Bear Den Books - Knoxville, TN

Bear Den Books, Knoxville, TN

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One of the fun parts of my journey is getting to talk about books with owners and booksellers.  It becomes DOUBLY fun when we're able to swerve into other topics which was the case with co-owner Tex F. at Bear Den Books.  We had a great conversation about University of Tennessee football and Iowa football as well as his March Madness brackets (by the time you read this I will guess his brackets never made it to the Final Four!).  I'm happy to report that after many down seasons UT football is on the rebound and becoming a national player with its coach Josh Heupel.  And now I can swerve back to the bookstore lane and report that the head coach and his family live nearby and have paid a visit to this splendid new bookstore.  

This indie is less than one year old and I'm happy to say they're off to a great start.  They're located in the affluent Sequoyah Hills area of Bearden in Knoxville.  The store name, Bear Den, is a play on words for their Bearden location in Knoxville.  Their success and location are enhanced by a reasonable lease and the cozy little Treetop Coffeeshop right next door.  Other than that, there are few retailers near them making it a true neighborhood bookstore.  They offer all new books in a neatly maintained one-level space.  Bear Den has a few sidelines including greeting cards, stickers, and reading glasses.  But as Tex told me, they're doing fairly well with just the books.  Bravo Bear Den!

The two things that stood out for me were the stores' curation of books and the children's section.  The book inventory really resonated with me because I saw so many that I have read and enjoyed and many others I want to read.  Of course, this observation could be COMPLETELY different for someone else.  Secondly, I thought the children's section was super and they're already engaging that demographic with a weekly story time held every Wednesday.  

Tex told me they already see weekly regulars in the store, but like many new bookstores the word is still getting out.  Listen to me citizens and readers of Knoxville.  Set your GPS for Bear Den Books and discover a terrific bookstore with an owner who can recommend some super books AND convince you that indeed, UT football is all that and a bag of chips.  And who knows, you might even bump into the UT head coach when you visit.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED: O Pioneers!, Willa Cather.  Popular female novelist of the early 20th century, this book was published in 1913.  These kind of books usually make me nervous but I really enjoyed this one.  Story of a farming family living in remote Nebraska and their challenges of living during these times battling weather, sickness, death, relationships, and more.  Very readable.  Recommended. 

CURRENTLY READING:  Beheld, TaraShea Nesbit. 

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Little Big Man, Thomas Berger. 

 

The doorway to adventure!

View looking into the store from the front entrance.  

Relevant holiday book display. 

Looking to the right from the front entrance. 

Go to the left after entering and find some of the nature subjects in the store. 

Bring a friend when you visit the store, grab some seats, and sample some books. 

In Dolly Parton country you need a Dolly Parton book. 

Regional interests and cookbooks. 

My favorite browsing area.  The long wall of books on the right side of the store. 

Display of new releases...

...and right below it one of my favorite bookstore promotions, blind date with a book. 

A nice assortment of staff picks.  How many have you read?

Just a few of the non-fiction books in the store. 

When you see this beautiful banner you're at the checkout counter. 

Read up about the book stores' location.

Grumpy Monkey books.  I don't know a thing about them but they sound fun. 

Lost your readers?  You can replace them here. 

Partial view of the children's area. 

Another view of the children's area. 

Dolly Parton for the kids. 

Overview of the store looking from the back toward the front entrance. 

If you're buying a gift, you might as well get a card to go with it. 

Required stickers for all customers. 

A few of the western and southern books available. 

Always ask your independent bookstore about gift cards or gift certificates. 

With Tex on the right, the fine co-owner at Bear Den Books.  Thanks for a great visit.