The Toadstool Bookshops

This place is a continual joy to visit.
Very good selection of books including many by local authors.
Very good used books section as well, which includes a really delightful oddity. if you look up you’ll see one of the larger collections of model planes hanging above your head.
As a bonus Aesop’s table, a fun little lunch place is located within the bookstore.

This rating is only for the music section. I finally checked it out & found it’s a VERY small selection of music & the only vinyl appeared to be Record Store Day selections.

The atmosphere and stAfffriendly and helpful. I found it to be a
very well stocked bookshop.

Have had to edit my review after a few «meh» experiences. I love supporting local shops, but I’m getting a little sick of the staff at this one. They never great customers & aren’t particularly friendly when you check out, even if you pay them a compliment. If you have a question or want to order a book through them, they’re very friendly & accommodating, but they don’t go out of their way to be friendly up front. I do love the used book side but they can be a bit over-​priced — most of the kids/​toddler books are marked down LESS than 50% off, & considering all of the great clearance books on the new side of the store, it’s hard for me to justify spending $ 3.50 on a used book that costs $ 5 new, retail, full-​price. I’d love to shop the used side more if they ever had bigger markdowns or $ 1 bins for «very well-​loved» books. Also the guy who runs the used side is super unfriendly. If you ask if he is taking used books he will cut you off mid-​sentence, every time, & either just say «no» or tell you what he IS currently taking. He would do a much better business if he marked down his used books more. Like the staff on the new side of the store, however, he is friendly if you call up & need him to order something for you.

Awesome independent bookstore with everything from the bestsellers to books that are more local and general. They have a great selection of books and even have a dedicated section to used books. Helpful staff and great selection of NH travel guides.

The old stool, nestled in the middle of downtown Peterborough. The perfect selection for anyone, lots of varieties of and types of books, the CD selection is great and the record selection has a lot of covers that you will want to try, Eric is great at helping with suggestions and, again not a lot of what I would think to look for but an open mind will lead to great new discoveries. With that said I think they are very helpful/​useful to the local area residents, as this seems like a book store that is appropriate for the local demographic. Kind, decent people can usually find a fair amount of what you are looking for if not they can offer to buy online. For me I think I would skip right to buying online. Once in a while really good shows are put on here with multiple bands, although sometimes hard to get into with the library setting.

What a great independent used/​new bookstore! (Disclaimer: I only visited the used part of the shop) I was very happy to find this place, which was quiet, well stocked especially in fiction, and neatly organized. The prices were fair and I walked away with a few things. Will happily stop by again next time I’m nearby.

I have a soft spot for independent book stores, and this one is one of the best I have ever been in. Seriously. Their selection of books is so not the type you find in big book chains. Their selection is curated by the owner to offer unique and fascinating reads, books by local authors, and books that are unusual enough to spark you to want to read them.
You can lose yourself for hours by picking out some books, settling into one of the comfortable chairs, and taking your time. Great book store!

What a great bookstore. Highlight of my day of driving around the area. Great selection of new and used books, and great prices. If I lived in the area I would be there all the time.

I wouldn’t expect a nondescript bookstore in the middle of NH to carry the D&D Rules Compendium (or other related books), but there it was. *strokes chin and nods* Not bad, not bad.
It’s a decently sized bookstore, with an enormous second room dedicated to a great selection of used books.
My only gripes were that it was a little hard to find the various sections, and they didn’t carry any Gregory Maguire books, as I’ve been looking for Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. But I can always find that online if I’m so inclined.
I’d say it’s definitely more friendly than a place like Waldenbooks or B&N, because here the people actually smile at you when you ask for help. But I guess surly bookkeepers are an NYC thing.
HOURS: M-​F 10 – 6; Sat 10 – 5; Sun 10 – 4