Maine's oldest…read morebookstore Bill Sherman opened his first bookstore back in 1886 in the town of Bar Harbor. Since then his stores have also appeared in Freeport, Camden and Boothbay Harbor. All the stores have the same eclectic and old fashion feel to them. Sherman's sign says Books & Stationery but that is not quite true. A whole lot of other stuff can be found in these stores too. All kinds of toys, clothing, souvenirs, decorations, postcards and a vast amount of weird, sundry and unusual items. The Boothbay store is quite large and has two levels. The books and stationery as well as lots of cool and useful nautical maps and charts are crammed in upstairs. The lower level contains the toys and souvenirs. Some of the stuff is tacky and cheap while other things are creative and nice. The store is very friendly, interesting and a great place to spend some time just browsing and poking around. Things are always changing and you never know what you will find. Sherman's also has a large online catalog as well as the four stores. Definitely a unique and cool place that manages to survive quite nicely by changing with the times but also by keeping what made it successful in the first place. I suspect Sherman's will continue doing business for a long, long time.

This is such a unique Sherman's! The kind of bookstore you go out of your way to visit, so if you…read morefind yourself in Boothbay and are a lover of books (or all things Maine), you really oughta stop here. One of the things that sets them apart from their other locations: two floors. LOVE THIS. In such a crowded area (buildings/people, etc.) you would expect the size and layout to be more like that of Freeport which is tiny and cramped, but it's genuinely spacious. First floor is their enormous assortment of Maine-themed gifts, novelty items, souvenirs and trinkets, journals and bags, locally made goods, toys and games; if you forgot to get someone something from your time visiting, you'll find it here! I saw another reviewer say it felt like a better Marden's (another reviewer also said it smells a lot like pine trees in here, and now I can never unsee/unsmell either of those comparisons). Also downstairs has the best sellers, so you won't have to hunt very hard for them. Upstairs (via a sweeping wooden staircase) is where you'll find their more extensive shelves of books - BOOKSBOOKSBOOKSBOOKS (IYKYK) - of various genres. I wish there was a little more seating, but I understand this is geared more towards tourists coming and going and less to locals lingering. But I still feel welcome to linger, and that has always been the Sherman's way!

I think I found my third space in Portland…read more Back Cove Books is SO MUCH BIGGER than you think. Only after had I cashed out did I realize there was a hallway leading to a) a literal old bank vault where they keep all the mysteries, fantasy, and smut (that's very funny to have it "locked" away like that), and b) an extra room housing the non-fiction and cookbooks with a very well loved leather loveseat. On that note: I love when a book store has lots of comfortable seating, this small gesture immediately lets me know that there's noooooooooo rush. The playlist was so good, the space was so clean and well organized, the employees were lovely (I'd like to pick their brain for recommendations next time!); I appreciated the thoughtful, personal notes left on each of the books on the Staff Picks display wall; and, I so love that they have weekly story time, a book club, and other community-based events... this feels like an intentionally curated neighborhood book store. Support your local indie bookstores, reading pals! We need them more than ever.

My wife is such an avid reader and I am always on the look for new to us bookstores or finding a…read morenew little library. Somehow despite being a bookstore we have driven past numerous times it wasn't until recently I discovered this spot was here. Street parking was easy to find with a minimal walk. They have a great set up with plenty of newest and most hype releases and plenty of classics available as well. Books are separated with easy to locate genre sections and while it was not us, someone else came in asking for a specific book and staff led them to the right spot in a friendly and quick manner. They have some different spots available with seats to give your legs a break and enjoy a book. My wife loved the overall vibe of this bookstore and it was comfy and inviting. Prices on books seemed to be exactly what you'd expect so no complaints there. My wife's absolute favorite spot was the former bank vault that has been transformed into holding mystery, thrillers, and romance titles. You could not select a more perfect collection of genres for her to pick from! Great local bookstore to support!

You might have a little reading or writing nook in your home. Maybe grandma's secretary and a few…read morequill pens, some tchotchkes or knickknacks from the antique store on display, or maybe even a couple of those wooden shelves with the glass partition. Well, this entire place is like a showroom of that paradise. I wanted to touch and play with everything. I adore places like this! By no means am I (yet) an antiquarian book collector; I've watched some YouTube videos and have been advised that once you start collecting, there's no end. I also can't read, so that isn't very helpful. I spent a fair amount of time perusing the shelves for a book I might buy, paying closer attention to the old hardbound volumes with decorative covers. There are many of them, but not all of them desirable. Behind the counter and hidden away is the good stuff you probably can't afford. I did walk away with a few inexpensive items, positive I would come back, not least thanks to chatting with Cathy, one of the owners, at the counter. What could have been a simple 5-second exchange, turned into a glorious reverie that I would gladly make a journey for, to have the pleasure of again.

This is a gorgeous bookstore. The selection is immense and well organized (and the place smells…read moreamazing!) Cathy was knowledgeable, helpful, and a pleasure to speak with. Being from out of town, I was pleased with the prices. I can't find such deals at home. I was delighted to find a 9 book boxed set of my childhood favorite for $20. The set was in great condition, and though not all would consider the series a treasure, my third grade self was giddy. I wish we lived closer. I may have to buy an extra suitcase and return before we head home. Thank you, Carlson and Turner!

