Field Guide to Local Bookstores

Store Name:       Refuge Books Location:             Nashville, TN Visit Time:         Friday Jan 12, 2024 12:00pm Website:              Refuge Books   Type:                   Used Books "Well-curated secondhand books. Specializing in The Inklings, history, bio, Books on Books, fic/lit." Have you ever been to the Smallest Bar in Key West, FL? This is the bookstore equivalent of the Smallest Bar. Easily the smallest bookstore I've ever visited and probably only possible because it's a stall in an antique mall.  The Smallest Bookstore I didn't spend much time in this store as there weren't a lot of books I typically buy (mysteries, business, self-help). There were a few books I recognized by name like  Fahrenheit 451 and Les Miserables, also a section of books about past wars and people from those wars, books by and ...

Store Name:       Rhino Booksellers Location:             Nashville, TN Visit Time:         Saturday Jan 13, 2024 4:30pm Website:              Rhino Booksellers   Phone:                  (615) 279-0310 Type:                  Used Books "Rhino Booksellers is a neighborhood bookstore committed to Nashville’s community of creative talent. We welcome all readers, musicians, artists, writers, filmmakers & photographers."  -  rhinobooksellers.com/ On day two of our Nashville trip we hit a few more bookstores. Rhino's was in what looked like an old working class neighborhood on a main thoroughfare that was starting to revitalize. Plenty of parking across the street at Richland Park. Apparently my daughter didn't see the name of the store when we walked in. The first questio...

Store Name:    Joy and Matt's Bookshop Location:           Cincinnati, OH Visit Time:       Sunday Dec 31, 2023 4:30pm Website:              Joy and Matt's   Phone:                513-427-3413 Type:                    New Books " We are two nerds who had to start a bookstore. " -  Joy and Matt's I was downtown in Cincinnati for New Year's Eve making the obligatory stop at Findlay Market and decided to see if there were any bookstores open. Lo and behold not only was there one open but it was a recently opened one (2021) that I had yet to visit! It was a quick trip before closing time so not much for this first entry. Joy and Matt's Bookshop is located at 1515 Vine St.. It's several blocks from Findlay Market but a very reasonable walk. The bookstore is quite a tiny one even for a l...

Store Name:      Mostly Happy Books Location:             Nashville, TN Visit Time:         Friday Jan 12, 2024 12:00pm Website:              Mostly Happy Books   Type:                   Used Books I made a trip to Nashville for my youngest daughter to visit some high school friends who are married to enlisted soldiers in the Army based in Fort Campbell. My mom went as well; her birthday was that Sunday so we made a weekend out of it to visit Nashville - my first ever trip. Our first stop was the Grand Ole Opry on the outskirts of town. It was a rainy day so we planned to do indoor activities including a couple of bookstore stops. It just so happened there is a bookstore less than a mile from the Grand Ole Opry, two actually! Mostly Happy Books isn't what I'd call a traditional bookstore. It's inside an antique mall and mark...

Why a field guide? I like to travel by RV or truck camper to hike, fish, and sight see around the US. I've visited 40 states with plans to make it 50 in the next couple of years. While traveling I also like to find local authors who write books set in the areas I'm visiting and I've found some great book series and authors this way. It also helps me learn the area and find some places off the beaten path as they are mentioned in the books. Local books stores are a great resource for finding local authors as they nearly always have a local authors section. To date I've visited well over 100 bookstores! I make a point to research the bookstores in the area and visit during my travels hence the "field guide" to local bookstores.  “Browsing independent bookstores is always my first port of call in any city I visit. And it’s the only way I really find new authors, by physically scanning the shelves.” — Alex Michaelides , author of  The Fury I conducted some researc...