Malaprop's Bookstore Reviews

Locally owned. Let's keep our downtown that way. Many author talks and a small coffee etc lunch bar, like Starbucks but not. Cell phones off and no backpacks. (Put at desk.) Good selection of books esp local authors and historical of the area and most anything for a smallish place. Nice owners. Shop local and unchain Asheville!

Awesome bookstore with a lot of great local authors!!

Best downtown Asheville independent bookstore, an important cultural icon, and a damn fine latte.

Very enjoyable place. Good selection of a variety of books. Relaxed place. Enjoyed spending time browsing around.

This is one of my favorite places in Asheville and definitely my favorite bookstore ever. There s just a good feeling in this place. Great book selection, awesome staff, add in the cafe and it s hard to beat. Always make sure to stop in anytime we re in Asheville.

One of the highlights of our Asheville vacation. Such a nice quaint place.

It's a lovely bookstore/cafe with a great atmosphere but it is very expensive

Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Great selection. Generally, a lot of fun!

Love this place. Make sure to stop by anytime I'm in Asheville. They have the best selection of books, even the titles that you want but the big box stores don't sell. Plus they always have authors coming in to talk about their new books. I got to see one of my favorite people there and it was an experience that I'll never forget!

Cool little spot to grab a book and some coffee on a chilly day

I love this local bookstore! From the well-curated selection of books and extensive calendar of author readings, to the Staff Picks and Banned Books sections, this is a bookstore by readers for readers. This is clearly a bookstore on a mission! Also, they have delicious chai in their cafe.

Tired of shopping. A very nice place to have a coffee or buy "read" a book.

I love this bookstore! They have an incredible selection and the staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable.

Love this bookstore. Has its own personality. And I love its 'Blind Date with a book' section. It was tempting to buy them all, just to see what was hiding under the wrapping!

Wonderful bookstore that has a very personable vibe. I loved the blind date with a book section. The books were wrapped with brown paper and just had a short synopsis of the book, very interesting. I could probably spend a huge amount of time in here if my schedule would allow. Overall a very nice bookstore!

Great bookstore, kind and helpful people who work there. They will always get my business.

Good coffe and baked goods. Nice place to take a quiet break in downtown Asheville.

I wanted to drop by here to read a book and have a coffee. Unfortunatley, I didn't get a place to sit. I roamed around and waited for a while for a seat. Maybe next time. I didn't look too much into their book collections. We well laid out bookstore that does gives you a feeling of a mini library.

It would be great if they have some sofas or additional seating. But I do see that they are constricted by space. I will give this place another shot.

Cute local bookshop with great cafe and lots of unique finds.

Beautiful bookstore. Easy to navigate and I experienced excellent service at check out.

Lovely little book store. Coffee shop is good. Helpful friendly staff. Pet friendly. No complaints.

This was a fun experience, and not one I was intending on running into.
It's a book store, it has snacks and you can also have wine, which is awesome when you're having a luncheon with your book club (which is exactly what was happening when I got there).
Not only did they have the typical new best sellers, they also had classic books, books out of print and quite a number of collectible out of prints as well!
When I'm back in the state I plan on returning and enjoying the atmosphere.

Great book store. They give a personal touch in the way items are displayed and an author speaks almost every week.

Great local Bookstore with a cafe and reading areas. Well known for having authors appear there to do book signings. Check it out!

Asheville's obsession with signs comes to a head here.

This sweet bookstore is a treasured Asheville icon. I love the staff, the book selection, eclectic array of cards and wonderful events they host. But it is the atmosphere created by the serendipitous blending of all these ingredients that truly feeds my soul. My love affair with the store began over 15 years ago when I would drive two hours each weekend from my then home in Hickory, NC, to enjoy the charm of Asheville. Being a book lover, Malaprops was a magnet. I was lured in by the aroma of delicious coffee wafting out to the sidewalk and by the interesting window decor. Once inside, the store was like a good book--I didn't want to turn the last page, didn't want my visit to end. Indeed Malaprops was the lure that hooked me into moving to Asheville. Once here it was a faithful, enduring anchor, nurturing my love of books and like-minded people until my roots took hold. Today, Asheville is truly home---despite my grousing about it's wild growth spurt. Malaprops has changed a bit through the years, but it is still that warm and welcoming space that I retreat to when I seek community, when I'm sad, when I need to recharge my batteries, when I just want to see the familiar faces that have become my friends over the years even though they don't know my name. This week I was lucky to be there to enjoy a reading by two-time poet laureate Billy Collins. Listening to him and meeting him afterward, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. It is now several days later and the magic of Billy's visit is still with me. Thank you Malaprops for bringing him to your store. For this poetry fan, it was like Elvis or the Beatles coming to town and giving a concert in my living room. I'm still pinching myself!

I love this place. It has a great selection for a small bookstore, including local authors and poets. The cafe is solid and the employees are always very friendly. It's a gem.

Great selection. Loved how it was more bookstore than cafe.

Great to have an awesome local book store supporting local authors.

I'm always interested in visiting independent bookstores. And, well, I'm especially interested in the poetry section. Malaprop's is kind of known among poets because of its reading series--a point which made my visit even more poignant, as I wanted to see how this bookstore arranges itself with so much poetry traffic going through it.

Most surprising of all was the display table dedicated only to Copper Canyon books. I'm not sure I've seen anything like that before. And then there were books by the poets who will be going through to read. Another interesting point. I personally would have liked to find more surprises in the poetry section. But, then, I have really hopeful expectations for all poetry sections.

