Roscoe bookseller puts on the dog

The Hound Books opens on Union St.

By Angie Hund | Manor Ink

Roscoe, NY – Ahu Terzi is the founder and owner of The Hound Books, a new independent bookstore in this hamlet. Located at 3 Union Street, The Hound Books opened its doors in October. With a logo and name that honors Terzi’s hound dog Maisie, the bookstore stands right on the back corner of Stewart Avenue. Terzi offers a variety of used and new books that range from cooking, adult fiction and biographies to children’s novels and wilderness topics. With a strong initial response from the community, Terzi continues to restock and introduce new novels.

Terzi’s handpicked recommendations are favored by customers. “Elizabeth Strout is the most popular author right now along with the Catskills-themed books which sell great,” she said. “People are eclectic; they buy a combination of used and new books. It’s satisfying to be able to see that the titles I’ve picked are resonating with the community.” Her selections seem to be widely appreciated, considering they’re the most sought out books in her shop.

An early fascination with books

Initially from Izmir, Turkey, young Ahu became fond of a used bookstore down the street where American soldiers would donate their books and magazines before returning to the US. Dragging her friends with her every weekend, she’d look through everything they had and buy anything she could. As early as sixth grade, Terzi began learning to read and write English, eventually becoming fluent.

While nourishing her love for reading, she began borrowing books from the library and reading several novels each week. To practice her new language, she kept journals in the form of book reports on everything she read. “I still have them. They consisted of the name, the author and how the book made me feel,” she said. “They were my little book reviews of everything that I read.”

Later she moved to the US to attend Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. There she discovered a used bookstore called the Book Mill. “When I saw it, I thought, I want to own a bookstore one day, just like that.”

Inspired by those shops, Terzi decided to open up her own in the Catskills. “This bookstore is the realization of a dream that I’ve always had – to be surrounded by books, to expose other people to my love of books, and to have a space where everyone can come in and be near books that they may not necessarily see in other places,” she said. “Whether or not they buy, it’s enough for me to have this bookstore environment to share with the community.”

Finding a home in Roscoe

She decided to open the shop in Roscoe, savoring its homey feel, and work on The Hound started in early 2022. “My boyfriend Patrick was instrumental in making this dream come true. He made all the shelves from scratch himself,” she said.

Aside from her work obligations in both Roscoe and New York City, Terzi finds pleasure in hiking, traveling around the world, history and food. “Anywhere that has interesting food, and anywhere that has history and food, is a big passion point,” she said. “I was a history major.” Her dog Maisie has a soft spot in her heart, and comes along whenever Terzi travels around the country. Because Roscoe is Trout Town, Ahu eventually plans to learn about fly fishing.

Terzi feels she’s a part of the larger group of local businesses. “The Roscoe community connects people and they allowed me to invest in the space and helped me with it. I think that’s very important,” Terzi said. She aspires to continue working at her bookstore while living in the city. The shop has an impressive active social media presence especially on Instagram, which is updated almost daily. With her large selection of handpicked novels, The Hound Books has something for everyone.

Learn more about the shop at thehoundbooks.com and at instagram.com/thehoundbooks.