365 Feura Bush Road, Glenmont, NY

I don’t get down to the Glenmont area south of Albany very often, but this little shop might make me change that. Located near a bustling intersection surrounded by strip centers and restaurants, Tattered Pages is a calm, relaxed throwback of a bookshop that is stacked with paperbacks, hardcovers, and good vibes. The hours are a little short, but if you get there when they’re open, you’re likely to find a mystery or romance novel just right for you.

That’s the specialty of the shop, and there are huge sections chock full of both romance and mystery/crime paperbacks (with some hardcovers mixed in). I didn’t scan the romance shelves, as that isn't my style, but the crime/thriller/mystery section had all your usual suspects—Patterson, Perry, Higgins Clark, Grafton, Grisham, Woods, and many others. Many were mass markets with worn spines but were in good enough shape to bring home at a discount. And the books were at least half off the original price, with some far less than that.

The general fiction section had a lot of titles I hadn’t heard of but didn’t seem to lean too old, and featured such authors as EL Doctorow, Nicholas Sparks, Joyce Carol Oates, and the like, a typical array of popular fiction. There was also a large sci-fi/fantasy/horror section along the back left wall, a decent children’s corner with picture books and chapter titles, a nook for war and military books (both fiction and nonfic), bits and bobs of biography, cooking, poli-sci, etc. I didn’t see much poetry and the classics section was on the small side but had some notable titles.

You may find the same caliber of books here as in a library book sale, but I never walked away from a library book sale empty-handed and I didn’t here either, so you might have the same experience. Plus, the shop was run by a delightful owner accompanied by the sweetest looking old pup named Seamus, who greeted me drowsily over near the front desk. Very adorable. Do stop in!

Atmosphere — Piles of books wedged into every nook and cranny. Has an older feel but not all the titles are dated, so don’t worry about not finding something worth your while.

Quality — The books are pretty much all used and many spines were well worn, but not so far gone that they aren’t worth buying.

Quantity — There’s a good amount of books here for a one-room shop, plenty to sift through.

Diversity — The shop leans heavily toward romance, crime, mystery, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and smaller sections of other categories, war, bio, cooking, nonfic, etc.

Affordability — The books look to be at least half off, so you won’t go broke.

Amenities — There were a couple chairs in the rear plus a nook with couches up by the front desk. There are cafes and restaurants nearby too.

Location — It’s in a small strip small in Glenmont, NY, just a short drive south of Albany.

Customer Service — Very friendly service. The owner clearly loved talking books with guests and chatted happily about her grandkids and her pup Seamus. A very nice experience.

Overall — This shop may not have the biggest new bestsellers, but it has a lot of old favorites, especially if you like genre fiction. As the owner said when I was there, sometimes you go to a shop looking for a specific book and sometimes you go to a shop to let a book find you. This shop is definitely the latter, and it was a fun time. Recommended for that affordable beach read you’ve been wanting.