Hannah Harlow, the new owner of The Book Shop at Beverly Farms, which opened in 1970.
Mark Stolle of Manchester by the Book, outside his shop at the 2019 4th of July parade in Manchester.
The long-awaited summer has arrived at last, though at a time when cookouts and beach gatherings are less than ideal ways to pass the time. Despite COVID-19 casting a shadow over our usual summer fun, the world is still blossoming with lush green trees and an array of exquisite flowers and the stars still shine above us on balmy nights. What better a time to grab a new, old, or favorite book to take to a nearby park, garden, or even your backyard and read? As Oscar Wilde once said, “With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?”
For this edition, Mark Stolle of Manchester By the Book and Hannah Harlow of The Book Shop of Beverly Farms have offered their picks for the best summer reads.
Hannah Harlow, a life-long lover of literature and former publisher at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, bought the locally cherished Book Shop of Beverly Farms with her brother, Sam Pfiefle, after former owners Pam Price and Lee Simonds Brown retired earlier this year. Together, they have breathed new life into the store while providing the same high-quality literature and familiarity that have made The Book Shop a local haven for readers and writers for over twenty years.
Mark Stolle is the owner of Manchester’s beloved bookstore, Manchester By the Book, which will celebrate its 21st birthday next month. The store has been a part of town life for so many years that, as its very name suggests, one could not exist without the other. With its cozy nooks and stacks of hand-picked books, Manchester By the Book reflects Manchester’s own history and uniqueness. It’s also really easy to get lost here.
