Malaprop's Bookstore/Café
55 Haywood Street | malaprops.com
Malaprop's Bookstore/Café has been a fixture of downtown since 1982. Since their opening more than four decades later, Malaprop's has outlasted trends, survived floods, and only grown more beloved. As acclaimed novelist Ann Patchett once wrote for the New York Times, Malaprop's was the heart and soul of Asheville when Asheville was a sleepy little hippie town, and it's still its heart and soul now.
Walk in and you'll find carefully curated shelves spanning fiction, nonfiction, children's books, young adult, poetry, and local interest titles - all chosen with the kind of intentionality you simply won't find in a chain store. The rotating staff picks section offers personalized recommendations from knowledgeable booksellers who actually read what they sell. Alongside the books, you'll find literary gifts, locally made journals, and artisan cards.
Malaprop's hosts more than 250 events each year, from author readings and book signings to poetry nights and community discussions. These events have drawn numerous acclaimed writers like Barbara Kingsolver, David Sedaris, and Charles Frazier. The store also runs a beloved Writers at Home series in partnership with UNC Asheville's Great Smokies Writing Program, spotlighting regional and emerging authors. Additionally, Malaprop's has operated a Publisher of the Month program since 2002, the first bookstore in the country to do so, shining a light on independent publishers.
Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar
1 Page Avenue, Suite 101, Grove Arcade | batteryparkbookexchange.com
Nestled inside the historic Grove Arcade, the store was founded in 2009 by Thomas Wright, a former industrial chemical manufacturer and restaurateur who opened his first bookstore in Little Switzerland before bringing his vision to downtown Asheville. Wright understood that books alone wouldn't cover the Grove Arcade's rent, so he added wine, specialty snacks, cheese boards, and charcuterie.
The atmosphere is unlike anything else in Asheville. Rich red walls, granite countertops, antique furniture, and warm ambient lighting set the scene. The space offers sprawling collection of gently used and rare books across every genre, organized by nook throughout a stunning two-story location. You'll find an extensive champagne list by the glass or bottle, plus champagne flights to discover a new favorite sparkling wine - in addition to an outdoor patio and live music at select times. Guests can sell books to the shop in 'gift condition,' making it a true book exchange.
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street | buncombecounty.gov
A short stroll down Haywood Street from Malaprop's sits a building that has served Asheville readers since 1876. Today, Pack Memorial is the main branch of the Buncombe County Public Library System, a 56,000-square-foot facility that has been Asheville's central literary anchor since moving to its current Haywood Street home in 1978. With over 150,000 items available for free checkout like books, periodicals, CDs, DVDs, and research materials, it's a remarkable public resource. The Buncombe County Special Collections (formerly the North Carolina Room) is a trove of local history: photographs, manuscripts, postcards, architectural drawings, maps, and artifacts tracing the history of Asheville and Western North Carolina.
Pack Memorial is also home to the Thomas Wolfe Collection, celebrating Asheville's most famous literary son, and Bookends, an in-library used book store run by the Friends of Pack Library. Proceeds from Bookends fund programming and library enhancements, with every book you buy going directly back into the community.
Pack Memorial runs a robust, free events calendar year-round. Programs include author events, book clubs, film screenings, local history talks, genealogy assistance, summer reading programs, and family storytelling events. Check the library's event calendar at buncombe.librarycalendar.com to see what's coming up.
