My daughter and I went leaf peeping in New England last week and like any other trip we take, we searched out the independent bookstores along our route. We visited five of the more than 200 booksellers in the region. Each one had its own unique character.

We began our trip in Boston and on our first morning, we made our way to Beacon Hill Books.

  • Beacon Hill Books and Cafe in Boston, Massachusetts
  • 71 Charles Street
  • Boston, MA 02114

Beacon Hill Books and Cafe is the most beautiful bookstore I have ever visited.

The busy bookstore is in a restored 1845 Greek Revival townhouse on Charles Street, and since opening in 2022, the bookshop has been a destination for book lovers. I have followed their Instagram account since the beginning and could not wait to finally visit.

The Children’s section takes up an entire floor of the store. It is dreamy. Child size doors welcome visitors into the space and a train chugs along an overhead track.

I am inspired to paint my own walls the exact shade of pale blue and build a fireplace in every room.

Put Beacon Hill Books on your itinerary for the next time you visit Boston.

After visiting a few other landmarks, we drove to New Hampshire. The fall foliage was at its peak and we were wowed at every turn in the road.

  • White Birch Books in North Conway, New Hampshire
  • 2568 White Mountain Highway
  • North Conway, NH 03860

After leaf peeping in the White Mountains, we made our way back to North Conway and stopped at White Birch Books located in an old house with a beautiful wraparound porch. This independent bookshop has served the literary community of Mount Washington Valley for more than thirty years.

It is a little bit quirky.

It is cozy.

The collection is extensive and well stocked. Readers really appreciate staff pick notecards and the sheer number is impressive.

Visitors climb a wide and welcoming staircase to the Children’s Section upstairs. I imagine littles sitting on the stairs to read a book that caught their eye. I really wanted to read a children’s book with a catchy name like Spells to Cast on Your Parents on those stairs.

The curvy end cap bookcases are beautiful and the sliding ladder was tempting. If the Employee Only sign had not been hanging on it, I would have had a Belle from Beauty and the Beast moment!

  • The Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick, Vermont
  • 41 S Main Street
  • Hardwick, VT 05843

“Wait, Momma! That’s a bookstore!”

We were driving through Vermont on our way to Stowe when my daughter saw The Galaxy Bookshop. This one was not on our list, but we had to stop. Main Street in Hardwick is under construction, so parking was very limited. We found the last space in the public parking lot and made our way to Galaxy.

This independent bookshop opened on 1988 and sold in 2014 to the the current owners. A visitor is immediately drawn to the mural painted along the wall above the bookcases. Many local businesses are featured and was painted by a local artist.

The bookseller was wonderful! (They are not always. Sigh.) She was friendly and answered all our questions. I wish we had gotten her name.

This was my daughter’s favorite bookstore of the five we visited. She wanted to stay and curl up with a book in a quiet corner. You knew you would be welcome to do just that.

  • Bear Pond Books in Stowe, Vermont
  • 38 Main Street
  • Stowe, VT 05672

Bear Pond Books in Stowe opened in 1970 and is the second largest independent bookstore in Vermont. It is located in the village and just steps away from the white-steepled church you always see in New England fall foliage photos.

They offer a huge selection of New England and Vermont books and authors. When you walk into the store, you will see several bookcases dedicated to New England and Vermont. Whether you want to explore the history of Vermont or read a fiction novel set in New England, Bear Pond has the book.

I was surprised to see so many stationery items and puzzles. They have a great selection of both.

“Dado, will you read this to me?” This is the sweetest question to hear whispered in a library or bookshop. A little boy was wondering through the aisles of children’s books and found a Wheels on the Bus board book. His dad sat in the chair and read the book in a singsong voice to him. This was the highlight of my visit to Bear Pond Books.

  • The Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, Vermont
  • 12 Central Street
  • Woodstock, VT 05091

This is one I could not wait to visit.

The Yankee Bookshop opened in 1935 in Woodstock and is the oldest continuously operated independent bookstore in Vermont. It has been open for 91 years. The store is located on one of the prettiest streets in New England. If you are not smiling about visiting a bookstore, then you will be when you see the white and yellow awning and the window trim painted yellow.

The collection is well curated with a book for everyone. They have the usual displays of New Releases and Staff Picks, but what caught my attention immediately were the plants. Along the top of the shelving were beautiful plants. I asked a bookseller (who I now know is one of the owners) who cared for all those plants, and he said he did when he remembered to water them. They did not look neglected!

The Yankee Bookshop had a good selection of stationery, pens and pencils including Blackwing products- the very best pencils!  They had a section of vinyl for sale, too.

If Woodstock is on your New England trip itinerary, do not miss The Yankee Bookshop.

 

I cannot pick a favorite. Each one earned a star in my independent bookstore notebook. Visit an independent bookstore on your next trip and then share it with me.

What I am Reading:  If Not You by Ellen O’Clover

What Audiobook I am Listening to:  The City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi

What Podcast I am Listening to:  From the Front Porch

What I am Watching:  The Gentlemen

Look for books at Knox County Online Library or your local independent bookstore each week.

Linda Sullivan is an avid reader and wants to inspire you to become one, too. For more recommendations or to talk books, reach out to her at thebookwhisperertn@gmail.com. She can also be found @thebookwhisperertn on Instagram.

Enjoyed this article. Read more Book Whisperer reviews by Linda Sullivan.

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