Books Set In Oregon

Are you interested in learning more about the state of Oregon? This list of books set in Oregon will help you learn more about the state and the people that live there.

We are continuing our journey through the U.S. by reading through the states. So far, we have covered books set in Oklahoma, books set in California, and books set in Texas.

Today’s list is all about the state of Oregon.

I am a little partial to the state of Oregon. It is where I grew up and where most of my family still live.

I have lived in Oklahoma for over twenty years, but Oregon will always be considered home. I love the people, places, and scenery of Oregon. 

From just about anywhere you live in Oregon, you can be at the beach, the mountains, or the river in just a few hours. It has hiking, camping, skiing, and so much more.

If you love the outdoors, a visit to Oregon is a must. 

Since we love books, history, and Oregon, we put together a list of books set in Oregon. Most of these are nonfiction, but there is also a fiction book or two on the list. 

If we missed a book that you think should be added to the list, please leave a comment letting us know. We love finding new books.

Books Set In Oregon

As always these are all books that we have read and enjoyed.

The Mushroom Hunters

I grew up in a small logging town in the middle of nowhere, near the NW coast range of Oregon. The area I grew up in and that my family still lives in is mentioned in Langdon Cook’s The Mushroom Hunters. In fact, I grew up picking mushrooms back in the 1980s, when mushroom picking was just becoming popular.

We walked the forests and logging roads, picking mushrooms. We sold them to a mushroom buyer who lived a mile or so down the road. He was a friend of my parents, and I went to school with his son. It was small-town rural living.

Mushroom picking has changed drastically since my family picked and sold them back in the 1980s. In fact, I had no idea how much it had changed until I read this book, but it brought back so many memories.

The Mushroom Hunters is one of those books that would work for two states. It takes place all over the Pacific Northwest, but a good portion of it covers mushroom picking in Oregon. I grew up mushroom picking in the far northwest corner of Oregon, and I could relate so much to the weather, forests, and so much more that this book covers.

Shoe Dog

I couldn’t share a list of books set in Oregon without sharing this one.

Shoe Dog is the story of NIKE and how it became one of the most noticeable brands in the world. But what you may not know about NIKE is that is all started in Oregon.

The headquarters of NIKE are about an hour from where my family lives. When we visit family we drive by the NIKE campus all the time. I have friends that work there. This book made my Oregon list because the culture of NIKE and how it became NIKE tells so much about Oregon and what makes Oregon what it is. 

In telling the story of NIKE, Shoe Dog also tells you so much about the 1960s, 1970’s, and 1980s in Oregon. It covers not only the sport of running, it tells you all about running in Oregon and at the University of Oregon. If you love business books or want to learn more about NIKE or Oregon, Shoe Dog is a great read. 

The Oregon Trail

The book The Oregon Trail was a fascinating read.

I grew up about one hour from the end of the Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail was a big part of my school history Curriculum. I have visited history centers, read books, watched documentaries, and attended a few reenactments.

This book was a little different though in that it mixed Oregon Trail history with a modern day trip across the trail. I started reading this book because I was curious and it sounded interesting, but I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it. I ended up loving it.

It made history fun by mixing it with modern day events. The Oregon Trail is the story of two brothers, a covered wagon, and a team of mules who traveled 2,000 miles of the Oregon trail, the old-fashioned way. I have read some bad reviews on it, but I enjoyed it. 

Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose

The book above is about the Oregon Trail, but if you are going to read a book about the Oregon Trail this is the one I would start with.

Undaunted Courage was published back in 1996, but I didn’t read it until recently.

This book sat in my to-be-read stack for years because I thought it would be textbook-like. It was not that at all.

This book made the Oregon Trail and its history fascinating.

The Oregon Shanghaiers

I grew up halfway between Portland and Astoria Oregon, but I didn’t know very much about the Oregon Shangaiers. I could have learned about this topic in school years ago, but if I did I don’t remember it.

Grace picked this up on a trip to Oregon to visit family. She read it, and I was fascinated with what she told me. I need to read it to learn more about the area where I grew up. 

