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The Best Small Bookstores in North Carolina

Updated: 1 hour ago

Take a brief small bookstore tour around North Carolina with us and find some niche new (and old) places to meet your next favorite book. Be sure to check individual store websites and socials for the most up to date information on inventory, events, and offerings. 


Table of assorted books in a bookstore.

The Triangle Area


📖 Page 158 Books — Wake Forest

Stop by to enjoy an array of genres in a locally-owned shop that also boasts their own non-profit (NKOTB) to promote childhood literacy. They also host numerous events including book clubs, readings, and an upcoming in-person writing workshop for $5 on November 16th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. An added perk is that they carry print copies of The Wake Forest Review (check out our editor, Kaleigh Johnson, in their upcoming edition!).


📖 Quail Ridge Books — Raleigh

This local haven for bibliophiles opened its doors in 1984 and is still going strong. Among their many offerings are book clubs and discussions, like the horror book club, Quails from the Crypt, featured in our previous blog post.


📖 Beow's Books & Brews — Raleigh

Beow’s was born out of a desire to create an environment for meaningful conversations away from smart phones and everyday hurry. Their cafe offers pastries, specialty coffees as well as beer and wine. Check their website and Instagram for upcoming events.


📖 Bright Side Books & Wine — Raleigh (Opening Soon!)

Owner Susannah is a fan of romance reads and wants to curate a space for local and indie authors in this genre to be featured. Bright Side will also host book clubs, trivia events, readings, and more. Be sure to peek at their merchandise online or visit their pop-up—The Prologue—for fun themed bookmarks and stickers!


📖 Dog-Eared Books — Raleigh

This woman-owned business operates out of a warehouse and sells used books, almost all $3 or less. Watch for their ‘Fill a Bag’ sales, where you can take home as many books as you can fit in their tote bag for $20. Books that they aren’t able to sell get donated to Oak City Cares. Teachers: look for their Free Books for Teachers Day in May!


📖 So & So Books — Raleigh

NCSU’s MFA program celebrates their annual kick-off with readings by students at So & So. The Triangle Dissenters Monthly Book Club convenes here. It’s a great gathering place in Downtown Raleigh, and you can even DM your book orders. What’s stopping you?


📖 Blackbird Books — Raleigh

Blackbird seeks to highlight works from women, BIPOC, and queer authors from all genres. They offer meet ups for crochet and several book clubs. Hannah and Bre are sisters in law, owners, and BFFS.


📖 Flyleaf Books — Chapel Hill

This one’s a young’un, with an opening date of 2009, but for an adolescent, it has impressive accomplishments. Directly across from the UNC Chapel Hill campus, this store has a huge heart for the community it serves. Founders Jamie and Michael Fiocco seek to foster an inclusive space for discussions, bring books to more members of the community, and help local schools and librarians. New and used books find a home here; go look for your next read and report back! 


📖 Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews — Chapel Hill

They had me at chocolate, but it gets even better—this local Chapel Hill indie also serves churros. There’s also beer and wine if you’re not in the mood for sugary treats. Miranda and Jaime Sanchez curated a lovely community space. Epilogue hosts two book clubs,   Queer Reader and Flights of Fantasy. And for the poets among you, check out their   monthly Rough Draft workshops with Donovan Livingston, the Poet Laureate of Chapel Hill. 


📖 The Regulator Bookshop — Durham

They host a monthly book club each second Monday. The Regulator partners with NC   Women’s Prison Project to secure access to books for incarcerated women in the state.   Additionally, they offer discounts on bulk orders for classrooms, book clubs and more.


📖 Daughters Coffee & Books — Durham

Bespoke drinks alongside new and used books, a children’s play area and events for all ages. Go for knitting club, decorating gingerbread houses, a Father’s Day craft, you name it! Check their Instagram for the most up to date offerings.


📖 Alleyway Bookstore — Apex

Small but mighty, this charming used bookstore is in downtown Apex. Get your book club or group of friends together for a Sip & Trade event you can book with them. It’s easy; groups of five to twenty book lovers bring gently used books to trade for store credit and enjoy a glass of champagne while they browse. And everyone who brings books for   trade is entered in a gift card raffle. I just did one of these in October and am already itching to schedule another. 


📖 Broken Anchor Music & Media — Youngsville

Shawn and Tabitha own this purveyor of used books, new books from local and indie writers, music on CD, cassette, and vinyl, movies, comics, and collectibles. Check their Instagram for the latest on pop ups and special events. You can also browse art, gifts, and accessories from local artists, or join their new book club.



Western North Carolina


📖 Malaprop's Bookstore & Cafe — Asheville

They have been around since 1982 and carry books for all ages. Malaprop’s derives its name from a play The Rivals in 1775, in which a character used words incorrectly. The popularity of the play is to thank for the adoption of the word malapropism in English. How cool! In addition to hosting myriad community events, they also champion independent authors and have an entire page of their site dedicated to tips for first timers on how to set up a relationship with a bookseller. 


