About 30 minutes west of Glen Rock on the Main Street of a small town called Boonton, lies a gorgeous bookstore by the name of Gingerbread Bookshop. Upon initial entry to the store, you are greeted by Brianne Colombo, the owner of the Gingerbread bookshop. Colombo happens to also be the current director of the Glen Rock Public Library, a role she has served for several years. Her love for books runs deep and is clearly displayed by the attention to detail the store has. Hundreds of secondhand books in pristine condition line the shelves waiting for customers to immerse themselves into these stories. The sections in the store consist of a kids section, history, series, and many more. Customers will find it more difficult to dwindle their choices down than to find one book to take home. But despite its large collection and unique second-hand books, what makes the GingerBread bookshop stand out?

The bookstore, which is only open Friday through Sunday, is known for its book for cookie trade which coins the store’s name. Only on Fridays, customers are welcome to bring in five books to trade for a free gingerbread cookie made with Colombo’s grandmother’s recipe. This trade not only helps to give books a second life but also offers customers the ability to share their favorite stories with others. Another feature of the store that I personally have never seen before is the bookmark stamp system. On your first purchase, you are given a bookmark that is inspired by library logs which is stamped with the date of your purchase. After ten stamps, you are able to get $10 off, typically enough to get a free book and some change, just another part of the shop that separates it from any other bookstore. 

The Gingerbread bookshop is truly unlike any bookstore I have ever been to before because of all its unique features and wide selection of second-hand books. Although it is quite the trek from Glen Rock, the bookstore offers a cozy ambiance paired with a loving warmth that can only be explained by the rich love of books that surrounds the space. Not only is Colombo very welcoming as you first enter the store, but the smile she puts on her face truly shows that books are her passion and you are not just any other customer, no matter how many have walked in that day. So to anyone who loves books or wants a story that you’ve never seen before, if you have time on a weekend, I highly suggest checking out the Gingerbread bookshop. You won’t regret that instant feeling of comfort and passion when seeing all those lovely books after entering the shop.

COOKIE REVIEW:

This gingerbread cookie is almost as unique as the store itself. It offers the warm gingerbread taste in a thin cookie shape along with frosting that has a hint of lemon. Lastly, it is topped with some colorful sprinkles to add to the taste. Overall, I would rate it a 7/10 but take that with a grain of salt given that gingerbread is not my favorite type of cookie.