The Readery, Plymouth, NH
After I posted a photo of a stack of used books on social media the other day, one reader responded that it's the "golden age" of used books. Maybe people are parting with hard-copy literature at a rate unseen before. I've certainly found dozens of wonderful books recently at used bookstores.
Yes, Left Bank Books in Hanover is always a cozy spot to browse and you're guaranteed to find a good book for a buck at LISTEN's flagship thrift store in West Lebanon, or at Cover to Cover Books in White River Junction for just a couple dollars more. Still, some of us get the urge to explore used bookstores beyond these. You have a number of choices within about 50 miles of Hanover, which is where I live, so it's where I center my radius. I recommend combining each of these with a walk around town and a bite to eat to round out an afternoon trip. 12 used bookstores below makes for one day each month...
Used bookstores around here aren't typically 9-5 operations. I've reported opening hours according to Google or in-person visits. At least one store I visited is only open by appointment or chance and others might open their doors for additional hours if you call ahead.
With one exception I've noted—it’s a cash-only operation—these bookstores are prepared to take your card for payment.
Our libraries here in the Upper Valley are fantastic and you could find most any of the texts I mention at any of them, but I get excited about making books mine, about older, out-of-print editions, and about marking passages I love. If that sounds like you, you're in for some treats.
Vermont
Bear Pond Books
Montpelier
Monday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 10-4
(802) 229-0774
bearpondbooks.com
What makes it distinctive (WMID): Feels like a retail bookstore, great kids' section.
Like Woodstock’s Pleasant Street Books (below), Bear Pond Books sells both used and new, organized right next to each other by author on the shelves. Bear Pond feels more like a retail bookstore, with a clutch of young employees and books typically in pristine condition and hence with slightly higher prices. They have a nice nature section and a great kids' section upstairs. I always appreciate that they stock new and used editions of Kathryn Davis's fiction; Davis is a wonderful author who lives in Montpelier. Yes, I realize I could find any of these books on Amazon, but where's the fun (and the meal at a great Montpelier eatery) in that?
The Country Bookshop
35 Mill Street, Plainfield, VT
Open by appointment or chance; call or email to schedule
(802) 454-8439
www.thecountrybookshop.com
WMID: Something for everyone, from a large folk music section to books on mountaineering; a treasure hunt.
Ben Koenig's Country Bookshop is a treasure trove, but you will have to dig for it. Don't visit if the threat of mildew or dust bothers you. It's a gem only about 10 miles east of downtown Montpelier in tiny Plainfield, VT. Koenig stocks everything, often in boxes partially blocking the aisles on the first floor of his white Colonial. For some, I'm sure it's a nightmare, for others, a dream come true. Books on shelves are well-organized by subject and alphabetically. I spotted Miranda July's 2024 All Fours while picking up vintage James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and a beautifully marbled and leather-bound 1883 Goethe (this last for $7.50).
The Tempest Book Shop
5031 Main St, Waitsfield, VT
Monday-Saturday 12-6, Sunday 12-3
(802) 496-2022
tempestbookshop.org
WMID: Some unusual fiction and science offerings, small but jam-packed
If you opt to drive about 20 miles west from Montpelier, you'll find The Tempest Book Shop in Waitsfield. This makes it about 70 miles from Hanover, but if you're up Montpelier way and fiending for some distinctive fiction, romance hardcovers, or a chance encounter with any other kind of book, this store is for you. I found Anthony Burgess's Earthly Powers, a renowned new translation of War and Peace, and a hardcover of Richard Bach's Illusions (he of Jonathan Livingston Seagull fame). The Tempest is a bit of a whirlwind when it comes to placement—you might not always know what section you're in and books are stacked in piles willy-nilly by the register. Proprietor Rick Rayfield is full of stories, a B.F. Skinner behavioralist by profession and avocation. I wasn't there for this, but according to the website, he offers fresh-baked bread on certain days. While not exactly walkable, Waitsfield is nice for a quick stretch—try Bridge Street with a view of its covered exemplar—and a bite to eat, if you didn't find it in Montpelier.
Pleasant Street Books
48 Pleasant Street, Woodstock, VT
Open Summer and Fall daily 11-5, Winter and Spring by chance or appointment
(802) 457-4050
www.facebook.com/PleasantStreetBooks/
WMID: Rare volumes cheek-to-cheek with new.
The first time I visited Pleasant Street Books, I splurged on the complete diaries of Virginia Woolf and an armful of other classic works. My teenager found a nice coffee-table book of photography. I was thrilled to find so many authors from my reading list. Pleasant Street sells new volumes next to out-of-print editions. Don't expect to save a lot of money here, but do expect to be gobsmacked by the selection: Fiction and oversized art books take up most of the ground floor, along with the white grand piano (proprietor Sonny Saul is a musician), while upstairs you'll find cinema, photography, poetry, philosophy, sci-fi, and more. Woodstock, of course, is one of those iconic Vermont towns that always rewards a walk and an appetite.
The Bookmobile
17 Center St, Rutland, VT
Tuesday-Friday 10-4, Saturday 10-3
Closed Sunday and Monday
(802) 342-1477
WMID: Specializes in Vermont authors
This is one spot on my list I haven't visited in person. I do know that from Woodstock's Pleasant Street Books, it's a pretty 45-minute drive west on Route 4 to historic downtown Rutland, where the bookstore is located. As far as I can tell, it's a brick-and-mortar store with a name that pays tribute to the first mobile lending library, a horse-drawn carriage in the early 1900s, the brainchild of former Rutland librarian Mary Lemist Titcomb. (There's a great article on her in the Fall 2025 issue of Rutland Magazine.) Google notes they specialize in Vermont authors.
