India, Aug. 26 -- I was walking through downtown Mobile, Alabama, when I spotted The Haunted Book Shop. It was closed for the evening, but the name stayed with me. I went back the next morning and found a shop filled with books, local history, and the kind of easy warmth that promotes lingering.

Bookshops can be among the best ways to understand a place. Museums and historic sites tell you what happened there; bookstores tell you what locals are reading, discussing, and interested in now. Independent bookshops, in particular, often become community spaces, hosting readings, book clubs, signings and conversations.

In Alabama, several have histories of their own. Here are five worth seeking out if you're ever in that part of the world.

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