Out and About

Best used book stores

Need some summer reading material but don't want to shell out $30 for a new hardcover? Head to these local book stores for used books at a great price.

Posted Updated
Reader's Corner
RALEIGH, N.C. — Need some summer reading material but don't want to shell out $30 for a new hardcover? Head to these local book stores for used books at a great price.
Be sure to check out last year's Five Faves: Best Book Stores as well.
Ed McKay Used Books and More (Raleigh) – Situated inconspicuously in a small strip mall off Capital Boulevard, Ed McKay's is one of my favorite places to stock up on and sell used books. It's organized like a library, with well-organized sections (including a children's section) and a lounge area to flip through books. While I come here for the books, the "and more" in the name encompasses CDs, records, used electronics, DVDs and t-shirts. There are also locations in Fayetteville, Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
Mr. Mike's Used Books (Cary) – This is a smaller store, but there are still so many books here. General fiction is the largest section, although the mystery and romance sections are decent too. Check out the new arrivals as soon as you walk in to snap up some of the most recent titles for less than half the cover price. There is also a Raleigh location. 
The Bookshop (Chapel Hill) – Specializing in used and rare books, The Bookshop's prices are slightly higher than the other stores on this list; however, the books are, for the most part, in great condition. The store looks small from the street, but it extends further back than you'd expect. Situated in the midst of Franklin Street's popular restaurants, bars and boutiques, the two store cats dozing in the window might catch your eye.
Reader's Corner (Raleigh) – With its familiar outdoor bookshelves, Reader's Corner is a Hillsborough Street staple. The interior is stuffed to the ceiling with books on nearly every subject. The store is jumbled and crowded, but in a good way, with narrow aisles between the shelves and a random assortment of paper – bookmarks, foreign bills, old letters, pictures – covering every available surface.
Nice Price Books (Raleigh) – Nice Price is just a cool place to browse and linger over a book. Within easy reach of NC State and Meredith College on Hillsborough Street, it feels like the quintessential college book store, with crates of records, stacks and piles of books on shelves and indie music filtering through the speakers. There is also a Durham location.

Tell us in the comments section to the right: Where do you like to shop for books?

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.