Four Addresses, One Bookstore
Julie Drake and Steve Lloyd opened Title Wave because they kept hauling used books back from every trip they took. Anchorage needed the selection, so they built it here.
1991
Midtown Mall
Our first real home, a little strip mall spot next to Roy's Health Foods.
1996
Fireweed Lane
Three quirky floors of stairwells and nooks. We loved it and outgrew it fast.
2002
Northern Lights Blvd
35,000 square feet with a stage, a cafe, and nearly 40 booksellers.
2007
Downtown On 5th
A great second shop next to Club Paris. Closed in 2010 as the industry shifted.
Today
Still on Northern Lights Blvd
We trimmed down from 35,000 square feet to 27,000, and it is still a very big bookstore: over 350,000 books on the shelves at any given time. New books and gifts are about 5% of what we carry. The other 95% arrives at our Intake Counter, traded in by the people who shop here.
Meet The Owner
From Bookseller To Owner
I am a lifelong Alaskan and a big book nerd. I found my place at Title Wave in 1998, at the Fireweed store, became store manager in 2008, then worked with the founders to plan their exit and bought the business in March 2017.
These days I split my time between the sales floor and the office. I am still a big reader, in two book clubs, with a large to-be-read stack nearby. Come find my Staff Picks shelf in the store.
These days I split my time between the sales floor and the office. I am still a big reader, in two book clubs, with a large to-be-read stack nearby. Come find my Staff Picks shelf in the store.
Our People
Booksellers Who Stay
Customers tell us our staff are the best anywhere. We already knew. Many of them have been here for decades.
20+ Years
Angela, Scott, Steve and Jeremiah
8+ Years
Chris and Courtney
5+ Years
Ken and Patrick