About us.
We are an independent, family-owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore in a world of large, digital retailers. Yet we carry more than 10,000 titles — from best-sellers to the esoteric, from books in English to those in more than 20 different languages.
We have been around since 1987. Over the years, we’ve built a community of world-renowned authors and illustrators — many of whom happen to be from Westchester County. You can find these authors and illustrators whenever we have signings and readings, or just browsing our shelves. Visit our specials page to see who's in our little corner of the world.
There was a customer who would come in year after year asking what our name meant. One day he came in and said he figured it out — it’s because Galapagos are large turtles who live under a hardcover for a long time. Just like us.
About the Owner
Amada Abad has been with Galapagos Books since its opening in 1987. She is from Ecuador, and has lived in the Rivertowns for over 30 years. In 1997, the original owner, Mrs. Susan Lindsay, passed the torch of store ownership to Amada, and she has happily dedicated her time and energy to running the business since. Since becoming owner, both she and her husband Alan have worked tirelessly to keep Galapagos Books’ doors open, books on shelves, and customers happy! As of the past few years, Amada has enlisted the assistance of her daughter, Celia, in managing the store and helping customers. When Amada is in, you will often find her accompanied by her beloved companion, Lizzy, the family dog. In her spare time, Amada likes to garden, spend time with her family, play with Lizzy, and travel to see her family in Ecuador. She lives with her family in Hastings on Hudson.