Brittany Alva 
The 1.6 update for Stardew Valley added a new merchant known as the bookseller, who can be a major boon to players if they know where and when to find him.
Stardew Valley received a load of new items, weather changes, and quality-of-life improvements. But arguably the biggest change is offering new means of progressing skills. The bookseller is a big part of that. His books are different from those collected for the library, offering permanent buffs and boosts to experience.
After finding the bookseller, farmers can enjoy all sorts of bookish advantages. Some of these can make for transformative improvements to different facets of the game.
Where is the bookseller in Stardew Valley?
The bookseller can be found on certain days on the plateau north of JojaMart.
One of the least-trafficked areas of the Stardew Valley is the track of land beyond JojaMart. This stretch hasn’t had much to offer, beyond a bridge that connects back to the path between Pierre’s shop and the mines.
That hasn’t radically changed with Stardew Valley 1.6, but there is a reason to visit at least once in a while. The bookseller can be found here, giving reason to make the trip each season. It also gives an extra bit of incentive to repair the minecart system that lets players fast travel right nearby.
When does the bookseller appear in Stardew Valley?
The bookseller appears on two random dates during a season. The date varies, but it will also shift to avoid seasonal events like the Flower Dance and Feast of the Winter Star.
Players don’t have to worry about missing him. An announcement appears on-screen each day he appears, proclaiming “The bookseller is in town today.” Signs are also posted around town, directing everyone towards his balloon.
Players who want to do some financial planning can look at the calendar to see when the bookseller will arrive in Stardew Valley. There will be a floating balloon on any day that the bookseller comes to town, which is twice a season. The bookseller is available all day when they’re in the valley, so players don’t have to worry about fishing or mining too late into the day like with the traveling cart.
All of the bookseller’s books, what they do, and prices
The books sold by the bookseller offer buffs and experience for different in-game stats. These are all the books in his inventory, what they do, and their price:
- Bait and Bobber (10,000g, 8,000g, and 5,000g): Boost to fishing experience
- Book of Stars (15,000g): Boost to experience in all skills
- Combat Quarterly (10,000g, 8,000g, and 5,000g): Gain combat experience
- Dwarvish Safety Manual (20,000g): The player takes less damage from their own bombs
- Friendship 101 (20,000g): Make friends faster
- Horse: The Book (25,000g): The horse runs faster
- Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Thick (20,000g): +1 Defense
- Jewels of the Sea (20,000g): Treasure chests have a higher chance of containing roe
- Mapping Cave Systems (20,000): Price of Marlon’s item retrieval is halved
- Mining Monthly (10,000g, 8,000g, and 5,000g): Boost to mining experience
- Monster Compendium (20,000g): Monsters have a higher chance to drop double items
- Ol’ Slitherlegs (25,000g): Run faster through grass and crops
- Price Catalogue (3,000g): See value of items in inventory
- Queen of Sauce Cookbook (50,000g): Learn all Queen of Sauce recipes
- Raccoon Journal (20,000g): Weeds have a higher chance of dropping Mixed Seeds
- Stardew Valley Almanac (10,000g, 8,000g, and 5,000g): Boost to farming experience
- The Alleyway Buffet (20,000g): Trash can item drop rate increased
- The Art O’ Crabbing (20,000g): Crab pots have a chance to give double items
- Treasure Appraisal Guide (20,000g): Sell artifacts for more
- Way of the Wind Part 1 (15,000g): Run faster
- Way of the Wing Part 2 (35,000g): Run faster
- Woodcutter’s Weekly (10,000g, 8,000g, and 5,000g): Boost to foraging experience
- Woody’s Secret (20,000g): Trees have a higher chance of dropping double wood
Stardew Valley players don’t gain access to all these books at once. Many of these are gated behind certain amounts of time or completing specific objectives. This means that the bookseller won’t just instantly max out the player in one day.
Which books are worth buying from the bookseller?
All books that offer new skills or definitive buffs to the player are worth getting. After reaching the late game, players won’t need to get books that offer experience for skills, as they ought to be maxed out before too long.
Way of the Wind, Horse: The Book, and Price Catalogue are the most important books to buy from the Bookseller. Way of the Wind and Horse: The Book offer increased movement speed on foot and horseback, respectively. Getting these from the bookseller can revolutionize a Stardew Valley playthrough, offering much faster progression. While not as impactful, Price Catalogue is a big quality-of-life improvement. It adds a feature that, quite simply, ought to be in the game by default but is instead hidden in a book.
While buying these books is going to be the most reliable way to get them, many of them are unavailable for purchase until deep into a playthrough. Instead, players can get them by mining, fishing, shaking trees, and digging up artifact spots. Each one has a low chance of giving the player these books.
Books also have a small chance to be sold by the Traveling Merchant. They’re also discounted at her shop, so it’s a good idea to check regularly.
To use or “read” a book, it has to be equipped and used just like any tool. This instantly gives the buff or stat increases, with the book disappearing after. The same book can be purchased and read multiple times. Repeated reads are sometimes helpful, and sometimes aren’t. Finding and reading Woody’s Secret will give a boost to foraging experience. But if the player knows all the recipes in the game, then Queen of the Sauce Cookbook doesn’t do anything.
