My top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex and I came here for Stop #2 of the 2nd Annual NJ…read moreBookstore Crawl (a 5-star extravaganza in and of itself) last Saturday morning. We hit up all three Sussex bookstores, and this was my chum's very clear favorite of the batch. I was a big fan too, even if ultimately it wasn't geared toward my literary demo. Our carefully planned itinerary suffered some issues with this one because Black Dog apparently moved fairly recently to more spacious accommodations further up 15. My chum frowned in confusion in a parking lot in the downtown Lafayette area for a few minutes before we got our bearings and retraced our steps north. I think that's on our Crawl Itinerary Expert but without context/knowledge of the move (which must have been at least KIND OF subtle since she lives within a few minutes of here and had no idea) an easy mistake to matter. No matter. Very easy to find once we had, you know, the actual address. And for the record, my chum said this was a HUGE upgrade over the prior location. All's well that ends well. I was REALLY hoping that someone took the name Black Dog Books literally, so it was an absolute delight to encounter a dark-tinted, wizened canine on the premises almost as soon as we walked in. Anya the chiweenie was a real trooper and an excellent addition to the festivities. I will say she's clearly an older pooch and didn't seem enormously thrilled by some of the younger human pups frantically taking selfies and whatnot (in my mild defense, I professionally took one tasteful photo and then gave her some space), but she handled it like a champ. I will say this for the record - every indie bookstore should have an accompanying canine chum. Apparently the Lambertville bookstore had a bloodhound, which is next level (massive FOMO but is what it is). But this was a good one. Thank you for your service, Anya. Unlike its literary counterpart in Branchville, Black Dog has much better lighting and much more space. It's no knock on them, but I just like the mild claustrophobia and overall personality that comes from having to get creative with the space you have and the massive amount of books to display. All due respect, this didn't feel as unique to me. I will say that out of the three bookstores we went to up here, Black Dog was the most enthusiastic about the Crawl, which is probably a huge reason my chum had the best experience here. They were giving away raffle prizes, naughtily had free wine(!) available before 11am and someone offering free fairy hair. I took her up on that generous offer but then belatedly realized it meant I had to stay still for more than five minutes. I just wasn't made to be an adult. My other slight issue with this bookstore (and again, this is me and I'm sure plenty of people have zero problem with it) is it just doesn't have the inventory that other places do - they leaned into presentation and more chairs and non-book products. And that's not necessarily a bad thing at all, but for me, it meant there was less overall space and options for the books I might potentially purchase. Also like a lot of bookstores in this day and age, a little too much chick lit for me; just not my thing. Very familiar with being a chick already; hashtag 1984 birth. The proprietors were VERY nice and accommodating. I didn't notice, but my chum said one of the employees was walking around giving customers recommendations based on their interests, which is a nice touch if welcome/slightly solicited. You felt good vibes throughout the store, which is important and should be a pre-requisite for any small business. (Truly love the Crawl for bringing stuff like this to my attention). Shameless judging books by their cover, I ended up purchasing Anthony Doerr's 2021 novel Cloud Cuckoo Land. Haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but I selected this one because the design on the front was intriguing and it had stickers denoting it as a NY Times Notable Book and a National Book Award Finalist. We'll see if I agree with the powers that be. Pleasantly surprised at the abundant literary options up here in the Kingdom, and a solid stop on our adventures.

Great gem of a bookstore with the most helpful and engaged staff! Their selection of books and…read moregifts are top notch from a large used section, impressive new book features, classics, manga, sci-fi and a great romance section too plus the owner is a history PHD so her history section of the store is well done also. They also offer free coffee, tea and snacks which is quite a nice treat. Big plus is also the easy off street parking with a flat in handicap accessible entrance and bathroom. Highly recommend!

A great spot to visit while we were wandering the area after lunch. The store has a thoughtful…read morevariety of used books organized into easy to browse sections, plus some new books, journals, crafty items, clearance shelf, etc. The owner, who happened to be wearing a shirt decorated with books, was friendly and knowledgeable about his collection. Exciting to see new business in the area (it's less than a year old).

