Good Books and Great Getaways: Spring is a Reader’s Delight
As winter’s chill fades and nature awakens, spring emerges as the perfect season for book lovers and travel enthusiasts. The gentle warmth, blooming landscapes, and renewed energy create an ideal backdrop for literary exploration and adventure.
There is nothing better than curling up with a good book, and this time of year is perfect for getting lost in the pages of a story while also finding a new place to enjoy some serious rest, relaxation and reflection. Check out these wonderful indie bookstores while you’re in the region:
Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound
Opened in the mid 1990s, this renowned hotspot has been delighting readers at its new building for a few years now. Set up in a former doctors’ office, this bookstore in the heart of Parry Sound is a bibliophiles’ dream.
Owned by Melissa Thomson, who took over the store in the summer of 2007, the store receives and sells thousands of books a year and is one of the largest second-hand book stores in the province.
Normally the store will receive around 150,000 to 170,000 books a year for a store credit. Each book brought is is catalogued, categorized and neatly organized into small alcoves or rooms. The store has everything from university textbooks, children’s books, travel guides and classic novels. Plus lots of comfy chairs if you need to try before you buy. “Books are just ideal way to relax,” says Thomson. “Springtime is a great chance to book a cabin, peruse the store and curl up with a good book. A ‘restcation’ as I like to call it.”
The Owl Pen, Bracebridge
Katherine Cumberland owns The Owl Pen in downtown Bracebridge, a family-run business for the past 33 years.
As well as a stunning array of new and used books there is a section for vinyl and musical instruments.
“Book stores are just a great place to come and hang out for a few hours,” she says. “We are all about small-town life. Slow down. Breathe. We have rooms where you can just sit and enjoy; just be.”
More wonderful reading…
Cedar Canoe Books, Huntsville (Bracebridge coming soon!)
Readers in Muskoka’s largest town (and plenty from further away who would travel to visit the store) have embraced Cedar Canoe Books, so much so the store expanded and will soon be opening a second location in Bracebridge! Head here to once again find the perfect read when you visit this iconic destination that’s also a gateway to Algonquin Park.
Northern Bookworms
One avid reader’s love of reading has spilled over into 84 bookshelves in Parry Sound’s new bookstore, Northern Bookworms.
Hoping to fill what owner Jeanette Graves described as a gap in the north end of the town, the store has a large selection of new books, typically published in the last two years. Unless it’s a classic. Various sections include large print books, Indigenous reads, a little readers area, and more.
With 15 years as an early childhood educator under her belt, Graves said she felt it was important to pay special attention to the children’s section.
Parry Sound Books
Parry Sound Books, established in 1988, is a fixture in downtown Parry Sound. Located at the main intersection, it is housed in The William Beatty Building, in what was once the Beatty Company’s General Store in the town’s lumbering days. They are known for their knowledgeable staff, excellent selection, and superior customer service.
They stock a wide selection field guides, cook books, biographies, mystery novels, local history, literary fiction and non-fiction, many by Canadian authors.
Second Story Books Rosseau
A fixture in the quaint village of Rosseau, Ontario, this book nook offers a treasure-trove of genres to suit all readers. Call ahead for opening hours, and take some time to explore the rest of the charming stores throughout one of the most famous places in cottage country.