Whether you’re looking for new or used, rare or a classic, the Hudson Valley Book Trail has it all. The book trail, which is made up of only independent bookstores, runs from Peekskill up to Hudson. While we only highlight six stops here, the trail has 17 in seven Hudson Valley counties. Just minutes away from each stop are other activities like unique restaurants, other shopping or even the Hudson River Skywalk.
Little Red Book Shack
2710 Route 9, Livingston
Melanie Nelson of Livingston’s Little Red Book Shack has been in the bookselling business for decades. Before Amazon kicked off, Nelson and her husband were selling books online. Before that, the pair sold books in the mail to local libraries who were missing what customers wanted.
“They would put a list in the magazine for the titles they were looking for for their individual customers,” said Nelson. “We would respond to that and sell books and catalogues in the mail.”
Nelson and her husband both worked in New York City before entering the book industry. When they relocated upstate, they found a piece of property with four buildings that were eventually renovated into one connecting bookstore, with all items being either 50 cents or one dollar – which allowed customers to “only consider if you want an item or need an item,” rather than focusing on the price.
“When my husband passed away, I couldn’t keep selling online,” said Nelson. “I put some books in the first shed and put out a sign. That worked out. I knew how to do some construction, so I added on to other buildings.”
Before the pandemic, Nelson only opened her doors between April and October (due to the lack of heat in the buildings), Now she’s switched to a farmers’ market model where customers are welcomed around the clock and asked to leave the cost of what they take in a jar at the counter. Nelson still pokes in and out, and can ensure her presence if needed as long as she receives a call ahead of time.
Inside, all of the books are second-hand, ranging from geographical history to art exhibition catalogues to poetry to comics. One of the buildings is dedicated to a children’s section, which has an open front for parents to check in on their kids. Nelson even uses her covered front porch to sell small goods like picture frames and other things that might come in.
Looking for a bite to eat? Nelson says to try Wunderbar Bistro on Warren Street in Hudson. Nelson suggested stopping by (also on the Hudson Valley Book Trail) Rodgers Book Barn in Hillsdale, which has been established 20 years prior to Nelson’s opening. Nelson describes owner Maureen Rodgers as a “legend around here.”
Inquiring Minds Bookstore
200 Main Street, Saugerties and 6 Church Street, New Paltz
Brian Donoghue is a retired iron worker who has “always loved bookstores.” Now he is the owner of both Inquiring Minds Bookstores in the Hudson Valley.
“Even though I didn’t have a clue or knew what I was doing, I was determined to open a bookstore,” said Donoghue. “I was sitting across the street at Ann Marie’s in Saugerties [now closed] and thought, that would be a good place for a bookstore.”
The Saugerties storefront (which is notably larger, with a cafe serving fresh, organic, fair trade coffee and food inside) came to fruition in 2003, first as a children’s bookstore “Raising Children,” before expanding to two other storefronts right next door.
It wasn’t until three years later that the New Paltz location was created. While Donoghue was unsure about expanding his business, due to the rise of e-books, a mutual bookstore owner in New York City was closing its doors and had to donate its books. When Donoghue got the call, he took it as a sign from the universe to continue building Inquiring Minds Bookstores.
Inside these shops, there is everything, both new and used, including $3 books to $500 books. Customers can also find vinyls, CDs and more.
“People are definitely trending back towards books, at least that’s what we’ve seen,” said Donoghue. “The new focus on vinyl has been amazing with that comeback. It’s great to see how popular it is right now.”
With more space at the Saugerties location, it is a true “community bookstore” with gathering space available. Live shows, book readings and more have been held there.
“The book trail is a great concept,” said Donoghue. “As a book lover, it’s great to go from one store to the next and work your way up the Hudson Valley and see the rest of what it has to offer.”
If you visit the Saugerties location, Donoghue recommends checking out Emerge Gallery & Art Space, located just doors down. Violet’s Bakery is another must-visit with “incredible goods.” If you are hoping to get shopping in, try Montano’s Shoe Store, “the best shoe store in the country.”
Barner Books
3 Church Street, New Paltz
Barner Books, first established in the early 1990s, offers everything from children’s board books to rare, one-of-a-kind finds. Abby Chance, the store manager, has been at Barner Books since 2008. She works alongside Katherine Spelling, who has owned the bookstore for about a year now and has 20 years in the industry. Together, they create a thriving used-bookstore experience that they consider “a browser’s paradise.”
“In general, a used bookstore is a place [defined by] coming into the store rather than looking for a singular book or thing,” said Spelling. “Even if someone comes in looking for a certain title, we might have it, we might not have it, but we’re going to do our darndest to make sure there is other stuff for you to look at, enjoy and browse.”
The curation has everything from beloved authors to “weird and wonderful titles,” with “a little bit of everything for every level of book-lover.” Spelling compares Barner Books to a treasure hunt, where customers will leave finding something unique and special.
“When we buy books for the shop, we are buying things we know will be loved by others,” said Chance. “There is a real thrill and satisfaction with having the right person find a book that you’ve attached yourself to, and they find joy in it and take it home.”
As well as a wide range of different authors and books, customers can also poke around the “non-book book swag,” which includes everything from pencils, handmade journals, typewriters and more. The non-book items are sold with the intention of supporting other local artists and small entrepreneurs – meaning customers can find handmade bookmarks, greeting cards and pins made by other Hudson Valley residents.
Right now, Spelling and Chance are focused on having a consistently rotating selection of books in an effort to never have the same books sitting on the shelves.
“We want an active, lively turnover so people can ask hey, what’s new at Barner Books this week,” said Spelling. “That’s the joy of a used bookstore. You never quite know what’s coming around the corner. Part of our platform is to make sure people have access to finding things they never knew they were looking for.”