The oldest book store in Maine filled with tons of books, great sales on selected books, greeting…read morecards, gifts, candies and more! I loved checking out the Maine Mysteries section and also the staff picks. The store is well laid out and organized although it would be easy to get lost in here for hours. I bought a few books on sale, some candies and a magnet. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Plenty of parking in lot. I will be back again and would highly recommend a stop in.

This was the second Sherman's my wife and I visited during the day we came here. Firstly I will say…read morethat Sherman's is a local bookstore worth supporting and you'll experience different vibes and experiences at each one. All of them will offer a great variety of classics and new and popular books available. They also all have a great amount of books that are on sale and you can find some great deals on books. A section worth looking through no matter the location. The best thing about this particular location is the fact they aren't crammed space wise and even if it were busy I wouldn't have felt claustrophobic. That positive does make it a better location than a few of the others. Although I do believe this one kinda falls a little short being uninspired and lacking a great charm to it. The staff we interacted with were friendly but it only occurred when checking out. It's a solid location and worth visiting just not our favorite Sherman's. Like all the other locations they have far more than books and lots of items everyone will like!

Edited to add: (due to owner response): YES I will absolutely be back. My apologies, I must not…read morehave heard her welcome us in because of how excited I was for the shop. Nor did I realize the closing was due to prepping for an event. Changing to five stars because the place really was amazing!!!! The CUTEST spicy bookshop EVER. But also....I've never actually come across one of these before so there's that! So many books of all different.....interests. Which I loved! They had a collection of non smut books as well. Not sure about how the pricing was because I was too enamored with the shop in itself I didn't even pay attention to prices. I guess they do book signings there (Tessa Bailey is one!) which is really cool. The only drawback was the employee working there. She was not helpful and seemed very annoyed we were in there. I did not realize that we walked in probably 15 or so minutes before closing (5p on a Saturday) but while I was looking around and outwardly saying "this is the best place ever" she was less than inviting which was disappointing. She flipped the closed sign when we were in there and I apologized, saying we didn't realize they were nearly closing and she just huffed and replies with "if you want a book I can cash you out now". Other than the not great customer service, the store was AMAZING and I would 1000% go back! Wish they were closer to me!

Very cute bookstore with so many romance books to pick from! The cashier was helpful but not…read moretalkative. And the books were average price.

As of writing this I think my favorite part about this Barnes and Noble is the staff. My…read moreinteraction with them was limited, but part of what made me linger for so long here was because I was - admittedly - listening to them talk to each other about their own (abundantly obvious) love of books and writing. Sometimes places can be so judgey about taste preferences, but the folks working here held space for each other... it was endearing. (Also, I can't wait to read the dragon smut one of them is writing!) Other pros: 1. Lots of free parking 2. While it's smaller than other Barnes & Nobles, the selection is still impressive 3. It's a very clean and tidy store Obviously, support local first. But if you're looking for a slow-paced, welcoming spot to spend a little bit of time (without feeling rushed or forced to purchase something) finding your next favorite read, I'd suggest visiting here!

I always come in here with groups from work, adults with disabilities. The employees at this store…read moreare so incredibly compassionate and kind. Very helpful folks. This is crucial for building a love of reading. Thank you so much for all that you do.

Cute little used bookstore by downtown Boothbay…read more They operate on the honor system with a box for donations, and volunteers help run the store, but the inside sadly was closed. I went through and found some nostalgic books that I haven't thought about in years! Some great classics. Unfortunately no one was there and I didn't have cash on me, so I just checked it out. If you're a book worm or even curious, I recommend stopping by and have cash on you! Maybe they can offer a paypal, cashapp or venmo option in the future.

Every time I travel, I always visit used bookstores in search of Stephen King 1st editions…read more The library bookstore is cute but small. They had Stephen King novels but not many. I didn't find any Dean Koontz novels or comics that day. When you visit used bookshops, you're not guaranteed to find what you're looking for every time and that's okay. There were bigger sections from gardening to travel than what I was looking for. If you're an avid reader and aren't picky about authors, this is a great shop to look through. I pretty much read from two authors so it's a little more difficult for me to find novels I haven't read/are on my list of books to collect.

While visiting any area my wife and I have a list of type of places we love to check out. Near the…read moretop if not the very top for my wife has bookstores. While visiting Damariscotta the first bookstore you may stumble upon will be Sherman's. While exploring the town afterwards we spotted signs mentioning a used bookstore that lead us to this spot. They have lots of parking available right by but also easy to walk to from Main Street too. Inside honestly feels very much like an old school library. The staff also made us feel welcome and the vibes were comfy. While we did not browse through every single book, the space is so large you could spend hours upon hours to find that hidden gem! They also had some sections where books appeared to be very cheap. I did overhear and saw online that everything is donated and all proceeds support the Skidompha Public Library located in town. What a fantastic way to support the library while also giving those visiting here a chance to get some good book deals! I would certainly call this one of the better used bookstores I have visited. We did not buy anything but love the fact it's all by volunteers and use it as a way to support the public library. Worth taking the small detour off the beaten path!

Always a highlight of my trips to maine; pretty good selection. it's got a large section on the…read morehistory of the area