We happened upon this delightful independent bookstore after enjoying a late lunch at the…read moreMediterranean restaurant next door. It's brightly lit and beautifully arranged by theme, with lots of staff pick summaries/comments posted all around. Friendly staff and welcoming vibe. Great book selection of books!

This is such a cute and cozy bookstore! The River Bend Bookshop is set inside a refurbished old…read morehouse in downtown Gastonbury. It's an adorable New England town that looks like it was plucked straight from a movie. When you go inside, the store is so cozy. It's packed full of books and bookish merch, but so well set, there is plenty of room to explore. There are books in every nook and cranny, sorted by genre, with bookseller recommendations and plenty of signed copies. The booksellers are very knowledgeable and helpful too. If you are looking for a gift for an avid reader, they will definitely be able to help you find the perfect present. This is going to be a permanent stop for me every time I head through Connecticut.

Came by and it's not open ! :( also the parking lot is a little hard to find but it is right to the…read moreright of the gas station. Hours show that it's open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm but I stopped by at 3:20 and didn't have any luck! I'll call ahead next time.

Thanks for having a wide selection of literature. I appreciate why you go to make everyone feel…read moreaccepted and provide great service!

Very cute little bookstore. Books are free - just donate something. It is not closed contrary to…read morewhat Yelp says.

Open mic Saturdays. Music improv last Monday of the month. Great intimate book store. Uncanny and…read morecommunal space. Kind creative people.

Came in for a quick look to check out children's books with our toddler. Picked out two books and…read morewere looking for more in another part of the store. I picked up a few books and the owner came and said she was holding a book for someone, with the stack of books I was looking through. How convenient right? The owner just stood there, making us feel extremely uncomfortable. I had to grab the book out of my toddler's hand and set it down on the pile of books. We wanted to get out of there fast. As we were leaving, the owner decided she wanted to be friendly and offer the same kid's book she was "holding for somebody" for free because it was our first time. Although we had every intention to purchase books, we declined and left the store with the feeling of being RACIALLY PROFILED. My family and I are from out of town, of asian and spanish descent. We left the cramped store with our morals in tact. My child does not need to experience racism at such a young age. DO NOT VISIT THIS BOOKSTORE!! The audacity of an elderly adult to force a child to abandon books they had searched for and found, is completely asinine. The fact she felt guilty and ashamed of her behavior by offering one of the books she was supposedly holding for someone is unbelievably embarrassing on her part. If there were books being held, you would think to leave it on the side by the register instead of in a random messy pile that shoppers look through that is literally the entire bookstore. We had just paid a visit to the book store down the street and easily spent money on brand new books and received this type of treatment at this establishment is absurd.

I had such a lovely experience here. The owner was incredibly helpful and sweet. And I was able to…read morefind just the books I needed and some I just had to have.

I stopped by here on my way back from a dr appt and when I had searched for "used bookstores" on…read moreyelp, it didn't even pop up! I actually found the location on Apple Maps. I was extremely satisfied with the planner sticker section. Some of those stickers are $15-$20 per booklet and these were 2$ each.... Granted most had a few stickers missing... nonetheless a great deal. They had a card section for all occasions and my only complaint is that the cards were rather thin!!! I also liked the washi tape section -- many floral options and they even had sets available (maybe included in pictures). There is only 1 entrance despite many doors to the outside and it is a little musty inside ... but I expect that from a used bookstore. Large children's book section and large Christian book section... and then just about everything else can be found here as well. Parking is adjacent to the building and had a handful of spots available for patrons and then hardcovers are often less than 5$ in this store. I will definitely be back! Thank you!

It may not be the Strand in NYC, but this little store offers a wonderful selection of books. Just…read morepurchased Shelby Foote's Civil War Trilogy in pristine condition and Will Durant's Story of Civilization, also in mint condition. All for very reasonable cost. The store is clean and well organized. All profits go to St. James Grammar School. I recommend a visit, I know I'm going back for a second and much longer browse. Jeff R.

Excellent location. The cafe was great, good food and good service. The store is huge, very clean,…read moreand it looked like people love it there. There were so many people sharing their favorite books with each other, especially the mysteries. It's nice to see people enthusiastic about bookstores and books.

I come in here occasionally to browse the selection of books, magazines and journals. I enjoy just…read moreseeing what catches my attention. On this visit I selected a journal and then I checked out the sale books up front. I picked up a hardcover coffee table book about Paris. It immediately made me smile so I knew I just had to have it. Finally I checked out the magazines. The selection is dizzying! I'm so glad Barnes & Noble is still around. It is a lovely place to spend some time, grab a cup of coffee and find some treasures to bring home.

Closed for the season but can't wait to go when they reopen. This place is epic vinyl, beer,…read morebooks, and live music !!! I'm IN

This place is so groovy and welcoming! Martha the owner is quite literally an earth angel! She…read moremakes a mean Bloody Mary and has such a great energy to her, and has cultivated that into her business! Great selection of vinyl, drinks and some snackies! There was live music playing and all of the musicians were really good. It was nice to see the little community come together! 10/10!!

3rd stop today on my "Used bookstore trail in MASS" journey. This was the largest book shop I…read morestopped at today, unfortunately, I couldn't find anything interesting to purchase. As other Yelpers have stated, this store is packed with "inventory of every genre and subject", but just nothing for me. On a side note, I'm almost happy I didn't buy anything here today. The clerk was sitting at a desk right near the front entrance, no acknowledgement of me entering or leaving the place. Would it hurt you to say, "Hello" ? Sorry, lack of customers skills irks me a bit. Anyway, got back in the vehicle and headed to the next Used bookstore !

What took my travels to Grey Matter Books was (besides the promise of books) they have actual road…read moresigns directing you. How, in this day and age with stuff everywhere, they pulled that off, I can't tell you, but it's 100% worth following them. It's an amazing inventory - every genre, every subject seems to be represented. They're used books with the asking price a reduced portion of their cover price, and I honestly could have spent hours and hundreds of dollars. They were all books I didn't know what I want (including one book on a haunted Connecticut house that just appeared on a shelf), and I am glad to add to my To Read collection. The outside is guarded by a gargoyle who seems to work for pine cones and a herd of enclosed ducks. The cashier must be a saint to tolerate the quacking, these are opinionated fowl.

I had been to their "main" (original?) store in Massachusetts, and was so excited to see them as I…read moredrove through New Haven. In fact, even though they were not participating in the Dessert Crawl I was there for, they were my first stop. I made such a smart decision. This store has the same type of fantastic inventory you find in Massachusetts, just fewer ducks guarding it. Every space that can reasonably hold a book shelf has one. It's clean, well faced, and has the occasional folding chair to sit and take it all in. The clerk let people browse quietly, which was more appreciated. The prices were written on the inside cover, so it was nice and clear. I'm excited to go back for the next Crawl and include this store as a stop!

Great selection. Organized. The person who checked me out was very kind. I got a like new and…read moredecently popular book for $5. Definitely worth checking out!

Great place that has a variety of items. Books, snacks, anime items, T-shirt's, I can keep going on…read morewith the list. And it's so fun to browse all the items. Not just a bookstore. We always find things here, even items we didn't know we needed.

This bookstore is very well curated and has one of the best selections of books in the area. I knew…read morethat BAM was known for its large selection of Manga, but I was even more impressed by the selection of business and home and hobby books. There are some good deals in the bargain section too. The staff was friendly and helpful, and a special thanks to Kyle who found my phone and kept it safe until I turned around to retrieve it.