Crab Apple Books, Middletown, OH

For Christmas, the lovely Robin gave me several Shakespeare-related books that she bought at a new (to her, anyway) bookstore in Middletown. I am always on the lookout for local, independent bookstores, so she told me all about Crab Apple Books on Central Avenue in Middletown, how delightful the store and its contents were, how helpful the proprietor was, and so on. So I grabbed the first opportunity to pay a visit, which happened to be today.

It turns out Braydon Soale opened Crab Apple Books two years ago! Why had no one told me? I enjoyed a $1 cup of coffee and a leisurely tour of this wonderful store. It turns out Mr. Soale is not only a knowledgeable bookstore owner but also a collector of Hemingway first editions and other fine books. He sells both new and used books, and devotes a bookcase to local authors as well (always a good idea); I left a few of my books with him, and he promised to sell them like hotcakes and make me rich--at last!

I wish it were roomier, but I love it when a bookstore is obviously run by someone who loves books (see below for a closeup of the motto on the wall in the photo above) and knows the community. That's Crab Apple Books. I plan to return often.

Crab Apple Books is located at 1385 Central Avenue in Middletown, Ohio.