You’ll find the Hudson Valley independent bookstores tucked into vintage barns and roadside shacks, shopping plazas and historic storefronts. Some local bookshops double as bars, coffee shops, toy stores, flower shops, record shops, and music venues. Some sell used books, some new—all independently owned and run with their own quirky pulse. Early in the pandemic, we reported that indie bookstores were on the rise—nationwide and locally. And we’re happy to say that trend is holding strong, with over two dozen local independent bookshops and counting in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Whether you want to pick up some fresh reading material to cozy up, buy a gift for the bookworm in your life, or stock your shelves with classics, these Hudson Valley booksellers have got you covered.
Kinderhook Books
10 Broad Street, Kinderhook | (518) 217-2192
Located in a restored, old two-story house, Kinderhook Books brings together literary fiction, obscure nonfiction, and the odd small-press surprise together in a warren of rooms. Upstairs, armchairs and other cozy nooks offer a spot to test drive a new book. Out back, the wine garden, which reopened for the season on April 1, is a tranquil spot to dive into the book you just bought or catch up with a friend. Weekly silent book clubs in the garden provide a space to quietly read in the company of other bookworms, while occasional food pop-ups make for more lively events. Kinderhook Books also offers book subscriptions in fiction, nonfiction, translated, and large-print categories for three and six months. Every month, you (or your gift recipient) receive one beautifully wrapped, hand-picked book.
Blue Heron Books
1209 Route 213, High Falls | (845) 377-1089
Blue Heron Books is a fiercely independent, women- and lesbian-owned bookstore that champions the right to read. Founded by Jean Mills, a Virginia Woolf scholar, and Martha Haag, a former floral designer and healthcare professional, the shop offers a curated selection of new, used, and banned books, with a focus on literary fiction, feminist and LGBTQ+ voices, and works by local and international authors. The store also hosts literary events, writing workshops, and children’s story hours, fostering a community centered around literature and open dialogue.
The Book & Nook
24 Ronald Reagan Boulevard, Warwick | (845) 576-2474
The Book & Nook, a Latina and woman-owned indie bookstore, opened in summer 2023, giving Warwick a local bookstore for the first time since the pandemic. The store regularly hosts events, including book signings, panel discussions, workshops, storytimes, and small business pop-ups. The inventory features over 2,000 new and used books from authors of all walks of life, ethnicities, orientations, and other identities.
The Book Cove
22 Charles Colman Boulevard, Pawling | (845) 855-9590
The Book Cove, located in the heart of Pawling, takes a personal approach to literature. Always happy to recommend or discuss a book, the staff members at this location pride themselves on getting to know their customers and what they like to read. While this location offers new books, it stands out for its selection of rare and out-of-print books, which cover topics ranging from gardening and history to religion and music. If you’re looking for more than literature, the Book Cove also sells stationary, napkins, candles, eyeglasses, puzzles, socks, bookends, soaps, CBD oil, various home decor items, and a selection of kids’ toys, such as Pusheen plushies and Lego sets.
Diamond Hollow Books
11 Delaware Avenue, Andes | (347) 262-4187
First opened in the mountain town of Andes in 2021 by Miles Bellamy and Sue Kovacs, Diamond Hollow Books recently moved location, reopening in December 2024. The new shop is royal blue daydream, whose high ceilings, arches, and electric color pull your eyes upward and across. New titles rub spines with well-worn philosophical treatistes and poetry chapbooks in stacks upon cerulean stacks. While Diamond Hollow does sell new books, their primary business is good-condition, used books in a range of categories including art, architecture and design, fiction and literature, theory, music, mycology and mysticism.
Golden Hour Books
109 S William Street, Newburgh | (845) 787-4185
The only indie bookstore in Newburgh, Golden Hour provides an affordable mix of used and new books, specializing in literary fiction and nonfiction, children’s and young adult books, and women writers at a variety of price points. While sci-fi, fantasy, and spirituality are all popular genre picks among the community, founder Ange Venezia’s personal interest in cookbooks and food writing is also evident in the selection.
