The Best Bookstores in Nashville

One of my favorite parts of living in a city is that I have access to more bookstores than I did in the past. Bookstores are absolutely necessary for my happiness. Of course, I order books online sometimes, but I also need physical bookstore around.

Nashville Scene recently released the 2019 Best of Nashville list. Taking a look through the list inspired me to create my own list of the best bookstores in Nashville. My ranking is probably not based on the same criteria that Nashville Scene used, but I enjoyed making the list. And, regardless of how I ranked a bookstore, I'm appreciative of all bookstores in general.

Note: I left out any bookstores that I haven't visited yet.

7. Target 

Ok. So, this is not truly a bookstore, but it does have a book section which I browse every single time that I go in. Some days you just need to get unicorn socks, new lipstick, snacks, and the latest bestseller all in one place. Target is there for us on those day.

6. Books-A-Million

While it is true that big chain bookstores don't have the same personality that independent bookstores do, for a long time, chain bookstores were the only bookstores that I had access to. I grew up going to a Books-A-Million that was the only bookstore within an hour of where my family lived. Going there helped me to grow to love reading, so I will still go into a Books-A-Million every once in a while even when there are other options.

5. McKay's

This store is basically the book lover's dream. It has a gigantic selection of used books. Obviously, the prices are awesome, and it's fun to browse. Those two things make McKay's very popular. I really do like this place, but I do not like crowds. McKay's is almost always crowded when I go in, so I get trapped in the middle of the aisles while in peak book introvert mode. I keep going back though. Because sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get books.

4. Elder's Book Store

Another used bookstore, but not at all the same kind as McKay's. When I have a Beauty and the Beast -style library and am very wealthy (possibly unlikely thanks to my public school teacher salary) then this is the shop that I'll go in to in order to get the beautiful antique books that are going to fill my floor to ceiling shelves. Please, don't judge my life goals.

3. Rhino Bookseller

Third used bookstore! This one slightly edged out Elder's Book Store on my list because it has cats and because I can currently afford to buy books there. If you love bookstores with books piled on every available surface and with cosy little nooks, you'll love this place. It looks deceptively small from the outside, but there are lots of books inside.

2. Parnassus Books

First of all, this bookstore has the coolest name ever. It also has a great selection of popular books and local interest books. I am always able to find books that I want there. Plus, there are friendly shop dogs that wander around the store. The only negative to this place is that I find the parking lot challenging, but I find most parking lots challenging so that's more of a personal problem.

1. The Bookshop

It might be controversial to put the newest bookstore at the top of my list, but that's what I'm doing. The first time that I walked in, I discovered that someone had taken my idea of the perfect bookstore out of my head and made it real. This shop is small, but it's beautiful. And, despite the small selection almost every book is one that I have read, one that is on my list to read, or one that I want to read immediately after seeing it.



That's where my bookstore rankings are at the moment, but since I've only been in town for a few months, I should probably do more research (Thank you for pretending to believe this made up excuse to spend more time in more bookstores and buy more books).

What are your favorite bookstores? How to you judge the quality of a bookstore? Let me know in the comments below or comment on instagram.