The small town of Hobart, NY, calls itself the Book Village of the Catskills, and CBS News recently did a short feature piece on it. Hobart boasts seven bookstores in just a single block. The townsfolk got the idea from the famed Hay on Wye in England. If you like small used bookstores, then click on the image below. I bet you’ll dig this quick news clip of one of New York’s own book villages.
Leopold’s Books Bar Caffé is one of the coolest and quirkiest shops I’ve visited. I loved it! It is such an original space and felt instantly comfortable and browsable. As soon as you walk in you have a choice of walking ahead to the full bar spanning the back wall or turning right and face a living room sized area wonderfully filled with books! Leopold’s Books Bar Caffé sells new books only, but they are so smartly organized… by country… and all of the fiction and non-fiction are mixed together. Blasphemy you say! Wait it gets better…
So you there you are staring at a small sign declaring the shelf to be Argentina. Spine out you can see fiction about Argentina or non-fiction about Argentina or books authored by Argentinians. Then on the shelf next to it are bottles of wine and spirits from Argentina. It’s brilliant!
Look at Japan or Greece and you’ll find the same set up and pairings. The curation and title selection is so well done. It is fun to browse (you actually feel like you are exploring) and it attracts a fun crowd, being near a university. Anyway, here are a few photos from my visit. Parking can be tough, but it’s a fun spot to check out if you have a sliver of time to kill.
Leopold’s Books Bar Caffé
(608) 256-7709
1301 REGENT ST MADISON WI, 53715
Bookstore Hours are different from the bar hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10AM-MIDNIGHT
Tuesday: 3PM-MIDNIGHT
Saturday, Sunday: 10AM-MIDNIGHT
Sweet Home Books is a lovely little bookstore located in downtown Wetumpka, AL. As soon as you enter you can tell it’s run by a real book person. The first room is mainly kids’ books, plus fun book-related gift-y items. The second room has the adult and YA books.
Everything is new and well organized. Sweet Home Books has a fun Instagram account to follow. There’s plenty of art and shops around the river and downtown as well, so it’s worth a walk around.
Sweet Home Books
107 E. Bridge Street
Wetumpka, AL 36092
Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm
Sunday & Monday – closed
Here are a few photos from my visit:
If you liked this post about one of Alabama’s indie bookshops, be sure to check out this page where I’m chronicling bookstores in Birmingham, AL.
I found time to swing by the new bookshop for Little Professor in Homewood, AL. It was a beautifully bright & sunny day, which the new book shop is built for. The inside is roomy and Instagram-ready, with high walls and sparse tables. There is also a great seating area along the front window where you can sip your coffee.
They’ve only been open a couple of weeks, and it’s exciting to think about what’s possible in their new space and location. Little Professor has also launched a new podcast at the same time they opened their doors. It’s called A Little Bookish with new episodes dropping on Tuesdays. I recommend episodes one and three if you’d like a good peek behind the scenes of what it takes to open a bookstore.
While I (am old enough) to still miss the tasty sandwiches from the Crepe Myrtle’s restaurant that was attached to a previous location years ago, the new one is easier to access from nearby hotels and restaurants and is clearly built for community. You can check out their old location (up the street here) and you can check out their Little Professor Pepper Place location here.
Little Professor in Homewood, AL only sell new books and also have some stylish sidelines and merch. They also have an annual membership that offers some perks on discounted books and coffee. Their hours are:
They are now located at:
2783 18th St. S., Homewood, AL 35209
Phone: (205)870-7461
Their hours are:
Monday-Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm
