This list of books set in the Pacific Northwest takes you to a place that is beautiful to live in and explore.
Not everyone can live in or visit the Pacific Northwest. Our list of books set in the Pacific Northwest, though, can help you travel there through reading.
Our list contains books set in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Many books are set in these three states, but as with the majority of our lists, this list features books we have personally read. So, these are the books we have read and can offer our honest thoughts on.
You might notice that my list of Oregon books is the longest. I think that is because I grew up in Oregon and all my family still lives there. That means I am drawn to Oregon books and have read a lot of them.
I haven’t read many books set in Idaho, so there aren’t many on this list. When I was compiling this list, though, I began researching books set in Idaho that I wanted to read.
If you have a book set in Idaho to recommend, please let me know. I would love to find more of them.
What Is the Pacific Northwest?
You might be wondering what precisely the Pacific Northwest is.
The Pacific Northwest includes the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
For this list of books set in the Pacific Northwest, I am sharing books set in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, which I have always known as the three states that make up the Pacific Northwest.
From my research, I was unable to find an exact definition of the Pacific Northwest. Some say it is the western part of North America from the Pacific to the Rocky Mountains.
Some say it is just the U.S., while others claim Western Canada is part of it. So, British Columbia, or at least western British Columbia, and even sometimes Alaska, are listed as part of the Pacific Northwest.
Others list Montana and Northern California as part of the Pacific Northwest, which I had never heard before.
Since the definitions I found all include Oregon, Washington, and Idaho as part of the Pacific Northwest, and that is what I grew up calling the region, those are the three states I am featuring on this list.
Books Set In the Pacific Northwest
This list contains twenty-three fiction and non-fiction reads.
If you love books set in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, be sure to bookmark or save this post. I have so many books set in the Pacific Northwest in my to-be-read stack, that I will be updating this list as I read them.
Fiction Books Set In Idaho
Housekeeping by Marilynn Robison
Housekeeping was published in 1980. It is about two girls, raised by their grandmother and aunt, who live in a small town in Idaho.
Nonfiction Books Set In Idaho
Set in rural Idaho, Educated is Tara Westover’s memoir of a dysfunctional childhood. I enjoyed this book, although I know not everyone did.
It is a challenging but important read because we often don’t like to admit that this type of childhood exists in America.
Fiction Books Set In Oregon
Deep River is set in the area where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. This book could be on a list of books set in Washington as well because it is set in both Oregon and Washington.
Karl Marlantes is from the Pacific Northwest and it shines in his writing. He knows the people, places, and history so well.
The descriptions of the weather, the forests, the river, and the people in this historical fiction book are so well done.
Eileen Garvin lives in the Pacific Northwest, and it shines through in this book. She gets the people, the culture, the politics, and the weather of the Pacific Northwest.
This book is about family, grief, love, nature, and complex relationships.
The two main characters, Frankie O’Neill and Anne Ryan, appear to have nothing in common, but after meeting at a lake high in the mountains, they end up with a lot in common.
The House At Cannon Beach by ReaAnne Thayne
I grew up about an hour from Cannon Beach, Oregon. It is a place that I know and love. This book took me back to all the times I have been to Cannon Beach.
The House At Cannon Beach is like a Hallmark movie in a book. It could also be described as a classic beach read. If you need a quick read, you might enjoy this one.
The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris
This is my current read. I am only halfway through it, but it is so well done that I knew I had to add it to the list.
This book is set in 1888 Portland, in the Shanghai Tunnels, which were underground tunnels under Portland’s waterfront.
Since I grew up in Oregon, I have heard about the Shanghai Tunnels, but I have never read a historical fiction book about them.
If you love historical fiction about little known places and events, I think you will enjoy this one.
Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander
I read this book set in a small town in southern Oregon after a reader recommended it. It is a cozy mystery that mixes food and mystery.
This is the first book in the series, and I need to read more of the series.
Nonfiction Books Set In Oregon
Mushroom Hunters by Langdon Cook
Did you know that Oregon is known for mushroom picking? I grew up in the far northwest corner of Oregon, where mushroom hunting is a thing. I remember picking mushrooms and selling them to a neighbor back in the 1980s when gourmet mushrooms were becoming super popular.
Mushroom Hunters takes you into the crazy world of mushroom hunting and the extent to which people go to find the rare ones. This is another book that includes some information about Washington, too.
One Tough Mother by Gert Boyle
One Tough Mother is the story of how the clothing company Columbia was built. The founder of Columbia escaped Nazi Germany, settled in Oregon, and built Columbia into a company that is known around the world.
This book is part business book and part memoir, but since it is set in Oregon, there is a ton of Oregon history also mixed in.
