About Us

The Reading Glass Books is your local bookstore with a heart and now an emerging self-publishing house. We believe that each book is an experience, and we take that into heart as we celebrate both writers and readers manifested on our bookshelves—becoming part of everyone’s reading journey since 2020.

How We Rolled the Ball

We are the Goot family, the proud owners of your local bookstore with a heart.

Anticipating my retirement, I, Sonny Goot, wanted to look for meaningful things to do with my wife, Lyn, after 18 years of active service in the military. We were fortunate enough to have a family friend with 10 years of extensive knowledge in an industry where we know we can serve a purpose.

The Reading Glass Books commenced in 2020 as a family-operated, locally-owned bookstore with the tenet of being part of everyone’s reading journey as we showcase quality books on our humble shelves in Cookstown, New Jersey.

At the inception of The Reading Glass Books, we envisioned it to be your local bookstore with a heart—celebrating both writers and readers. Two successful years later, we remain true to this manifesto, and up we go. In 2022, we took the big leap of embarking on self-publishing, supporting aspiring writers to become successful authors.

From solely being an independent bookstore to also becoming a self-publishing house, we believe that The Reading Glass Books will celebrate both writers and readers all the more as we keep the ball rolling.

Cookstown Community

A place to grow in community, The Reading Glass Books is home for discovery, learning, and connection in the Cookstown community. As a locally-owned bookstore, we bring truth, beauty, and goodness to our community through quality books.

We further our mission by aiming to offer wholesome literature classes and hold book clubs for all ages as we aspire to become a welcoming and safe gathering place for families and readers—starting in Cookstown—one community at a time.