My husband and I were in Old Saybrook for an overnight stay. We stayed at a local B and B, had…read moredinner at Penny Lane Pub on Saturday night and attended a wonderful blues concert at The Kate. Sunday morning we had breakfast at Mirsina's which was delicious. We then took a walk on Main Street. We were talking about what a sweet town this is and the friendliness of all the people we interacted with. We enjoy book stores and decided to explore Harbor Books. When we walked in, we greeted the woman at the desk. She was the wife/ owner I believe. We made small talk and looked around for books we might want to buy. During this time, a male patron came in and was talking about a 20th century European history book he had read and asked for help finding 2 other out of print books by the same author. I was preparing to make a purchase of at least 1 or 2 hardcover novels and my husband was interested in local history. A conversation took place between the owner and patron and was pointedly opinionated political talk that was very disturbing and inappropriate. Needless to say, we abruptly left. I am sorry our wonderful overnight was marred by hateful this experience. I will never go there again.

I LOVE this bookstore. It's not very wide, but it is long and tall. If I didn't stop myself at…read morethree books and postcards, I'd still be there looking at their fiction and cozy mysteries. The books are used, and their prices are written on the inside cover. They have a huge selection, every genre you can think of, and except for more popular titles, have one copy of each book to (I assume) allow for even more selection. I cannot recommend this bookstore enough. They also have a display of scouting materials in the back.

Very cute bookstore! If you Love books this place is for…read moreyou! Many great book finds for all ages! Fair prices. Friendly atmosphere from staff. Great place!

Was obsessed with this haunted little bookshop from the moment I saw their window display (see…read morepicture). Inside, curated sections of adult horror old and new, novelty books, and my favorite: ghost books (etc.) for kids! We walked out with one of my favorites, Gustavo the Shy Ghost, but I could have purchased the entire store. It's small but the employee was super nice and I'm sure everyone loves working there. The Gustavo book, hardcover and gorgeous, cost an expected 20 dollars. I'd be happy to spend all my money there, really, please stay open. This shop really adds to the already high charm of Mystic.

I'm sure the bookstore itself is fine as a business but the second we stepped in the owner's dog…read moreflew at our dog and bit her. If you're going to advertise your business as pet friendly and you know your pet is territorial, then it seems obvious to introduce precautions. There was a sign outside saying dogs were inside but that's hardly a proper warning for an aggressive animal who shouldn't be around other pets. Thankfully we grabbed our dog before she got too injured but she was badly shaken after.

We loved it. 10/10 will come back! Great selection of old and rare books at reasonable prices…read more Thoughtfully curated and alphabetized. For a frame of reference, the prices are not as low as an estate sale but definitely lower than antique store prices. Colleen was super friendly, and gave us a deal because we bought a lot of books. The dogs were super cute and made us smile! For people with allergies or sensitivities, be prepared for a tiny bit of a pet smell and lots of old book dust! Similar to the Book Barn with their cats and old books. By our standards, all the best used bookstores have pets to greet you.

A lovely and AMAZING bookshop! This is the gem of Madison. If you cannot find parking...this shop…read moreis where everyone is! I don't have the words to describe my experience here!!! Don't miss this shop - see for yourself! Delicious cafe too!!! Even very comfortable to eat alone!!!

I don't often, never, go into book stores. Had lunch at RJ Cafe & Bistro and popped in to find my…read moresisters newborn a Christmas gift of a book. I was very pleased with the service from the lady who worked upstairs. She was very helpful and knowledgeable with children books and even gave a lady and her newborn a quick story tell. She also gave me some insight on how to sell my mazes as they had a kids and an adult section for puzzles. Again, very pleased with this store and would recommend stopping in.

We love Syd's! Just…read morepulling up to their location with the welcoming signs for book lovers makes it apparent you are about to walk into a vast collection of books! We were immediately welcomed and shown the book sections. Syd's has an active social media presence and shows new books coming in. They had just had their sale so they no longer had the book but I'm glad as their sales were so successful l! I got one book for just $3! What a value and so excited to help their mission. You can donate books at any time and we saw some had been left at the front door and many people stopped in to drop off books while we were still there!

As a local author, reader, and small business supporter, this place is top tier…read more The selection is large! You may have some issues finding some specific books if you're looking for a particular title, but overall a massive selection of a range of authors. Since this is a donation-based bookstore, they typically have only 1-2 dublicates of a title. The value is also very good, with the books --even new ones-- being well under market value. The prices range from $.50-$9 on average and you can buy brand new books for cheap! Much better than Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Great if you just want a book to read or find children's books! The service is outstanding! Very friendly staff that love to strike up a conversation. Locally owned and a nonprofit so the owners are very passionate about reading and books and the town itself. Always fun to stop buy and have a chat while browsing and checking out! Will be returning and donating whenever po

This is a beautiful bookstore in Essex on the Main Street. Service was nice. There are really some…read morespecial books. They have new and used books and antique books. It's very peaceful and quiet inside. Prices seem low for the high quality!

If I could give them 5000000000 stars I would. This is one of the cutest bookshops I have ever been…read moreinside, and the fact that it is all romance books makes my heart flutter with glee. It is quaint. It is cute. Mr. Darcy would most definitely approve of it. I found myself a cute connect the dots book of leading literary men and a sparkly smut sticker for my laptop. I could basically just move in here and they'd never know because I'd be curled up in the corner just reading with a good book. It's just lovely and I love it here so much.

Connecticut's first romance bookstore is here! Montgomery and Taggert had their opening this…read moreweekend and it is a perfect addition to the cutest town, Chester. They are a small shop with a great selection. Books are organized into type like period drama, romantasy, etc. There are chairs throughout that make you want to curl up and read. The owner was lovely and so was the experience. I see a very bright future for them. Welcome!

Service, many varied items and value. People are very helpful and could steer you in the right…read moredirection. Get beat the prices.

A thousand stars!…read more My friend and I made the mistake of arriving just under two hours before they closed. I wish we had given ourselves more time, because you need it here! We started by visiting the bird and reptile sanctuary, which was both really sad but also really nice. The folks working there were friendly and informative. We also enjoyed visiting the goats outside. The book geodesic dome is very cool, and the tchotcke camper was fun to poke around in. Very sad we didn't have time for the Christmas airstream. Inside there is a case, which was closed by the time we got to it. Another reason we should have arrived earlier. It's next to an old books room, which I loved. I just want to sit in there and read. The mounted stuffed animal heads were a nice touch. The lower level also has a huge amount of stuff, but it's super well organized. I wish, when I was young and moved into my first apartment, I could have gone to a place like this to get all of my home furnishing and kitchen things. Upstairs is more like a traditional thrift store with clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. Everything here is so inexpensive!! I bought five books, two shirts, a pair of earrings, and two greeting cards for $24. I would have bought waaaaaay more stuff if I had time to browse longer and more thoroughly. The only other warning I have aside from the amount of time this place needs in order to fully experience it is that it is rather dusty inside. When I go back--and I will--I will take an allergy pill or wear a mask. Can't recommend this amazing and unique place enough!