Stanza Books
508 Main Street, Beacon | 845-674-4707
Cofounded by writers Andrea Jade Talarico and Mark Harris, Stanza Books offers a diverse selection of literature, genre fiction, and non-fiction for readers of all ages. The shop’s layout has been carefully designed to guide visitors through different areas tailored to their interests. The front room is a study with a selection of notebooks and pens, the middle room is a salon devoted to literature across genres, and the back room is a library dedicated to history, culture, science, and other nonfiction subjects. In addition to its book selection, the bookstore hosts book clubs, salon-style events, RPG game nights, poetry workshops, and readings. To read in good company, join one of Stanza’s book clubs.
Three Arts Bookstore
3 Collegeview Ave # 1, Poughkeepsie | (845) 471-3640
Founded in 1946 and located across the street from Vassar and founded in 1946, Three Arts Bookstore has a long connection with the college and the city of Poughkeepsie. Here you’ll inevitably brush shoulders with students buying textbooks for their classes, as well as locals browsing the ample selection. The genre-spanning collection ranges from sports and travel to cooking, poetry, and nature, plus a sizable collection of of children’s books, and of course novels. Occasionally blemished books are banished to the discount rack, where you can a great deal on a near-perfect condition volume.
Briars and Brambles
Alpine Garden Village, Windham | (518) 750-8599
Briars & Brambles Books is a thoughtfully curated bookstore nestled in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Founded by former English teacher and school dean Jen Schwartz, the shop offers a selection of over 6,000 new books, alongside puzzles, games, and stationery. The store’s warm atmosphere and personal service make it a destination for both locals and visitors. Beyond books, Briars & Brambles hosts events, book clubs, and art exhibitions, fostering a vibrant literary community.
Magpie Bookshop
392 Main Street, Catskill | (518) 303-6035
Magpie Bookshop in Catskill has all the secondhand books and charm one could hope for. Located on Main Street, the shop’s hardwood floors are lined with wood crates, vintage tables, and shelves full of used and like-new books of all sorts. Find bargain-book sets like the 1950s Winston Churchill collection or a set of books by Robert A. Johnson, or ask friendly shopkeeper Kristi Gibson for a recommendation. Magpie Books is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11am-5pm—and occasionally on Sundays.
Bruised Apple Books
923 Central Avenue, Peekskill | (914) 734-7000
Like a gentleman’s study out of another time period, Bruised Apple Books in Peekskill features soaring tin ceilings with shelves upon shelves of new and rare books, CDs, movies, and LPs. Dust motes glint in the light, the smell of old leather-bound volumes is on the air, and floorboards creak as you meander through this cozy maze of literature and music. Bruised Apple has been buying and selling used books and prints since 1933, and its curated collection includes around 50,000 titles. Vintage arm chairs and reading lamps are tucked here and there in case you need to plop down and really test drive a book before buy it. Both Worth a day trip.
Little Red Book Shack
2710 Route 9, Hudson | (518) 537-5027
If you’re driving down Route 9 in Livingston, keep your eyes peeled for a “Books Ahead” sign, which heralds a ramshackle set of sheds and shacks where your next magical reading experience awaits. From the owners of online bookstore Melanie Nelson Books, the Little Red Book Shack has a bargain collection of around 20,000 used and vintage books, classical and indie LPs, DVDs, maps, and postcards throughout sheds and cottages on the property. The business is organized into different sections, including kids, music, vinyl, biography, and used books rooms. Due to COVID, the shop is operating through self-service––shop around and then pay on the front porch of the shop where owner Melanie Nelson will greet you. And while you’re on the porch, peruse the free yard sale items for an extra souvenir.
Rodgers Book Barn
467 Rodman Road, Hillsdale | (518) 325-3610
This whimsical wooden cottage in Hillsdale is straight out of a fairytale, with a lush garden surrounding the house, books stacked to the top of every wooden shelf, cozy nooks throughout, and a friendly staff to greet you. One reviewer calls Rodgers Book Barn, “an absolute gem of a used bookstore.” Owner Maureen Rodgers, who has been running the shop since 1972, offers an array of uncommon and vintage fiction, criticism, memoir, biography, and history books for bargain prices—and self-serve coffee upstairs. It’s rare for upstate bookstores to make the pages of the New Yorker, but Rodgers Book Barn got its own tribute in 2010, with Meredith Blake describing it as “an enchanting, warrenlike atmosphere. It’s the kind of place you half expect to find a talking rabbit wearing a monocle and vest and reading by candlelight.” Well maybe not a rabbit, but there are normally plenty of people nestled into armchairs perusing the ample selection.