If you know our family in real life, you have probably heard us talk about this book. My daughter, my husband, and I have all read and loved this book.
Shoe Dog is the story of NIKE. It is a business book, but it is so much more than that.
NIKE was founded in Oregon, and the headquarters are in Beaverton, Oregon, about an hour from where I grew up. I have driven by the NIKE headquarters many times. Because Nike was built in Oregon, there is a significant amount of Oregon history in this book.
Tree Thieves by Lyndsie Bourgon
Tree Thieves is a book that I don’t think received the attention it deserves. It is a true crime book about trees and the logging industry.
This book is set all over the West Coast, but a good portion of it is set in Oregon. I grew up in a logging town in Oregon and this book gives a good picture of what life in a logging town is like.
If you like true crime or weird history, this is a great book.
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose
This book is the story of the Oregon Trail. It was published in 1996, but I did not read it until last year. It turned out to be a five-star read for me.
This is a long book with a lot of facts, but Stephen E. Ambrose made the Oregon Trail and Lewis and Clark fascinating.
Fiction Books Set In Washington State
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is set in Seattle during World War II. It is about life in Seattle during the war, but it is also about Japanese internment Camps during WWII. It is also about love, friendship, family, war, and loyalty.
I read this book quite a few years ago, and it is still one of the WWII books that I think about the most.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Marie Semple
Set in Seattle, Where’d You Go, Bernadette was published in 2013. It’s a quirky, fun book that I couldn’t put down.
One of the things that I loved about this book is the descriptions of Seattle and the people who live there. Marie Semple did a great job writing about the weather and the people of Washington State.
The Road To Paradise by Karen Barnett
The Road to Paradise is set in Mount Rainier National Park in 1927. If you like clean romance books, this one is for you. The author is a former park ranger. Her writing about national parks is so good because she knows the parks so well.
16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber
Have you heard of the Hallmark series Cedar Cove? The 16 Lighthouse Road book and the Cedar Cove series are the books on which the TV series is based.
16 Lighthouse Road is set in a small coastal town near Seattle. This book follows Judge Olivia Lockheart and her family and friends. This book is about real life in a small town.
If you enjoy Debbie Macomber books and haven’t read this one, I think you will enjoy it.
Sweet Beginnings by Nicole Ellis
Sweet Beginnings is set in a small beach town in Washington state. Dahlia inherits her aunt’s bookstore in Candle Beach, where she meets Garret, who recently moved to Candle Beach for a quiet life.
If you need a quick, fun, relatively clean romance read, this is a good one.
Nonfiction Books Set In Washington State
Eruption is the story of Mount St. Helens. I grew up in Oregon, not far from the border with Washington State. I was six years old on May 18, 1980, when Mount St. Helens erupted. I clearly remember the event, but at the time, I had no idea what a historic event I was living through.
This book covers before, during, and after the eruption. It also has a lot of information about the logging industry woven into the story of Mount St. Helens.
If you are from Oregon or Washington or want to know more about this historic event, this is an excellent book.
The Boys In the Boat by Danial James Brown
The Boys in the Boat is one of my all-time favorite nonfiction books. It is about a rowing team from Washington in the 1930s.
It is a powerful story of overcoming hardship, difficulty, and not giving up even when you want to give up. It is the story of teamwork and leadership.
This is a great book for teens and young adults to read.
The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald
The Egg and I was published in 1945. It is a memoir about life in rural Washington during the 1920s and early 1930s.
The author of this book does such a great job describing the weather, people, and places of the Pacific Northwest.
Since it was written in 1945, parts of it are dated, but it is still a great book for learning about life in Washington in the 1920s and 1930s.
Have you ever heard of the Geoduck? It is the world’s largest burrowing calm and people will go to great lengths to find this prized clam.
Set in Washington, this book takes you to the bizarre world of black market seafood.
This book is excellent for fans of non murder true crime.
This book is a memoir about a cabin in Washington state, but it is about so much more.
It is about a place to go when you live in the city. It is about esacpaing from a noisy busy world to a slow paced life in rural America.
I loved the author’s descriptions of the weather, people and places of rural life in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in rural western Oregon, and I could relate to a lot of this book.
Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz
Pour Your Heart Into It is the story of Starbucks. This is a business book, but since Starbucks originated in Washington, it contains a significant amount of Washington and Seattle history. Coffee is a massive part of the culture of the Pacific Northwest, and this book helps explain why.
I read this book years ago and enjoyed it.
What are your favorite books set in the Pacific Northwest?
Great recommendations. I have read the Karen Barnett books and loved all of them. I put Ellie Alexanders on hold at the library. I listened to Educated. WOW! what a story.