By Lara Tupper
I’m thrilled to report that bookstores are alive and well in Western Massachusetts and its surroundings. My bout of people-watching on a recent bookstore crawl (better than a bar crawl) revealed that readers are hungry for the analog pleasure of pages in hand.
Whether seeking current releases or backlist titles, quiet reading nooks or chatty booksellers, there’s something for all book lovers—and even book agnostics—in the region. “We’re lucky to have so many,” says Julie Sternberg, co-owner of the newly opened Books & Cake in Hillsdale, New York. The number of book joints springing up in the area is so great that Rye Howard, co-owner of The Bear & Bee Bookshop in North Adams, Massachusetts, plans to make a Berkshire Bookstore Map.
In the meantime, here’s a map of my favorites, in no particular order. (Bonus points for the two stores that carry my books—you know who you are.)
What’s not to love about Books & Cake? Opened in October, the Hillsdale newcomer specializes in my two favorite things. On a recent visit, I sat at a small table and tried the lemon cake (made by Karen Gregory of Grandma’s Hands Bakery) while The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” played overhead. Equally enticing are the book selections, and their organization. Julie Sternberg and Eve Yohalem, authors and co-owners, shelve books by how readers may want to feel: Hopeful, Scared, To Remember That Feeling of Falling in Love. Bliss!
booksandcake.com
In business since 1991, Yellow House Books in Great Barrington is a well-organized maze of used and rare titles. Readers can find “books they’ve been hunting for or books they never knew existed,” says Ray Garnett, who co-owns the store with Bonnie Benson. It’s a cozy place, with mellow jazz playing and creaky floors that hint at the building’s 19th-century foundations.
@YellowHouseBooks
The Bookstore in Lenox has been a Berkshires institution for 40 years, thanks to charismatic Matt Tannenbaum at the helm. (Matt stars in the award-winning documentary “Hello, Bookstore.”) Catch him in the window seat and chat him up—he’s always up for impassioned literary discussions. Or tuck into the Get Lit Wine Bar, nestled in the poetry section, for a spell of private reading.
bookstoreinlenox.com
Books & Cake, a bastion of good taste
Indie Readery & Records in Pittsfield opened in October “to fill a void,” say proprietors Emma and Laurie Lenski. They’re proud to feature banned books and provide a queer-friendly, progressive community space that supports social justice and sustainability. The store is hip but welcoming, colorful and fun, with whimsical gifts, a vinyl section, a kids’ corner, and a Refillery (courtesy of The Plant Connector in North Adams), where folks can shop sustainably. Indie accepts selected used books and records for store credit.
indiereadery.com
The Bear & Bee Bookshop in North Adams, a three-minute walk from MASS MoCA, contains an eclectic mix of new and used titles. There is a large activism section, as well as a beguiling “Tiny Museum of items we’ve found in donated books.” Co-owner Rye Howard is a knowledgeable, friendly guide, and corner chairs provide reading space near a giant tree sculpture. The store also prints charming books of local interest with titles on Hawthorne, Thoreau, and more.
bear-n-bee.com
Lakeville Books & Stationery, with locations in Great Barrington and Lakeville, Connecticut, features fabulous cards, stickers, pens, and fancy notebooks. Husband and wife owner/managers Daryl and Anne Lyndon Peck, who work alongside their daughter, Alice, are especially fond of illustrated books on cooking and interiors (which might explain the shops’ bright, airy spaces).
lakevillebooks.com
Shaker Mill Books in West Stockbridge includes more than 30,000 books housed in two buildings and overseen by Eric Wilska, a bookseller of 53 years. The two-floor bookstore is open year round and contains a labyrinthian trove of used and rare titles in excellent condition. Fun facts pepper the walls, such as “There are more books written about bees than any other creature besides humans.” The staff knows their stuff and there’s no rush at the Mill. I lingered and left with old treasures that were new to me.
shakermillbooks.com
The historic Shaker Mill Barn, in the former grist mill next door to Shaker Mill Books, is open in the summer and contains three floors of oversized stock, quirky book-related art (including a dog house that Eric made from books), and photography exhibits. I peered in the window to see a chalkboard sign: “Great books in no particular order in a great old building.” I’ll certainly be back in June.
shakermillbooks.com/the-barn
Indie Readery & Records co-owners Laurie and Emma Lenski
Honorable mention:
The Library at Scout House in Great Barrington, where multi-hyphenate Bobby Houston (bibliophile, author, Oscar-winning film director, and seasoned designer/home renovator) has read every book on display. This classy front room of his Scout House store (which offers stylish furniture and decor in several rooms beyond) has bookshelves drolly labelled “Cool Old Ladies,” “Old White Men,” and “Funky Stuff.” Bobby is quick to make recommendations. His knowledge is vast and his enthusiasm is contagious.
scout-house.com
