At McKay Books, Knoxville
Earlier this week I made a road trip down south to the Knoxville area. I had a number of goals in mind, including a visit to the newly opened Bucc-ees in Sevierville. But I also took time to visit the McKay Books franchise in Knoxville.I am familiar with the McKay franchise through my regular visits to the one in Manassas, Virginia, but the Knoxville McKay is a little different, For one thing, it's a pain to get to; while it's right off the I-40 exit, it's located on a very narrow frontage road at 230 Papermill Place Way. You will likely need to wait some time for traffic to clear in order to make a left turn into the plaza where the store is located. If you're driving a big pickup or SUV, care will be needed in turning.
This McKay Books is housed in an unusual building. There is a second floor, consisting of a gallery, that overlooks the main floor below. The second floor has the racks for audio-visual equipment, vinyl records, CDs, and graphic novels.
Down on the main floor you'll find hardback and paperback books in all categories, along with a large selection of used board games, action figures, DVDs, video games, etc.The shelf spaces for hardback and softback sci-fi and fantasy were pretty extensive, although I must say that I didn't see the quantities of vintage (i.e., 60s, 70s, 80s) titles that I usually come across in the Manassas McKay. Prices at this branch were pretty much in line with those I see at Manassas.
I went on a Thursday afternoon and the place was pretty crowded. I didn't spend a whole lot of time in the store, mainly because it was 91 degrees outside, and so humid it was like a 'wet blanket'. Inside the store I soon began sweating, and I was just too uncomfortable to keep squatting and bending in the aisle in order to make out exactly what DAW Books title that was, that was on the bottom-most shelf in front of me. Needless to say, at least one woman in the store was wearing a hoodie............?!
Summing up, if you are a fan of McKay Books and find yourself in the Knoxville area, then you will want to plan a trip to this branch of the franchise. As always, they do provide cash or store credit for trade-ins.
As for Bucc-ees, well, it was everything you expect from the world's largest convenience store (74,000 square feet). It is one of those places you must see, to believe............
