Looking for Christmas gifts to get for your loved ones on your shopping list. Consider supporting one of the local bookstores listed below this holiday season.
Urban Reader Bookstore, located in the University, is a black owned bookstore that recently opened in July 2021. It has more than 3,000 books, new and used, ranging from children’s books to coloring books to biographies, predominantly from black authors. The owner, Sonyah Spencer, is an Ohio native who found comfort in books after her oldest son died. She hopes Urban Reader can be a space where people can “embrace the culture, ask questions and heal.”
I’ve Read it In Books, is tucked away in another room inside inside Tip Top Market. Tip Top Market is a wine and beer shop with a big patio that makes it perfect for gathering and relaxing. The bookstore portion of the shop is actually a separate business owned by Rob Banker, a one-time English major who spent much of his career as a technical writer for a software company. The books offered specialize in classical literature and radical ideas.
Main Street Books is located in the quaint town of Davidson. One requirement that they have is that you stop, pocket your phone, and read. You might find owner Adah Fitzgerald, or one of her knowledgeable staff members, ready to make a recommendation. They’re ready to tell you about the latest books and other great reads.
Malaprop’s Bookstore Cafe, located in Asheville, is one of North Carolina’s most well-known bookstores. Malaprop’s has one of the most knowledgeable staffs in the state. They are known for their brilliance and kindness. There’s also a coffee shop inside, and a huge collection of North Carolina books, from children’s to travel to novels.
Park Road Books, located in Park Road Shopping Center, is one of the original bookstores in Charlotte. As is posted on their website, Parks Road Books is “the cornerstone of independent bookstores in Charlotte” since 1977. Walk in and feel departed from the renovated shopping center that surrounds it. On the right, you’ll pass the bestsellers and the staff picks and the autographed copies from local authors, all lined up together. In the back is the sweeping children’s section and a bunch of comfortable chairs and couches.
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