there is always someone to assist with inquiries. Great selection of children’s books and there’s a coffee shop inside.

This used bookstores has the widest selection of books in Anchorage, maybe in Alaska. That is not counting libraries. Title Wave is also the best place in Anchorage to meet with other writers and readers. They have a nice sitting area which is quiet enough for carring out a discussion of literature.

Based on my exploration of craft, cooking, travel, and literary fiction sections, Title Wave has an amazing selection. Books are in excellent condition, and include new releases. The Alaska section is quite large, and I bought several Alaska art cards for $ 3 each.
Prices aren’t yard-​sale low, but hey, yard sales aren’t this comprehensive and well-​organized.
I brought in a couple of boxes of discarded books and ended up getting (and spending) around $ 80 in store credit.
There is a cozy coffee shop in the store. Both times I’ve gone, I’ve spend a few hours.

I was 10 hours away from hopping my flight back to MD, and I had finished my book. I wanted to donate the book because it was a pretty recent best-​seller. I went to the counter, and they let me know it would be a few minutes for them to assess if they could use the book. I had to become a «member» despite explaining in a depressing way that I was probably never coming back to the bookstore. Someone later pointed out that made me the worst customer! This place was hard to navigate, and I had to ask about how the books were organized. I was looking for Erik Larson novels, which were scattered by subject. So «In The Garden of Beasts» was in the WWII section, and «Devil In The White City» was in the True Crime section.
To my excitement, each book was $ 7.95, and went to check on my book. They said they could use it, and they could give me $ 2 for it. I tried to tell them don’t worry, and to please take it. They couldn’t take that for an answer. I explained that I would never be coming back to use it, and they were already giving me two recent books for a great price.
When I went to check out, the woman said that I actually got $ 4 back. That was okay because between my husband and I, we picked out 5 books. I think I might have broken $ 20. Money well-​spent.

If you can find a better bookstore in Alaska, then you aren’t in Alaska. This place is AMAZING. It makes the my favorite book exchange back in Jerz look like a closet. The selection of Alaskeana is awesome. I only made it through FOUR rows of this book store. I was enchanted by the Alaskan cookbooks section, which includes tons of those little cookbooks made my churches and civic books. It’s only in places like this that you can find recipes for moose lasagna and bear burgers. Did I mention this place is ginormous? And I found a book that I’ve been looking for forever about the local flora and berry picking in Alaska for only 5 bucks. Yay for me!
If you’re not from Alaska and you want to find gifts for friends back home, this is a good place to start.