I've gone more towards digital and audible books in my older age but can still appreciate a good old locally run used book store. My wife is more old school and took me by here on a friends recommendation and as I entered the space I was transported to my childhood when I didn't have an iPad and Amazon wasn't around. I remembered how my love of reading was nurtured in places like this where I discovered Zelazny and Tolkien and Moorcock for the first time. Where I discovered a love for all things science fiction in books like Lucifers Hammer and the Uplift Trilogy. Where I read about any subject I wanted from the history of the black death to the Occult writings of Crowley, Lavey, and Starhawk. The used book stores of my day were the fertilizers of my imagination as a kid and I had in many ways forgotten, or at least allowed them to slumber like Rip Van Winkle until awoken anew by the musty smell and creaking floor boards of this new reminder. I remembered how so many of these books have been taken and then returned to in turn be passed on to future generations. It warmed my heart to know there are still places like this around that manage to make the business model work. I had largely assumed that they were all gone to be honest. The owner, Dan, was knowledgeable and able to assist my wife with some recommendations for new reads. If you go here be sure to ask about the purple bucks which are basically a a paper rewards program in the form of purple paper money you can spend at the store. Also, be sure to call ahead before going to pay a visit. Dan is semi retired and so the store could be closed. Especially on a Monday. read more

Great selection in little cozy library setting. Prices are great to support local. The owner is a little different. A real experience is when the former owner, Dan strikes up a conversation. read more

A real gem. Stopped in on a whim while in Albany for other business and left a few bucks lighter but with a bunch of great books - including a hard to find out of print title. Fantastic selection - obviously thoughtfully curated - and an inviting, warm space. read more

Dove & Hudson's owner's not a conversationalist. Other than that, the book shop is fine. There are separate section like geography or biology. The books are brand new and are therefore priced above what you would pay at another book store. Prices are steep. There is no place to sit. It is hot inside this corner wood-shack. Overall, Dove is well laid out, tidy but very predictable. I found no 'old' books, or 'second hand' books or 'well-thumbed' books: just crisp, shiny books bought someplace else and now being sold at Dove for $5-10 more! The owner - slouched back in a easy-chair - was licking his fingers turning pages of a magazine. I tried talking to the geezer: this individual must have had his mouth full of 'gorilla glue'. Comment: talk to the customers if you want to sell. Review: 3 read more

A great many quality titles, in great condition, at fair prices. Dove & Hudson is a little gem.

I absolutely love this bookstore. A quaint, organized bookstore that has a large selection. Prices are extremely affordable and reduced (which is much appreciated as a college student). The gentleman manning the counter is kind and always asks "what made you choose these books?" while checking out. It's something I look forward to everytime. I have been coming here since I first moved to Albany three years ago and I just moved to an apartment that is walking distance! Looking forward visiting even more!! read more

Great selection and reasonable prices ! Best book store in Albany !! Well organized and easy to find things read more

Dove & Hudson - BOOOKS! - Bookstores Near Me - Albany, New York

Amazing selection, amazing prices, and the proprietor is great. I always come here planning on buying one book and walk out with a handful. Relatively hidden gem of Albany. read more

A wonderful, friendly, cozy, well-organized bookstore. Top notch. Great finds at great prices!

Dove & Hudson is one of those places that makes me feel lucky to live in the neighborhood every time I drop by. It's an absolute little gem of a used bookstore, with great prices on a well-chosen selection of sometimes hard-to-find books. If you're interested in history, philosophy, or belles lettres (there really is a belles lettres section!) just follow the cool hand-shaped signs to find your little corner of paradise. The fiction sections are a bit smaller, comparably, but the options remain excellent -- it feels like you're looking through the personal library of a friend with eclectic but extremely good taste. The purple money (coupons worth a dollar that you get for every ten bucks you spend) is a very fun touch. Try chatting with one of the co-owners about beautiful books to see if they'll pull out something really amazing for you to look at, like the edition of the Kelmscott Chaucer I got to page through with my very own grubby little hands. The only thing that would make this little shop better is if it had an equally cozy coffee shop with lots of squashy armchairs attached, or possibly a bookstore cat. That would probably be a bad business decision, though, because if this store was any more perfect I would definitely move right in and never leave again. read more

Dove & Hudson - I love the signs for the different sections! - Bookstores Near Me - Albany, New York

