Union Ave Books

I always forget about this place until I see it. They are a small with several surprising titles. There’s always someone there to help you or ask you. The people are very friendly! I like coming here in case I can’t find a book I want at Target or because I’m trying to support a local store.

We visited this store today and I feel bad just giving three stars, but I’m comparing it to the humongous number of other bookstores I’ve visited. There’s a pretty good selection of regional books and children’s books, but otherwise I felt it was just «o.k.»

This is exactly what makes one miss real books and real book stores.
A perfect store front that entices you with lovely, colorful books– for all ages. A well curated collection of much more than the current best sellers.
I found the layout attractive and it encourages browsing. I found gifts for myself and others, and I truly hope Union Ave will stick around. Downtown Knoxville needs more than just clothing shops, bars and restaurants!

I was so excited when a small independent bookstore opened downtown. I have gone into the store to browse several times and not once has anyone acknowledged my presence, smiled or bother to say hello.
Today, I took a friend in just to show him the store for future reference, as I had to be back at work in a matter of minutes. Once again, unresponsive clerks — who seemed to find it quite amusing as I gave him the quick little tour of a quaint little store — only to snicker as we walked out.
News Flash — people go to small independently owned bookstores because they want to support the local community, they want their neighborhoods to have some character and charm. Perhaps the people that work here could benefit in some customer service training — in the meantime, I think I will just shop at Amazon. I can always find what I need (even those oh, so hard to find books) without a pretentious attitude and my mailman delivers them with a smile!

Great local bookstore. I like keeping my dollars local and this place has everything you need. This is an incarnation of Carpe Librum. The have a nice stock and keep all the new releases and best sellers pretty well in stock. If they don’t have the exact book you’re looking for they’ll gladly order it. They have random book readings, gatherings, and events throughout the week to keep things fresh. The location just adds to its charm.

Union Ave. Books is a nice little bookstore with a really helpful staff. Its also a lot of fun to just browse and let the books find you.

In my effort to shop local I have been passively browsing at Union Avenue Books for months. They have a decent collection of best sellers, classics, and niche/​local books. I went in looking for «Sarah’s Key», but they had recently sold out,. So, I reserved a copy. Both cashiers read the book and were very knowledgeable. I ended up buying another book while I was inside. You may not be able to just pop in and buy the book you need on a whim, but you will probably find something else you like while inside.
They also have a great mailing list with upcoming events, deals, and author signings. This place takes lightly used books as well.