Montgomery Book Exchange
84 Clinton Street, Montgomery | (845) 764-1787
With its sunny yellow exterior, the Montgomery Book Exchange tucked in the historic is a village favorite, where you can sell, buy, and exchange a wide selection of used books for all ages. Check out the spacious Children’s Corner stocked with traditional and newer books, and buy one and get one free special on Fridays at 1pm. The shop accepts used books in exchange for store credit that can be used on anything in the shop. Tune into their “30 on Thursday” Facebook live events for discounts on 30 books, jewelry, and gifts. They also host book clubs, poetry nights, children’s storytime, book signing, and other special events like book folding and knitting to bring together the local community.
Antipodean Books, Maps, & Prints
29-31 Garrisons Landing, Garrison | (845) 424-3867
For over 40 years, Antipodean Books, Maps, & Prints has been a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, and other trade organizations. Located in the historic 1840s train station building in Garrison, the shop has a wide selection of uncommon and vintage books, maps, prints, ephemera, and photographs to delight devotees of antiquity. Antipodean offers many products on the Hudson River Valley, the Antarctic and Arctic, the South Pacific, and voyages and travel.
Our Bookshop
97 Partition Street, Saugerties | (845)-246-3106
A little, green-and-white shoebox of a store in Saugerties, Our Bookshop has over 25,000 carefully curated volumes of old, uncommon, vintage, and gently used books, plus postcards, magazines, CDs, DVDs, sheet music, prints, and ephemera stacked among the narrow and crowded shelves inside the tiny house. Our Bookshop is organized neatly by category, and owner Chris Evers can help you find whatever you’re looking for. One reviewer says, “you get the distinct sense that this man lives with books and loves them.” The bookshop also buys the goodies you are ready to part with—from maps to records, books, and prints.
Binnacle Books
321 Main Street, Beacon | (845) 838-6191
Binnacle Books in Beacon has a large selection of new and used literature, poetry, literary nonfiction, political history, art, drama, philosophy, graphic novels, and children’s books. Partnered with Beacon Prison Rides and Beacon Prison Action, the shop is a part of the Beacon Prison Books Project which provides incarcerated people in the area with postcards to request books. In light of COVID, this small indie shop has extended its platform to online, where a small number of in-store products are available to order for pickup.
Split Rock Books
97 Main Street, Cold Spring | (845) 265-2080
Located just a few feet from the Cold Spring Train station, this sky-blue indie bookshop is hard to miss and worth visiting. Opened by Heidi and Michael Bender in 2018, Split Rock Books filled a hole in the local community left by the previous bookshop a decade prior. Split Rock Books has a wide selection of new books, with many in literary fiction, non-fiction, small presses, local interest, and children’s selections. They host book clubs, readings, author signings and discussions, and several children’s and family events. Look on their website for the Bender’s favorite books, pride and justice month picks, staff favorites, and new releases.
Barner Books
3 Church Street, New Paltz | (845) 255-2635
This charming brick-and-mortar on Church Street in New Paltz is one of the longest standing bookstores in the Hudson Valley. Barner Books offers both new and used books with a wide variety of selections in regional history, children’s books, nature guides, art and literature collections, astrology, coffee table books, poetry, classics, rare books, and more. The shop also has antiques like vintage typewriters, Italian paper posters, and customer-favorite handmade journals imported from India. You can find Blackwing Pencils, bookmarks, cards, and posters in the shop as well. Barner Books is open seven days a week, and available for online orders.
