Haunted Book Loft

by Bill Riales

Published: Wed, October 07, 2009 - 8:28 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, October 07, 2009 - 8:39 pm CST

MOBILE, alabama - To get there, go to Bienville Books on Dauphin St, all the way to the back of the store--and up the steps. The Haunted Bookloft was opened by owner Russ Adams about a year ago.
"I supposed you'd call it a mad scientists lab look to it a little bit," says Adams. He says he got the idea to open the loft to pay homage to another book store--the Haunted Book Shop, which closed in 1991.
"They'd been downtown for 50 years," says Adams. "It was an institution and one of the reasons I think I've done as well as I have is because that bookstore was downtown and people remembered it being here and appreciated another bookstore coming downtown again."
The Book Loft is filled with old and new books in many genres covering horror, science fiction, the occult and everything in between. There is also a helty selection of local authors, both current and past, from Carolyn Haines to Rich Bragg and Eugene Walter, who incidentally used to work at the Haunted Book Shop.
"Eugene Walter did work there full time and he put bloody handprints on one of the backrooms and pretended there was a ghost." Adams says.
He says he gets a lot of visits from tourists because of his proximity to downtown hotels. But the Haunted Book Loft is still somewhat of a secret for local folks--until now.

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rmseek1234 Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 7:55 pm

Flowerchild-it is nice to know someone else supports our local authors. You know Carolyn has been approached for a movie based on one of her books and a TV series right? It would be great if the Haunted Book Loft could put on a Halloween signing with the local authors. Jitty comes to mind-lol. Anyway,happy reading!

FLOWERCHILD Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 3:57 pm

rmseek - I have read several in the Bones series. There was one she wrote before these that I read and for the life of me can’t remember the name of it.

BamaBob Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 12:48 pm

Sounds like something to check out on a Saturday morning. Omelette at the Spot of Tea and then browse through the book store for a while.

bamagirl2009 Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 12:42 pm

When I get moved back to Mobile in the next few weeks - that will be one of my first explorations. I went to a Mystery book store a few years ago while in NYC - it was called Murder Ink. Loved it!!! I hope the Haunted Bookloft will be as special on a smaller scale.

BamaBob Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 12:16 pm

I think there used to be a pretty good deli in that building, I think. And that Muffin place was somewhere in that area.

rmseek1234 Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 12:00 pm

Which one is your favorite, Flowerchild? I have all of them and each one just gets better. I tell her with each new book,that I should start it on the weekend when I don’t have to get up the next morning!lol

BTW-WKRG-thanks for putting our local authors in the spotlight! We have some great talent in Mobile!

FLOWERCHILD Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 11:53 am

I have read Carolyn Haines and love her. She writes VERY southern and includes some history in her writings. She can take you back to different place in time and make you feel like you know the characters. Like rmseek1234 said a definate must read author. Love you Carolyn!

bamagirl2009 Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 10:34 am

http://www.bienvillebooks.com/
109 Dauphin Street - looks like it’s a block and a half up from Water Street.

BamaBob Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 10:30 am

That does sound interesting. Where on Dauphin Street?

bamagirl2009 Says:

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 10:23 am

I never knew either one of them existed - but now that I do - I’ll be taking a trip downtown to expore it!

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