Kay Zimmerman has owned the Used Bookery on Market Street for 26 years, and her shelves reflect it with a wide, well-organized mix of paperbacks and hardcovers, from children’s books to true crime and nearly everything in between. Prices are affordable, and you can bring in gently used books for store credit.
If you get the chance to chat with Zimmerman, she has plenty of Wilmington stories—like the time she discovered an old photograph from her own wedding tucked inside a box of books brought into the shop. Even though she always loved collecting books, she credits James Patterson’s Alex Cross series with turning her into a devoted reader “later in life.” All types of readers are welcome here.
For something a little more exciting this season, she recommends four very different escapes: a Southern Gothic true-crime classic, a twisty modern domestic thriller, a cinematic WWII leadership chronicle, and a warm small-town family romance about second chances…