Postmark Books
449 Main Street, Rosendale | (845) 658-2479
If you’re looking for a wide variety of books and locally grown flowers, this Rosendale shop has you covered. Postmarks Books is a vibrant shop located on the Rondout Creek that not only has a large selection of new books, but also an in-store floral design studio—Nissi Meadows Floral Design––where Maggie Paquet creates floral arrangements from locally grown heirloom flowers. Check out their indie bestselling books, favorites from the month, and seasonal picks on their website. The brick-and-mortar store is currently closed for browsing due to COVID, but they offer curbside pickups, local delivery, and free national shipping. Postmark Books also offers audiobook and e-book downloads.
Merritt Bookstore & Toystore
55-57 Front Street, Millbrook | (845) 677-5857
This Millbrook bookshop and toy store offers a wide variety of new releases and classic books for all ages, as well as toys, games, puzzles, cards, stationary, wrapping paper, and other little fun gifts. Check out their large selections on social justice, adult graphic novels, historical books, and audio books on CD. Merritt Bookstore hosts an annual Millbrook Literary Festival, which brings together nationally recognized authors and local writers with a local community of readers. The store is open seven days a week, and has a seating area for you to cozy up and test-drive a book while browsing.
Inquiring Minds
6 Church Street, New Paltz | (845) 255-8300
200 Main Street, Saugerties | (845) 246-5775
Inquiring Minds Bookstore, with locations in New Paltz and Saugerties, is as good a place to buy a book as to read one. The red brick and mortar store in New Paltz has a large selection, including children’s books and toys, and local author and interest books. Both locations have sections of the store dedicated to specific themes, events, and holidays throughout the year. The Saugerties location also has a coffeehouse offering a full espresso bar as well as teas and smoothies. Inquiring Minds hosts events for local authors and book club discussions, bringing together local community members for coffee and conversation.
Oblong Books & Music
6422 Montgomery Street, Suite 6, Rhinebeck | (845) 876-0500
26 Main Street, Millerton | (518) 789-3797
Oblong Books and Music, with locations in Rhinebeck and Millerton, is the largest independent bookseller in the Mid-Hudson Valley. These two locations have a large selection of children’s books and toys, local-author books, and bargain books. In light of COVID, they are offering private shopping appointments at both locations to browse the store when it is closed off to the public. You can also attend online events like author conversations and poetry readings––check out the virtual conversation with New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Colbert about her new book, Under a White Sky:The Nature of the Future, on Wednesday, February 17 at 7pm.
Spotty Dog Books and Ale
440 Warren Street, Hudson | (518) 671-6006
Spotty Dog Books and Ale was the first to send boozy bookworms into fits of delight, when they pioneered the winning bar/bookstore combo locally in 2005. Located in the historic C.H. Evans firehouse on Hudson’s Warren Street, the Spotty Dog offers up plenty of antique charm alongside a selection of over 10,000 new books, ranging from vegan cookbooks to feminist manifestos, Pride celebrations to the the latest novel du jour and beautifully illustrated children’s editions. In addition to uncommon volumes, toys for children, and an expanded section of local writers, there is also a newly renovated art section in the back of the shop, with supplies for everyone from kids to professionals artists. At the bar, you’ll find a selection of craft beer from local brewers, sustainably sourced white and red wines, French-press coffee, and craft sodas. You can also order bar snacks like locally sourced cheese plates from Olde Hudson, served with olives, sesame flatbread, and sopressata. The Spotty Dog Books and Ale also hosts live music nights, book signings, and multimedia performances.
The Golden Notebook
29 Tinker Street, Woodstock | (845) 679-8000
Named for the original owner Ellen Shapiro’s favorite Doris Lessing novel, this cozy indie bookstore on Tinker Street in Woodstock has been a cornerstone of the community since 1978. The Golden Notebook carries a wide variety of literature, history books, poetry, children’s books, classics, an entire shelf of Penguins Classics, as well as a large selection of works by local authors. The shop, which cosponsors the annual Woodstock Book Fest, regularly hosts author signings and community nonprofit events all year round. Find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the history of the town of Woodstock in a special dedicated section.
