Ghostlight Books — Local services in Columbia

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A true community gem supporting access to stories, voices, and literacy for ALL!

I had such a wonderful experience at Ghostlight Books! The shop is beautifully organized by genre and author, making browsing a total joy. The staff and volunteers were incredibly kind, especially Neil and Terry, the resident cats. Terry clearly runs the place with his big brain energy, and Neil proudly serves as the CFO… Chief Furry Officer. 🐾📚

One of the most meaningful things I learned is that Ghostlight Books is 100% nonprofit where every single book is donated, and the proceeds support local youth theater, and a special needs programs. Bonus: they donate Bibles to a prison outreach program! That is true community service in action.

I noticed some older negative reviews making claims that aren’t accurate. The store does not sell anything X‑rated, just a fantastic selection of books that have been banned or challenged throughout history. And honestly, that’s something worth celebrating.

📖 Why banned books matter: Stories that get banned are often written by marginalized voices or deal with important topics like racism, identity, and social justice. Keeping these books available protects freedom of thought, encourages empathy, and helps every reader find characters who reflect their own life and experiences. Ironically, even the Bible has been banned throughout history (Romans, Nazi Germany, North Korea, China, & Soviet Union), a good reminder of why access to all kinds of books matters.

Ghostlight Books believes in more books, more voices, more access, not less. And I love that.

If you believe reading should be a doorway to knowledge, imagination, and inclusion… please come support this beautiful mission. I will absolutely be back again soon. ✨ After all, Neil and Terry are depending on...

Ghostlight Books is the bookstore we all crave. It's the fantasy we were sold in books and movies we grew up watching. Filled with surprises and local art work around every corner, it's were you can stop in and grab a free cup of coffee or tea, chat with the owner, and other locals. It's a the elusive third space complete with the legendary bookstore cats Neil and Terry.

Of course extremist cult members have a hard time with a place that promotes reading, education, art, community and provides opportunities for Maury county artists. It's hard to decieve a well read population. I would not recommend this place if your hobbies include dictating how others live, being angry when others are happy, or if you wish to remain illiterate and close minded.

For anyone else who loves to read, likes art, needs unique and fun fiction ideas you can't find a better non profit to support than...

This place is everything you want in a local shop: warm, welcoming, and thoughtfully curated. Whether you're into fiction, nonfiction, children's books, or something off the beaten path, you'll find something that speaks to you.

The staff are friendly, helpful, and clearly love what they do. You can tell they care about building community and creating a space where everyone feels comfortable exploring new ideas.

In a time when censorship is becoming more common, it’s refreshing to see a store that values open access to books and encourages thoughtful reading. Ghostlight is a place that trusts readers to think for themselves, and that matters.

Highly recommend stopping in and seeing what makes this...