If I’m Ever Stranded, I Hope it’s in one of these Bookstores

By
Olivia Smith
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Since the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press in 1440, it’s estimated that there have been at least 129,864,880 books published. I don’t know about you, but for me, that means there are still so many books I have left to discover. And most of those books are now available in more formats than ever before- audiobooks, eBooks, hardback, softback, etc. Personally, I love the ease of an audiobook because let’s be real- when do we Mamas have time to sit down and actually read a book? Many of the books I finish are listened to in my AirPods while I’m checking off tasks from my to-do list. And the convenience of an Ebook? Incredible! Because why would I want to carry 5 books that I’m going to pretend to read on vacation when instead, I can just pack one Kindle? Well… the reason why is that nothing beats sitting in a cozy chair, the aroma of my favorite candle filling the room and a warm cup of coffee in my hands as the pages of a book flip through my fingers.

So while I’m clearly not opposed to audiobooks or eBooks, I am a little bit biased about the joy of having a book physically in my hands. The best place to get those physical books is a local, independent bookstore, and here in Jacksonville, we’re lucky enough to have a variety of those available to us!

Cafe Resistance
Where: 5007 Soutel Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32208

Chamblin Bookmine
Where: 4551 Roosevelt Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32210

Chamblin Uptown
Where: 215 N Laura St, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Femme Fire Books
Where: 2766 Park St, Jacksonville, FL 32205

Happy Medium Book Cafe
Where: 2724 Park St, Jacksonville, FL 32205

Literary Lounge
Where: 1080 Edgewood Ave S, Jacksonville, FL 32205

Needful Books & Things
Where: 520 W Twincourt Trail #3, St. Augustine, FL 32095

Present Tense Coffee & Books
Where: 2851 Henley Ave suite 103, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

San Marco Books and More
Where: 1971 San Marco Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32207

Second Read Books
Where: 51F Cordova St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

Story & Song Bookstore
Where: 1430 Park Ave, Fernandina Beach

The Bookmark (Neptune beach)
Where: 220 1st St, Neptune Beach, FL 32266

The Book Loft
Where: 214 Centre St, Fernandina, FL 32034

Olivia Smith
While not born in Jacksonville, Olivia Smith has lived here since she was 18 months old and considers herself a staunch Duval Devotee. Despite growing up in Jacksonville, she didn’t develop a real love of the city until she was about 19 years old and attending UNF. Olivia started her “big girl career” by working in the child welfare system at JFCS and loves children. She is Mama to an energetic, wildly bright boy and a super sassy, clever girl. Since leaving her role in child welfare in 2016, she has remained in the nonprofit sector of Northeast Florida and currently works full-time in development. Olivia is deeply passionate about supporting children and teens in her community. In addition to her full-time job, she channels that passion into her roles as the Chair of the Pace Center for Girls Jacksonville young professionals board and the Advocacy chair of the PTA for her son’s school. Additionally, she serves on the Association of Fundraising Professionals First Coast Chapter board and is an active member of The Junior League of Jacksonville. Because she clearly has nothing else to do with her time, Olivia is also working to earn her master’s degree in public policy at Jacksonville University in August of 2024. When she’s not tied down amongst her roles as mama, professional, student, board member, or volunteer, you can find her cheering obnoxiously for the Jacksonville Jaguars, enjoying a book, looking for sharks teeth at the beach, completing a puzzle, riding her Peloton, enjoying a beer at a local brewery or savoring a French toast crunch latte at Southern Grounds in Avondale or San Marco.

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