As a bookstore, I appreciated the bookseller aspect to it. The children's book section was fun and felt special for the kids. My favorite is Malaprop's have a blind date with a book section. My sister went for one of the books, and, major, major coincidence, the book that she picked out was a book she and I had been talking about just that morning. For that alone, it felt as though Malaprop's was a 6 * place.

Great local bookstore! We loved the "mystery" books. What a great idea - I was very nervous that I wouldn't like my book, but I loved it. Great local author and great read. I might never have picked up the book had it not been a mystery with great descriptor words. (Just in case its still one of the mystery books I won't spoil it by given author and title but would love to give him credit some time down the road.)

Nice old fashioned bookstore with a cafe. You can bring your dog and that is a huge plus for me. The people that work there are knowledgeable and friendly. It has a good vibe.

Great little book store! Visited twice in one weekend. They had an event going on yesterday, so it was a bit crowded, but great staff, good selection of books, and I love their "blind date with a book" shelf.

such a fun indie bookstore! loved the selection of books and unique sections throughout the store -- especially enjoyed seeing the staff picks and the lots of pride-related books out for June.

Pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff. There is a cafe inside the bookstore.

Great bookstore! Awesome selection of books, a nice cafe, and a wonderful gift shop section with tons of adorable, funky, artsy, one of a kind gifts! We all loved this place! Went there while on vacation with my family and we ended up spending over an hour in there! I bought a book and a few gift shop items for myself (pretty reusable shopping bag, cute bookmarks, and some earrings) as well as gifts for friends (books, coasters, mugs, bracelets). Bookstores & gift shops are a dying breed so I encourage you to check this place out! As I always mention in my reviews when relevant, going here sports a small, local, independently owned business.

A smaller, but curated selection of books you can enjoy in the adjoining cafe. Make sure you buy the book first before settling in though! Not a library y'all. Great kids section with tiny little chairs for tiny little baby bottoms.

Great environment, great selection, great people, great bookstore.

I will NOT support a business that supports anti-Semitism. Shame on you!

I hope independents like Malaprop s stick around forever.

Pricey but cute and creative if you're from out of town

Went for a book signing it was a great experience! The staff kept it very organized And they were all super nice. The owner mentioned a few times how small the store was and while waiting to have our book signed we noted that for it being small the book selection looked to be very expansive and well put together and definitely a place I would want to shop

I soooo love this bookstore! It's inviting to lazily browse, has unique reading inspired gifts, includes a nice cafe for noshing, and manages to have a steady schedule of local and national authors for chats and signings.

Picture is from the Deborah Harkness event in May 2018. It was very well managed and highly entertaining.

Yes their books are amazing. Yes their journaling section is out of this world. But Maddie and Annie at the cafe. They are what make me return again and again. They are attentive and make that extra effort to make you feel like you belong there. The coffee's good too.

Great independent local bookstore. Lots of author events, staff book recommendations, and nice atmosphere.

What an independent bookstore should aspire to. One of the grandames of American bookstores, with knowledgeable, friendly staff and wide selection of books beyond bestsellers. Always featured regional and local authors and a rousing selection of signed books. Nice coffeeshop, lots of readings. Must stop.

A lovely local bookstore that has stuff the test of time. The coffee is good, but the book selection is wide and the staff is always very helpful

This is such a cute and unique bookstore! Def check this place out!

Totally Asheville. Buckle up your suspenders and venture in Asheville, but save your money for this place because the have absolutely wonderful staff picks. I love the wacky and comic collection of small toys. Ooops, sorry, I forgot what i was doing. I think it's a cool atmosphere.

Everything a bookstore should be. They make you feel welcome. Excellent array of books and gift items. Coffee and pastry available. It is a feel good destination.

Good variety of books. Coffee bar gives it a cozy feel.

Really great local bookstore with a tony little cafe inside. I stop by every time that I'm in Asheville!

Love to see and spend time in a good local bookstore!

Absolutely brilliant little store, wonderful local selections!

If you miss the smaller book stores with plenty of character and and well organized selections, Malaprop's is the place for you. The staff is friendly and eager at assist when needed. I almost didn't make it further into the store browsing through the staff picks area alone. For anyone who enjoys reading, this store is a must when visiting Asheville.

Great coffe, books, staff, and small bookstore feel

Malaprop's is my favorite bookstore in the world. I've come here for many years and always find something new and fascinating. The "Staff Picks" section is always worth looking at, and all the staff is very knowledgeable about the stock and literature in general. If you're going to Asheville, Malaprop's is not-to-miss... heck, it is a reason in and of itself to visit Asheville!

This is a great bookstore in the heart of Asheville. It has a good selection of books with some great displays to help you find books you may have missed. It also has a great program where you can buy books based on description but the book is wrapped so you don't know what it is. The small Cafe is always a plus. Definitely a store worth a visit, especially if you enjoy books or bookstores in general.

Cute place. They even had a section where the books were covered up with some details, but you basically bought not knowing what book it was. I also liked that they had a banned (or attempted to be banned) book section.

Quintessential Asheville. Perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon. Wonderful selections, well displayed. Excellent coffee bar, helpful staff.

Wonderful....every town should have a place like this to discover & enjoy books.

Knowledgeable staff, great recommendations, small but we'll curated inventory.

Pretty cool book store and coffee shop. Do yourself a favor and forget that Amazon ever existed. Nothing like buying a 25 dollar book and discovering you could get it for 10 cents.