Novel Places, the New Bookstore for You
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04b1792d-418f-45d5-acbf-cdfce45187be_337x166.jpeg)
One thing I always loved about Massachusetts bookstores was the old town feel, since quite a few are in older homes or businesses, and the combination of new and old and/or used books. There are certain things I would do when I went home to visit my parents -- eat mom-and-pop place pizza and subs, eat my favorite Chinese food, and go to an indie bookstore.
![IMG-20110917-00101 IMG-20110917-00101](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F02dfc81d-3ad5-44fa-865d-1d6a85e58757_375x500.jpeg)
I've got my very own mom-and-pop pizza place and the best part is I can walk to it, which just opened here this year. And now, I've finally found the equivalent of my favorite bookstores in Maryland! It's only taken me 10 years. Novel Places is that bookstore, and their motto is very accurate!
My husband, "Wiggles," and I took a little ride to visit this cute little store on Frederick Road in Clarksburg. It's not that far from where we live and its a cute little shop inside an old general store/post office. I have a thing for older buildings, perhaps its growing up in a post-and-beam construction house that was always in need of repairs and upgrades, especially when you find tree trunks in the walls with bark still on them.
![Used Books in Novel Places Used Books in Novel Places](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cba0be3-06ab-4d16-9529-843dc3d9b1e3_375x500.jpeg)
Novel Places has a great selection of used books from mystery/thriller to nonfiction and reference. There are a great number of new books as well, and there is a large section of children's toys, including those wood peg puzzles. In addition to books, the store offers space for up to 25 people for gatherings, tournaments, and other meetings. When we were there, they had a Magic tournament going on. Now, if I ever get another book club going, maybe we could have our meetings there! So if there are any interested people in Maryland near Clarksburg interested in starting a book club, I'm all ears.
Currently, they are honoring Borders Rewards members, which came in handy for me when I wanted to pick up a cool book about my current city/town! The store also offers Google ebooks downloading for those of you with ereaders, and you can get them to track down those hard to find books for you. There are some great gifts like book covers made of various fabrics and one of my favorite finds was the nice Atticus Books display, which is one of my favorite local publishers in Maryland (though I still am waiting for Tracks to arrive!). Check out these great photos from inside the store. I can't wait to see them expand upstairs!
Take the time to click on the Novel Places Logo at the top of the post, visit them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter to see what's new. You can also find the owner, Patrick on LinkedIn. Come experience the quaint bookstore with me when you're in town!