Make connections and share discoveries at C.S. Miller Books
C.S. Miller Books has opened in Norwich and welcomes all to enjoy the blend of vintage, antique, and collectable books spanning a myriad of genres. The shops Grand Opening was on September 12 located at 14 Adams Street. (Photo by Kelli Miller)
NORWICH — C.S. Miller Books has opened in Norwich and welcomes all to enjoy the blend of vintage, antique, and collectable books spanning a myriad of genres. The shop’s Grand Opening was on September 12 located at 14 Adams Street.
Owner Jason Miller may offer a warm welcome and an exquisite cup of coffee upon entering his shop. Ambient music and accent lighting surrounded by brimming book shelves and a sizable leather sofa await visitors to take a break and indulge in the penned word.
Miller said, “I believe in the experience a book offers beyond its pages. A bookshop is more than a store; it's a cornerstone of community, fostering connections and shared discoveries. I’ve spent hours upon hours in book shops around the world and this is my take on the book shop.”
He said he would like to invite everyone to dive into this world and rediscover the profound impact of shared stories of his collective spirit, especially in a time of digital reading. He said he champions the irreplaceable feeling of holding a tangible book.
“There's an unmatched magic in the weight, smell, and feel of a physical book,” he said. “Since my days as a young soldier to my experiences in NYC's dot-com world, books have been my anchor. It's a dream come true to share this passion with Norwich.”
Miller said everybody has struggles and can get completely overwhelmed in life and can get caught up in the mud and the minutia of the day to day but if you just grab a book, put the phone away, and take a break; it will bring you back to where you need to be.
“Move all of that crud from the front of your brain and fill it up with fascinating things; whether it’s a fantasy or mystery thriller or learning something new from a historical perspective. That’s what i mean by anchoring. If I’ve had a long day, or an emotionally trying day, I’ll connect with my family and then read a book,” he added.
“People are tired of the digital rat race; they just want to chill out with a book, disconnect and vibe with their life as opposed to doom scrolling,” Miller said. “Unwind with a book or coffee; create an ideal Norwich afternoon.”
He said he’s not a culture gateway, so he has a little bit of everything for everyone. He explained he’s a giant history nerd and has a huge history and bio section and that his specialty is post modern literature. The shop has a significant science fiction and fantasy collection as well as a refined literary erotica section, traditional fiction and a large collection of mystery thrillers.
Miller has his sights set on becoming a hub for the literary arts with events such as “bad” poetry readings, writers’ workshops, and local author signings.
He said people may not understand poetry and it’s hard to define what is good or bad when it comes to poetry. Bad Poetry just allows the setting to be placed a little lower, as to not intimidate anyone. He said if you at least experience a bad poetry reading, it’s better than no poetry reading. It’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek thing.
He explained additional workshops will include the art of letter writing, making notebooks, poetry, writer and publishing workshops, hosting bookclubs, and possibly a coffee tasting; just little educational things to pick up along the way related to culture and hopefully it will have a resonating impact on out community.
As if books and workshops aren't enough, the shop also carries unique gifts, vintage typewriters, and stationery.
His top three books in the shop are: “Still Life With Woodpecker” by Tom Robbins, “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran, and “Neuromancer” by William Gibson.
He said “Still Life With Woodpecker” is just a silly metaphysical romance. It’s just so absurd and silly and relatively contemporary; written in the early 90’s. It’s fantastic writing. The one in the shop is a first addition and sells for $450.00.
His shared his second favorite book, “The Prophet” helped him see his great days as greater and his not so great days as not so bad and his third choice book, “Neuromancer”, is science fiction and a first edition worth about $1200.00.
“My first big purchase was from a book seller in Norwich,” he said. “The book owner had passed away and his 10,000 books were above a carriage barn; untouched for twenty years. When I made the buy, I basically said to my partner, if I do this I’m going to go for it and that was in November 2019.”
Miller said he started selling and building followers on Instagram. He didn’t take the traditional path and did amazingly well and continued to work at it. He also bought stock from a book store that was going out of business and another large haul of about 25,000 books from another local resident that had passed.
“Most of the books are mine; that I’ve bought and read and want to share,” he added. “So many books here are off my personal shelves and come from all over. I’ve been collecting books since I was a kid, but in my 30’s, I started collecting hardcore.”
Miller’s passion for children’s education drives him more than anything else. He wants to support a Montessori homeschool pod with individuals collaborating on non-traditional lesson plans, field trips and basically focusing on changing the way education is being taught today.
“Because the changing way of education is acceptable, we’re able to take that on; in our own parenting, as we should,” he said. “We built this manufacturing society where both parents are out of the home and grandparents are still working and now we have these kids that are being sent to someone else; fragmented out there from the unit. The most important thing parents can do is educate their kids.”
Miller’s family is originally from Norwich. He mostly grew up in South Otselic and after graduation; joined the army. His work on computers led to future successes and said he’s grateful to have had the opportunity to serve his country.
“It gave me direction, guidance and stability and taught me a lot about life. I think that if I didn’t go into the military, I wouldn’t have been as successful as I think I’ve been in my life,” he added. “I’m not saying I’m super successful but I’ve done ok.”
Miller said he volunteers for Little League and is the District Administrator for Little League International. He’s responsible for 15 leagues in the Southern Tier but he’s not coaching anymore since his career change.
He said he ended his career in Cyber Security Technology in June to focus on the growth of his new career and last September, bought the shop building. He said the last few months he has been slaving on the building.
“Whether you're a bibliophile or just someone looking to escape in a good tale, C.S. Miller Books beckons,” said Miller. “Drop by and experience the magic a local bookshop brings to a community.”
