Mitchell's Book Corner - Nantucket, MA

Mitchell's Book Corner - Nantucket, MA

(Like The Indie Bob Spot on Facebook and follow The Indie Bob Spot on Twitter)

I like to consider the entirety of my journey as a grand adventure.  It truly is just that and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do this.  However, it's possible to think of the visit to this bookstore as an adventure by itself.  You can't drive here.  Your options are to book a VERY expensive flight to this island or take the ferry.  Roundtrip ticket to Nantucket Island on the Hy-Line ferry from Hyannis Port?  $77.  Parking the car before boarding the ferry?  $20.  Visiting Nantucket and Mitchell's Book Corner?  Priceless.

I can travel coast to coast to visit bookstores but once I get to Nantucket Island, I can find two within a 5 minute walk of each other.  Even more astounding is that both of these within such close proximity of each other are featured in My Bookstore, by Ron Rice.  Mitchell's Book Corner has been here since 1968 in its original corner location on Main St.  It is a very short walk from where you disembark from the ferry (Tip: do not take your car to the island.  It's not driver friendly and there's way too much congestion).  When you visit you'll find a compact, 2-level store that offers all new books and just a few sidelines.  I would encourage visitors to check out the books about Nantucket and the Cape Cod area.  I thought this section was excellent.  Clearly, the tourist traffic here is huge, especially during the summer and fall months.  The store does have good local customers as well, including those who make this island their summer home.  The store is active with author signings and events, hosting their in-store events up on the 2nd floor.  And if you visit here in June, you can enjoy the Nantucket Book Festival.

Visting an affluent area like this, I was mildly concerned what the people might be like, if they would be as friendly as all the other bookstore people.  Readers, I assure you that you have nothing to worry about.  The store was so busy on the day of my visit I could barely turned around without bumping into someone.  Despite the great crowd in the store, Bowen and Tim were both fantastic to meet and talk to.  They couldn't have been nicer and I had a wonderful time.  It doesn't matter what part of the country I visit, bookstore people are the best.  

Definitely plan a vacation to Nantucket sometime.  Cobblestone streets, brick sidewalks, lots of history, and quaint shops, inns, and restaurants.  But don't miss a visit to Mitchell's Book Corner, one of the terrific bookstores featured in My Bookstore.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  Underground In Berlin, Marie Jalowicz Simon.  Author's account of surviving in Berlin as a young Jewish woman who avoids deportation and survives thanks to many who help her during the years of WWII.  Her parents are gone and she is an only child.  Incredible story.  Recommended.

CURRENTLY READING:  Murder At The Roosevelt Hotel In Cedar Rapids, Diane Fannon-Langton.  

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Away Off Shore, Nathaniel Philbrick.  

Another exterior view.  There was a big crowd for an author signing on the day of my visit.  

View looking into the store from the front entrance.  

View looking to the left from the front entrance.  History is big on Nantucket and you can see that theme above the bookshelves.  

A nice book display near the front entrance.  

A great incentive!

Display of recent releases.  

Display of popular newly released paperbacks.  

This bookstore features a book of the month.  

A wall of books in the background and some of the greeting cards available in the foreground.  

Head upstairs but browse the books on your way!

On your way to the second floor room notice another fine book display.  

I saw some of my favorites in this display.  

Another overview of the front half of the main level.  

View from the back of the store looking toward the front entrance.  

A spacious area on the 2nd floor.  

Display of a few of the local interests.  

With Bowen on the left, one of the fine booksellers at Mitchell's Book Corner.  Thanks for a great visit.  

