37 Notable Independent Bookstores in New England

Few things in life have the power to immediately instill a calming, cozy vibe like browsing at your local independent bookstore, and New England is home to many fine examples.

7 Independent Bookstores in Connecticut

Athena Books,Old Greenwich. Lots of bookstores provide the wherewithal for local book clubs, but Athena goes one better: For a modest fee, clubs can reserve the store for their evening meetings, complete with cozy seating, music, and discounts on the titles selected. There are also story times for kids, and a full schedule of author readings and discussions. athenabooksog.com

Bank Square Books,Mystic. Wandering down Main Street in the historic seafaring town of Mystic, you’ll find the entrance to Bank Square Books marked with, appropriately enough, a sculpture of a whale (colorfully painted by Connecticut artist Pamela Zagarenski, a two-time Caldecott winner). Inside, look for the area’s best selection of books, with a special emphasis on independent publishers. banksquarebooks.com

The Book Barn,Niantic. It’s a secondhand bookshop that couldn’t stop growing: There’s the three-level barn itself, with its dollar annex and gardens (complete with cats and goats); nearby Chapter Three; and Book Barn Downtown. Altogether, the Barn complex houses an inventory of 350,000 gently used books, neatly arranged by subject and fed by an inflow of purchases that sometimes reaches 14,000 books a week. bookbarnniantic.com

Byrd’s Books,Bethel. Located across from the Bethel Public Library, Byrd’s carries new releases in all categories, as well as a selection of deeply discounted books. The shop sponsors history, science fiction/fantasy, and general book clubs, as well as occasional writing workshops where participants might use fine-quality Blackwing pencils and eco-friendly Decomposition notebooks, available right here. byrdsbooks.com

Possible Futures,New Haven. The name speaks volumes, and the volumes on the shelves run strongly toward social justice and sustainability, with what the store calls “historically underrepresented” authors and topics being well represented. More than a bookstore, the shop serves as a community gathering place and reading room, hosting groups and events such as a Radical Thinking Book Club and a Youth Day Neighborhood Block Party. possiblefuturesbooks.com

RJ Julia,Madison. “Putting the right book in the right hand” is the goal of this shop, honored as a Publishers Weekly Bookseller of the Year. They’re serious about making personal connections, partnering with book clubs and offering a “Just the Right Book” program, in which subscribers receive books based on preference profiles they submit. Even casual browsers can be sure that every book on the shelves has been hand-selected by staff. rjjulia.com

Whitlock’s Book Barn,Bethany. The turkeys and sheep were evicted 75 years ago, replaced by a vast and eclectic array of books. Whitlock’s 50,000 volumes are divided into an under-$5 group, housed in the upper barn, and rarer, more expensive books in the lower. There’s also an antique map department, strong in local coverage but also ranging across 21 states and numerous foreign countries. whitlocksbookbarn.com

6 Independent Bookstores in Maine

Big Chicken Barn, Ellsworth. The trick is getting past the first floor, where book browsers can easily get sidetracked by 11,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles. There are 150,000 volumes up above, though, so press on—and don’t miss the Maine Room, a trove of books by regional authors. A special attraction is the Barn’s massive inventory of magazines, including extinct titles like Life, Look, Collier’s, and many more. bigchickenbarn.com

Carlson Turner Books,Portland. The age of print is alive and well at this traditional shop that not only stocks a finely curated selection of more than 40,000 antiquarian and scholarly volumes—nautical, Civil War, and Maine history are among the specialties, along with maps, manuscripts, and prints—but also offers bookbinding, repair, and letterpress printing services. It’s a place to stock a private library and keep it in top condition. carlsonturnerbooks.com

Green Hand, Portland. This small shop on the fringe of Portland’s lively downtown carries new and used titles in a broad variety of categories, with a special emphasis on classics and new releases in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, including rediscovered works published by indie Valancourt Books. There’s a good selection of books on Maine subjects, a children’s section, and an ample assortment of tarot decks and books. greenhandbookshop.com

Gulf of Maine Books,Brunswick. Independent bookstores were popping up in college towns across America in the 1970s, when poet Gary Lawless and his wife, Beth Leonard, founded Gulf of Maine Books just down the street from Bowdoin College. Surviving most of them and still going strong—and still run by Lawless and Leonard—the shop is robustly stocked with regional-interest books, poetry, and tomes on environmental, spiritual, and Native American subjects, along with current popular literature. If you are lucky when you stop in, you might spot best-selling author Elizabeth Strout, who lives a short walk away. bookshop.org/shop/gulfofmaine

Harding’s Books,Wells. Harding’s is the literary equivalent of a corn maze—any serious browser will start wondering if there’s actually a way to get out. The shop’s 14 rooms house 100,000-plus volumes, and while the proprietors advertise strength in Americana and New England subjects, there’s hardly any field that isn’t well represented. Maps and prints dating back centuries are also on offer. hardingsbooks.com 

Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops, multiple locations. Originating as a Bar Harbor printing and stationery shop in 1886, Sherman’s now has stores in nine Maine communities—that’s more than three times as many as a certain national chain. In 2016, acquisition of Damariscotta’s Maine Coast Book Shop brought that great trove of Down East–related titles—and its Barn Door Baking Company Café—into the Sherman’s family. shermans.com 

7 Independent Bookstores in Massachusetts

Bedlam Book Cafe,Worcester. Don’t be put off by the name: Things are actually quite calm at this literary oasis in a part of the state that had been lacking a serious bookshop before Bedlam’s 2018 arrival. Offerings include new, used, and remaindered books, with an emphasis on titles in the arts and humanities and a fine poetry selection enhanced by frequent readings. The cafe part? After book browsing, enjoy an organic smoothie. bedlambookcafe.com

Brattle Book Shop, Boston. When you visit this downtown landmark and one of the oldest and best-known used and antiquarian bookstores in the country, you will likely first browse dozens of bargain titles stacked on carts outside. But inside there are first-edition treasures in a special room that may go for thousands of dollars, as well as hours of browsing for both famous and all-but-forgotten treasures on the floors below. brattlebookshop.com

Frugal Bookstore, Roxbury. Boston’s sole African American–owned bookstore has become the retail star of Nubian Square, business hub of the city’s Roxbury neighborhood. Works by people of color are given special emphasis, though the shelves are stocked with books of all descriptions, from today’s best-sellers to the classics. A strong selection of children’s and young-adult books underscores the owners’ mission to promote reading at all levels. frugalbookstore.net

Grolier Poetry Book Shop,Cambridge. After nearly a century as a Harvard Square literary mainstay—and as a shop devoted exclusively to poetry since 1976—the Grolier remains unique among bookstores in the Boston area, both for its extensive small-press poetry offerings and its respected series of readings by poets of local and international reputation. grolierpoetrybookshop.org

Harvard Book Store,Cambridge. It’s the … well, it’s the Harvard of bookstores, and the second-most-important establishment on the eponymous Square. The staff has a sharp eye for important new releases, to the advantage of members of the store’s Signed First Edition and New Voices in Fiction clubs, and a frequent-buyers program offers 20 percent off weekly best-sellers. And it’s the place to buy all things Crimson, from hats to blankets. harvard.com

Montague Bookmill, Montague. Sprawling in and around an 1842 gristmill in the Pioneer Valley, this mammoth emporium of used and publishers’ remainder books stocks academic and general-interest volumes, promising “If we can’t find the book you’re looking for, we’ll find you a better one you didn’t know you wanted.” The bookstore shares its premises with the Sawmill River Arts gallery, Turn It Up! (CDs and vinyl), and two fine eateries. maq.ujw.mybluehost.me

Odyssey Bookshop,Hadley. What started as a drugstore with a paperback section has evolved over 60 years into a vital part of the Mount Holyoke College community—in fact, the shop sells the books and art supplies for college courses. Along with its comprehensive fiction and nonfiction inventory, Odyssey is known for its program of more than 125 literary events a year, and for its First Editions Club, with members receiving a signed first edition each month. odysseybks.com

6 Independent Bookstores in New Hampshire

Gibson’s Bookstore,Concord. Having just celebrated its 125th year in business, Gibson’s is not only the capital’s oldest bookseller, it’s the city’s oldest retailer. Along with the extensive selection of fiction and general interest titles, there’s an in-store book club and a children’s department enhanced by the incorporation of indie toy store Imagination Village. A new café serves breakfast and lunch, so there’s no reason to stop browsing till dinner. gibsonsbookstore.com

Portsmouth Book & Bar,Portsmouth. There are restaurants with books as decor, and bookstores that shout “No Food and Drink.” At this downtown bookshop and eatery, the books are for browsing, and patrons can peruse with a cocktail in hand. Over 10,000 used volumes in just about every category line the shelves, the menu has a Latin/Asian flair, and there’s a lively schedule of events running from standup to music to poetry readings. bookandbar.com

RiverRun Bookstore,Portsmouth. The name honors the opening line of James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, and the shop honors the way writers used to write: Books share the shelves with vintage typewriters. What’s more, writers who still work that way can bring their machines here for repairs. But books—new and used—are the main focus, and RiverRun even offers a publishing plan for anyone who wants to put their freshly oiled keys to work. riverrunbookstore.com

Sheafe Street Books,Portsmouth. Just a few blocks from Strawbery Banke, Ken Kozick curates a shop with all the charm and quirks of a comfortable old house filled with books. Amid shelves filled with current best-sellers, literary classics, well-chosen cookbooks, and vintage paperbacks, look for the shop’s signature collection: books by and about the literary lights of the Beat Generation. And be sure to say hello to Petunia the cat. bookshop.org/shop/sheafestreet

Toadstool Bookshops,Peterborough and Keene. Family-run since its founding in 1972, and changing hands just this year to a young local man who grew up bringing home books from the store, Toadstool’s two Monadnock Region shops maintain their half-century tradition of carefully selected inventory and a staff chosen for knowledgeability and literary passion. Both locations continue to present a busy series of readings by local and nationally known authors. toadbooks.com