Hours are: Monday and Tuesdays by appointment only, Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m.
To stay in tune with the book shop visit Instagram or Facebook @csmillerbooks or sign up for newsletters at csmillerbooks.com. For additional information or to confirm shop hours call Jason at 607-373-0033.
Owner Jason Miller may offer a warm welcome and an exquisite cup of coffee upon entering his shop. Ambient music and accent lighting surrounded by brimming book shelves and a sizable leather sofa await visitors to take a break and indulge in the penned word.
Miller said, “I believe in the experience a book offers beyond its pages. A bookshop is more than a store; it's a cornerstone of community, fostering connections and shared discoveries. I’ve spent hours upon hours in book shops around the world and this is my take on the book shop.”
He said he would like to invite everyone to dive into this world and rediscover the profound impact of shared stories of his collective spirit, especially in a time of digital reading. He said he champions the irreplaceable feeling of holding a tangible book.
“There's an unmatched magic in the weight, smell, and feel of a physical book,” he said. “Since my days as a young soldier to my experiences in NYC's dot-com world, books have been my anchor. It's a dream come true to share this passion with Norwich.”
Miller said everybody has struggles and can get completely overwhelmed in life and can get caught up in the mud and the minutia of the day to day but if you just grab a book, put the phone away, and take a break; it will bring you back to where you need to be.
“Move all of that crud from the front of your brain and fill it up with fascinating things; whether it’s a fantasy or mystery thriller or learning something new from a historical perspective. That’s what i mean by anchoring. If I’ve had a long day, or an emotionally trying day, I’ll connect with my family and then read a book,” he added.
“People are tired of the digital rat race; they just want to chill out with a book, disconnect and vibe with their life as opposed to doom scrolling,” Miller said. “Unwind with a book or coffee; create an ideal Norwich afternoon.”
He said he’s not a culture gateway, so he has a little bit of everything for everyone. He explained he’s a giant history nerd and has a huge history and bio section and that his specialty is post modern literature. The shop has a significant science fiction and fantasy collection as well as a refined literary erotica section, traditional fiction and a large collection of mystery thrillers.
Miller has his sights set on becoming a hub for the literary arts with events such as “bad” poetry readings, writers’ workshops, and local author signings.
He said people may not understand poetry and it’s hard to define what is good or bad when it comes to poetry. Bad Poetry just allows the setting to be placed a little lower, as to not intimidate anyone. He said if you at least experience a bad poetry reading, it’s better than no poetry reading. It’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek thing.
He explained additional workshops will include the art of letter writing, making notebooks, poetry, writer and publishing workshops, hosting bookclubs, and possibly a coffee tasting; just little educational things to pick up along the way related to culture and hopefully it will have a resonating impact on out community.
As if books and workshops aren't enough, the shop also carries unique gifts, vintage typewriters, and stationery.
His top three books in the shop are: “Still Life With Woodpecker” by Tom Robbins, “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran, and “Neuromancer” by William Gibson.
He said “Still Life With Woodpecker” is just a silly metaphysical romance. It’s just so absurd and silly and relatively contemporary; written in the early 90’s. It’s fantastic writing. The one in the shop is a first addition and sells for $450.00.
His shared his second favorite book, “The Prophet” helped him see his great days as greater and his not so great days as not so bad and his third choice book, “Neuromancer”, is science fiction and a first edition worth about $1200.00.
“My first big purchase was from a book seller in Norwich,” he said. “The book owner had passed away and his 10,000 books were above a carriage barn; untouched for twenty years. When I made the buy, I basically said to my partner, if I do this I’m going to go for it and that was in November 2019.”
Miller said he started selling and building followers on Instagram. He didn’t take the traditional path and did amazingly well and continued to work at it. He also bought stock from a book store that was going out of business and another large haul of about 25,000 books from another local resident that had passed.
“Most of the books are mine; that I’ve bought and read and want to share,” he added. “So many books here are off my personal shelves and come from all over. I’ve been collecting books since I was a kid, but in my 30’s, I started collecting hardcore.”
Miller’s passion for children’s education drives him more than anything else. He wants to support a Montessori homeschool pod with individuals collaborating on non-traditional lesson plans, field trips and basically focusing on changing the way education is being taught today.
“Because the changing way of education is acceptable, we’re able to take that on; in our own parenting, as we should,” he said. “We built this manufacturing society where both parents are out of the home and grandparents are still working and now we have these kids that are being sent to someone else; fragmented out there from the unit. The most important thing parents can do is educate their kids.”
Miller’s family is originally from Norwich. He mostly grew up in South Otselic and after graduation; joined the army. His work on computers led to future successes and said he’s grateful to have had the opportunity to serve his country.
“It gave me direction, guidance and stability and taught me a lot about life. I think that if I didn’t go into the military, I wouldn’t have been as successful as I think I’ve been in my life,” he added. “I’m not saying I’m super successful but I’ve done ok.”
Miller said he volunteers for Little League and is the District Administrator for Little League International. He’s responsible for 15 leagues in the Southern Tier but he’s not coaching anymore since his career change.
He said he ended his career in Cyber Security Technology in June to focus on the growth of his new career and last September, bought the shop building. He said the last few months he has been slaving on the building.
“Whether you're a bibliophile or just someone looking to escape in a good tale, C.S. Miller Books beckons,” said Miller. “Drop by and experience the magic a local bookshop brings to a community.”
Hours are: Monday and Tuesdays by appointment only, Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m.
To stay in tune with the book shop visit Instagram or Facebook @csmillerbooks or sign up for newsletters at csmillerbooks.com. For additional information or to confirm shop hours call Jason at 607-373-0033.
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