The Bookshop Hunter — James H Duncan

A Review of Lake Bound Bookstore

Feb 18

Feb 18 A Review of Lake Bound Bookstore

Bookshop Review

2878 NY-43, Averill Park, NY (really in Sand Lake, though)

First impressions go a long way. It’s what this bookstore blog was originally based on: that initial feeling of wandering a shop with little advanced knowledge, rather than a build-in pre-scheduled tour where you get the shiniest version of a bookstore. And those first impressions have run the gamut. I’ve found wonderful cavernous troves of used books in the most inconspicuous of old barns. I’ve stumbled across legendary shops that have impressed readers for generations and shops that are just getting off the ground, held together by hopes, dreams, and a small but growing selection. But Lake Bound Bookstore is a whole other category, and a gorgeous one at that.

A Review of Green Hand Bookshop

Feb 8

Feb 8 A Review of Green Hand Bookshop

Bookshop Review

661 Congress Street, Portland, ME

Green Hand is the kind of throwback second-hand bookshop you yearn to find, where new books sit side-by-side with old-school pulp paperbacks in every row, aisle, stack, and nook in a long tangle of a one-room shop. It’s the kind of place where you should ideally set aside more than an hour to explore, a whole afternoon if you’re ambitious. I mean, as the good doctor Hunter S Thompson said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right,” right? Well, I did it wrong and only gave the shop a quick half hour, but it was enough to fall in love.

A Review of Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop (Boothbay Harbor)

Dec 18

Dec 18 A Review of Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop (Boothbay Harbor)

Bookshop Review

5 Commercial St., Boothbay Harbor, ME

Sometimes you walk into a bookshop and you are taken aback, eyebrows raised, surprised by the unexpected delight of finding a much bigger bookshop than you were expecting, a shop that you want to spend the rest of the afternoon browsing around the stacks, slowly parsing the deals, gifts, and merch until you find just the right book. This is the feeling that Sherman’s Maine Coast Bookshop in Boothbay Harbor gives off. Located in the heart of one of Maine’s exemplary coastal villages—a bustling tangle of hilly streets full of gift shops, restaurants, and all the tourist ephemera you can imagine—this shop is far more than I expected.

A Review of Big Blue Marble Bookstore

Oct 27

Oct 27 A Review of Big Blue Marble Bookstore

Bookshop Review

551 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA

The Mt. Airy neighborhood just north of Philly is packed with lovely homes that all seem to have front gardens of tomatoes or colorful flowerbeds growing right along the sidewalk. It’s a charming, walkable neighborhood, the kind you’d like to get lost in on a Halloween night. But the intersection of Carpenter and Greene is a quaint pocket of cafes and shops, including a co-op grocer and this small but impressive bookstore.

A Review of Oblong Books (Millerton)

Oct 4

Oct 4 A Review of Oblong Books (Millerton)

Bookshop Review

26 Main Street, Millerton, NY

And then, very suddenly, a village appears. The rolling farmland along the border between New York and Massachusetts parts and Millerton appears, with all its genteel new money on display. Perhaps not NEW new, but Millerton is one of those small, almost-hidden nearby towns like Rhinebeck, Kinderhook, Stockbridge, Lenox, or Athens that has seen small waves of artists and the well-to-do leave New York City for trendy enclaves just like this, and Oblong Books is just the bookstore to bring the literary flair of the big city to quiet country living.

A Review of A New Leaf Used Books

Aug 12

Aug 12 A Review of A New Leaf Used Books

Bookshop Review

RR 199 Pine Plains, NY

A New Leaf sits a few doors down from the crossroad at the heart of Pine Plains in New York’s Hudson Valley. It’s one of many quaint little towns dotting the long strip of land in New York between the Hudson River and the edge of where New England officially begins. And like the village it’s in, A New Leaf was a quiet, quaint, and pleasant browsing experience.

A Review of Kinderhook Books

Jun 29

Jun 29 A Review of Kinderhook Books

Bookshop Review

10 Broad Street Kinderhook, NY

On my way to a day of bookshop hunting in Dutchess County in New York’s Hudson Valley, I detoured into the heart of historic Kinderhook village. Overlooking the quaint crossroads downtown I found Kinderhook Books. Small tables with brief but intriguing menus waited out front, my first hint that this bookstore is much more than a mere shop to pick up the latest bestseller.

A Review of The Ripped Bodice (Brooklyn)

May 19

May 19 A Review of The Ripped Bodice (Brooklyn)

Bookshop Review

218 5th Ave. Brooklyn, NY

As I approached the pink, scripted signage outside the shop, I wondered how many people have been able to visit both Ripped Bodice locations. I wonder how many people realize how the new(ish) Brooklyn location absolutely nailed the easy-going and brightly decorated vibe of the Los Angeles shop. The atmosphere is fun, the patrons are enthusiastic, and the store does a great job of exploring the many facets of the romance genre.

A Review of Argosy Book Store

Apr 25

Apr 25 A Review of Argosy Book Store

Bookshop Review

116 E 59th Street, New York, NY

Argosy is one of the small handful of bookshops I’ve visited over the years that I would call a cultural destination. One of the oldest still-running bookstores in America, having opened in 1925 by the same family that runs it today, Argosy is as much a beautiful destination experience as it is a place to buy a book. Tucked between skyscrapers in upper midtown east near the southeast corner of Central Park and Bloomingdales, this bookstore is a must-visit for any bookworm.

