Are you looking for the best bookstores in Asheville, NC? Don’t miss these Asheville bookstores, including a champagne book bar, used bookstores, and bookshops that are havens for writers and rebels.
Do you want to know a secret? One of the main reasons that we moved to Asheville, North Carolina involves a bookstore. Yup, I moved to a city because I fell in love with the Asheville used and new bookstore scene.
Can you guess which Asheville bookstore pushed this boozy and bookish blogger over the edge?
You probably guessed it: Battery Park Book Exchange. A champagne bookstore that sells used books in the heart of downtown Asheville?! Sign me up!
On our first visit to AVL, we also dropped into another one of the stellar Asheville bookstores, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe. My husband practically had to drag me out after I saw the local book displays.
Malaprop’s also boasts of impressive author visits and sells endlessly geeky-fun book schwag.
Asheville is a book lover’s dream. If you are a bookworm like me, you’ll want to take some time to visit the bookshops.
What are our favorite bookstores in Asheville? What are some of the best used bookstores in Asheville and which ones do many locals also recommend? Let’s get started!
Head over to our Literary Guide To Asheville, too, and don’t miss our Master List Of Asheville Things To Do.
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4 Amazing Asheville Bookstores
1. Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe
Address: 55 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC
Website: https://www.malaprops.com/
Phone Number: (828) 254-6734
Nearby Parking Garages: Civic Center Garage or Rankin Avenue Garage
Malaprop’s is our go-to bookstore when we are hanging out in downtown Asheville. A bonus is that Pack Memorial Library is close by. You can drop into their little used bookstore if you aren’t an Asheville resident.
Malaprop’s is perfect for book lovers wanting to grab a coffee at the cafe. You can attend a literary event or peruse the stacks filled with shiny new books, bestsellers, and indie selections.
We personally love the book displays. Discover books set in Asheville, staff favorites, local travel guides, Asheville authors, and seasonal or relevant books to read.
If you didn’t already know, Asheville, North Carolina is literary heaven. The state is filled with local authors like Denise Kiernan and Megan Shepherd. Authors and writers love to talk about their books and writing at Malaprop’s events.
Plus, are you a total sucker for bookish schwag?! I am pretty sure I need that astronaut cat notebook and Shakespeare magnet.
Who doesn’t covet a clever literary tote to carry all of their new purchases? I dare you to leave this popular Asheville bookstore empty-handed.
If you are looking for rarer and used books, Malaprop’s has a sister bookstore, Downtown Books & News (DBN). Keep scrolling for the juicy details…
2. Firestorm Books
Address: 610 Haywood Road in Asheville, NC
Website: https://www.firestorm.coop/
Phone Number: (828) 255-8115
Parking: Find bike racks on Haywood Road and free street parking.
Firestorm Books & Coffee is one of the most radical and unique Asheville bookstores. A self-proclaimed queer, feminist collective, Firestorm is a worker-owned and self-managed business.
While they run like a nonprofit, Firestorm is a co-op with books and a community space in West Asheville.
Book lovers can find indie books, new releases, artwork, and vegan treats. They host film screenings, workshops, book clubs, and fundraisers.
Firestorm’s goal is to reflect the needs of marginalized Southern communities.
Fall in love with The Hunger Games Waterfalls At DuPont State Forest.
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3. Battery Park Book Exchange
Address: 1 Page Ave. Suite #101 in Asheville, NC
Website: http://batteryparkbookexchange.com/
Phone Number: (828) 252-0020
Parking: While there is metered street parking, the Wall Street Garage is your closest parking garage.
Imagine drinking champagne and literary cocktails in a used bookstore in Asheville. Sounds heavenly, right?
Although this is probably one of the busiest and most touristy Asheville bookstores, don’t skip Battery Park Book Exchange.
Located in the historic Grove Arcade, you can sit inside or outside. Taste test your way through their impressive wine collection with a charcuterie.
I always order a literary cocktail crafted and named after a famous author.
Unlike Malaprop’s, Battery Park Book Exchange is a used bookstore in Asheville, NC. They specialize in books about North Carolina, American and Southern history, and the Civil War.
Of course, you will find pretty much any genre and type of book. You could spend hours perusing the multi-level stacks.
Battery Park Book Exchange hosts live music, readings, and parties. You’ll see small groups meeting for book clubs or celebrations.
I love getting their newsletters that teach me more about wine. If you want to miss the crowds, I highly recommend stopping in on a weekday.
The Battery Park Book Exchange is truly one of my favorite Asheville bookstores to people watch with a drink.
Don’t miss our Literary Guide To Asheville.
More Used Bookstores In Asheville, NC
*Please make sure to double check all hours and openings on each bookstore’s website or by calling.
4. Downtown Books & News (DBN)
Address: 67 North Lexington Ave. in Asheville, NC
Website: https://www.dbnbooks.com/
Phone Number: (828) 253-8654
Parking: While there is metered street parking, the Civic Center & Rankin Garages are your closest parking garages.
Downtown Books & News is a used bookstore in Asheville and is the sister store to Malaprop’s. DBN is also an art gallery and newsstand.
