Cyber Poems

North Carolina vacation rentals may not be well stocked with reading material, but those in the western part of the state are convenient to some of the best independent bookstores anywherethose found in downtown Asheville.

Malaprop’s at 55 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville (828-254-6734) is known for its remarkable diverse selection of books, well provisioned café and readings by local, regional and nationally known authors. One of downtown’s anchor businesses, Malaprop’s is always a center of activity and a great source for titles on your list as well as intriguing recommendations you might not discover anywhere else.

Nearby at 67 North Lexington Avenue is Asheville’s Downtown Books & News (828.253.8654), a used bookstore with a massive selection of books from rare collector’s items to inexpensive paperbacks. And as the name indicates, it also sells a full array of magazines and daily newspapers. So when you’re lodging in North Carolina vacation rentals and you get a hankering for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or about any periodical (American or European) you can imagine, Downtown Books & News is just the place to find them. And if you happen to have a trunk full of books you’d like to sell, they buy, too.

At 48 Commerce Street in downtown Asheville, Firestorm Café & Books (828-255-8115) is one of the area’s newest players in the literary and arts scene. This worker-owned business features a blend of offbeat, underground and independently published fare. Firestorm is also a community space for events, performances, workshops, films and other presentations. And the café offers a wide selection of goods baked on-site plus sandwiches, salads, and a full tea and expresso menu.

If staying in North Carolina vacation rentals puts you in the mood for fine and rare books, try The Captain’s Bookshelf (828-253-6631) at 31 Page Avenue in Asheville. Founded in 1976, this specialized bookstore buys and sells secondhand and rare books. They offer signed books, first editions, and fine leather bindings. Although some of the rare books go for premium prices, many affordable secondhand books in excellent condition are also available from the Captain’s Bookshelf.

No matter what bookstore you visit in the city, be sure to ask about local authors. From the late great Thomas Wolfe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Wilma Dykeman to countless living contemporary writers and authors, the Asheville area is rich in its own literary heritage and renowned literary residents.

The mountains have always drawn and inspired creativitythere’s no telling how many books have been started by visitors during their stays in North Carolina vacation rentals.