Superb bookstore -- indy and proud. Staff were highly knowledgeable, even asked me for further recommendations. So thankful to have a superbly stocked independent bookstore in Nashville!!
October 2023
Such a really cool bookstore & everyone that works there was really nice. There are so many neat little easter eggs & things for people that love books & art. I've really missed going to places like this.
October 2023
Parnassus is one of my favorite bookstores. There is a great selection of books, the staff is extremely helpful, and I love the layout of the bookstore. I always leave the store with more books than I planned on buying!
Parnassus is Nashville's independent bookstore for independent people, owned by author Ann Patchett. We stock an extensive and exciting selection of books including fiction, non-fiction, children’s, young adult, local interests, and the arts. Swing by to discover your next favorite read, attend an author event, and pet one of our shop dogs!
Other Information
Parking: Lot, Private
Price Range: Average
In 2011, just about the time many bookstores around the country were closing, author Ann Patchett, a Nashville resident, announced she was opening an independent bookshop. Her risky decision has paid off-the thriving shop has expanded and even added a Parnassus on Wheels bookmobile. The shop has a knowledgeable staff (including a cast of shop dogs like Mary Todd Lincoln, a dachshund) and a warm environment that encourages browsing. Parnassus champions the local literary community and also invites out-of-town guest authors like Zadie Smith and George Saunders to read and speak. The bookstore's association with the remarkable Ann Patchett occasionally draws famous visitors you won't find on the published speaking schedule: Yo-Yo Ma once dropped by on the day of his appearance with the Nashville Symphony and treated shoppers to an impromptu cello concert amid the bookshelves.
