During our mountain getaway, we stumbled upon this small-town used bookstore. It doesn't look like much from the outside, does it?

Well, that impression quickly changed on venturing inside. There are definitely 100,000 books available (thanks to a huge basement that is just amazing). Classic paperback releases with old-school covers, new hardbacks and everything in between. Books on every topic imaginable. A hefty section of signed and special books.

We spent half an hour talking to the wonderful owner. She followed her father into the used book business, and she regaled us with a lifetime of stories of funny author readings (starring local authors James Lee Burke and James Crumley, plus a great story about J.K. Rowling), as well as crazy tales of rare and signed books that had passed through the store.

We walked away with 5 books, of course, and a desire to return. And because we live in the modern world now, it turns out the store has a lovely website: https://www.montanavalleybookstore.com/.

Sometimes it's worth it to venture off the interstate.

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