Small World Books

Today was my second time in the UR College Town location. After a good meal at the diner across the street, book buying seemed appropriate. I just love this store. It has all the charm of a quaint used bookstore but on a small scale. This doesn’t hinder the selection. I gravitate toward religion, art and comedy. My SO loves sociology and local history. All these sections and more are located in the store. I walked out with five books, all varied in subject matter. The owner and I had a lengthy conversation about small books (tiny), printing (I am a letterpress printer) and our favorite mystery authors. A congenial place to be sure. Prices are nice, in some cases, less than Amazon used. Recommended for lovers of any printed genera.

This quirky used bookstore, which also sells art and knick knacks, is spread over probably 4 – 5 different spaces on 2 stories. The books are very organized and the gentleman who runs the shop was very helpful. We found exactly the book we were looking for — and enjoyed browsing around the unusual space.

I stepped into Rocco Pellegrino’s little corner of Marketview Heights for the first time today, and couldn’t stop marveling at his sprawling, all-​embracing, perfectly-​priced collection of books. At first, it feels like you’re in a little storefront shop, but the rooms keep going… and going… stretching all the way to the back of the converted house – and then there’s an equally sized upstairs and some odds and ends in the unfinished basement!
A book store can be made or broken by its owner, and Rocco is about as good as it gets: friendly (he made me a cup of tea), active (when I arrived, he was unloading four boxes of art theory, criticism, and philosophy books he had bought just the day before at the VSW Summer Sale), and hands-​on (he gave me a great tour of the store but knew just when to stop and let me explore by myself).
Small World’s «official» fiction section is only moderately sized, but the house is densely packed with dozens of decently organized bookcases that take a little bit of extra work to sift through. Fiction titles range from dime store mysteries to Nobel-​winning classics, and the non-​fiction collection is especially strong in world history, religion, and art. I left with only two books – a collection of Lorrie Moore stories, and Truman Capote’s «Music for Chameleons,» both just $ 2.00 each – but could have spent hours combing through Rocco’s impressive reserve of antique books, rare books, art prints, antiques, or kooky record collection.
The store has a perfect ambiance. Just rickety and dusty enough to give you that cozy mom-​and-​pop used bookstore feel, but every room is airy, well-​lit, and well-​maintained. No weird smells or cobwebs to pick through, though if you’re allergic to cats, be warned: Rocco has an adorable grey kitty named Sinbad who roams the store and likes to perch on stacks of Life Magazine by the window.
Small World is in an odd part of town without a lot of foot traffic, but it’s an easy bike ride or drive from anywhere downtown or in the Park Ave/​NOTA/​South Wedge area.
Give Rocco a visit! He just may become your favorite bookseller in Rochester.