574 W Main Street, Cobleskill, NY

I love a secondhand bookshop that gets clever and playful with their organization methods, even if “organization” is a loose term for the shopkeeper, and Catnap Books plays into that loose and delightful brand of messily-organized very well. Among the piles and stacks of books on the floor, tables, shelves, and displays, you’ll see signs for Occult and Sexuality one over the other, or “Beat/Off Beat Lit and Poetry…Overflow on Floor,” and every corner of the shop had a little something unique like that that made me smile and made me happy we trekked out in the cold of winter to find this shop.

Anchoring a small downtown strip in the agricultural community of Cobleskill, Catnap Books offers an abundance of literature and culture in its bigger-than-it-looks shop, complete with creaky floors and red carpeting. The whole shop had that comforting vibe of a used bookshop that is happy you stopped by. Right inside the door near the main desk are displays of unique titles on mythology, history, and some regional fare, some titles newer, some vintage/antiques. Around the bend to the left is an area jam packed with children’s books, including a huge array of picture books. I scoured this for a while, always on the lookout for some childhood favorites.

In this side of the shop there are two long aisles of books, one that focuses more on fiction, the other on nonfiction. For the fiction, there’s an excellent selection of paperbacks that cover both the classics and new bestsellers and they’re all in very good shape, many are like new, and almost all were $2 – an absolute steal. Further along there was a small shelf of graphic novels, and floor-to-ceiling sections for hardcover fiction (many of these were much older but in excellent shape), mysteries in both hardcover and mass markets, and first editions protected in plastic sleeves. Further back were robust sections of fantasy, sci-fi, western, horror, and romance novels, just loads of these.

In a nook back there, things began to shift toward nonfiction, with areas for history, art, politics, transportation (with special sections for railroads elsewhere in the shop), travel, gardening, poetry, Beat literature, and sexuality, right next to a big section for the occult, UFOs, and magic, which was my favorite section to explore in any bookshop or library as a kid.

When you head back toward the front of the shop, there’s more mythology, history, regional titles, books about the old west, Americana, presidents, math and science, loads of cook books, and the ever important “Books on Books” section I always look for. It’s the type of shop I could easily spend three hours slowly and meticulously browsing through, and with prices this low and a selection this vast, I know I’d be able to leave with a big stack if I allowed myself. I’m sure you will too if you ever happen across this impressive shop, which I highly recommend!

Atmosphere — A book hoarder’s dream, with books stacked on every surface, though organized enough so you move from one section through the next as you breathe in that wonderful smell of used books.

Quality — The books are all used but almost all in excellent shape, and even the older heardcover and first editions looked to be well cared for.

Quantity — A lot more books than you’d expect from the outside, with long rows of shelves stacked deep with titles.

Diversity — They hit all the major topics and genres, with a few extra fun ones that give the shop it’s own style.

Affordability — Very affordable. Most of the books I looked over were just a couple dollars.

Amenities — Some chairs and stools here and there, but otherwise you’re there to browse.

Location — It took me about 45 minutes to drive to Cobleskill from Albany and I quickly found this shop in the center of the downtown strip, not far from a one-screen movie house and across from an impressive old hotel that is now a big furniture store you can walk through (they turned all the rooms into showrooms!)

Customer Service — The gentleman working there greeted me as I came in and spoke to customers as I browsed but he mostly tended new stock, and seemed very polite.

Overall — This is a book lover’s dream, with plenty of areas to explore and loads of deals on excellent books. I highly recommend the trek out!