While online retailers like Amazon.com may be convenient and inexpensive, traditional in-store shopping still survives, both at massive chain stores or used booksellers.
The reason for bookstores’ success can partially be credited to the simple, underrated pleasure of bookstore browsing. Of the dozens of Knoxville booksellers, several stores are especially excellent places to browse and peruse new books.
- Barnes & Noble Suburban (8029 Kingston Pike): One of the most well-known book retailers in the country, Barnes & Noble includes a massive literary selection. They also have a thorough music and DVD section, as well as a coffee shop. Barnes & Noble also regularly hosts authors in town for book signings and meet-and-greets.
- Book Eddy (2537 Chapman Highway): One of the area’s largest used bookstores, the Book Eddy has a selection of over 165,000 titles, many of which are rare or out-of-print. As with any used bookstore, finding a specific title can be time-consuming; however, it is an excellent place to browse and peruse a bevy of literature.
- Borders (202 Morrell Rd.): Borders has many of the same amenities as Barnes & Noble and other major bookstores, but is also home to an especially comprehensive magazine and music selection. Also, most Borders stores proffer excellent sections for regional works, as well as indispensable staff recommendations.
- Carpe Librum (5113 Kingston Pike # A): Like most independent stores, Carpe Librum retains a highly knowledgeable staff, which is always helpful. The store also promotes independent titles, and has an excellent selection of lesser-known works. They also host several local book clubs, for which they also provide discounts on the reading material.
Of course, these are just a few stores in Knoxville. A drive around town can uncover several others, and any one of them could lead to a great shopping experience.
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