Independent bookstores in Charlotte — and a few more within driving distance
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Trope Bookshop, a romance bookstore, opened a permanent home in Plaza Midwood on March 1. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Since we first published this independent bookstore guide in 2021, some spots on the original list have closed, while others have found new homes. There are also new stores to explore.
Here's a guide to the shelves around Charlotte and a few others just a drive away. Stores are listed in no particular order.
Park Road Books
It’s the original — "the cornerstone of independent bookstores in Charlotte" since 1977, as it says on its website. It's a Park Road Shopping Center staple.
- If you’re lucky, you’ll run into Yola the Dog, the store pup, who was named one of Charlotte magazine’s 2019 Charlotteans of the Year.
Stop by: 4139 Park Road
Troubadour Booksellers
New books line the shelves in Scott Tynes-Miller's bookshop in Sardis Crossing.
- The shop also sells toys for kids, plus shirts, hoodies, canvas totes, journals, puzzles and other gifts, like Modern Goldfish earrings, made by Kenna Covington.
Stop by: 1721-7C Sardis Road North near New Zealand Cafe.
Go deeper: New independent bookstore opens in east Charlotte
That's Novel Books
There is a mix of new and used books here, along with local items like greeting cards from Good Postage, also located in Camp North End.
Stop by: 330 Camp Road
Go deeper: Silent Book Club chapters to check out in the Charlotte area
Trope Bookshop
Trope Bookshop is a bus-turned-romance-bookshop. The Green Girl, as the bus is affectionately known, has what owner Katie Mitchell describes as an old-school English-style pub feel. A permanent home opened for Charlotte's only romance bookstore in March.
Stop by: 1516 Lyon Court just off Central Avenue.
- Find Green Girl's pop-up schedule on Instagram.
Go deeper: New romance bookstore opens in Plaza Midwood
Book Buyers
Book Buyers has been selling used books in Charlotte since 1999. The shop relocated from Plaza Midwood to the Eastway Crossing shopping complex a few years ago.
Stop by: 3040 Eastway Dr. B
The Book Rack
This south Charlotte used bookstore has been around for decades and boasts having 50,000 used books for $8 or less.
Stop by: 10110 Johnston Road, Suite 5
Belmont Bookshop
From the partially completed puzzle on the back table to the treehouse for kids, to the cozy chairs around the store, Belmont Bookshop whispers, "Come on in. Stay awhile," the moment you walk in the door.
- It's a short drive down I-85 to the bookshop, which opened in December 2023.
Stop by: 7 N. Main St. Belmont, N.C.
Go deeper: 18 things to eat, see and do in Belmont including a rum distillery and farm-to-table brunch
Urban Reader Bookstore
This Black-owned store opened in University City in July 2021 and quickly became a hub for discussions, poetry and sipping wine on the patio. It's now a mobile bookstore.
- Owner Sonyah Spencer is an Ohio native who found comfort in books after her oldest son died. She hopes Urban Reader can be a space where people can "embrace the culture, ask questions and heal."
Stop by: Gibson Mill Market for now; 305 McGill Ave. Concord, N.C.
Main Street Books
Davidson's redbrick sidewalks and benches are more instruction than decoration: they tell you that to truly experience this town, you should stop. You should park. You should stroll.
- And when you do, you may stumble into this wonderful bookstore that has its own set of instructions: Stop, pocket that phone and read.
- The bookstore was a filming location for "The Other Zoey," a romantic comedy partially shot at Queens University of Charlotte.
Stop by: 126 S. Main St., Davidson
South Main Book Company
Alissa Redmond is a diplomat turned bookshop owner in Salisbury. She opened South Main Book Company in 2019. Make sure you say hi to the shop dog, Hazelnut on your visit.
Stop by: 110 S. Main St., Salisbury, N.C.
Archimedes' Loft
This woman-owned pop-up bookstore opened in September 2023. It specializes in children's and young adult books. It's named for the scholarly owl from Disney's "The Sword in the Stone."
Stop by: 1625 Walkup Ave., Monroe, N.C.
Cleary's Bookstore
Cleary's is a women-owned bookstore in Mount Holly selling new and used books.
Stop by: 105 N Main St. Mount Holly, N.C.
CCB Bistro & Vine
The wine bar, restaurant and bookstore opened in 2021 in Rock Hill.
Stop by: 295 Herlong Ave. Suite 401 Rock Hill, S.C. 29732
Editions
This woman-owned bookstore and coffee shop opened in downtown Kannapolis in 2017. Editions sells new and used books, plus locally made items.
Stop by: 217 S Main St. Kannapolis, N.C.
Fred and June's Books
Expect new and used books here. It's named for owner Stephen Hayes' father, Fred, and his Aunt June.
Stop by: 248 N. Main Street Mooresville, N.C.
Goldberry Books
Husband and wife duo David and Bethany Kern opened Goldberry Books in 2020. They named their bookstore after a character from "The Lord of the Rings."
- You'll find new and used books here.
Stop by: 12 Union St. S Concord, N.C.
The Liberty Book Co.
This Rock Hill bookstore sells new and used books. "Come for the high-brow literature; stay for the paper cuts," their Instagram bio reads.
Stop by: 1037 Oakland Ave. Rock Hill, S.C.
Walls of Books
Melinda Parkes opened Walls of Books in 2018 in Cornelius. The shop sells new and used books.
Stop by: 20920 Torrence Chapel Road B-6 Cornelius, N.C.
Second Look Books
A family-owned bookstore selling new and used books.
Stop by: 4519 School House Commons STE 230, Harrisburg, N.C.
So Much More to the Story: A Bookery
What began as a mobile bookstore in February 2024 now has a storefront in downtown Monroe.
Stop by: 130 S Main St., Monroe, N.C.
The Book Lady
A used bookstore not far from Charlotte.
Stop by: 3515 D W Hwy 74, Monroe, N.C.
Tall Stories Books and Print Gallery
A bookstore and art gallery specializing in adventure, fantasy, mystery and science fiction.
Stop by: 164 S Cherry Rd., Rock Hill, S.C.
A little drive away
And here are a few favorites within driving distance …
Malaprop’s
Maybe North Carolina's most well-known bookstore, Malaprop's has one of the most knowledgeable staffs in the state. It also has a coffee shop and a huge collection of North Carolina books.
Stop by: 55 Haywood St., Asheville (about two hours west of Charlotte)
Scuppernong Books
It’s become the "center for culture" in Greensboro, says the mentor and former college professor of Axios' Michael Graff. Scuppernong has a bar in the store with beer and wine, and hauls in great authors and music for events.
- It’s also a short walk from the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, which is located in the Woolworth’s that was the site of the first lunch counter sit-in on Feb. 1, 1960.
Stop by: 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro (about 90 minutes from Charlotte)
City Lights Bookstore, Sylva
When you’re this deep in the mountains, the stories all seem richer. City Lights has been a warm place for writers, readers and artists since local writer Gary Carden founded it in 1985.
- Read North Carolina author David Joy's books, and if you haven’t yet, start with "Where All Light Tends to Go."
Stop by: 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva (about three hours west of Charlotte)
McIntyre's Books, Fearrington Village
It's also in a destination, just 15 minutes outside Chapel Hill. Inside, manager Keebe Fitch and her team can tell you about all the local authors who've come through.
- Be sure to visit the rest of Fearrington Village, one of North Carolina's gems. Eat at the AAA Five-Diamond restaurant. But whatever you do, be sure to check out the Belted Galloway cows.
Stop by: 220 Market St. Pittsboro (about two hours east of Charlotte)
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Editor's note: This guide was originally published on Dec. 2, 2021 and was updated on March 24, 2025.