Beware. You could spend a lot of time in here getting lost amongst shelf after shelf of used books. 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. read more

The Chatham Bookseller - Bookstores Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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 I especially liked the historical documents section, they have items from the 1800s which was so cool to see.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

Such a cute bookstore! Has a great selection of older/newer books, vintage postcards, and playbills.

great selection in this book and it is definitely a gem of a find. I will say the organization is not quite nearly there but I guess that is what is the kook of a used bookstore. The paper backs are 5 -7 dollars and the hardbacks are 9+ dollars. I could spend hours in here. I found plenty of books I wanted to get but did not want to overwhelm myself so only got the ones I just HAD to have and could not risk someone else taking them. I didn't really interact with except on check out and they were professional and polite. They have a number of those older books one can use as decoration. I wished I had knew about this place before I went to all these estate sales and bought those decorative books at a higher price. There is parking in the back but it does fill up. Hopefully this shop keeps on going because I would love to return monthly! read more

A dying breed, this is the epitome of a lovely little used book store. Not huge, but well marked and staff are very friendly. Easy to spend an hour going through the shelves to find some hidden gems. read more

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One of the best used book selection! Very erudite. Very carefully curated. I found poetry and essays I have not seen in any bookstore ever. Literary. Lots of educated people live around here, evidently. Very relaxing. Easy parking in the town. Nice people. read more

This quaint shop on the heart of town is the best place to find your next unputdownable book. Options from poetry, history, historical nonfiction, memoir, fiction, cookbooks, and more abound. Knowledgeable and welcoming staff are ready to assist you with your literary next adventure. read more

This wonderful,old bookstore is the perfect place to browse - and to find that perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list - or yourself :) They have the requisite old bookstore smell and creaky wooden floors - something you just don't get when you buy a book online. There is so much to be said for the ability to pick up the book, hold it in your hands, and feel the weight, while flipping through the pages. You miss this experience when you buy online. And when you are in here, you never know what other treasures you may find. Prices are really good, proprietor is very helpful and it's just really nice to buy books locally whenever you can. You should definitely make it a point to stop in here - again and again! read more

Great spot, great staff! They have some really cool stuff in there. Old maps and post cards too read more

The Chatham Bookseller - Books and postcards - Bookstores Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

This place is seriously a gem. I'm only scared to post a review out of selfish reasons. I want to keep it for myself secretly. But the owners are incredibly sweet and welcoming. Lots of regulars hanging around, which just reflects how much people like it. I found amazing books there and very well priced. Very cozy, although there's plenty of room in the isles. Easily my favorite bookstore store I've visited in New Jersey! read more

The store is overflowing, literally, with books for cheap. It is very cramped and well organized by genre and hosts a few chairs to rest and read in. The men who work there are kind and helpful. They will double-check the back for any title you cannot find, and look honestly upset if they don't have what you need (which has only happened once). It's everything you want and expect in an independent bookseller. read more

It's tiny and cramped, but still a place to seek out for all that. Despite the size, they have a good selection of books for a moderate price. Also have a good selection of classical music CDs. Definitely worth a visit, if you're an old or antiquarian book fan. read more

My favorite bookstore in the world. This quaint and rustic bookshop is why bookstores should never die. The smell, the look, the adventure of it all. It feels like and old shop in London that hasn't changed in hundreds of years. There are an abundance of classic books here at reasonable rates to add to your library, as well as pricey collectors books for your snobby, rich friends. I just love exploring this place. read more

An absolute WONDERLAND for book lovers, great selection and prices and very friendly, I absolutely will be back

This is a small used book store located just off Main Street in the beautiful little North New Jersey town of Madison. Just across the street is a beautiful old church, and if you are stopping by this store be certain to check out the rest of the various shops and eateries along the main drag as you will not be disappointed. The store itself as mentioned is rather small, but that is not meant as a criticism- simply a statement of fact. Once inside the old hardwood floors will creak underfoot, and you will quite literally be surrounded by shelves and shelves of books. The books themselves are highly organized, and if you happen to be looking for a particular title the staff is more than willing to help you look through the stacks. For instance, the first time I visited the store I asked where a particular book might be, and the staff member on duty spent the better part of half an hour looking in all possible locations for it. The latter is what I would call exemplary customer service. As for the books themselves you will find that the store is mostly devoted to non-fiction, and has quite the impressive collection thereof. As far as fiction goes there is a decent section of literary fiction, and several smaller sections devoted to genre fiction. For instance, the Science Fiction book section was one solitary book shelf with around 150 books on it; the literary section was much larger- at least four ceiling to floor shelves with upwards to 1,500 books. I would hasten to say that you may not find what you are looking for, but it is highly doubtful that in your search that you will not find a treasure that you have to have. The store does not have the standard pricing that most used book store shoppers may be used to, but instead the books are priced by the owners. The prices of all the books I encountered were written lightly in pencil on either the inside front cover or title/bastard page. From a brief survey of various books throughout the store on average it seemed books were roughly fifty percent of cover price, but please keep in mind this is just a heuristic as some were slightly more and some slightly less. For instance, a goodly portion of the books on the Science Fiction book shelf/section were one dollar regardless of cover price- which meant many were 16% off cover price. Overall though I found the pricing while not consistent to be fair and reasonable. Overall given the excellent customer service, the great non-fiction selection, decent selection of fiction (although smaller than average), and the wonderful location and ambiance of the store itself this is most definitely a store worth visiting time and time again. read more

This charming little shop tucked away near the bustling center of Madison is a great place to stop. Here, you can find treasures to entice your imagination or information on any subject. read more

How much do I love a store where I've found a good portion of my books on Byzantine history and Arctic exploration, and a bunch of great fiction? And Jesse will let me know when I walk in if there's anything in new in one of my odd areas of interest. read more

Great place to get books for school, and gifts for the family. Easily can spend hours in here! read more

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What a great little bookstore. Lots of different options, even some CD's. New owners are sprucing up the place and fun to support this local business. read more

Has nice books, but, if you sale them books they will rip you off. Thet will try to pay you nothing for expensive text.

Glad to see one of my all time favorite bookstores still open, but it's just not the same with the new owners. You should still have fun poking around, though. read more

Greatest bookstore in northern NJ. I drive all the way from Newark to shop here and just picked up about 20 books (Plato, Yeats, Roth, Cervantes, Dostoyevsky, etc.) for around 3 bucks a piece. Full (FULL) of classics. Being helped by Jesse (shopkeeper) will make you long for the days when algorithms didn't make recommendations. read more

the usedbook shop is a gem in downtown Madison. it adds so much to the comunity and makes an affluent suburban town such as Madison really stands out. it is a general used bookshop, medium to small in size. no much of high end antiquarians on display--the pricer books are sold online. the taste of the sellers--Jesse and Frank, is good. the inventory is moderate--probably around 10,000 books by eyeballing. it is not a place where you go with a particular book in your mind, but a place to browse and be delighted when you find something you that are not quite expected to see. None of the categories is particularly strong--the fiction section is smallish, which in my opinion is not a minus. the sellers are reasonably knowledgeable about the trade and have been in the business for years, Frank since late 60s. the place is cramped, as the other reviewer points out and there is therefore no space for sofa (only one chair by the books on book section, which I have never seen anyone sitting) or amenities such as coffee or snack, but on the Main street, just a few steps from the shop, you should be able to find coffee/ice cream shops. don't miss the bookshop when you are in Madison if you like used books. read more