Best Book Store

Having moved from place to place during its 25-plus year history, A Cappella finally calls the Haralson Avenue location home. Frank Reiss's used and new shop has weathered the storm as books have gone in and out of vogue and those buying them have moved from storefronts to online purchases back to a good ol' visit to the store. A Cappella's wide selection of new and used titles in such a small place is a wonder to behold. less...

Against all odds, A CAPPELLA BOOKS has persevered the winds of change that Amazon and the internet hath wrought upon the land. Since 1989, owner Frank Reiss has maintained the small and seditious bookstore by keeping close ties with the community. From the folks behind the counter to the compelling titles that line the shelves, A Cappella is, as the website boasts, “the smartest bookstore in town.” It’s that word quality that keeps the operation moving in strides, as the small but well-stocked Inman Park shop doesn’t offer a whole lot of elbow room while negotiating the aisles. But when dust jackets boasting tales about the life and times of jazz provocateur Sun Ra, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, the myriad problems defining America’s sordid politics, and loads of top-shelf fiction practically jumping into your grasp, it’s impossible to walk out empty-handed. When everyone from local and up-and-coming touring authors to David Sedaris needs someone to sell a whole bunch of their books at their signing events, A Cappella is on speed dial. The shop is woven into the fiber of city’s literary culture, and one of few remaining, truly independent institutions keeping intown Atlanta well-read. 208 Haralson Ave. N.E. 404-681-5128. www.acappellabooks.com. less...

The printed word might seem like a dead art in the 21st century, but that's what makes Atlanta Vintage Books' niche so sweet. Husband-and-wife team Bob Roarty and Jan Bolgla purchased the bookstore seven years ago as a passion project to take them well into retirement. Featuring approximately 70,000 books in 7,000 square feet of space, the store has broadened its customer base by specializing in hard-to-find and out-of-print editions of nonfiction and more than 3,000 books on horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. Other treasured finds include a first-edition copy of Gone With the Wind for $7,000, LIFE and National Geographic magazines dating back to 1936 and 1926, respectively, and an old tome printed on rag paper from the year 1632 on "The Historie of Great Britain." In the kind of lived-in space meant to while away a weekend afternoon - complete with five house cats - the store hosts literary salons on the third Saturday of every month for local author discussions and writer workshops. Local television productions such as "The Vampire Diaries" and "Devious Maids" have rented books here to complete their on-screen sets. The books, however, are the real stars. less...

There are places you go to find exactly what you're looking for. Then there are places you go to find what you didn't know you were looking for until you actually find it. Does that make sense? Anyway, it will when you carve out a couple of hours from your busy schedule and visit one of Book Nook's three area locations. Before you even walk in the door, it's obvious this place is great, thanks in no small part to the logo on its sign, which features an anthropomorphized book and CD, jauntily walking atop some musical notes, the latter of the two wearing a bow tie and a fedora. What the books and CDs inside lack in human-like qualities and fancy dress, they make up for in sheer quantity. The Decatur store - the closest to intown Atlanta - is a biblio- and discophile's treasure trove spilling over with gently used DVDs, comics, records, and, of course, books. (More than 150,000 of them, the Nook says.) And from the 45 rpm records - some of which are still in their original sleeves - to a stack of vintage Rolling Stone and Premiere magazines, you could spend all day flipping through everything in the store. Book Nook also offers money and store credit for your used media. So it's also a place to get rid of the things you didn't know you didn't want anymore. Does that make sense? less...

When OUTWRITE BOOKSTORE & COFFEEHOUSE opened in 1993, it filled a major void in Atlanta's independent book scene. Outwrite didn't just have a gay/lesbian section – the entire store was dedicated to books aimed at those readers. Even now, the Outwrite top 10 bears little resemblance to the New York Times list of best-selling books. When the shop moved to its current location 12 years ago, it became a center for the LGBT community, and the host of frequent author signings. Outwrite is uniquely Atlantan and an outstanding example of why independent bookstores still matter. less...

Traditional used bookstores - the kind with a mix of recent hardcovers, classic fiction and obscure old tomes with gotta-have titles such as I Was a Soviet Worker - are going the way of the 8-track, thanks to the Internet. That's why BOOKS AGAIN is so refreshing. It carries Southern literature, mysteries, first editions, signed novels, children's books and so forth, ranging in age from last year to the late 19th century. And its downtown Decatur location is appropriate, given that our most progressive suburb has become a literary center with its own annual book festival, an antiquarian book fair and more than its share of independent bookstores. Books Again reminds us of why we like used bookstores in the first place: You never know what you'll find. less...