Bookstores are places of magic: Imagination, ideas, connection. Southland Books is all that with a huge dose of heart.
With 70,000 used titles and another 1,000 new books, it’s no wonder that Southland has become a destination for book lovers, but its appeal goes beyond even that. “For me, the real attraction is the welcoming, comfortable vibe you feel as soon as you walk in Southland,” said Southland fan Vandy Kemp.
Danielle Williamson Hope agrees: “Southland is such an important place to me because it feels like home, or maybe even better than home because of the comforting escape that I find in the books inside.” She treasures the vibes as much as the shopping. “That, combined with the welcoming spirit of the owner and employees makes it one of my favorite places in town!”
Lea Yoder has been a fan of Southland since their teen years. “Southland and all the places around it have given me space to give others space that I never had while growing up, and that’s huge in this area.” They treasure their visits, they said, because, “I always know I’m going to run into someone I know, I know I’m safe, and I know I’m loved. Doesn’t hurt my book dragon habit, either.”
That combination of a welcoming space with a hoard to appease the book dragons is exactly what owner Lisa Misosky loves about her shop. “I love that there’s a little bit of everything here,” she said. “Books, movies, music, coffee, food. I am proud of the fact that Southland Books has become a destination bookstore. Folks will detour off of I-40 in their travels to come HERE.”
Southland is located at 1505 E. Broadway Ave., Maryville, on the Five Points Roundabout. Inside, the used books are sorted into non-fiction by topic and into fiction by genre, and Misosky has an encyclopedic knowledge of the inventory. Kemp is one of the many customers to benefit from this superpower: “She seems to have every single title in the store committed to memory!”
Staff are always eager to help shoppers find what they want. However, browsing the full shelves is a pleasure all its own. Kemp is one of the many who enjoy the treasure hunt of a jaunt through Southland: “Then there are the books! A huge collection of used and new crammed into a cozy browsing area. And, if it is not there, Lisa will happily order it right up for you.”
Browsers at Southland have several chairs where they can sit and peruse potential purchases, or they can take recommendations from the staff. In addition, one of the two bookstore mascots, dogs Poppy and Velkrie, regularly post their “Picks” on social media.
Misosky helped start Southland in 1992 with David Slough, a colleague from McKay Used books in Knoxville. She’d intended to “take a year or two off, then go to law school. I never made it to law school!” she said with a chuckle.
She helped Slough get the first iteration of Southland set up based around a collection of used paperbacks he’d bought. She was at first working “for free, to get book credit” and as an escape from what she calls her “Dilbert job.” After six months, she recalled, Slough “decided that he didn’t like people, and I didn’t like cubicles!” So she partnered up with him. Misosky eventually bought Slough out in 1999. She said, “The rest is history!”
Now, 33 years later, she and the Southland staff oversee a huge and ever-changing inventory, curated based on their own reading and, importantly, conversations with customers. “Our inventory changes daily, and if we don’t have it, then we can find it!”
She adds, “We all love a challenge. Which is how and why I also became a licensed [book] appraiser. I had to put this knowledge to use!” She has been surprised to find out how much she values the daily “variety variety of people and stories. Every day is like Christmas,” she said. “You never know who or what may walk in as far as books and people!”
Pressed for a favorite thing about her store, she demurs: “My favorite thing? I don’t think that I have just ONE thing!” But at its heart is her own and her community’s love of books: “We sell books.” Online via eBay, and in the shop, books are sold. Everything from a first edition Cormac McCarthy [one of her favorite authors] to James Patterson paperbacks, as well as Easton Press leatherbound books to Dr. Seuss.”
Misosky’s own love of books informs the store’s aesthetic and wide variety of offerings. “Books are a balm for the soul.” Asked to sum up Southland’s mission, she said simply, “We love books. Period.”
That love transcends the divisions that too often mark today’s discourse. Here, it’s all about welcoming spaces, engaging books, and open minds. Kemp summed it up this way: “These days, that is the single most important feature in a business for me, that ALL are welcome here. Truly.”
Southland Books and Cafe is located at 1505 E. Broadway Ave., Maryville, on the Five Points Roundabout. The bookstore is open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Cafe, adjoining, is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you want to sell or trade books, it is best to call first 865-984-4847. Southland is on Facebook and Instagram.
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