Freshly caffeinated after a visit to Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach.

When most people head to the beach, they take along towels, sunscreen, maybe an umbrella. But ranking right up there would be having something to read.

Out on the actual beach, I did see a lot of books (and a few newspapers) not to mention a woman reading her Kindle. I suppose that was a sign of the times.

Just in case you don’t have an ebook reader, or else forget your reading material, or polished it off from the comfort of your beach chair, thank goodness there are still beach town shops that sell books.

One such place in Rehoboth Beach is Browseabout Books. It’s not just books, of course, but an eclectic mix of toys, gifts and coffee, with a smattering of cafe tables where one can plunk down and sip some java.

Browseabout Books struck me as a wonderful place to spend a hot afternoon—which is basically what my son and I did—or perhaps a rainy day. Linger at the coffee pot in the morning and you can catch up on your gossip from the crew of old-timers that settles into the nearby tables.

The nice folks at Browseabout Books were good enough to have me down for a book signing last summer, bright and early on a Sunday morning. There was a big rush for coffee, newspapers and beach books. I was on hand to sign copies of “Delmarva Legends and Lore” and a few readers did pick up an autographed copy to stock the shelves of their guest rooms or else learn a bit more about our history- and story-rich peninsula.

Last week, I stopped by Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach to sign another batch of books for them. I was able to spend some times wandering the aisles and sipping coffee. Forget that hot sun! Give me a cool bookstore any day!

They also have a staff picks section that’s full of pleasant surprises. And if you won’t take the staff members’ word for it, they do have the usual New York Times bestsellers in stock.

They have a really nice collection of local books about every regional topic imaginable. If you are a visitor just looking to learn a bit more about the area or else a local who wants to know yet more, the local books section at Browseabout Books is a great place to start.

I found a few gems there, and I hope you will, too 🙂