Arch Bridge Bookshop
14 Square, Bellows Falls, VT
Wednesday-Saturday 9:30-5:30
Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
(802) 463-2098
WMID: ?
For the sake of attempted completion and in the spirit of leaving you something to discover, I'm also listing this bookstore in Bellows Falls. It looks like it's in the lineage of dusty, jam-packed treasure troves. As soon as I have the energy to spelunk again, I'm headed here.
New Hampshire
Violet's Book Exchange
28 Opera House Square, Claremont, NH
Tuesday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5
Closed Sunday and Monday
(603)542-4222
www.violetsbookexchange.com
WMID: Nice credit system when you bring in your previously loved books, huge selection of contemporary popular fiction, a great stock of literary fiction, westerns, classics, and biographies/memoirs in the basement.
The only reason I relish going to the New Hampshire DMV in Newport is because I can glom on a trip to Violet's Book Exchange. Every time I go, I bring some nice hardcovers and paperbacks to donate and take advantage of their credit system, explained on their website. The quality of books here is outstanding and the variety is pretty darn good, too: I've found books that have been on my to-read list for years.
School Street Books & Records
1137 US Route 4, Canaan, NH
Tuesday 1-5, Thursday 1-4:30, Friday 1-5, Sunday 2-5
Closed Monday, Wednesday, Saturday unless perhaps by appointment
*Cash only*
(603) 276-5062
WMID: Vinyl, signed first editions, dollar shelf.
Here's a little gem that opened just a couple years ago. It's in a white Colonial on Canaan's central street. Look for the sandwich board out front. I love browsing their dollar shelf in the entryway for classics. What proprietor Procter Smith specializes in, however, is signed first editions – he has a stock of many hundreds. You'll find a robust poetry section and small selections of kids' classics and books on hunting and fishing and other religions. Smith is also a vinyl aficionado; his latest finds are in the front room. Take note that Procter does not take cards.
The Readery
67 Main Street, Plymouth, NH
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10-5; Saturday 9-4
Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
(603) 536-3737
www.facebook.com/p/The-Readery
WMID: Extensive selection of paperback romance and thrillers, a good selection of fiction
About a half-hour from Canaan, this bookshop sells a good selection of contemporary fiction and non-fiction paperbacks. Their romance and thriller shelves are extensive. The shop is on Main Street in Plymouth, across from the green and next to a great scoop shop. I wouldn't call The Readery a destination in itself, but there are other attractions in this college town, including plenty of good menus at reasonable prices. I love Peek-a-Bowl and the Six Burner Bistro. The historic Flying Monkey concert venue is ramshackle but holding its own. There's a nice walk along the Pemigewassett River, too.
Lakeside Bookshop
2847 NH-114, Bradford, NH
Saturday and Sunday, 10-5
Closed weekdays except by chance
(603) 995-0410
WMID: Large sections of sci-fi/fantasy and classics, hearty stock of contemporary fiction.
Look for the blue house and book barn with matching doors just across the street from Lake Massasecum. This is another in the family of exceptionally tidy and well organized bookshops. I went straight upstairs to their long classics section. Downstairs are shelves and shelves of contemporary fiction and a nice array of sci-fi and fantasy reads. Proprietor Mark Meister was nice enough to stay open a bit past closing to help me find a couple items on my list. All in all a great spot to round out a day if you’ve been hunting for books in Henniker.
Old Depot Number Six Book Depot
166 Depot Hill Rd, Henniker, NH
Open daily 10-5
(603) 428-3334
WMID: Large selection of modern and classic literature, with author biographies arranged next to their works; robust sections of history and theology upstairs
Henniker, about six miles southeast of the Lakeside Bookshop, is home to some great used bookstores. The Book Depot is a packed labyrinth of books on every imaginable topic. I spent most of my time in the fiction section, where author biographies and memoirs are shelved next to their works. The wall of vintage mass-market paperbacks is a fun browse and there are displays at the front of nice antiquarian buys. Side rooms and the second floor are jammed floor-to-ceiling with non-fiction. Although bursting with books, the aisles are relatively clear and beautifully organized. After I bought a short stack of books, hands-down most charming proprietor Ian Morrison offered me "a napkin, if I wanted to eat them right here!"
Henniker Book Farm
34 Old West Hopkinton Road, Henniker, NH
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10-5; Thursday 9-2; Sunday 11-3
Monday and Tuesday by chance
(603) 428-8888
www.hennikerbookfarm.com
WMID: A large and welcoming stock of mostly hardcovers on practical and literary subjects
The first room in the Henniker Book Farm is a colorful sight, with a loaded array of titles on gardening, cookbooks, and a tall shelf of new arrivals. Immediately I found a striking paperback edition of David Copperfield. As you go in deeper past the wood stove, you'll find winding sections for fiction, poetry, a dense section of literary criticism, and a whole bookshelf devoted to Modern Library editions. The place is remarkably clean, well organized, well lit, and proprietor Lacey Brown and her immense hound personable (it's actually her small dog).
I hear tell from Lacey there's a third bookshop in Henniker, called Boomer's Books, that specializes in military and sci-fi/fantasy. She will be happy to give you directions there.
Kate Oden is a writer, editor, and book-lover living in Hanover. You can reach her at [email protected].