5 East Market Street, Red Hook, NY
Just a few doors down from the main intersection in Red Hook, a village near Bard College, you’ll find a small yet jam-packed bookshop that has much more depth and diversity than you may expect from a casual glance through the window. And within moments of walking in and browsing I began finding items I wanted to bring home.
Just inside the door is a modest children’s section, and I saw so many books from my childhood that it felt like I wandered into my own bedroom circa age 8. I found picture and chapter books that spanned recent releases to classic editions from way back, including Dr. Seuss, Nancy Drew, and the Olivia piglet series for early readers (which I grabbed for my niece, Olivia). I also saw the exact same three-book E.B. White collection that my mother bought us when I was a child. I didn’t grab that at the time, but looking back, I wish I had!
To the left of the door is a fiction section with affordable paperbacks and some interesting collectible items, like an early book club hardcover of Catch-22 and few collections of Beat and Kerouac letters I hadn’t seen before. I saw a bunch of great titles by Thomas Mann, Cormac McCarthy, Flannery O’Connor, loads of big names spanning the decades, as well as newer editions of recent hits. The poetry section was robust as well, with a lot of collector items spanning the entirety of the 20th century. This skewed older but the books were in excellent condition.
In fact, the further back you went, the more pristine collector items and vintage titles I found. Now I know when you read “vintage” you’re thinking careworn books that nobody is going to read anymore, but the toss that image out. These were in wonderful condition, beautiful collectors item and antiques, many with intricate artwork and leather-bound covers, the types of books that are as much for display as reading. Many are protected by plastic sheaths and are grouped in a series too, including works by Rimbaud, Shakespeare, Joyce, Austen, and many more.
The shop also has a lot of foreign language literature from France, Russia, Italy, Germany, plus a lot of art books, philosophy, biography, history, travel, and more classic literature and pulp novels back near the owners’ desk, where they happily rang me up with a paper bag and sent me merrily on my way. This little shop is a gem, and I hope you get to poke around these shelves one day soon.
Atmosphere — A broad array of paperbacks and affordable children’s titles that evolve as you go deeper into the one-room shop, where you’ll find collectors items and leather-bound books galore.
Quality — The books are mostly used but they’re all in excellent shape, much better than I expected for a “used” bookshop.
Quantity — The number of classics here is impressive, especially early editions and full collections.
Diversity — There’s a nice range, but it does lean more toward classic literature, mainstream fiction, art, and a just bit from most of the other big categories.
Affordability — The prices are fair. I paid $12 for two books, a paperback of McCarthy and a children’s book for my niece. You may pay more for the handsome hardbound titles, but you get what you pay for here.
Amenities — There were a couple chairs, but you’re here for the books.
Location — Just a few doors down from the main intersection in Red Hook, which is just a short drive from Bard College. There are plenty of cafes, bakeries, and shops within walking distance.
Customer Service — I spoke with a couple of people manning the shopkeeper’s desk in the back and they were very polite and friendly.
Overall — This shop specializes in the classics and literature from afar, but they offer enough newer titles and mainstream fare to have something for everyone. It’s small but highly recommended if you’re on the market for a collector’s item or a casual browse!
