Castoff books find second life at Yellow Submarine Used Books

AMENIA — Customers seeking their next great read are welcome to drop by Yellow Submarine Used Books in Amenia, where they can satisfy their search by leafing through the sundry of titles on display.

For Mary Thompson, a resident of nearby Sharon, Conn., owning a bookstore has been always been a dream of hers, one that never seemed financially possible until now. When asked whether she dreamed specifically about owning a used bookstore or an independent bookstore, Thompson replied, “I would have done either, but I have a particular love of used bookstores and I love the idea of giving books a second life, so I think it was natural for me.”

As for her store’s namesake, Thompson said she wanted something fun for her customers, a name that would bring back feelings of being younger, having fun and not worrying about the troubles of the world.

Currently employed as an English teacher at Oliver Wolcott Technical High School in Torrington, Conn., Thompson said the bookstore is her retirement plan and that she wanted to get her plan off the ground now. Ready to channel her passion for the printed word into her own bookstore, her original plans to open this past April were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and then by the storm-driven power outages when she again tried to open in July. 

Located at 3306 Route 343, Yellow Submarine Used Books finally opened in August, inviting readers of all ages to come inside and peruse the shelves for a story to take home.

Thumbing through the titles that currently line the shelves, customers are bound to find a title or two to pique their curiosity among the fiction, non-fiction, mystery, young adult, children’s, cooking, crafts, gardening, woodworking and other categories of books. In addition to visiting estate sales and library sales, Thompson mentioned that she also takes donations of books in good shape, meaning books with no stains, marks or damages and nothing smelly, moldy or wet.

“I hate to see them thrown aside or forgotten,” Thompson said. “There are a lot of great authors that are older that people don’t pay attention to anymore, so I thought it would be good to get people to notice them.”

Additionally, she said that if there’s a book a customer is looking for, she’ll search for it. So far, she’s received a couple of requests for self-improvement and science fiction books.

Given how closely Yellow Submarine Used Books sits in proximity to the Amenia Free Library (located just across the street), Thompson acknowledged she’s been asked if she’s in competition with the library. She then revealed that Amenia Free Library Director Victoria Herow happens to be her niece. And while Thompson hopes to host events in her store in the future, she said she and Herow will have to coordinate between the two of them to avoid any conflicts. 

Though excited to carry out her future plans for community events, Thompson is willing to wait until life calms down a bit. In the meantime, she intends to continue selling books and DVDs and hopes to bring local art into the bookstore as well as cards, bookmarks, pens, socks and other small gifts.

Reflecting on seeing her dreams realized, Thompson said, “It means a lot to me — a lot of people say the book is dead and the book is not dead. People love books and people love to browse, and there are a lot of bibliophiles like me and the bookstore gives me a chance to explore the world of books.”

Now that school is back in session, Thompson plans to balance her teaching career with her work as a bookstore owner; once she retires, she plans to focus solely on running the bookstore.

Yellow Submarine Used Books is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. 

Capacity is limited to between four to six people at time due to COVID-19 restrictions. Customers are required to wear masks and use hand sanitizer when they in the store. 

Yellow Submarine Used Books can be reached at 845-789-1888.