A Review of Split Rock Books

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97 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY

I had the pleasure of visiting this wonderful bookshop at the height of summer, the streets of Cold Springs bustling, the roads leading into town full of hikers, almost a parade of people, and the shop was just as busy. It made for an exciting browsing experience, and it had the feeling as if this was THE place to be on such a gorgeous day. Now, months later as I reflect back, I think of how the shop must feel the same even if the summer crowds have gone. The leaves are falling, the heaters are turned on, and I imagine the shop feels just as vital: a warm, cozy place to find that next great read.

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A Review of Barbara’s Bookstore (O’Hare)

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Terminal B, Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Well this is a first. Is it possible to review an actual indie bookstore in a major airport? It seems like it! Like other regional chains I’ve reviewed (Sherman’s of Maine, Half-Price Books, etc.), I still consider something like this an indie shop, because Barbara’s has a number of shops in the Chicago area but you’re not going to see it in many other places. I love the idea of an indie grabbing some major real estate like this, because I’d rather buy a book from a regional indie chain than those shops that are 10% books, 70% snacks, and 20% t-shirts of whatever city the airport is in. And this shop had a lot for such a compact space!

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A Review of Nine Lives Books

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7959 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX

Thirteen years ago when I lived in San Antonio, I used to visit Nine Lives when it was in its previous location. It was much bigger then, with a deeper selection of used titles to browse through, not to mention numerous bookshop cats darting around (hence the name), but now the name has another meaning, I suppose. The new shop is smaller, and less extensive in its literary offerings, and it seems to be starting over as a more multi-media shop. A new life, and hopefully not its last. From the value offered, one imagines it should find a unique niche in the local market.

(Image above is borrowed from the store’s Facebook page.)

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A Review of Gabriel Books

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121 Market Street, Northampton, MA

How much more convenient can a bookstore be than three doors down from our Airbnb, which was also a two-minute walk from the heart of downtown? Yet the block and the shop itself felt pleasantly quiet, quaintly set back from the hustle and bustle, allowing for a leisurely browse through the narrow aisles stacked and jammed with books. The number of books they have piled about in this small shop is impressive, and I thoroughly enjoyed taking a look!

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A Review of Amherst Books

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8 Main Street, Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst Books quickly reminded me of some of my favorite bookstores, the multi-room shops full of eclectic displays and a selection of books that will always surprise and keep you guessing each time you walk through the door. With books new, used, and vintage, this two-floor shop has something for everyone, even if your wallet is a little lighter than it used to be with these gas prices.

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A Review of Postmark Books

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449 Main Street, Rosendale, NY

As they themselves describe it at their website, Postmark Books is a “bright and airy space on Rondout Creek” that is “full of good cheer,” and I can attest that they are 100% correct about that. I stopped by in mid-winter and found the space full of sunlight, beautifully decorated, and about as clean and organized as a bookshop can be. And the selection? Yeah, they got that right too.

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A Review of Codex

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1 Bleecker Street, NY

When I lived in New York City, one of my favorite neighborhoods for bar hopping and hanging out was the Bleecker Street/Bowery area, and during a recent pandemic-era visit (when I also discovered my favorite dive Bleecker Street Bar had closed, alas), I stumbled across this sliver of a bookshop. Though it might be small, it packs a punch and it’s worth checking out if you’re in the area.

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A Bookshop Review of Half Price Books (Isom Road Location)

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125 Northwest Loop 410, San Antonio, TX

I already reviewed another one of this company’s locations, but each location does have its own vibe and this is the first Half Price Books I started going to when I lived in San Antonio from 2006 through 2009. During this time I was voracious for anything Bukowski, Kerouac, Hunter Thompson, Steinbeck, and the like, and I always found excellent editions of their books here. I have probably purchased at least a dozen collection of Bukowski’s poetry from the 80s and 90s in this location alone, so any time I’m back in SA, I hit this one up to dig for gold. It never fails to have something interesting!

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A Review of Cheever Books

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3613 Broadway, San Antonio, TX

My time was running out during my last trip to San Antonio, but I managed to sneak in a quick visit to this second-hand and vintage bookshop on Broadway south of the UIW campus and the Witte Museum. Cheever Books recently went through a renovation and reorganization, so if you went in the past, it might be a different ball game for you now. And if you’re looking for fine and rare books about local or regional historical topics, this is absolutely the place for you, Texans!

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A Review of Nowhere Bookshop

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5154 Broadway, San Antonio, TX

This lively bookstore is located in San Antonio’s Alamo Height neighborhood, which for those not local to Military City, it feels like a small town within a bigger city, yet it’s one of the more—in very subtle ways—posh zip codes in the state. This unexpected dose of high-end style hidden behind a modest demeanor describes the neighborhood’s best bookshop, as well. Nowhere Bookshop is one of the best spots in the city for new books, and certainly one of the most conscious of how unique details can set a bookstore apart from the pack.