See all

This is my happy place. Hands down, my favorite bookstore, ever. The collection of works, the breadth of subjects, and the careful curation make it a place where you can always find something you're looking for. But, it's the atmosphere, and the dedication of the staff that make it truly special. read more

I almost missed this gem while walking to the Albany art institute. Great selection of books and the cashier was friendly. Check it out if you're in the area, you will not be disappointed. read more

What a great little gem! If you're in town, it's close to the government buildings and a quick walk from the hotels in the core. Staff is very warm and welcoming, and helped answer not only book questions, but questions about the local area a bit, too! I picked out two books on Judaica for reading during transit, and I hear this is a great favorite of locals in the know as well! read more

Love this bookstore! I'm only sad I just found out about it after living here a year. The owner took time to help me find a book and he also talked a bit about the store. Stop by and support local business and also books. read more

Excellent prices. Nice location. The owner is really helpful. It's one of my favorite used bookstores in the country. I enjoy being able to find philosophical or theological gems. Most used bookstores are low in that section but not Dove & Hudson. Any time I'm in Albany I try to visit this place. read more

I am so glad I found this bookstore. They have a huge range of books, and the men working there were very nice and helpful. I appreciated that the store was so clearly organized. I feel like I could have spent hours looking at all of the unique books they have. I know I will be coming back. read more

literally the best bookshop in the albany area! if i could go every day i would. love dove and hudson old books!

This really is a lovely little used bookstore and the prices are good. It's a great place to escape to and lose yourself in the many shelves of books. Unlike a lot of used bookstores, Dan the owner has created a shop that is bright and welcoming. Browsing is encouraged and the clerk has never ever made me feel uncomfortable - even when I don't buy anything. The sections are well organized and there's a well-stocked selection of both fiction and nonfiction. They also buy books, which is something I need to look into. read more

I've been coming to this bookstore for years whenever I visit my parents in upstate NY. I don't think I've ever come here without buying at least one book. Most recently, I even sold a bunch of books here (when I tried selling the same books at a bookstore in Chicago, I was rebuffed). The store is fairly small, but it has a great selection of books, all of which are in really good condition. I think the prices are also very reasonable. The owner is very chatty and friendly, which is nice. He's been doing his "purple dollar" system for years--if you buy a certain dollar amount (I think) he gives you coupons for a dollar off on your next visit (they look like purple dollars). All in all, a great store that I plan to visit anytime I'm in the area. read more

Great values, excellent selection of histories, biographies and classics. The staff were friendly and helpful, the neighborhood has a neat feel. This place is a throwback to a different era. These days I normally read ebooks due to convenience, but I do love and miss hard copies of books. I will be coming back. read more

I love this neighborhood bookstore! It's full of treasures and I could peruse for hours, and you can't beat the prices. Definitely check it out. read more

I visited D&H to sell some gently used books (and perhaps add a few). It's a wonderful used book store. I think it's the best in the area. If you're looking to sell used books, your options are limited in the Capital District. You can try Mary Jane books, but other than that, D&H is it. The selection of used books is wonderfully curated here. Everything is gently-used or better. The books are arranged lovingly. This is a great place to browse. Be prepared to spend more than you intended, however. If there is a flaw, the hours here are somewhat limited, and parking is on-street only. Since this is in the Lark/Center Square area, be aware that it may take you a little while to find a spot. read more

After wasting time looking for "Tattered Pages" used books which only exists on a website they were to lazy to shut down, I went to Dove & Hudson used books. This place was great ! Well organised and neat;easy on street parking 20 seconds from the door and very reasonable prices for good,clean,gently used books. I didn't get his name but the man running the place was more then helpful and knowledgeable steering me in the right direction in the shop. Good selection also. I'll be back when I need more to read. read more

A place that you should go and visit even if only less than 24hr stay in Albany (like me). So many books in various categories, from history to philosophy, filming & arts, cooking, et cetera. If you're in town, this is a place that you can find what you need. If you're a visitor, just go and you will grab something, for sure. read more

Dove and Hudson Bookstore is not very far from Washington Park. Stop in, buy a book, and then spread a blanket on the grass in Washington Park, sit back and enjoy a good book. read more

A bookstore like they were twenty-five years ago in the college town where I grew up, before Amazon and the internet. You'll want to spend hours browsing and return to see what else you'll find. Quality literature and even scholarly nonfiction in good condition at affordable prices. You can easily come away with an armful of books. Unlike many used bookstores where you have to sort through loads of junk. Everything here is high quality and makes you crave losing yourself among the stacks and between the pages. read more

