Hobart Book Village:
A Literary Retreat Hidden in the Catskills
As any true book lover knows, it isn’t enough to read a book, to turn the pages, and carry the stories and characters through the days; there’s also a need to be with books, to be surrounded by them in any way possible. So, the concept of a book village — a community of words and stories strung together in a neat row of shops — is, in my mind, a literary treasure. And stepping into Hobart Book Village feels like stumbling upon a dusty, worn, but well-loved copy of the perfect book.
When musician Don Dales came to Hobart, NY in 1999, to the abandoned main street that now houses the six bookshops that make up the village, you could practically see “tumbleweeds going down the street.” However, there were two bookshops in this middle-of-nowhere Catskills town and Dales knew, from years spent living in the hamlet of High Falls, NY, that “having a village of all the same things was a good idea.” When friends told him about the charming book village of Hay-On-Wye on the Wales/England border, the world’s largest secondhand and antiquarian book center, he thought adding more bookstores to Hobart was the right move. “I went out and bought a lot of bookcases and a lot of books and threw them on the shelves and we had a book village,” says Don.
From its humble beginnings, the Hobart Book Village is now its own eclectic community of passionate bookshop owners. Visitors can explore new and old treasures at six unique shops, from the centuries-old texts of Wm. H. Adams’ Antiquarian Bookshop to the paper ephemera spilling out of boxes at Butternut Valley Books. Bibliophiles will get lost wandering through toppling aisles of poetry, children’s literature, DIY books, mysteries, and more. There’s an annual Festival of Women Writers in September and a short story contest with only one rule: you must mention the town of Hobart at least once. And that’s the essence of exploring Hobart Book Village. It’s a secret within a sentence, a hidden gem tucked quietly inside the Catskill Mountains.
Photos by Rachel Watson, Words by Melissa Sarno
Wm. H. Adams’ Antiquarian Bookshop
When the husband-and-wife team behind Wm. H. Adams’ Antiquarian Bookshop visited Hobart for the first time, Diana Adams marveled, “If you had a bookstore on a waterfall, wouldn’t you feel like you were the luckiest person in the world?” The dream later became a reality as the pair brought in a three-bookcase collection of rare and antiquarian books to the quaint and sunny space. “To say it wasn’t planned was an understatement,” remarks Diana. Now the store is home to an impressive collection of all kinds of books: Greek, Latin, and classic texts, as well as leather bound treasures and rare finds, valuable, not only for what’s on the printed page, but for what’s inside and who might have owned the book before. “They’re works of art.”
Creative Corner Books
Creative Corner Books, the newest shop on the block is a cozy and bright nook, with a focus on DIY, craft, and both vintage and new cookbooks. With a tumble of tea cups serving up rich, pink, fairytale teas, the store also displays local crafts, hosts a Wednesday afternoon knitting circle, and has a crafty calendar of crochet and art classes, offering up a space that is equal parts comfortable and community-driven.
Liberty Rock Books
Housing the largest collection in the village, Liberty Rock Books is often the last stop for visiting families searching for just the right book to take home. Built in 1923, the building was once a garage selling Hudson automobiles. Today, you can wander the sunlit aisles and pour over an impressive collection of jazz music, political science titles, or old westerns, then sit with your finds overlooking the west branch of the Delaware River.
NY Books & Ephemera
Specializing in all (paper) things New York State, NY Books & Ephemera carries a wide collection of books on New York history, geography, travel, architecture, nature, arts, and more. Wandering through the aisles, you can even find their collection of fiction books, either set in NY or written by NY authors. The homage to the empire state doesn’t stop there—NY Books & Ephemera has a specialized portion of the shop, “Made in New York,” featuring locally-produced food products and gifts handmade by local artisans.
Photos by NY Books & Ephemera
Blenheim Hill Books
Entering Blenheim Hill Books, you might find the store’s canine greeter Greta the shih tzu, or owners Barbara Balliet and Cheryl Clarke whose warm smiles and vast knowledge of literature make this shop so inviting for book lovers. Together, they founded Hobart’s Annual Festival of Women Writers, now in its fourth year this September. Browse an impressive collection of new and used fiction and children’s books, or pick from the overflowing shelves of poetry, history, African American literature, and more.
More Good Books
Nestled in the middle of the Hobart Book Village is the appropriately-named More Good Books. A combined collection of books from Wm. H. Adams Books & Blenheim Hill Books, this bookstore specializes in books on railroads, boats, automobiles, games, sports, hobbies, and pets. After browsing the last of Hobart’s book offerings, check out Bottega Vintage, a vintage clothing store, and the Book Nook, a children’s library, both under the same roof as More Good Books.
Photo by Hobart Book Village
Around Town
Of course, Hobart’s cozy row of bookshops are not the only secrets in town. With books in tow, you can walk to the Sheep’s Nest, at the end of Main Street, an English-style cottage with handcrafted items for the home, as well as jewelry, cheese, yarn, and roving from their very own Shetland sheep. A short drive down the road will take you to Second Wind Furniture and Antiques for more treasure hunting. Visitors can access 26 miles of the Catskill Scenic Rail Trail just behind the main road, open year-round, then enjoy a meal at The Dinner Plate. For music and art lovers, check out exhibitions at the Mount Utsayantha Regional Arts League (MURAL) or drive to nearby Stamford to enjoy a classical concert series at the Friends of Music. The Bull and Garland, a boutique hotel opening on the corner of Main and Cornell, will be ready to host their first guests by September 9th, just in time for the Festival of Women Writers. Their British-style pub will be the perfect locale to sit with a pint while turning the pages of your latest literary find.