At McKay Books, Knoxville

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............