Destinations

The South’s Bucket List Bookshops

5 Independent Bookstores

Every Bibliophile Should Visit

By MARY BETH WALLACE

Whether it’s the friendly booksellers, the engaging author events, or the hidden gems you’ll inevitably find stocked among the shelves, there is a lot to love about independent bookstores. These shops not only serve as a place to browse the latest titles, but many of them also act as cultural hubs in their respective communities.

The five shops featured here are located throughout the Southeast, yet they all have at least one thing in common: a deep appreciation for the written word. Make sure to add them to your itinerary the next time you’re in town!

Besides being home to the University of Mississippi, Oxford’s claim to fame lies in its literary roots: Distinguished writers such as William Faulkner, Willie Morris, John Grisham, Barry Hannah, and Donna Tartt called the college town home at one time or another. It’s fitting, then, that Square Books, located in Oxford’s historic town square, takes up so much real estate. The bookstore actually has four iterations – Square Books, Square Books, Jr., Off Square Books, and Rare Square Books – divvied up among three buildings spaced approximately 100 feet apart. The flagship store, founded in 1979, is known for its broad sections on literary fiction, Southern fiction, and history, as well as its author events – more than 150 a year.

Square Books

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI