Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Having celebrated 40 years in 2022, Malaprop’s is an Asheville institution. This downtown bookstore is not only full of the classics and current bestsellers, it also gives a home to traditionally marginalized voices as well as regional authors. What’s more, the store is the perfect stop for a caffeine fix; its lively café carries locally baked goods and coffee sourced and roasted by Counter Culture Coffee. Don’t miss skimming the trusted staff recommendations to pick up a new read, and if you time your visit right, you can enjoy one of Malaprop’s many author events, workshops, or poetry readings.

Nashville’s literary crowd can be found at Parnassus Books, nestled in the centrally located Green Hills neighborhood. Branded as “the independent bookstore for independent people,” the store, which opened in 2011, offers an extensive local author section as well as fiction and nonfiction books; other highlights include helpful staff recommendations, friendly shop dogs, a bustling children’s section, and a slew of author events held throughout the year, both online and in-person. Did we mention that Parnassus is owned by bestselling author Ann Patchett (The Dutch House, Commonwealth)? Every single book of Patchett’s is available – and signed – at the store.