South Main Book Juggler

Books are my life, I have an in-home library with thousands of books. I have been to bookstores all around the US...but I have never been so disrespected by employees/owners. (I'm not sure if they were the owners or not) We raise money every year for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in memory of my best friend's 11 month old daughter. We came to the bookstore as we're were about to head out of Memphis. Last year we encountered an older lady working, and it was like she was immediately annoyed that we came in her shop. She yelled at our kids and told them not to touch anything. Our children are very responsible and were being gentle. She made multiple snarky comments. I never wrote a review because I assumed she was just having a bad day. We came again this year in hopes of a better experience... An older gentleman was working this time. He didn't seemed thrilled with our presence...and made a comment to people walking "that people were just winterizing in here and it was crowded". Sure, we were waiting on a table at a restaurant close by, but we had all intentions of actually shopping. Me and all of my friends are in multiple book clubs and I've read 150+. I respect bookstores so much, but our experience here two years in a row was terrible. Again this year, our kids were told not to touch anything. Even my adult friend was told to be extremely careful with the antique books, if she was just looking for the price it was on page 2. I won't be back to this bookstore. If you have children... absolutely never bring them in. They are treated awful. And you as an adult will probably receive the same treatment.

Wonderful independent bookstore owned by an exceptionally well-read and knowledgeable couple. It is a true pleasure to go to a bookstore with owners who are actually well read and can recommend great books with ease. I love this bookstore and cannot recommend it enough. Support your local independent bookstores!!!!

What a nice local gem of a bookstore. We stumbled upon it during a rainy visit and while our subsequent meal was disappointing we all often reflected afterwards on our experience in the bookstore. It just brought a smile on our faces and a ray of sunshine on an otherwise rainy day. Also I love the book I got referred!

I was really looking forward to visiting the Book Juggler today, but unfortunately, my experience was far from pleasant. The older woman working there was incredibly rude and judgmental. While I was browsing with a few friends, she abruptly told us to put our phones away, treating us as though we were children. We were simply using the GoodReads app to find each other and discuss our book lists, something you’d think would be encouraged in a bookstore. Instead, we were met with bizarre and unwelcoming behavior. It's a shame, as I was hoping to support a local business, but this kind of treatment makes it hard to want to return.

We went here with our 4 year old son and the woman, who was letting dogs run around the store and sniff every book in sight, came up to us and asked that our child not pick up a book. She's an unkind, unserious woman. Go literally anywhere else. Edit: See owner's response below accusing me of not being in the store and calling me a liar. Great place to shop if that's the kind of owner you want to entertain!

Terrible experience here. It’s a very quaint and lovely bookshop, and we love visiting and supporting local brick & mortar bookstores when traveling! I grew up in a bookstore and it means a lot to me to support them. I would skip this one though, especially if you have kids. They are incredibly rude to kids, even if they’re being incredibly considerate and gentle with the space. Bookstores should be a place for community and this just misses the mark, it feels like an opportunistic book shop run by people who are put out by customers even walking in to interrupt their nap and happy hour.

The female owner is bizarrely curmudgeonly and rude. She seems to actively dislike her customers. I thought perhaps she was having an off day, but reading other reviews it seems this is how she is all the time. The male owner is friendly enough. All that aside, the selection of books is fairly limited and the curation isn't especially well done. I would skip this one and check out one of the other independent book purveyors in town such as Burkes in Midtown!