The Captain’s Bookshelf

Whenever we travel, I’m always on the lookout for the coziest, most delightful independent bookstores. Here, I’m pleased to introduce you to one of our favorite indie bookstores in Asheville, North Carolina. (Find more of our favorite cozy, independent bookstores here.)

When we were in Asheville, we paid a visit to the magnificent Battery Park Book Exchange. Afterward, we wandered out of the Grove Arcade, walked across the street, and discovered yet another bookstore.

Celebrating its 40th birthday in 2017, The Captain’s Bookshelf is another of Asheville’s many bookish gems.

The larger Battery Park may have coffee, snacks, wine, and dogs, but — to be perfectly honest — the smaller selection of used books at The Captain’s Bookshelf feels slightly less overwhelming.

In a single large room, they have old bookcases filled with beautiful antique children’s books, and shelf after shelf filled with intriguing titles on a variety of topics. Plus a few chairs so you can sit while you browse.

And because one of my criteria for deciding that a bookstore qualifies as a favorite is its level of coziness, I have tell you that The Captain’s overflow books — all the ones that won’t fit on the many shelves — are stacked companionably on the floor.

I can relate: in our house, books are arranged (somewhat) neatly on shelves, and not-so-neatly in cozy-looking piles.

Ready to rescue your calm from the daily grind?

Start your quest by signing up for our “Notes from the Reading Nook” emails.

We’ll also send you a free PDF featuring 3 of our beloved Tiny Garden Stories. (No, they’re not stories about tiny gardens, they’re micro-fiction vignettes about the urban wildlife in my backyard woodland garden.)