Sherman's Books & Stationery (Damariscotta)

Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta offers a cozy spot to browse new books, gifts, and cards, then relax with a drink in their café—serving readers since Maine’s oldest bookstore opened in 1886.

I absolutely loved this bookshop. One of the most cozy, fun and well stocked for topics (that I like) that I have ever been in. With a coffee shop/bakery and sandwich place next door, you can't beat it!

Cutest bookstore!!! Ahhh I could get lost in here for hours. There are so many great book sections and they are all organized. Plus, there’s a café attached to the bookstore so it is very convenient. This strip of stores are so fun to visit, like Reny’s. The staff are also super sweet.

When I found this Sherman’s bookstore a few years ago on a tourist trip, I loved it! It’s connected to a coffee shop, it’s well organized, and it was easy to find Maine-specific books. I’ve since moved to (northern) Maine, and my husband spent a weekend in Damariscotta because of the nice memories. In second impression, not as a “tourist”, I was disappointed with the ratio of tchotchkes and non-book items to books. I did appreciate their “staff picks” section with “shelf-talkers” describing why they liked a particular book. Sherman’s has locations throughout Maine, and I’ve noticed that over time they seem to carry more and more tchotchkes and fewer books in more crowded spaces. That is particularly true in Bar Harbor. That said, they are still open while many other bookstores have closed, so more power to them.