The Most Expensive Book on Sale at Powell’s City of Books Costs $350,000

Plus, the 10 other books and theater figures that defined 2016 in Portland.

(ambrosiaforheads.com)
By WW Staff

$350,000

Price of the most expensive book on sale at Powell's City of Books, a 20-volume 1814 printing of the Lewis and Clark journals. It's not actually stocked in the store, but in "a safe, secure place."

2,343

Times that Multnomah County Library's most popular book, Paula Hawkins' thriller The Girl on the Train, was checked out.

1,682

Times that neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi's memoir about having terminal lung cancer, When Breath Becomes Air, was checked out. It was the most popular nonfiction book in the library system.

1,336

Times the library's most-popular children's book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was checked out. It was also the top-selling book at Powell's, though the company would not release sales figures.

No. 4

Phil Knight's ranking on the Powell's Books best-seller list for his memoir, Shoe Dog, about founding Nike and raising iconic local rapper Chilly T. It was beat out by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Rupi Kaur's poetry collection Milk and Honey, and Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy's The Wildwood Chronicles Book 1, but finished ahead of The Girl on the Train.

41

Times that Portland Center Stage performed Little Shop of Horrors, the most shows of any play in Portland this year.

45,483

Tickets sold for The Book of Mormon at Keller Auditorium, the top-selling play staged in Portland.

$2 million

Estimated cost of Portland Playhouse's renovations. The project will be completed in 2017, and involves gutting the main level of the historic church that houses the theater, as well as constructing a new studio space.

37

Days that Post5 Theatre has been without a theater since losing its Sellwood location. The company owed three months of back rent, and could not accept donations for its current season because it lost its nonprofit status last year.

5

Seconds it took for Dave Chappelle's four surprise shows in March at the Aladdin Theater to sell out, according to the venue.

Growth | Food and Drink | Schooling | Music | The Great Outdoors| Page and Stage | Politics | Weed | Games | Screens: Large and Small

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.