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A Review of Joseph Fox Bookshop

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1724 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA

We discovered Joseph Fox on a rainy weekend in Philadelphia while on a break between cultural explorations. It’s not terribly far from all the big art museums and there are plenty of restaurants nearby for a convenient lunch to pair with your browsing. And after an awkward initial interaction with the staff, the shop proved itself worth the walk and the time spent poking around the various displays.

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A Review of McNally Jackson (Seaport)

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4 Fulton Street, New York, NY

The main branch of the McNally Jackson bookstore in Soho is, in some ways and to many people, the ideal bookstore. But this newer location brings bookselling to another level, one I’d describe as “this is what my dream house looks like, brick walls and leather chairs and room upon room upon room full of books…with a coffee shop.” Because that’s exactly what this gorgeous location is, save for me living there. Maybe one day! But until then, this bright and bountiful bookshop is a must-see literary spot for any NYC local or visitor.

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A Review of The Book Warehouse (Lake George)

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1424 Route 9, Lake George, NY

The Lake George branch of this regional chain is located in the busy outlet mall just south of the village on Route 9. Tucked in amongst stores offering discounted designer jeans and sunglasses, this bookshop feels neither indie (it isn’t, really) not quaint (it’s pretty expansive inside) but it does offer a huge discount on what initially seems like remaindered extras, but the offerings were better than the castoffs I expected.

(Image borrowed from Shelf-awareness.com.)

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A Review of Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Bookstore

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34 Carmine Street, New York, NY

Separated by more than 18 months and a worldwide pandemic, I finally returned to New York City this June to scour for more bookshops. It was both awkward and a relief, roaming the streets and subways packed with people after having to avoid them for so long, but to do so vaccinated allowed me to enjoy that golden hour magic in early evening Manhattan, the neon just beginning to glow, the sounds of music from boomboxes in small west village parks, the rose-gold hue of the sky as the sun sets into New Jersey horizons across the Hudson. And it allowed me to discover the eclectic and wallet-friendly Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Bookstore, a throwback to a more defiant artistic culture one doesn’t always find in a city full of shallow Instagrammers and fleece vest-wearing finance bros. In fact, finding this shop felt like a perfect return to the unique experience that is book browsing in one of the greatest literary cities in the world.

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A Review of Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books

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5445 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA

Whenever I visit a new bookshop, one of the most important things I look for is any unique angle, theme, or vibe that sets the store apart from any other. No one needs to look too hard for what makes Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books unique. Aside from the damn good coffee, this shop is rife with personality and is one of the rare shops I’ve experienced that is dedicated to writers and books exploring the Black experience in America.

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A Review of The Village Booksmith

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223 Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY

Just up the street from the large traffic circle in the enter of Hudson Falls is a quaint little book shop that is anything but quaint and little once you walk inside the doors. Once inside, that deep aroma of old books, hardcover binding, and aged ink on the page will fill you with that excited eagerness that comes when you know you’re about to explore a bookshop with depth, history, and loads of hidden gems.

(Cover image borrowed from their Facebook page.)

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A Review of Willis Monie Books

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139 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY

Tucked against Blackbird Bay at the southern end of Otsego Lake is the little town everyone this side of the International Date Line equates with baseball, Cooperstown, NY. And amongst all the little downtown shops and cafes replete with signage dedicated to America’s pastime and the hall of fame, there’s a used and antiquarian bookstore called Willis Monie Books, and for what it might lack in flash and pizazz, it more than makes up for in quantity and quality.

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A Review of Crow Bookshop

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14 Church Street, Burlington, VT

Crow Bookshop is located in the heart of Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace, a vibrant, bustling street closed to vehicle traffic filled with shops and restaurants, and lots and lots of tourists. It was high summer during my visit, which meant street performers, music, and a kaleidoscope of food smells emanating from every block, but when I saw the silhouetted sign for Crow Bookshop, it all disappeared. I wanted nothing more than to explore and browse. Mask on and notebook in hand, I went inside.

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A Review of WM H Adams Antiquarian Books

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608 Main Street, Hobart, NY

WM H Adams was the last bookshop I explored during my trip to Hobart in the pandemic summer of 2020, but it was not at all the least of the shops I found there. The first impressing is like walking into a little slice of an ivy league library plucked out of Yale or Harvard and plunked down in a small town shop in the Catskills. The sets and collections were gorgeously bound and set the tone for a real throwback experience.

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A Review of Cherry Valley Bookstore

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81 Alden Street, Cherry Valley, NY

I first heard about the Cherry Valley Bookstore from some other bookshop hunting friends, and we found the tiny yellow house in the middle of the village with fresh snow adorning the little roof and the fireplace inside pumping warm air throughout the main room. The shop gave off a welcoming feeling after our chilly walk from the car, and even better, the stacks of books inside were full of surprises.

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