White Birch Books, North Conway. “Small, quaint, and independent,” say the proprietors about their shop—true on all counts, although the Mount Washington Valley’s premier bookseller isn’t too small and quaint to stock a fine collection of standbys and new releases. Visitors also love the snug children’s nook and the used and bargain section. Open to all are a monthly Thursday Night Book Club and a twice-monthly Mystery Book Group. whitebirchbooks.com

4 Independent Bookstores in Rhode Island

Commonwealth Books, Newport. Behind the handsome Georgian facade of Washington Square’s 1750 Buliod-Perry House, once owned by naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry, is an antiquarian browser’s treasury of books, prints, and maps spanning five centuries of literature, fine and applied arts, naval and military history, and humbler modern paperbacks. An ever-changing inventory reflects Commonwealth’s policy of welcoming sellers of single volumes, sets, and entire collections. cwbnewport.blackwidowpress.com

Island Bound, New Shoreham. Begun nearly 30 years ago as a tiny shop in one of Block Island’s Victorian hotels, Island Bound has long since graduated to its own premises and a position as New Shoreham’s sole bookseller. It’s the place to shop for anything in print related to Block Island, but it also carries a full range of the current and the classic, and even offers summer art classes. islandboundbookstore.com

Paper Nautilus,Providence. The shelves at this East Side shop are a reminder that its neighbors include Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. New and used titles run heavily to fine and applied arts, along with the humanities in general and local history. Since this is his hometown, horror aficionados can expect a generous stock of books by one Mr. Howard Phillips Lovecraft. papernautilusbooks.com

Twenty Stories,Providence. In 1917, Christopher Morley published Parnassus on Wheels, about a horse-drawn mobile bookstore. That’s the idea behind the bookmobile (no horse) based out of this Fox Point shop. Spring through fall, it visits a different city location each weekend, selling books from a carefully curated inventory. The shop name? Every month, the owners choose 20 titles to add to their offerings. twentystoriesla.com

7 Independent Bookstores in Vermont

The Eloquent Page,St. Albans. This handsome shop opposite the Rail City’s Taylor Park keeps a 35,000-volume inventory of new, used, and rare books, with a special emphasis on Vermont history—including original and reproduction maps and postcards—as well as considerable offerings in science fiction, military history, mysteries, children’s literature, and fashion and costume history. Local authors frequently appear for readings and book signings. theeloquentpage.com

Everyone’s Books,Brattleboro. “Raising Hell Since 1984” might not be the usual bookstore motto, but this is Brattleboro, where Vermont’s relatively genteel brand of hell-raising has long been part of the local brand. Books with a progressive bent by no means dominate the inventory—after all, this is everyone’s shop—but the shelves do reflect the proprietors’ deep commitment to peace, climate, and social activism. everyonesbks.com

Green Mountain Books,Lyndonville. Even the smallest of college towns deserves a good bookstore, and the Lyndonville campus of Vermont State University scores with this modest-size but amply stocked shop. Launched more than 40 years ago as a secondhand bookstore, it now features an eclectic new and used inventory, with excellent coverage of Northeast Kingdom history and Vermont authors (spanning writers as diverse as Bernie Sanders and Howard Frank Mosher), many of whom have given readings here. greenmtnbooks.com

Monroe Street Books,Middlebury. It’s a low-slung, unassuming building on the outside, but inside is a warren of aisles to get lost in. Vermont’s biggest emporium of used, rare, and out-of-print books houses 100,000 volumes, with half again as many available online. Subject by subject, the ever-changing inventory is superbly organized, making a visit to Monroe Street like getting lost … with a map. monroestreetbooks.com

Northshire Bookstore,Manchester. The Green Mountain State’s largest independent bookstore features 300,000 new and used titles in all categories of fiction and nonfiction, including a 5,000-volume treasury of rare, signed, and/or first editions. An anchor of Manchester’s retail center (there’s also a branch in Saratoga Springs, New York), Northshire has expanded its inventory to include new vinyl record releases, children’s games, housewares, and gifts crafted by local artists and artisans. northshire.com

Norwich Bookstore, Norwich. A white-frame structure opposite a classic village green features two floors of intelligently stocked inventory reflecting the sophisticated tastes of the Dartmouth College community that calls Norwich home. The children’s section runs broad and deep, as if stocked for tots with professor parents. There’s a lively schedule of events, often featuring pairs of writers in conversation on topics of mutual interest. norwichbookstore.com

The Vermont Book Shop,Middlebury. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this classic college-town bookstore, which continues to offer the personal service that attracted its most famous customer, Ripton summer resident Robert Frost. Frost’s works are, of course, among the wide selection of regional authors that the shop is known for, joining works by writers such as Julia Alvarez, Chris Bohjalian, and Bill McKibben—all of whom have given readings here. vermontbookshop.com