A Review of Yellow Lab Vintage & Books

Mar 14

Mar 14 A Review of Yellow Lab Vintage & Books

Bookshop Review

9 Broadway, Troy, NY

I stumbled across this incredibly unique bookshop on my way to a company outing, which I was late for due to this place pulling me inside like it had a tractor beam. Downtown Troy had a new bookshop? Has it really been that long since I’d walked around Monument Square? Answer to both questions: YES. This place has been open for well over a year when I visited, and all I have to say about my discovery is: better late than never.

A Review of The Stacks (JFK)

Mar 2

Mar 2 A Review of The Stacks (JFK)

Bookshop Review

Queens, NY, JFK Airport, Terminal 4

We’ve all been stuck at the airport looking at the same limited stock you might find in a Hudson Bookseller or Hudson News. All fine and well until you see a full-fledged bookshop further along the terminal with a diverse selection that goes well beyond the usual beach reads. And that’s just what I found while taking a globe-crossing jaunt last month.

A Review of Astoria Bookshop

Dec 28

Dec 28 A Review of Astoria Bookshop

Bookshop Review

36-19 30th Street Astoria, Queens, NY 11106

I lived in Astoria, Queens around the time the Astoria Bookshop opened in its original location not far from the Broadway stop (then the N/Q) but it’s been a while since I wandered my old neighborhood and I’ve been curious about how the new location suits the store. It’s now around the corner from the 36th Street stop on the same line (now the N/W), standing halfway down a same tree-lined street. I was happy to discover it’s still a robust (and slightly larger) shop as ever.

A Review of Phoenix Books (Rutland)

Nov 17

Nov 17 A Review of Phoenix Books (Rutland)

Bookshop Review

2 Center Street, Rutland, VT

I went to college in Bennington, Vermont, and even back then my image of the landscape between Bennington and Burlington up in the north contained only quaint villages, forested hollows, and ski resorts. In truth there are a number of interesting bastions of literary interest in between, including Rutland.

A Review of Golden Leaf Books

Sep 8

Sep 8 A Review of Golden Leaf Books

Bookshop Review

30 Saratoga Ave., Waterford, NY

I found this bookshop in a small strip of stores anchored by a Stewart’s Shop heading into Waterford, a cozy little store (self-described as “a witchy bookstore/headshop” on Instagram) that sells more than novels and notebooks. Let’s say that Gandalf the Grey would enjoy browsing here, and the shop has a unique angle that stands apart from all other bookshops in the area, focusing on a “heady” mix of the fantastic, romantic, feminine, and mystical.

A Review of Pickwick Bookshop

Aug 8

Aug 8 A Review of Pickwick Bookshop

Bookshop Review

8 South Broadway, Nyack, NY

There are no two used bookstores alike. Some are in big, rambling barns. Some are a bit gloomy and dusty. Some are neat as a pin and narrow as a galley kitchen. And some are a delightful mound of books that seem to be tumbling from every shelf in a magical state of disarray. Pickwick Bookshop is the latter, and I mean that in the best way imaginable.

A Review of Boswell's Books

Jul 21

Jul 21 A Review of Boswell's Books

Bookshop Review

10 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA

Boswell’s Books resides in the downtown heart of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, a village that itself is a wonderful destination for those looking for tranquil New England villages. Besides the Bridge of Flowers and the falls themselves, there are shops, restaurants, and of course, great bookshops like this one to wander through. Boswell’s has been an active part of the community since 1991, and it was a delight to visit.

A Review of 1804 Books

Jun 30

Jun 30 A Review of 1804 Books

Bookshop Review

320 W 37th Street, New York, NY

I stopped into 1804 Books on a rainy spring weekday and found much more than a bookshop. The store is part of The People’s Forum, or as they call it, “a movement incubator for working class and marginalized communities to build unity across historic lines of division at home and abroad.” The bookshop portion of the Forum occupied the space closest to the front of the shop with large windows overlooking a rather quiet portion of 37th Street. It’s not a large area of the forum, but there are enough shelves and table display to keep you browsing and introduce you to plenty of books about socialist, working class, union, feminist, and anti-colonialist causes.

A Review of Big Red Books

Jun 1

Jun 1 A Review of Big Red Books

Bookshop Review

120 Main Street, Nyack, NY

On a warm spring afternoon, on my birthday in fact, I discovered Big Red Books tucked into a string of cafes, bars, and restaurants in the heart of Nyack, NY, a charming and walkable town overlooking the Hudson River at what most people in the area still call the Tappan Zee Bridge. I had just wandered through a delightful landslide of a used bookstore (more on that in another review) and was very happy to see Nyack also had a bright, organized, and well-appointed new bookshop. We only had a few minutes to wander before the shop closed, but Big Red did not let us down.

A Review of Nancy L. Dole Books

Mar 30

Mar 30 A Review of Nancy L. Dole Books

Bookshop Review

20 State Street, Shelburne Falls, MA

From the waterfalls and the Bridge of Flowers to the quint storefronts and meandering river views, it’s easy to see why Shelburne Falls was one of the filming locations for a cozy New England film like The Holdovers, but it’s also home to some wonderful small, indie bookshops. Nancy L Dole Books is one of them, and it’s a trove of rare and hard to find tomes mixed in with classics and nostalgic pieces of historical kitsch.

A Review of World Eye Bookshop

Mar 3

Mar 3 A Review of World Eye Bookshop

Bookshop Review

134 Main Street, Greenfield, MA

Greenfield Massachusetts has the distinct pleasure of hosting three fine bookshops, and this is the third I visited during my travels there this last year. World Eye Bookshop is decorated with a variety of art and children’s book characters—little wildlife creatures in anthropomorphic clothes. It was very cute, and the shop’s specialty, it appears, was their selections of work from Astrid Sheckels.