As a first-year at Mount Holyoke, being able to handle the isolation of campus life during the pandemic can be difficult. My personal outlet has been finding places in and around campus to explore. One of the many places to find comfort during the pandemic for me has been bookstores. To be surrounded by physical books and people in real life seems like such a fantasy now, but it is slowly becoming reality again. Luckily for me and other Mount Holyoke book lovers, there seems to be a surplus of bookstores around the Pioneer Valley. Whether you’re on campus or just happen to be in Massachusetts, here are some local bookstores to explore.