Modest sized used bookstore a few blcoks off of Lark Street. You mighst be surprised to fidn it if you werre not familiar with Albany. The Political Science section seems to be a relative strength of the store. read more

Dove & Hudson - Bookstores Near Me - Albany, New York

One of the finest little bookstores I have ever had the pleasure of being in. It is an experience and a treasure

It is one of my favorite bookstore to visit. The owner is very friendly and every $10 you spend, you do get $1 voucher which will not expire for a year. read more

I am very fond of used book stores and this is one of the best. It is well organized with an excellent selection, clean and neat and the people who run it are very helpful. I live an hour and a half away but when ever I am in Albany I try to go to Dove and Hudson. If you love books or just need a book this is the place for you. read more

The first time I ever walked into Dove & Hudson, I was greeted by Dan, who was sitting in his chair behind the counter. He said, "questions are encouraged but so is exploring!" Thus began my love affair with this delightful bookstore. The selection is good (I've gone in looking for nothing specific and with a list of books - and I always end up satisfied), the prices are definitely fair, and the atmosphere is warm. The "semi-retirement" that Dan has entered (closing the shop for the first week of every month) only adds to the charm of the place. read more

Love Dove & Hudson. My father lives in the Albany area and frequents this shop often. I have visited several times and find they have a great assortment of books for reasonable prices. My father is a frugal gentleman and always compares prices with online sellers and other shops; he finds costs to be very competitive. The best attribute of Dove & Hudson is the ownership. Dan is knowledgeable and gives great customer service. I recently called for gift certificates and he processed my phone order with supreme pleasantness and kindly agreed to send certificates to two addresses. It warms my heart to buy locally and support small businesses even when they are far from my home. I hope Albany continues to support this lovely local bookseller! read more

Absolutely awesome used book store! I can't say enough about how much I love this place. A lot of the books look like they're new, but the prices are great! I've found a lot of paperbacks (unless they're newer, harder to find, etc.) are about $4. Every time I go in here, I end up finding something because the selection is so relevant...some good classics, but a lot of new books too and books that I'd want to read, not a lot of formula fiction like I've found in a lot of other used bookstores. Also, the guy who runs the store is really nice and always greets me and whoever else I'm with when we come in. He's also very organized and can help you find what your looking for. I've been to a lot of used bookstores and this is by far my favorite :) read more

Amazing place! So many great books in every genre. My family and i spent over a hundred dollars here and we didn't even get all the books we wanted to! The owner is incredibly kind and helped me find paperback versions of the books i wished to buy. Can't wait until the next time i visit Albany so i can come here again! read more

I used to live across the street and spent a lot of time here, mostly just browsing through the floor to ceiling shelves of gorgeous used books. This is a tiny shop but it's crammed with tons of goodies. read more

Although I have only purchased one book from this store, I have been here a few times to just browse around. The best thing about this store is that it combines the cozy feeling found in good used bookstores with excellent organization and bright, warm lighting. Many stores either have overly bright, ugly florescent lighting or random assortments of lamps scattered around the store providing for dark spots among the shelves which do not make for decent reading. The lighting here works with the cleanliness of the store and the excellent upkeep of all the books and shelves. Never do I feel pressured to purchase anything and I can always find a book that I'm interested in buying at a very reasonable price. You can also get coupons for discounts off your next purchase when you purchase something from this store, which is pretty awesome for such a small shop. read more

Charming old-style bookshop with quality stock, reasonable prices, and attentive but unobtrusive staff. Great resource for book lovers.

Love this bookstore. Awesome owner and great poetry selection. In a cute area of downtown Albany on a really pretty street. So much fun to visit this place! read more

Dove & Hudson is a nice bookstore. They always play a soft background music, which is not annoying/distracting at all. They have kinds of books (and in good condition too). As noted by most of the Yelpers, yes, the owner is really friendly. If only the room is big enough to have comfy chairs, I'd certainly spent hours and hours here. I enjoy going here and I hope they stay in the business. read more

Really, 4.5 stars. This bookstore is so cute, well run and staffed by intelligible people. The selection is pretty amazing, and the prices are on the higher-end of used books, but still extremely reasonable. I've gone a few times and appreciate the ambience and the fact that this place still exists here. Bravo, Albany, for valuing gems like this. read more