An hour’s drive away from my sleepy college town, there is a magical place. It is the place my friends and I would run away to whenever we were having a rough go of it, or quite frankly, whenever we just didn’t feel like going to class. (If any of my professors are reading this… well, it’s too late to flunk me now.)

Braveheart Books is a wonderful used bookstore in upstate New York. I have whiled away so many hours there, coveting the rare books and petting Orson the Bookstore Cat and getting to know Louise, the lovely owner. I find that it always has something I didn’t know I needed. (I’m sorry this is so cheesy, but it’s true! What else is there to say about the bookshop where you first found Aimee Bender and Alice Munro?)

Because of the quarantine, Braveheart is closed to the public right now. But if you DM Louise and Orson on Instagram (@braveheartbooksny) and give them a sense of your taste, they’ll tell you what used books they have in stock and mail ’em right to you. It’s personal, it’s fun, it’s more affordable than buying new, and it’s a great way to support an independent bookseller!