By Lambeth Hochwald

There’s no better place to spend a wintry afternoon than a cozy bookstore. Happily, we have lots of inviting bookshops in Dutchess County. Overwhelmed by the massive stacks of bestsellers? No worries. We asked three area booksellers to recommend fiction and nonfiction titles—and suggest some nearby spots where you can sip hot cocoa while turning the pages of your books.

Check out the stacked shelves at Oblong Books, with locations in Millerton and Rhinebeck; the selection is vast, and the vibe is super welcoming. “Our shops are toasty warm, with thousands of books to browse and plenty of cozy spots to sit,” says co-owner Suzanna Hermans.
HER PICKS:
FICTION: Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite. “From the author of the much-loved My Sister, the Serial Killer, this is a beautiful novel about three generations of Nigerian women struck by a curse to be unlucky in love.”
NONFICTION: The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon. “This is an impeccably researched, stunningly told true story of the famous 1975 shipwreck that took 29 lives. A must-read.”
HOT COCOA PICK: ALL THAT JAVA. “This is such a welcoming and simple coffee spot,” Hermans says. “Plus, it’s right next to our Rhinebeck store.”—oblongbooks.com—allthatjava.net

Over in Millbrook, Kira Wizner, the owner of Merritt Bookstore, says a customer once described her cozy shop in the best way: “She said, ‘With your sunny attitude, this is the place to be.’”
HER PICKS:
FICTION: Flashlight by Susan Choi. “This book moves along in one direction, and then dives into a zone that makes the payoff so big, it’s shocking, illuminating, and satisfying.”
NONFICTION: Sad Tiger by Neige Sinno. “This is a bear-witness book about a woman who was abused by her stepfather; it brings to light something often swept under the rug, looked past, and ignored.”
HOT COCOA PICK: Babette’s Kitchen. “You can get yours with whipped cream and an artisanal marshmallow,”she says. “This is very often our go-to afternoon snack!”
—merrittbookstore.com
—babetteskitchen.com

Connect with community while browsing the stacks. Andrea Talarico, co-owner of indie favorite Stanza Books in Beacon, is sure of one thing. “Everyone tells us that they find books here they’d never heard of—and plenty they have,” she says. “Also, you know what they say about old friends and new? You can make both at Stanza.”
HER PICKS:
FICTION: Divine Run: A Sister Holiday Mystery by Margot Douaihy. “These neo-noir stories feature as their amateur sleuth Sister Holiday, a queer, tattooed, chain-smoking, former punk musician now music teacher and nun at NewOrleans’ Saint Sebastian’s School.Come for the mystery, stay for the poetic prose and character depth.”
NONFICTION: We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore.“We’re coming up on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, and who better than Jill Lepore to guide us through a totally new history of our nation’s foundational document. Lepore provides insight, nuance, and vision.”
HOT COCOA PICK: Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company. “We’re spoiled to have some of the best homemade cocoa and marshmallows around,” Talarico says. “It’s located in Beacon’s historic district, right next to our shop.”
—stanzabooks.com
—hudsonvalleymarshmallow.com