Why Used Bookstores Like Sage Coffee & Books Matter

i hold in my hand
hidden treasures from the past
used bookstore bounty

On a recent sunny Saturday in Mississippi, I had a craving to visit to a used bookstore. I’d been to a writer’s conference that morning at the University of Southern Mississippi, specifically for a panel called “The Art of the Cookbook”. (One of these days, I’d like to put the Glover Gardens recipes into print, but that’s a story for another day.) I left the session with a hankering to dig around in dusty stacks for cookbook treasures and further inspiration.

A “used bookstore near me” search on Google Maps steered me to Sage Books and Coffee in nearby Gulfport. Thank you, Google, for steering me on the right course!

Sage Books and Coffee has a cool sign in front and occupies a cute old pier-and-beam wood-framed house, signaling on the approach that this is a place you want to be if you’re a lover of used bookstores.

There’s a warm, welcoming and knowledgeable proprietor, a great conversationalist who somehow knows where everything is.

This place is literally crammed with books—high, low, in shelves and on the floor, stacked on the front porch and in every nook and cranny—exactly as it should be. Selections range from signed first editions to stacks of annual Southern Living Cookbooks, from biographies of WWII heroes to comic books spanning decades, from well-loved classics to children’s books and paperbacks that didn’t cost more than 25¢ when they were new. The shelves are filled with hidden treasures from the past waiting to be unearthed, rediscovered and given new purpose by eager readers like me.

A really good used bookstore is like Disneyland for readers, don’t you think? I spent a half hour perusing the food-related tomes and chatting with the owner (pictured above), and left with a reused paper bag full of vintage food-related goodies in print and a happy heart.

My time at Sage Books and Coffee reminded me how special a used bookstore is, providing tangible and tactile links to the past along with a sense of community and connection. They are places where you can “buy local” and feel good about helping to keep a small, unique business afloat. They are at once both tranquil and stimulating, and I’m planning to frequent them more often as part of my self-care routine. 😊

Sage Books and Coffee, the next time I’m in Mississippi, I’ll be back! And this time, I’ll have some coffee.

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