A classic local independent bookstore with deep roots in the Keene community. Great service with a wonderful selection of books, including a used section. read more

Good bookshop. They can order what they don't have. Nice used selection. The internal cafe is average and has shorter hours than the bookstore itself. read more

Lovely bookshop! The atmosphere there is so calming it's very nice. I always have a good experience when I come in and choose from the wide selection of books for a smaller city like Keene. read more

Great town bookstore! Easy parking makes it a simple stop. Book are easily accessible and the top information displays are easy to follow....employees are very helpful as well read more

Boo!!! We walked in at 4:30 the day after Winter Storm Euclid and were rudely told they were closing "right now" because of the storm. As it happened my wife and her mother knew exactly what they wanted and told the rude guy so. He grudgingly said go ahead and then yelled at me when I walked in. He and the cashier shot daggers at my wife and her mother the entire two minutes they looked for their book. I thought I was back home in Seattle with all the storm paranoia for a storm that was pretty much finished. It made my mother-in law who spends a fortune there mad enough to decide to go to their other location for awhile. read more

I simply cannot pass by independent book stores. I wish there were more around! This was a very lovely location. Large with plenty of interesting displays. If I didn't have a stack of books waiting there were several here that almost tempted me into buying but I was good. Next time... They had many card displays with very unique designs. We ended up purchasing several cute cards. What impressed me was the staff seemed to know the regulars and were calling them by name - loved seeing that in a small store. I'd be here all the time if I lived in the area - you should definitely stop and check it out when in Keene! read more

We've made a number of return visits to this indie bookstore and like it even better, especially since the one woman we had issues with doesn't seem to be around any more. The stock of books by local authors is very good -- always a big plus for a bookstore -- and we have made good use of the sale books and CDs. Wish they had a few more places to sit and relax, but that's just a cavil. We're upgrading it to four stars and saluting the courteous staff. . read more

I have visited Toadstool since I was a teen. Once I applied for a job there when I was at one of those in-between times in my life. The application listed titles and you were to write in the authors. They said I did exceptionally well, but they wanted someone who was going to be able to commit for more than a year. Ah well. I always find something here that I want, planned in advance or not. If you ever want to get something for my mom, a Toadstool gift certificate is the perfect choice. Luckily, we like to read the same things, so it's like a two-fer. read more

Such a waste of an amazing space. I feel like the staff treats me like I'm going to shoplift every time I go in there. They want you to shop locally, but with such terrible sales staff I think I'll stick with Borders or Amazon. read more

It was nice to stop into an actual bookstore! I bought was too many blank greeting cards but it was easy because of a stellar selection. Excellent selection both new and used, hard cover and soft cover. Happy to see a donation box for children's books to be distributed locally. - Like always, staff is going to be hit or miss. read more

While not as cozy as the Peterborough location, I still love this incarnation of the Toadstool. Great selection of books and if you can't find it they'll be happy to order it for you. Nice children's section. Great local section and lots of autographed books. Much rather shop here than at Borders. read more

I want to love this place; I really do. It's a pretty big bookstore in the Colony Mill Marketplace filled with friendly folks and a lot of books. It's independently owned by probably friendly people. But I just can't fall in love with it. The biggest problem I have with it is that it doesn't really feel like a bookstore to me. The place is situated in an old building but it doesn't feel like a bookstore in a neat New England landmark---see the Montague Book Mill for how that should feel. It's some cross between a super-neat, spread out corporate bookstore and a cozy independently owned bookstore with character and I just don't really dig it at all. The selection of books is pretty good, especially with art and children's books. It was sad to see that their graphic novel section was stocked with pretty much anything but good graphic novels; seems that that is not their forte in purchasing. Besides the main bookstore there are music and used book sections but I didn't really like them much. The music section feels like some unnecessary appendage given that there are already good music stores in the area; the used books section feels small and neglected compared to everything else. One good thing about the music section, though, is its large local artist shelf. Overall this is a pretty good bookstore with decent selections. It does have good books and good people. But I just don't quite enjoy browsing it as much as I do many other bookshops in the area. read more

I went in to their bookstore last Thursday night to see if they had my book because a friend wanted to buy it. It's a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a NY Times bestseller. I was basically treated like crap---the woman was so rude to me and to my friends that I will never go back. Hey lady who works on Thursday nights at Toadstool in Keene, NH, there are plenty of people who need your job. Sad, that. Mira Bartok author of The Memory Palace. read more

This is the best bookstore I've been to in years. The staff is friendly and approachable, and they let you explore the shelves without badgering you and are ready to assist whenever you have a question. Since moving locations, they've opened a little cafe which has amazing organic dishes that support the local farms in the area. It's nice to have a local bookstore that really wants to keep people reading and be involved in the community as we progress in this digital age. read more

If you're ever in Keene and need to grab several children's books for presents, go to this wonderful local bookstore and you will #win. Toadstool has fantastic selection of new titles and a treasure trove of gently used books as well. I bought an anthology of international folktales prominently featuring non-Western stories; some gorgeous picture books from Red Lion Press; a Dada-esque flip book that encourages counting skills via trippy graphics; a little alphabet primer illustrated with alligators; and a few works that showcase young girls of color as compassionate and benevolent leaders and wild and free creative beings. Kids deserve stories that encourage their dreams, build esteem, nurture their imaginations and anchor teeny tiny nascent value systems, right?! I'm super grateful to Toadstool Bookshop for their thoughtful curation and their friendly and enthusiastic customer service. The young woman who helped me knew a ton about what kids liked, shared their and her favorites with me, and included a few titles that were compelling enough for adults to consider reading for their own pleasure. Ahem. I bought 'em all and felt chuffed. It was a delight to shop at Toadstool...and I think it's safe to say that as a result, I was the most popular family member at the weekend get-together. Can you say "all-parents-get-to-have-martinis-on-the-deck" while Aunty reads multiple stories until every child passes out? I think you can :) read more

I am SO surprised to read these negative reviews that I needed to respond. I have been coming to this bookstore for at least 30 years, and have always had a great experience. It is the best bookstore I have ever been in!! They have a wide variety of titles and will order anything they don't have. It generally comes in within a week. I even order my Master's degree textbooks through them. The new location is spacious and airy. They have a cafe now that I plan to try. I love to browse the discount tables and usually find interesting titles for cheap that I all-of-a-sudden need. The sales staff has always been very helpful and can put their hands right on books I have been unable to find. I especially appreciate the wide selection of educational professional titles, family titles, children's books, cookbooks and travel books. I have gotten used out-of-print classic titles there too. What more could you want in a bookstore?? read more