Rough Draft Bar & Books
82 John Street, Kingston | (845) 802-0027
When bar-meets-bookstore Rough Draft opened in 2018 in a historic stone building in Kingston’s Stockade District, it was rapidly embraced by longtime locals and visitors alike. Rough Draft has everything you need to post up for the whole day. Roll in at 9am, plug in your laptop, and work away while you sip on a Counter Culture latte or Nitro cold brew (on tap) and munch on a croissant. Then, when lunch rolls around, order a DUB pie (perhaps lemongrass chicken?). When you need a stand-and-stretch browse the selection of new and bestselling books from fiction and non- to children’s books, historical dramas, and curated collections on themes like antiracism. And finally, when the end of work is nigh, order your first beer or hard cider from the impressive selection of local drafts. This community living room serves as a meeting place for everything from first dates to job interviews to study groups. Nightly events feature local authors, special guests, trivia, and book club discussions. (All through Zoom until further notice.) Order in the online shop for pick-up and local deliveries of coffee beans, DUB pies, growlers, canned beer, Rough Draft merch, and best-selling books.
The Common Good
119 Canal Street, Ellenville | (845) 210-7112
Opened in October 2024 in Ellenville, The Common Good bookstore and bar is a spot for readers, history buffs, and socializers alike. Inside, you’ll find sections for fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature, each designed to have its own distinct space while blending into an overall open layout. Owner Matthew Goldman—a former bookseller, touring punk musician, and high school history teacher—curates a full slate of events from trivia nights to adult history classes and music sessions. The full bar, styled after a traditional British pub, seats about 10 to 12 people and features a full banquette and a bar rail (the entire bookstore seats about 34 to 36). The cocktail-forward menu features local spirits and beers. In addition to its drinks, the menu at Common Good includes a variety of prepared foods, such as hot and cold sandwiches, salads, pastries, bagels, spreads, muffins, and a soup of the day plus bar snacks like soft pretzels and corn nuts.
Scattered Books
29 King Street, Chappaqua | (914) 529-8013
Scattered Books in the Westchester hamlet of Chappaqua is a local favorite for gifts, author signings, events for kids and adults, and books of all kinds. This family-owned shop, located in an antique house, has a wide variety of bestsellers, fiction, nonfiction, teen chapter books, graphic novels, picture boards books, and children’s books. They also have toys and puzzles from Innovative Kids, Floss and Rock,, Usborne, and others––as well as gifts like Cheerful Giver candles. The Scattered Books Literary Lounge can be rented for events. They also offer custom party favors, and the bookstore bunnies, Acorn and Oatmeal, to greet you during your time at Scattered Books. The shop was named a 2016 family favorite by Westchester Magazine and Best of Westchester in 2017 and 2018.
Good Books
284 Main Street, Cornwall
Tucked into the sweet river town of Cornwall, Good Books is a bookworm’s dream. Opened in 2023, the shop’s warm wood shelves and modern chandelier give it fresh but lived-in charm. New releases mingle with puzzles, while staff-curated displays lean toward thoughtful fiction, bright children’s picks, cookbooks, and local-interest gems. They also offer memberships to their store for additional savings. The children’s section, replete with bean bag chairs, offers a place for little ones to curl up with a picture book while their parents wander in search of their next great read. Good Books doubles as a community hub too, hosting readings, craft nights, and quiet moments of refuge.
Lakeville Books & Stationery
329 Main Street, Lakeville, CT
63 State Road, Great Barrington
All book lovers mourn the closing of their favorite local bookshop, so when someone swoops in and keeps the space alive (even by a different name), it’s a sweet relief. That’s what happened when The Bookloft closed earlier this year, and Darryl and Anne Peck decided to personally ensure Great Barrington would continue to have an independent bookstore. They had only just opened the first location of Lakeville Books & Stationery in the eponymous Connecticut town this past April, after extensively renovating the historic 1800s building, when Great Barrington came a’calling. The couple redesigned the flow of the former Bookloft interior, added a fresh coat of paint, and updated the shelving and carpets to create a new and improved bookbuying experience. Both Lakeville Books & Stationery locations are now open with tens of thousands of titles to choose from in sunlit, well-organized interiors that also offer writing and art supplies from notebooks to pens and markers.