This place has so many cheap books I love the vibe. They have such a wide selection and it's so cozyread more

So a beautiful place and a great selection. I stopped in while on assignment in the area. The staff…read morewas friendly, the store was clean and the books were abundant.

great. selections very cheap. helpful owner. ill. definitely be going back. and…read moreback

Finally decided to stop here after driving by the sign for "Books" for literally years. The store…read moredoesn't appear to be very large from the outside, but, you may find yourself slightly overwhelmed once you walk in. The books are practically floor to ceiling in some areas with many of the shelves being two stacks deep. Books are organized by genre and first letter of author's last name. Genres range from Mystery and Romance to Classics and End Table books. There is also a room full of children's books and a decent selection for young adults. I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere of the store. It is relaxed and fairly quiet. No one comes up to ask what you're looking for (although you can ask for specific titles/authors if you need) or eyes you while you're digging through the stacks trying to find exactly what you want. There are several step stools around to help you reach the highest shelves and be sure to grab a shopping basket at the entrance, as you'll likely need one. Remember, all of these books are used and come in varying conditions. All of the books that I purchased were in good to excellent condition. For the price of $3 per book, you can't beat it. He even accepts trade-ins, which then brings the price down to $2 per book, if I understood correctly. He accepts cash and credit. I have no complaints at all and will definitely be going back to gauge how often the stock changes. Thankful to have a used bookstore nearby. What I spent today on 12 books wouldn't have even gotten me 3 at Barnes & Noble.

Beware. You could spend a lot of time in here getting lost amongst shelf after shelf of used books…read more The staff greets you warmly from "the back" and allows you to browse. They have a great selection of books. Titles are well organized and in good condition. Madison is a cute town. Street parking is plentiful enough and free. There are several public lots behind the store fronts as well. It's worth a stop when in the area.

LOVED this bookstore, so many cool gems and the shop owner is friendly but not too pushy. I…read moreespecially liked the historical documents section, they have items from the 1800s which was so cool to see.

I love this place... I purchased several rare collections from this shop and found the prices…read morepretty good, but of course when you see something that you really want and know it is hard to come by price doesn't always matter. What matters is the wonderful collections. Hard to find books to impossible to find books, well almost impossibe... and some pretty amazing old prints in the back of the store are excellent buys as well. I think what holds me back from giving this place 5 stars is the fact that I've been going to this store for about 5 years, I go about once a month and often bring friends PLUS have made some rather pricy purchases (meaning between $50 and $295) and each time I walk in I expect the owner to know who I am and everytime I walk in she acts like she never saw me before. I think she should get to know her customers better, I mean, just because I'm not interested in her big white poodle doesn't mean I'm not interested in her book collection... The other gripe I would have would be I onced asked her for a book that I couldn't locate and she did an internet search and found it and turned to me and said that I should go to eBay. If I wanted to go to eBay I would have. What I wanted was for someone to get the book for me and have it delivered to the store so I wouldn't have to be home to receive it. Its called customer service!

oh boy, I love me some indie book stores! This is a good one with a nice selection of…read moreantique/vintage hardcovers and in the back, a surprisingly beefy room of paperbacks. Especially well-represented were mysteries and westerns. One of the owners is also a professional bookbinder. I'm taking off one star for the insanely cramped space...you have to be careful moving around in spots. But it's totally worth it to score that one item like....a book on the Beatles with rare photos for only $15! (of COURSE I bought it!) Have I mentioned how much I love places like this?

It's the kind of used bookstore you can get lost in. If I were a local, it would be part of my…read moredaily routine. The shelves are thoughtfully labeled, and the place has an energy that feels. You can tell when an owner genuinely loves the books and records they carry. The Bruised Apple is one of those stores. Worth stopping in if you want to get lost for a few hours.

What a lovely bookstore! We came across this hidden gem that has been here for more than 30 years…read more We parked our car right outside and saw the inviting window and warm lights of this cozy bookstore. The instrumental music was playing, the owner was very kind and welcoming. The customers were browsing and it was the most relaxing environment with so many wonderful resources. We will certainly be back! Thank you and Happy New Year!

Small businesses are the backbone of our Bernardsville community. The Bookworm is the place I go…read morefor books. The staff at the Bookworm are always professional, friendly and helpful

Was in town visiting family and wanted to buy a few books as gifts. Kind of knew what type but…read moreVera really helped me narrow it down to the perfect selection. This place is such a breath of fresh air versus the big book stores and when you really want good advice. I'm so happy to support these types of stores!

The owner of the shop was very helpful and if you desired a certain book, he'd help you order it…read more Stay a while to enjoy their children's paperback book selection, as well as just about anything you're seeking! Definitely a place, I'm glad I spent time, worthwhile money and will be back!

Best concept for a bookstore, ever. You may never leave. Aaron doesn't help either, as he is a…read morescintillating conversationalist. Also, the view!