If you stop in Barner Books, Chance can give you a personal recommendation for other nearby must-sees according to your likes. However, her top-of-mind suggestions for food include A Tavola Trattoria for a fancy Italian dinner or Lagusta’s Luscious Commissary! for a vegetarian bite. Spelling describes New Paltz as being a bookstore destination in its own, encouraging customers to stop in the other nearby stores.
Oblong Books & Music
26 Main Street, Millerton and 6422 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck
The start of Oblong Books & Music was in 1975, when Dick Hermans and his partner decided to create the Montgomery location. In 2001, the second location in Rhinebeck opened. Today, it is co-owned by Hermans and his daughter, Suzanna Hermans.
“I always loved being a bookseller and growing up in the store, but my dad never pressured me to take on the family business,” said Suzanna. “I went off to college and studied theater, which is my other love, but I realized I didn’t want to pursue it as my career, so I came back to the area and thought, well, I love to sell books and I’m pretty good at it, so let’s try it. The rest is history. It’s definitely my passion and the thing I love to do the most – connecting readers with their next favorite book.”
These two stores carry a large (over 30,000!) range of new books, with a strong focus on the children’s section. Aside from books, there is a toy section and gift section as well. Lately, it has been growing its online selection for customers to browse there. Everything is sold at retail price.
“We consider ourselves a community center and are connected with other businesses and community groups,” said Suzanna. “It’s a cheerful, welcoming atmosphere that, no matter what kind of books you like to read, we will have books for you and help you find the next book you want to read.”
Right now, Hermans said Oblong Books is focusing on growing its business and also supporting other independent bookstores popping up across the area.
If you visit the Millerton location, Hermans encourages out-of-towners to try the new Candy-O’s Sweet Shop, located right next door to Oblong Books, for ice cream and candy.
Magpie Bookshop
392 Main Street, Catskill
Magpie Bookshop is a carefully curated store owned by Kristi Gibson, who has created a bookshop for readers rather than for collectors. Her aim is to sell used books in very good conditions for fair prices.
Gibson opened the bookstore seven years ago, after switching from being an urban studies and urban geography professor at the University of Connecticut.
“I did that for many years, and my background is really in urban geography,” said Gibson. “I wanted a change of career, and I always wanted a bookstore. It seemed like Catskill could use a bookstore, so that’s how it happened.”
Starting Magpie Bookshop was made possible by advice from a friend who has managed a bookstore for ten years, plus leaning on the wisdom of the book=lovers community in the Hudson Valley.
“Within an hour and a half of Catskill, there might be 30 bookstores,” said Gibson. “We have an amazing network of bookstores in this region. People don’t realize – if you go to other parts of the country, you never find that density of bookstores, outside of New York City.”
Magpie Bookshop is a traditional bookstore with nothing sold alone. Gibson wanted to emulate the best part about a bookstore – “the act of discovery,” calling customers to come in and browse and not know what they might find. Her 10,000-book collection, set mostly between $6 and $10, ranges with everything from literature to history to art and more.
“I’m in the middle ground, where I’m curated and I curate for condition and for topic, but the prices are still very reasonable,” explains Gibson. “My main customer is someone who reads a lot and wants to buy the book used because they read a lot of books, but not because they are collecting things that are first edition or rare.”
Gibson plans to continue to deepen her collection, while still staying carefully curated, heading toward the 15,000-or-20,000-book range.
Gibson recommends visitors stop by one of Catskill’s two Scenic Hudson open spaces, the RamsHorn-Livingston Audubon Sanctuary and the Mawignack Preserve. Gibson also recommends The Hudson River Skywalk, connecting Catskill’s Thomas Cole’s home and Hudson’s Frederic Church’s Olana, especially for this spring and summer.
Rough Draft Bar & Books
82 John St, Kingston
Of all the gems on the Hudson Valley Book Trail, only two offer something to drink for the 21+ crowd. One is in Kingston, where Amanda and Anthony Stromoski, high-school sweethearts who transplanted from Brooklyn, leaving their careers and deciding to pull inspiration from other book-and-bar joints. The other is Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson
“People come in looking for a book and then they decide to get a coffee or a drink – or vice versa, they come in to get a beer and they end up browsing the books and picking out a book,” said Amanda. “A lot of the purchases are kind of spontaneous here, which I think is really nice.”
Amanda said the atmosphere is well worth it despite losing a few books here and there due to spillage, On tap are twelve beers from local breweries and wine. The coffee and food menu has full espresso service, plus savory hand pies from a bakery in Brooklyn, treats from their other joint Kingston Bread and Bar, donuts from Kingston Candy Bar, and scones from Meredith’s Bakery.
Although there is a food-and-drink menu that you might not get at other bookstores, it doesn’t surpass the Stromoski’s commitment to books (for them, specifically new books).
“We try to keep a good balance between fiction and non-fiction, and we always try to stock new books around politics, policy, society, social justice,” said Amanda. “Those have all been really good sellers, especially over the last year. We also try to have books for all ages.”
They are working on growing their young-adult section, while also keeping the adult clientele happy. Rough Draft Bar & Books holds community events like monthly trivia, book readings and signings, book and writing club meetups, and even live music. With the warmer weather on its way, the pair plans to take advantage of its outdoor seating.
Half Moon Books, a used and rare bookstore, is located down the road from Rough Draft Bar & Books, and it is one stop Amanda suggests visitors to stop at. If you’re looking for music and books, Amanda says to try Rhino Records. Sissy’s Cafe is a sandwich and salad shop that Amanda “always sends people to.”
To learn more about the Hudson Valley Book Trail, visit hvbooktrail.com.
Join the family! 
