What are the best indie bookstores in the South?

Booklovers know that stopping at a local bookstore while traveling can be a delightful way to get to know a new city. Across the South, there are charming indie bookstores to check out while you’re on the road.

In a recent roundup, Southern Living compiled 26 of the South's best bookstores.

“In addition to sharing stories and recommending new reads, the South’s indie bookshops are also building community and nurturing conversations,” the folks at Southern Living write.

While there are no metro Atlanta bookstores on the list, there is one in Georgia and plenty others within a short drive.

"It's hard to overstate how important these shops are to the communities in which they make their homes. The literary life is thriving in the South, and that's thanks to indie bookstores and the people who love them—their owners, staff, and customers past, present, and future," the article reads.

The best bookstores in the South, according to Southern Living:

Blue Bicycle Books - Charleston, South Carolina

BookPeople - Austin, Texas

The Bookshelf - Thomasville, Georgia

Brazos Bookstore - Houston, Texas

Carmichael's Bookstore - Louisville, Kentucky

Commonplace Books - Oklahoma City

Faulkner House Books - New Orleans

Fountain Bookstore - Richmond, Virginia

Hooray for Books! - Alexandria, Virginia

Hub City Bookshop - Spartanburg, South Carolina

The Ivy Bookshop - Baltimore, Maryland