📖 Cuentos y Cafe — Asheville

A Latina-owned pop-up and online bookstore in Asheville offering an array of events, giveaways, and sales. Their focus is on books both new and used that feature diverse LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC writers. Tamara founded Cuentos with the dream of building into a brick and mortar business with a cafe. Help her make her dream a reality by coming to a pop-up event or shopping online.


Open seasonally from March to November, LSBB has been around since 1986 and sells new and used books alongside a cozy espresso bar. They pride themselves in their commitment to a slower pace, personal touches, and handwritten receipts. If that sounds great to you, be sure to check out their sister store, Destinations & Diversions, to search through atlases, maps, compasses and much more.


📖 City Lights Bookstore — Sylva

Nestled in the south of the Appalachian Mountains, City Lights has been offering regional literature since 1985. They also sell used books, accessories, and gifts. Check out their local author events and poetry readings to get to know established and emerging writers in the area.


📖 Highland Books — Brevard

A staple of Brevard since 1975, Highland Books offers a great selection and is open seven days a week. A book lover’s dream come true! Speaking of love, we love that they are partnering with Sharing House to donate books to children ages 0-18 this holiday season.



Central North Carolina


📖 Park Road Books — Charlotte

Around since 1977 and focusing on new books, they support local authors with events and readers with book clubs. PRB is loved by Queen City residents and it shows; they have been repeatedly awarded a Reader’s Pick for the best in Charlotte. To highlight their devotion to readers and writers, they have put together a list of tips for authors promoting their first book.


📖 That's Novel Books — Charlotte

Alyssa is the self-professed book-nerd-in-chief at That’s Novel. She keeps a blog of the books she reads and recommends each month—here’s the October’s edition. Stop by for author events, writing groups, Novels and Needles, or shhh! Silent Book Club. 


📖 Scuppernong Books — Greensboro

Scuppernong is devoted to historically marginalized communities, protecting against censorship, and fostering a safe space to gather (and resist!). Founded in 2013, they were a key player four years later in founding the Greensboro Literary Organization, known for their annual festival, Greensboro Bound. The year after that, they founded Scuppernong Editions, a small press.


📖 McIntyre's Books — Pittsboro

Just outside of the Triangle, you’ll find McIntyre’s in Fearrington Village, between belted goats, cows and chickens on one side and The Belted Goat cafe on the other. Frequent author events, story times, and their partnership with the North Carolina Poetry Society for readings mean there is always some bookish fun to be had here. 


📖 Main Street Books — Davidson

Just north of Charlotte is Main Street Books, a centerpiece of the literary life of towns around Lake Norman. It’s a woman-owned bookstore focusing on new books and bringing people together over a shared love of reading. They have new books arriving each week on Tuesday. Check their calendar for some great author events.



Eastern North Carolina


📖 The Roasted Bookery — Wilmington

This Wilmington gem places a focus on inclusivity in their offerings and is run by two former teachers, Erin and Jerry. They curate a collection that uplifts queer and BIPOC authors. Stop by for book clubs, tutoring, knitting club, garden club, and author events.


📖 Bookmarks — Winston-Salem

This is one for readers passionate about giving back. Bookmarks is a non-profit bookstore that works hard to fulfill community wishlists, offers programs for kids such as field trips, and hosts after school events and visits from authors.


Regionally acclaimed as a beach bookstore and women-owned, it boasts an excellent selection of Outer Banks titles and great author events. I am biased, but having visited the Duck location myself, I can think of fewer things nicer than grabbing a fresh Duck Donut, and walking down the boardwalk to find a new page-turner. They have a second location in Manteo, named Downtown Books, which is located in the former home of Manteo Booksellers.


Local author Michelle Garen-Flye owns this shop and has previously served as Poet   Laureate for Heart of the Pamlico. Her shop sells new and used titles and features work by local writers. Michelle also started a literary magazine for Eastern North Carolina poets and writers called The Next Chapter Literary Magazine. 


📖 The Country Bookshop — Southern Pines

They opened their doors in 1953 and have expanded to a podcast and YouTube channel where you can view their events in case you miss them in person. Each month, a curated newsletter goes out to members of the book clubs they host. Their team believes in the power of books to create meaningful connections and discussions. And, they have a page dedicated to resources for authors!


📖 City Center Gallery & Books — Fayetteville

They have been a fixture of Fayetteville since 1999, expanding from art to literature in 2003 and feature Art Walkouts, 4th Fridays, art exhibits, and book signings. Their team is passionate about helping you track down a hard to find book if it’s not in their stock of new or used titles. Their featured table offers a daily selection of books that usually cost $1 or less.



Final Thoughts

We hope you found a new indie book haven to connect with other lovers of all things literary. If you have poetry, short fiction, or creative non-fiction you’re ready to share with the world, submit it to us today for free!

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