As they best explain, Downtown Books & News specializes in “metaphysical & occult, hippie how-to, homesteading & self-sufficiency, Eastern medicine, zines, things beautifully illustrated, and Easton & Franklin Press leather-bound editions.”
An extra cool Asheville bookstore fact: the store they are currently in used to be a shoe store and a jewelry store. Before then, people auctioned off their live cattle here.
Travel to North Carolina Via These Books. Or, learn more about Asheville With These Books.
The Captain’s Bookshelf — Online For 2021
Online Only At: https://www.captainsbookshelf.com/
Page Ave. location is closed.
The Captain’s Bookshelf is one of the oldest Asheville bookstores. Unfortunately, they closed their doors in 2020 and now have an online used bookstore.
Established in 1976, Captain’s buys and sells used and rare books, including signed books, first editions, and leather-bound novels.
Like the other used bookstores in Asheville, Captain’s offers an eclectic selection and specializes in local Appalachian literature. You can grab a Thomas Wolfe novel, too.
You’ll love these Local Asheville Authors.
Even More Asheville Bookstores
Bagatelle Books
Biblio.com (Online Asheville bookstore)
So, are you ready to head over to Asheville and visit one of our many local and independent bookstores? You can always do a little book shopping online, too.
Do you have a favorite Asheville bookstore?
Have you been to Asheville, NC before? What are your favorite Asheville bookstores? Do you prefer used bookstores to ones that sell only new books? What is your top bookstore in the United States? Let us know in the comments.
P.S. If you are a new bookstore in Asheville or feel like we overlooked you/missed something you want everyone to know, please get in touch with us.
This article originally published on June 24, 2020 and has been updated for 2021.
Loving These Asheville Bookstores? The Bookworm In You Might Also Enjoy:
Literary Sites In Asheville For Book Lovers
Hike DuPont Forest: Home To The Hunger Games Waterfalls
Head To Riverside Cemetery To See Thomas Wolfe’s Grave
Don’t Forget These NC-Based Reading Lists:
Books To Read Before Visiting North Carolina
Books Set In Asheville
Famous Asheville Authors & Their Books
Finished With This Chapter? Where Can You Head Next?
Best Things To Do Around AVL
Where To Stay In Asheville, NC
A Special Thank You To Sarah Resta Photography
Many of the pictures featured in this post are from Sarah Resta Photography.
Sarah Resta is both a local and international engagement and wedding photographer available for hire. Sarah also works with small businesses and bloggers, like The Uncorked Librarian & Uncorked Asheville.
You can find Sarah on Facebook and Instagram.
Email: [email protected]
Kate Kelly
Friday 3rd of July 2020
So glad to get your newsletter. My husband, our Portuguese water dog , and I are moving permanently to Asheville the end of July, and we have lots to learn about all the offerings. We were there for 5 weeks in March just as things were closing down. Thanks for all the local info. Kate
Christine
Friday 3rd of July 2020
Hey Kate, Thanks so much! I am so glad to be back at it. Congrats on the move to Asheville, too. I hope you love it as much as we do. Never hesitate to reach out or email if you have questions. Asheville is changing up a bit these days with the pandemic, but there is still plenty to see and do outside. You'll be right in time for a gorgeous fall. Welcome!
Macey @ Brine & Books
Wednesday 1st of July 2020
I love love love exploring & discovering new bookshops, so this post was such a fun read for me!! There's something so magical & wonderful about bookstores. The Captain's Bookshelf sounds lovely & I think it's just my kind of bookstore!
Christine
Thursday 2nd of July 2020
I love bookstores so much, too! Thank you. The Captain's Bookshelf is fun to wander around in.
Sarah
Thursday 25th of June 2020
These bookstores look and sound amazing. Whenever I travel, I always make sure to look for any bookstore to hit in all of the towns and cities I will be in or near. I love discovering locally owned stores that often have significantly different stock than the big box stores, plus it's nice to support smaller local businesses. I would totally visit all of these stores if I ever made it to Ashville.
Christine
Friday 26th of June 2020
Me too! I love hunting for bookstores and just wandering upon them while traveling. You right: it feels great to support local businesses while traveling, too. You'd love the Asheville bookstores. They are all so different.
Kathy | Tasty Itinerary
Thursday 25th of June 2020
Book stores! Ah, so nice to see a city with so many book stores and even one that serves actual drinks.
Sadly, most of our book stores have closed down. There are a couple of popular ones in Downtown Los Angeles that people go just to take photos in. I do have a Vromans by me that is also quite popular in the neighborhood.
I can't wait to visit Ashville to visit a couple of these on the list. I definitely need to make it to Battery Park Book Exchange. Sounds like a blast.
Christine
Friday 26th of June 2020
I know! I love that for one of the smaller US cities, we have so many great bookstores within downtown Asheville and the surrounding areas.
I'm hoping that since these big ones have been around for a while, that they will remain open once the pandemic dies down. We've seen so many great stores close recently. It's devastating.
Yesssss, I've seen the pictures from some of the more famous bookstores there. It's kind of funny that people go just for pictures...IG!!! lol
You'll love Asheville!