In Stardew Valley, a mysterious Bookseller named Marcello arrives only twice each season, setting up shop in a hidden clearing northeast of Joja Mart-accessible by climbing the hillside stairs. His rare visits, marked by a blue hot air balloon on the community calendar outside Pierre’s General Store, offer players powerful skill-enhancing books and unique trades that can transform your gameplay-if you know exactly when and where to find him.
These books are part of the new “Special Items and Powers” inventory screen and provide little bonuses for various things. Below, we explain where to find the bookseller in Stardew Valley, how to find more books, and what they do.
Where’s the bookseller in Stardew Valley?
The Bookseller in Stardew Valley, known as Marcello, can be found on the northeast side of Pelican Town, specifically just north of the Joja Mart. To reach his stall, players need to ascend the stairs embedded in the hillside above Joja Mart. However, the Bookseller only visits twice per season on random dates, which are marked by a blue hot air balloon icon on the community calendar outside Pierre’s General Store. On the days he appears, a message will notify players that “The Bookseller is in town today,” and his stall will be open all day for purchasing various skill-enhancing books and trading rare items.
Twice a season on random days, a bookseller comes to the town via a hot air balloon. You can see these dates on the calendar outside of Pierre’s shop and the game will give you a little “The bookseller is in town today” notification on the side.
The bookseller is at the northeast of town, above Joja Mart:
Once there, you can buy a plethora of books at various prices. Some may be as cheap as 3,000 gold, but others will be as expensive as 25,000 gold. Some books can be obtained from other methods (see below), but if you don’t find them by Year 3, they’ll show up for sale in the bookseller’s shop.
Where else can I find books in Stardew Valley?
Besides purchasing books from the traveling Bookseller who appears twice each season behind JojaMart in Pelican Town, players can find books in several other ways in Stardew Valley. Some books can be found in the gold trash can between the Blacksmith and JojaMart, discovered through a hidden hole in the fence. Additionally, books can be obtained as rewards from quests, looted from mystery boxes, dropped by monsters, or purchased from certain NPCs like the Dwarf or Marnie. These alternative sources provide opportunities to collect unique books without waiting for the Bookseller’s visit.
You can get books as rewards for many things. We’ve found books from chopping trees and from fishing treasure chests. As you play, you’ll find these books around naturally, though some of them have to be purchased from the bookseller.
We’ve compiled a complete list of books, their effects, and their locations based on our playthrough, with the additional help of the Stardew Valley Wiki.
The Bookseller in Stardew Valley, named Marcello, can be found on the northeast side of Pelican Town, just north of Joja Mart, accessible by climbing the stairs embedded in the hillside behind the Mart. He arrives twice each season on random days, which are marked by a hot air balloon icon on the calendar outside Pierre’s General Store, and sets up a temporary stall in a small clearing behind Joja Mart. Marcello sells various skill-enhancing books that provide experience points and perks, with prices ranging from 3,000g to 30,000g, and also trades rare items in exchange for books. His inventory changes with each visit, so players may need to wait for specific titles. The Bookseller is available all day from 6 AM to 2 AM on his visit days, making it important to check the calendar to catch him in town.
