Georgia: FoxTale Book Shoppe

Jackie & Ellen

Let's get real for a minute, shall we? Sometimes -- on occasion -- not always -- indie bookstores can get a bad rap. People can feel that the stores are a little pretentious and condescending. I mean if you want to buy the latest Dan Brown, you shouldn't have to be embarrassed you're not buying Plato's The Republic. (My motto: All reading is good reading. Turn off that television. ;-)

Any store that gives off that sort of vibe is not one I want to feature in this book, and I am extremely happy to say that so far all the stores I've chosen and photographed have been the exact opposite of the snooty stereotype.

FoxTale Book Shoppe is owned by the COOLEST three women that you must meet. And the story behind the name of their bookstore is awesome. I won't do it justice, I know, but I'm going to give it a shot.

The owners of the store, Jackie, Ellen, and Karen met in a writing class at a local college. When they all turned 50, they took a trip out to Denver, Colorado to celebrate. They visited an indie bookstore they all loved (Tattered Cover, which of course is the store in this book for Colorado!), and that brought up the idea of how cool it would be to own a bookstore. It was just a hypothetical conversation, but the more they talked about it, the better it sounded. One night while hanging out outside in Denver and relaxing over glasses of wine, a fox walked up really close to where the women were sitting around a fire.

One of their friends who happens to really enjoy the book Animal Speak by Ted Andrews decided to look up the meaning for a fox in the book. The description of the fox says many things, but they keys that stood out were that it mentioned about entering a new phase in life at age 50. I really wish I had the book so I can quote from it more directly, but when I heard the story my reaction was that it was clearly one of those awesome signs that you're on the right path.

Another fun fact about this store: it's gorgeous. The decor is so awesome that customers kept asking if they could buy things that were on the walls. Rather than selling off their decorations, the owners wisely added a small section of items that are now actually intended for sale. After spending some time in this store, I am not even a little bit surprised people love this.

It's a great store owned by great people so make sure to support it, especially if you're near Woodstock, GA. (And Atlanta folks, you are!)

The Lorraine Motel

Beale Street

I made it to Little Rock, Arkansas today from Oxford, MS via a quick stop in Memphis, TN. I had lunch on Beale Street, saw the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and took a very quick trip to Graceland. I also got to see another old friend from college who acted as my tour guide during this brief visit. You really don't realize how many people you know throughout the country until you start traveling everywhere!

Facebook:  FoxTale Book Shoppe

Twitter: FoxTale Book Shoppe

Last Bookstore: The Morris Bookshop in Kentucky

Next Bookstore: Square Books in Mississippi