The Village Bookstore of Pleasantville- here’s a few reasons why you should definitely stop into this magical little store

There’s a little corner of heaven tucked into a side street near the center of Pleasantville, called The Village Bookstore.

Yes, believe it or not, it’s true – there are still a few good, old-fashioned, independent book stores around, filled with all manner of treasure, both literary and colloquial.  I stopped into this store today, and my Happiness Quotient went through the roof. Here are a few reasons why I think you should stop by, too:

1. It’s an absolute pleasure to step into this shop. You’ll find arm chairs to curl up in, warm and festive holiday decorations hanging above, hand-written recommendations posted on the shelves from the bibliophiles who work the store, and beautiful, soft music playing in the background. Oh – and let’s not forget the wooden rolling ladder. Need I say more? My brief stop in this shop was a sweet escape from the hustle and bustle of just about every other store I’ve been in lately.

2. The store is filled with just what we all need right now – holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for everyone on our gift lists. This is one stop shopping. Teacher gifts? Ideas for that cantankerous uncle? Children’s stocking stuffers? It’s all here.  Not only are there books of every variety and type – new and old, classics and best sellers, childrens books and travel tomes – but there are also gift items that will work for just about everyone. Journals, stationery, book-ends, puzzles, games and brain teasers.

3. You can feel really good about shopping here. This is “shopping local” at its best. The owners, Yvonne von Cort and Roy Solomon, live in Pleasantville not far from their shop. They have worked hard to make their store an integral part of the community, in so many ways. They support other local venues, such as the Jacob Burns Film Center and local writers groups, by extending their walls to provide books at nearby events.  They also bring in local authors on a regular basis for book signings and readings, which keeps things fun for their customers and which also supports the authors. Coming up soon: Joe Wallace will be in the store to introduce his newly released book, Invasive Species. (Check out his website for more information on this here: JoeWallace.com)

4. The staff I met were warm, friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about books. As I’ve mentioned before – customer service is huge for me. This store has it. They are happy to wrap things free of charge; they will gladly special order what they don’t have; they would love to make recommendations for the people on your list.

Bob was friendly and helpful – and had book recommendations scattered around the store

5. Got kids? They’ll love this little kid-friendly nook to sit in and read while you shop. Wondering what books to buy for your kids? I’ve got a great link for you: GravityBread.com. Check it out for children’s book recommendations before you head over to the Village Bookstore.

The Children’s Nook

At this point I’ll confess that I happen to harbor a deep-seated and long-standing love of bookstores.  The new-book-smell, the sense of discovery, the constantly changing stock of colorful, wordy tomes- I love it all.  That quiet peace of curling up in a corner with an as-yet undiscovered book – it’s part of who I am. Not so long ago, there was a bookstore in every town, and I made my way into every one I passed.  Nowadays, finding a good book store is like finding treasure, the kind of treasure that needs to be cherished, shared and visited often.

Everyone can find something to be happy about in a bookstore- especially this bookstore. Stop by, pick up some gifts, listen to a little quiet holiday music, curl up on a comfy chair with a new release or an old favorite. I did, and it definitely made for a Happy Day.

Check out what’s happening at the Village Bookstore on their Facebook Page: The Village Bookstore of Pleasantville on Facebook.

Do you have other recommendations for excellent independent bookstores around Westchester? Any thoughts to share about this one? Let us know in the comments!