Book title |
Description |
Location and Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Catalogue | You can access Marnie’s shop when she’s not around. | Marnie’s shop (5,000g) starting in Year 2 |
| Bait and Bobber | Read this to gain some fishing experience. | Bookseller (5,000-10,000g), mystery boxes, fishing treasure chests, artifact dig spots, shaking or chopping treets, slaying monsters, Lewis’ prize machine, Traveling Cart |
| Book of Mysteries | You have a slightly greater chance to find Mystery Boxes. | Golden mystery boxes |
| Book of Stars | Read this to gain some experience in all skills. | Bookseller (15,000g), raccoon side quest reward, mystery boxes |
| Combat Quarterly | Read this to gain some combat experience. | Bookseller (5,000-10,000g), mystery boxes, fishing treasure chests, artifact dig spots, shaking or chopping treets, slaying monsters, Lewis’ prize machine, Traveling Cart |
| Dwarvish Safety Manual | Bombs deal 25% less damage to you. | Dwarf’s shop (4,000g), Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Friendship 101 | You become friends with people a little faster. | Lewis’ prize machine reward, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Horse: The Book | You gain a little extra speed when riding a horse. | Bookseller (25,000g) |
| Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Thick | Gain 1 Defense. | Artifact dig spots, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Jewels of the Sea | Fishing treasure chests have a chance to yield roe. | Fishing treasure chests, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Mapping Cave Systems | You get a 50% discount on Marlon’s item retrieval service. | Inside a gift box in the back of the Adventurer’s Guild, defeat 1,000 monsters to enter, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Mining Monthly | Read this to gain some mining experience. | Bookseller (5,000-10,000g), mystery boxes, fishing treasure chests, artifact dig spots, shaking or chopping treets, slaying monsters, Lewis’ prize machine, Traveling Cart |
| Monster Compendium | Monsters have a small chance to drop double loot. | Dropped from monsters, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Ol’ Slitherlegs | You will now run a lot faster through grass and crops. | Bookseller (25,000g) |
| Price Catalogue | You can now see the value of your items. | Bookseller (3,000g) |
| Queen of Sauce Cookbook | Learn any Queen Of Sauce recipes that you don’t already know. | Bookseller (50,000g) after finding 100 Golden Walnuts |
| Racoon Journal | Weeds have a greater chance to yield mixed seeds. | Racoon side quest reward, Raccon Wife’s Shop for 999 fiber, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Stardew Valley Almanac | Read this to gain some farming experience. | Bookseller (5,000-10,000g), mystery boxes, fishing treasure chests, artifact dig spots, shaking or chopping treets, slaying monsters, Lewis’ prize machine, Traveling Cart |
| The Alleyway Buffet | You have a greater chance to find items in the trash. | Found in the gold trash can east of the blacksmith and Joja Mart, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| The Art O’ Crabbing | Crab pots have a 25% chance to yield double. | SquidFest reward, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| The Diamond Hunter | All stones have a chance to drop a diamond when mined by hand. | Volcano Dungeon Dwarf shop (10 diamonds) |
| Treasure Appraisal Guide | You will fetch a better price when selling artifacts. | Artifact troves, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
| Way of the Wind pt. 1 | You run a little bit faster. | Bookseller (15,000g) |
| Way of the Wind pt. 2 | You run a little bit faster. | Bookseller (35,000g), only available after buying the first book |
| Woodcutter’s Weekly | Read this to gain some foraging experience. | Bookseller (5,000-10,000g), mystery boxes, fishing treasure chests, artifact dig spots, shaking or chopping treets, slaying monsters, Lewis’ prize machine, Traveling Cart, Calico Egg Merchant (100 eggs) |
| Woody’s Secret | Felled trees have a 5% chance to yield double the wood. | Randomly dropped when cutting trees, Bookseller from Year 3 (20,000g) |
Curious about the secret schedule to catch the Bookseller in Stardew Valley
The secret to catching the Bookseller in Stardew Valley lies in his rare and unpredictable schedule: he visits Pelican Town only twice each season on random days, which are marked by a blue hot air balloon icon on the community calendar outside Pierre’s General Store. On these special days, players receive a notification saying, “The Bookseller is in town today,” making it easier to plan your visit. You’ll find him set up above Joja Mart, accessible by climbing the hillside stairs, where he offers a rotating selection of powerful skill books and rare trades that can significantly boost your gameplay-if you’re ready with enough gold to spend.
What are the exact dates the Bookseller appears each season in 2024
The Bookseller in Stardew Valley does not have fixed, exact dates for appearances each season in 2024. Instead, he visits twice per season on random days, which are indicated by a blue hot air balloon icon on the community calendar outside Pierre’s General Store. Players receive a notification saying, “The Bookseller is in town today,” on these days, allowing them to plan their visit accordingly. Therefore, there is no official published calendar listing exact 2024 dates for the Bookseller’s visits.
