When Tom and I went to Elizabethton and Sycamore Shoals, we stopped by Mr K’s Used Books and Music on our way home.  Ranger Lucas had recommended it.  We had never heard of it, but are always happy to go to a bookstore.

Mr K’s Used Books and Music is a small chain, with four stores in the mountain areas of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.  The one in Johnson City was on our way back home, just off I-26.  It was easy to find and we were impressed with its two-story height.

Inside, Mr K’s Used Books was packed with shelf after shelf of books.  It took me a while to figure out the sections, but I finally found a map of the store with the book sections.  Unlike our favorite bookstore in Ohio, The Book Loft, Mr K’s Used Books is very orderly with long rows of books listed alphabetically by author in their sections.  The books on the shelves were a mix of new, used, and very well used.

The fun of going to a bookstore is always in the browsing.  I always buy a book or two because I want local bookstores to stay in business.  But I also jot down titles that interest me for future reading.  Although it is easy to buy books on Amazon, it is harder to browse.  Tom and I usually hit different sections of a bookstore, but together we cover just about everything.  And you never know what will catch your eye.

The history section at Mr K’s Used Books is especially impressive.  There were a lot of books on Civil War history.  Ranger Lucas had recommended it because he said Mr K’s had the best history section of any bookstore in the tri-state area.  I would agree.

I bought several books at reasonable prices.  Tom didn’t find anything he felt he had to own, but he enjoyed looking.  Mr K’s is a good place to stop to browse or to buy.