I practically grew up in my grandfather’s bookstore in Manhattan (Biblo & Tannen on Fourth Avenue), and a bookstore is my happiest place. Now that independent booksellers have become hip again (take THAT, Kindle), shop/cafe hybrids are slowly opening across the country. The new Savoy Bookshop in Westerly is a magnificent collaboration between Bank Square Books in Mystic and Charles Royce, owner of the Ocean House. It seems he felt that Westerly was in need of its own book-lovers destination. And what a shop it is! The old Savoy Hotel has been renovated with an antiquarian’s eye: oak bookshelves line the walls and a dramatic iron stairway leads you to the lower level. Kids will love searching for the fairy houses hidden among the stacks, and adults can grab a Dave’s cappuccino or iced latte and cozy up in one of the leather armchairs. A perfect spot for a rainy summer afternoon or to pick up the latest beach read on the way to Watch Hill.

Keep an eye on Savoy’s Facebook page for upcoming author events.