Will Brake for Bookstores
Here is a collection of New England road trip ideas for book lovers
Some people take road trips to visit national parks or baseball stadiums. Others seek out the best culinary experiences. And then, there are bookstore groupies. You know who you are. And while a foliage leaf-peeping road trip through New England is a bucket-list trip for many, it is the leaves in a book that some travelers seek.
New England is home to six states with many iconic, historic bookstores that are easy to visit in one long weekend — or a sequence of trips.
Prologue
In the summer of 2019, Connie Obrochta started a new chapter in life. The Chicagoan embarked on an eight-day bookstore road trip through New England. She had recently lost her husband, Wally, to brain cancer. So she and Wally's cousin, Mandy Genge, set off on a book-loving adventure, combining it with a family christening in Boston.
"It was cozy and full of character, just like the bookstores out east that were in converted houses, with stairways, nooks and crannies and tons of charm."
"It was a great distraction for both of us during a tough time," says Obrochta. The pair traveled from Massachusetts to Rhode Island and Connecticut, and eventually back home to Illinois.
"Before my husband's illness, Mandy and I were always chatting about books at family parties because we both teach reluctant readers — I am a reading specialist for elementary students and Mandy is a high school English teacher," says Obrochta.
The pair hatched their dream of launching an online business that would provide books for families to use in their own book clubs. The goal, though, was to get a brick and mortar store at some point. And when they stumbled upon an "empty, sweet shop" nested near a forest preserve in Chicago, their dream was no longer a cliffhanger and New Book Joy was born. "It was cozy and full of character, just like the bookstores out east that were in converted houses, with stairways, nooks and crannies and tons of charm," says Obrochta.
The pair did not travel through New England by the seat of their pants. "We did thoroughly map it out," says Obrochta, "but changed course when we met a book-loving family on the ferry leaving Martha's Vineyard who told us we had to visit Mystic, Connecticut's bookstores, so we shifted course — happily."
Here is a collection of New England road trip ideas for book lovers. Of course, you can mix and match, and just visit a few states and shops or do them all. New England is rich with bookstores; these are just a sampling of some of the best.
First Chapter: Connecticut
The pair especially loved Bank Square Books in Mystic (it recently moved from downtown to another location in town.) "It had some great picture books about big ideas for kids, which is what we gravitate toward," says Obrochta. "We love books that support social emotional learning conversations."
About 40 minutes south is the iconic RJ Julia in Madison. Named for the owner's grandmother, the story of the bookstore's origin is as compelling as its books. There's a tiny café and bistro in back of the shop, too. And there is a handful of places to stay nearby including the Madison Beach Hotel for sea views.
Second Chapter: Rhode Island
Barrington Books in Barrington won Obrochta's heart, especially the "wonderful children's section." Bristol is about five miles away; read on the porch at the Bradford-Dimond-Norris-House, an inn in town. And Ink Fish Books in Warren, about three miles away, was another favorite of hers. The shop turns six this year and specializes in food and book pairings.
Third Chapter: Massachusetts
Boston
With its fabled cobblestoned streets and historic charm, Boston is home to many colleges and universities as well as legendary bookstores.
The Brattle Book Shop dates to 1825 and has had several interesting lives. Today, the three-story shop is especially popular with antiquarian book lovers — it does not sell latest releases. It does stock 250,000-plus books and has a rare book room to show off first editions.
Trident Booksellers & Café came on the Newbury Street scene in 1984. Known as The Trident, the family-run shop is "a third space," meaning "a place that isn't your home or workplace, but in which all are welcome to gather over coffee, a conversation or a good book." Nearby The Newbury Hotel has a Bookworm's Retreat Package that includes three books (guests choose the genre) that they can dive into in the guests-only library (there are also Trident books offered in the library) or fireside in their guest room.
"Orwell, Kerouac, Bradbury, and Dostoevsky's 'Idiot' are some of the big ones, along with Austen and Virginia Woolf."
When leaving Boston, if you come to a fork in the road, take it. You can't go wrong whichever direction you choose to continue your book-loving escape.
Cape Cod
If you travel south to Cape Cod, you'll discover iconic indie bookstores like Titcomb's in East Sandwich. It's a trip down memory lane for many travelers and locals who have memories of choosing classics and the latest reads for 50-plus years here. The Dan'l Webster Inn & Spa has also been around a long time; it's located down Route 6A from Titcomb's and has fireplaces in guest rooms for extra reading comfort.
Take the ferry from Woods Hole to Obrochta's favorite bookstore in Massachusetts, an independent bookstore in Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard called Bunch of Grapes. The Vineyard is home to many writers—year-round and summer—and for 40-plus years has been the heartbeat of the island.
Fourth Chapter: New Hampshire
Travel north to the White Mountains to lively North Conway Village and White Birch Books now celebrating its 31st year. Owner Laura Cummings has worked at the store since the early 2000s. The store has a "very strong local section," says Cummings.
She adds that the Classics section is a sleeper section. "We keep adding to it and it keeps selling. Orwell, Kerouac, Bradbury and Dostoevsky's 'Idiot' are some of the big ones, along with Austen and Virginia Woolf. It has been very interesting to watch."
Fifth Chapter: Vermont
The Taconic Mountain range is on the map for gorgeous foliage, winter skiing and a special bookstore. The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester has celebrity status in this neck of the woods. It's family-owned, one of the largest bookstores in New England and the kind of place where everybody knows your name. The bookstore is eye candy — a series of colorful surprises at every corner turn — and a practical character in itself in a community of loyal readers. It houses 300,000 titles, and romance is hot right now, according to event coordinator Jess Hunsicker.
"Everyone wants to visit the Northshire."
The staff recommendations are at the bookstore's core and have gained loyalty from regulars, she says. Kids enter the shop and instinctively run up the curved staircase to the new inviting children's section. There's also a carefully curated rare book section and a café that shares space with the bookstore and complements the vibe seamlessly. "Everyone wants to visit the Northshire," says Hunsicker.
The community spirit runs deep here. The Kimpton Taconic Hotel is a quick stroll away and a partner with the bookstore. The Kimpton's library has a fireplace framed by bookshelves that show off books that are recommended by Northshire's staff and available on-loan. Sit on the porch (heated) during complimentary early evening daily social hour with a Vermont IPA — and new book.
Sixth Chapter: Maine
You'll want to travel north to Brunswick, a small town with, remarkably, several bookstores worth making the trip for, about two-and-a-half-hours from Boston. The Gulf of Maine Books is a popular choice — it debuted as the "hippie alternative" bookstore 40 years ago and is stocked with everything from regional to kids to nature titles. And Twice-Told Tales is staffed by volunteers and sells used books in a partnership with the town's Curtis Memorial Library.
Within walking distance is The Federal , a boutique inn with good bones. It's located in an updated historic 19th-century sea captain's home.