Books & Cake will host its grand opening celebration on October 25 at 8 Anthony St. in Hillsdale, N.Y. The store will sell a wide selection of titles for kids and adults, as well as slices of cake along with coffee and tea.
Co-owners Eve Yohalem and Julie Sternberg met in 2008 at a New York book conference and have been friends ever since. Between them they have published 12 books for children and young teens. For three years during the Covid pandemic they hosted Book Dreams, a literary podcast.
Sternberg and her family have been part-time residents of nearby Copake for 20 years, and Yohalem's family have resided in the Berkshires for decades. Opening a bookstore was their shared dream, and they thought that Hillsdale would be a perfect spot.
"The response from everyone we've met in Hillsdale has been magical," said Yohalem. "Every door has been opened, everyone has been welcoming, helpful, and enthusiastic. We can't imagine a better place to open a bookstore."
Two flavors of cake will be served daily (one will always be chocolate or vanilla). Books are organized under three dozen different "Read if You Need" headings. As Sternberg explained: "Read if You Need... Something Short and Mighty, Something Long and Worth It, Hope, A Laugh, To Feel Immersed in Another Family's Dysfunction, To Consider the Highs and Lows of Friendship, and so on."
She added that the bookstore will have "a traditional section just for new fiction and nonfiction books, and another for kids and young adults. But we're excited about this new system because we want people to come in, linger in front of the shelves, and find the book they're in the mood for. Of course, they can always just run in and buy something quickly, if they want. All our booksellers are excited to help."
Yohalem added: "For a tiny town, Hillsdale has an impressive number of places where residents can get great books--from Rodgers Book Barn to the Roe Jan Library to the Friends of the Roe Jan Library bookstore. We're thrilled to be a new addition to that tradition."