It’s the book you weren’t looking for that makes the trip to a local independent bookstore so very worthwhile. The latest down-home cookbook poised in the cheerful display that stops you as you search for a fall planting guide. Or the enticing scented candle and aromatic cup of java that slows you down to browse and linger a bit longer than intended. We love celebrating female entrepreneurs at Southern Lady, so when we decided to explore a smattering of the wonderful women-owned booksellers throughout the South, we enlisted help from none other than Anne Bogel of the popular podcast What Should I Read Next?
Read on for Anne Bogel’s thoughts about bookshops and some of the fabulous ones around the South she recommends.
“The great thing about independent bookstores is just the discoverability,” says Anne, an author and avid reader whose popular blog Modern Mrs. Darcy is like your favorite librarian and talk-show host rolled into one (and armed with an extraordinary reading list). “Online options are abundant these days. But the thing about online shopping is that you find exactly what you’re looking for. You can’t find the book you don’t know you are looking for.
“I like to visit independent bookstores to see what booklovers love and what they are reading—the book I don’t know about yet but really want to find out about, something that catches your eye, or a display on a niche subject that makes you go, ‘Ooh, that sounds fascinating,’” says Anne, who lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, Will, and their four children.
Through her webpage, blog, and podcasts, Anne and her staff help people figure out what they like to read and what they might want to read next. In each podcast, she does what she calls “literary matchmaking” with one guest, exploring books they enjoy and ones they don’t. As an author, Anne travels and visits booksellers throughout the South, and says friendly staff add greatly to the experience. “People working in bookstores are trained in putting books in the hands of readers, whether they are looking for something specific or don’t know what they are looking for,” she says.
Read on for Anne Bogel’s list of top Southern bookshops!
1. Main Street Books – Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson College graduate Adah Fitzgerald owns this laid-back establishment, which Anne Bogel describes as “a joy.” Its large windows brim with lively seasonal displays. “They have the friendliest staff, the nicest selection, and beautiful light as well,” she says. Adah and her co-worker, Andrea Jasmine, plan to join Anne on November 15 for the annual episode about holiday gift recommendations on What Should I Read Next?
2. M. Judson Booksellers – Greenville, South Carolina
M. Judson Booksellers occupies a former county courthouse with gorgeous high ceilings, which feel expansive yet not overbearing. Named after 19th-century Renaissance woman Mary Camilla Judson, it’s cozy with comfortable armchairs, a tea shop, and a lovely café. The shop has branched out to include book-related goods and most recently, the Camilla Kitchen with scrumptious pastries and coffee. Besides a great selection of items like candles and T-shirts, it also boasts a special book collection that’s tailored to its location. “It has one of the best Southern lit selections I have seen anywhere,” says Anne.
3. Shelves – Charlotte, North Carolina
Shelves exemplifies Anne’s theory that each independently owned book retailer has a distinctive personality. Shelves owner Abbigail Glen fell in love with books as a child. Her belief in books and her entrepreneurial spirit led her to open a shop in 2019 that operates both online and as a pop-up bookstore. She dubbed it “Charlotte’s Friendly Neighborhood Bookseller,” partnering with small businesses like coffee shops to set up book sales in the area. “If you’re going to pack up all those books to set up a pop-up shop, every one has to pull its weight,” says Anne, who delved into Abbigail’s enterprise in episode 328 of What Should I Read Next?
4. The Story Shop – Monroe, Georgia
This fantastical children’s bookstore an hour outside of Atlanta is the brainchild of Melissa Music and Stephanie Cannon. Whimsical touches and magical experiences abound, like a wardrobe that lets you climb through to Narnia for story time. “The design and decoration are incredible,” says Anne, noting the store’s library ladder that lets young and old alike climb up to have their “Belle moment” à la the character in Beauty and the Beast.
5. Blue Willow Bookshop – Houston, Texas
Blue Willow Bookshop is not just female-owned, but Valerie Koehler’s shop is also run almost entirely by women. “It’s an interesting store in that it is almost split down the middle between children’s books and adult books,” says Anne. Blue Willow also hosts a number of high-caliber events each year that draw people of diverse interests in addition to booklovers. “Blue Willow has such a great vibe,” Anne says. “They are so warm and welcoming.”
While finding great books is motivation enough to venture to the local bookseller, there are other intangibles that make for a complete experience, such as author readings, signing events, and children’s story time. As thoughts turn toward gift-giving at this time of year, book-related items can minimize your shopping stress with offerings like cozy quilts, calendars, totes, mugs, or stationery. “Those things can make the reading experience delightful,” says Anne. And, of course, there’s always a good cup of coffee.
Written by Marie Baxley
What are your favorite Southern bookshops? Share them with us by tagging @southernladymag on Facebook and Instagram.
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