If you live in Portland, Oregon, or want to learn more about the history of Portland, The Oregon Shangaiers is an interesting read. This is one of those books that you will definitely learn something from. Even if you live in Oregon, you will probably find out something that you never knew before. 

Meet Your Baker

A reader recommended this book and series to me as a cozy mystery type of book because she knew I liked Cozy Mysteries. As soon as I realized it was set in Oregon, I knew that it was a must-read.

I am glad that read recommended Meet Your Baker because I really enjoyed it. It was an easy, light read, that involved a mystery without the graphic details. Since I grew up in Oregon, I enjoyed that this book took place in a small town in Oregon. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Rogue River Feud

The Rogue River is one of the most known rivers in Oregon. It is also a beautiful area to visit. If you like westerns this is a fun one because it is slightly different than most of them.

It takes place mostly in the woods and countryside after World War I. It has a characteristic storyline that I could predict. Grace enjoyed Rogue River Feud as a fun, light-hearted book with a love story. Since it takes place in Oregon, it is a great read for books set in Oregon. 

Deep River

Deep River by Karl Marlantes is an epic multi-generational historical fiction story of a family that lives on the Washington Oregon border during the early 1900s.

This book would easily work for a book set in either Oregon or Washington because it takes place right along the border on the Columbia River. 

I grew up in the northwest corner of Oregon. Deep River is by an author from a coastal town in Oregon that I have been to many times. The subject of the book, though, finally sold me on it.

This book is about logging in the area along the Columbia River during the early 1900’s. I grew up in a small logging town in the far NW corner of Oregon.

I grew up around logging and loggers. I have friends that still log. I have family that logged during the same time period that this book covers. It was a book I felt I needed to read because I could relate to so much of it, and although I have mixed feelings about the book, I am so glad I read it!

His descriptions of the weather, trees, buildings, rivers, etc., were so well done that at times, I felt like I was back in Oregon on a rainy day in the forest.

I also thought the author did a great job describing logging camps and towns during the early 1900s. Logging is a dangerous job, and the camps of the early 1900s were not pleasant. Once again, I could tell that the author did his research and knew the topic well. 

There were a few things about this book that I didn’t love though, so be sure to read my full review of Deep River here. 

The House At Cannon Beach

The House at Cannon Beach by RaeAnnee Thayne is a Hallmark movie style book, but since it takes place in my favorite beach town, I had to include it on the list of books set in Oregon. 

This book made me feel like I was visiting Cannon Beach again. The author obviously knows the area well and did a great job describing the area and the people. 

This isn’t my normal type of read, but I really enjoyed it. If you love fun, fairly clean romances, this is a good one. 

Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin

After hearing an interview with the author, I knew that I wanted to read Crow Talk. She lives in Oregon, and this fact shines through in this historical fiction book. She describes the people and places of Oregon so well.

Crow Talk is set along the Columbia River. It is set in Hood River and at the family’s lake house in the Mountains of Washington State.

It is a book about family, friendship, and forgiveness.

One Tough Mother by Gert Boyle

One Tough Mother is the story of Columbia Sportswear, which was founded in Portland, Oregon. The company’s headquarters are still located in Portland.

This book is a great memoir and a good business book. Since Columbia Sportswear is based in Oregon, it contains quite a bit of Oregon history.

The Sniper by Jim Lindsay

I debated putting this book on the list of books set in Oregon, but Chuch Mawhinney grew up in Oregon. This book is mainly about Chuck Mawhinney and Vietnam. However, the beginning of the book is set in Oregon and his Oregon roots come through in his whole life.

Chuck Mawhinney, who grew up in a small Oregon town became the greatest Marine Marksman of all time.

I enjoyed the Oregon connection in this book, but I also enjoyed learning more about what Chuck Mawhinney and others went through during Vietnam.

Cannon Beach Book Company

And I can’t talk about books and Oregon without talking about one of my favorite bookstores to visit on vacation. If you are ever in Cannon Beach, Oregon, be sure to visit the Cannon Beach Book Company. It is a fun bookstore to visit at the Oregon Coast.