tures, and the new ownership has worked to both preserve and expand it. Much of the credit goes to Rachel, who has spearheaded the programming for the past 12 years. After the acquisition in 2022, the team realigned the schedule to balance support for indie and local authors with the draw of larger events.
The results have been striking. In October 2025, Northshire hosted author and activist Malala Yousafzai for an audience of 600 at Skidmore College.“ You almost get chills, because it’ s so impactful on the communities,” Scott says. Closer to home, bestselling local author Mel Robbins has been an enthusiastic supporter, visiting the store and promoting it on social media.“ Almost all of our large-scale events sell out within days,” Scott notes. Many other notable authors
have graced the Bookstore with signings, including Stephen King and Bennington College alumna Donna Tartt.
Two physical changes have meaningfully transformed the Manchester store’ s atmosphere. In 2024, café ownership transitioned to Courtney and Taylor Bellemare, who renamed it the Colburn Café in a nod to the building’ s history as The Colburn House, an 18-room hotel built in 1872 known for its hospitality and a former 110-seat restaurant and dance hall. Reconfiguring the café space gave Northshire the opportunity to expand its used and rare books section, and Courtney and Taylor worked closely with them to make it happen.“ What you have now is a fully integrated experience,” says Scott.“ Any customer or person who walks in the doors would not know that
the café is independently owned.” That expansion also allowed the store to grow its mystery, romance, sci-fi / fantasy, and horror sections— genres that have surged in popularity— and to stock deeper backlists.“ Even if the book is from 20 years ago, it’ s new to somebody today,” Nicole observes.“ We can introduce older books to a new audience, and I love doing that.”
The used and rare section has become a destination of its own. A dedicated buyer scours the region and beyond for notable acquisitions. The section currently includes signed books by President Obama and numerous other authors. Customers looking for something specific are always encouraged to ask. Special orders are available for books, gifts, and vinyl alike, even if an item isn’ t on the shelves.
Opposite Page: Top Row: The Morrow Family, Donna Tartt, and a young Nicole Ihasz with a Northshire Bookstore book. Middle Row: Norman Mailer( second from left) and Hillary Clinton( center). Last Row: Stephen King.
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