Book Barn - Niantic, CT

Book Barn - Niantic, CT

(Like The Indie Bob Spot on Facebook and follow The Indie Bob Spot on Twitter)

This place isn't a bookstore, it's an experience.  It is a book theme park.  It is a book campus.  The place was so busy on the day of my visit the booksellers also doubled as parking lot attendants.  This place is a destination for school field trips and Randi W., the owner, told me his favorite one of these trips was when his then 8th grade daughter took a field trip to her home (Randi and his family live right by the barn).  You can come here and pet goats.  Bring a lunch and have a picnic.  Shoot some hoops.  Play chess or checkers.  Heck, you can even play Pokemon Go here!  I like Randi's philosophy here.  He wants kids to have a good experience whether they buy a book or not.  In the end, they'll remember visiting a "bookstore" as a fun thing to do.

Randi started this place back in 1988 in the basement with 3 bookshelves and a couch.  It has now expanded to this main Book Barn location and 3 additional locations, all in Niantic.  The business is all used books and they take in an astronomical 10,000 - 12,000/week.  Randi gave me a great quote about the work here and how busy some days are when he said, "some days the tide comes in and all we can do is eat seaweed!"  I don't think I can even fathom the volume of business here.

Many of the books are displayed outside on bookshelves and/or small rooms.  The bookshelves close very neatly with sliding panels in the event of rain.  Inside the Book Barn you'll find three levels; basement, main, and upper.  Lots of nooks and crannies everywhere and the basement is literally like a maze and I took several wrong turns.  The business is dependent on visitors and the majority of the customers come from 50+ miles away.  You'll find bargains everywhere with lots of one dollar books but the store ("store" is not the right word for this place!) makes its money on $5 dollar books.  They also have a few vintage and collectable books but they are a very small part of the picture.   And you can visit virtually whenever you want since they're open 9-9, 7 days a week, 363 days a year.  Quite impressive!

Randy, Glenn, and the others I visited with were terrific.  I could've spent hours at this book bonanza and talking to everyone.  They also told me that the store made a top ten list of coolest bookstores (no surprise) in the world in a Mental Floss article.  That gets no argument from me.  This store rates high on the "cool" scale, high on the book scale, high on the experience scale, and through the roof on the people scale.  They're the best.  Check this place out, you'll have a ball.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

CURRENTLY READING:  Underground In Berlin, Marie Jalowicz Simon.

View looking into the "store" from the parking lot.  This is the outside portion of the store and up ahead in this picture you have a long walk through MANY large book displays.  

Have you ever been to a bookstore that has a visitor info center?  You would be wise to stop here for a brief orientation of the grounds and the barn.  

Bringing books in?  According to this, a butt load is actually more than a ton!

Why is this area called Ellis Island?  New arrivals.  Books, that is.  

Bring your used books in any day.  

These wagons can help with your used book returns.  You can also probably use them for all the books you'll want to buy.  

This is one of the many outdoor book displays.  In case of rain, the green paneling slides up to cover the book shelves.  

There are bargains everywhere.  

This is The Underworld, Hades.  This is one of the areas where you'll find mysteries, among other things.  

More bargains on a great display.  

Take a break from book browsing and play some chess.  

If you're a book lover, it will take you hours to see everything here.  

A great price sign for paperbacks.  

You will see things at this book "store" that you haven't seen at any other bookstore.  Guaranteed.  

An old outhouse is now the rednek reedin room.  

Two of the bookstore goats.  In the background you see book displays.  

Huge shade tree with comfortable seats to try out a book.  

Another exterior view.  

I think the landscaping and gardens around the property (park? campus?) are outstanding.  

View inside the main level entrance.  It's impossible to view the totality of this enterprise.  

Collectors should check in here regularly.  

A very limited glimpse on the upper level.  

View outside the entrance to the basement level.  

Looking into the basement level.  This level is a maze of books and shelves.  

One of the nooks on the basement level.  

An award-winning store.  

A great place to sit and try out a book.  

A nice view of a small portion of the upper level.  

Because you're going to spend a LOT of time here, bring a picnic lunch.  

In case you can't find what you're looking for at the main Book Barn, there are multiple locations nearby.  This one is just up the road. 

With Randi on the left, the fine owner of the Book Barn.  Thanks for a great visit.