Books are not completely new to Stardew Valley. Prior to the 1.6 update, you could find lost books that gave some background details about Pelican Town but didn’t give you any in-game benefit. Now, there is a new collection of books that grant your character some nice buffs or abilities. You can find a few of these new books hidden in the world, like the new Powdermelon seeds, but there are some exclusive ones you need to buy from a new bookseller NPC. Despite not making any business sense, they are only open for brief windows of time in a specific place. Here’s when and where to find the bookseller.
Where to find the bookseller
The bookseller sets up shop north of Joja Mart and the museum just up some stairs. If you go on any day you like, odds are you will find the place deserted.
The bookseller will only come to town around twice per season via their hot air balloon. You can see what dates they are scheduled to arrive next by reading the calendar by Pierre’s shop, as well as looking for the notification message the game delivers when they come.
Each book is quite expensive, costing up to 25,000 gold, but you only need to buy and read a book once to receive its skill or bonus permanently. The exception to that is books that grant you XP in a specific skill, which you can buy as many as you like to max out your skills. Make sure you visit the bookseller on each visit, too, because the stock of books will change every time they arrive.
