About Us

Our Story

Now in its 35th year, The Book Loft is the legacy of my husband, the late Bill Nelson. A former business executive from Ohio, lending a hand to a bookstore there, discovered a whole new lifestyle for himself. My name is Sue and this is the beginning of our adventure in Amelia Island.

Bill created an "old-fashioned" bookstore where people can browse and enjoy a beautiful collection of books. Our customers become nostalgic when they approach the store slowly, stand and stare at what they have missed. After Bill's death in 2011, I jumped in with both feet to sustain the operation despite the economic downturn and bleak outlook for indie bookstores. I haven't looked back! Our customers are loyal, the Amelia Island visitors are generous, and we have flourished as the island's oldest independent bookstore.

Leveraging partnerships with the community lends to our success. We frequently support and collaborate with the Fernandina Public Library and the Amelia Island Book Festival.

But the biggest asset to an independent bookstore is its people. I attribute our success to our team who has a deep knowledge of the inventory and a commitment to serving the reader thus inviting us to expand their world – one book at a time.

My favorite authors include:

Fiction - Alan Furst and Amor Towles

Classics - Pearl Buck and Ernest Hemingway

Children's - Lois Lenski and Mo Willems

Inside The Book Loft

In addition to award-winning fiction, nonfiction, classics, cooking, and inspirational titles, we have a broad selection of books on Amelia Island and its pirate history, as well as the history of Florida, and the Civil War plus many autographed first editions. In the loft upstairs, we'll introduce you to a selection of older hardback fiction at half-price and our resident ghost, Katherine.

We are a frequent host of indie and first-time authors and special events with best-selling authors as well as French classes, a children's story hour, book clubs, and a knitting group. We celebrate the beauty of Amelia Island by showcasing the artwork of renowned watercolor artist William Maurer.

The store appeals to everyone - tourists, locals, historians, and children to name a few. Many celebrity authors have visited the store to share their books including John Grisham, Karen White, Dean Koontz, Dorothea Benton Frank, Steve Berry, Cassandra King, Jacques Pepin, Jimmy Buffett, Charles Martin, and the late Pat Conroy.

Like the yesteryear of Macy's, our window displays are award-winning and our collection of antiques alone makes for an interesting stroll through the store.

We are grateful to our customers and the community of Fernandina Beach, and are proud to hold the title of "the oldest independent bookstore" - 30 years and counting".

Kayli

You may have seen Kayli attending local community events or posting on social media. Kayli is the Manager at The Book Loft. A Georgia Southern Alum, she earned her B.S. in Public Relations and hit the ground running with marketing, social media and event management. After several years at The Book Loft, Kayli still enjoys the classics such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Phyllis

Phyllis has worked with The Book Loft for so many years, we've lost count! She's done just about everything but mostly enjoys helping our readers find the perfect puzzles. She loves a good beach read or thriller and recommends taking a break in between with a challenging, world-famous Ravensburger puzzle.

Phyllis' favorites include:

Palindrome, A Cumberland Island Suspense Novel by Stuart Woods

Loving Frank, the Life of Frank Lloyd Wright by Nancy Horan

Dan

Dan is an avid reader and book collector and shares his expertise with our customers everyday. In fact, some of our unique first editions are "finds" from Dan. Many customers have known Dan for over a decade! He is in the store some evenings - stop by and say hello.

Dan's favorites include:

Angle of Repose and The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner

Jimmy

Jim started part-time in May of 2021 and has enjoyed every minute in the company of books. Jimmy is a retired postmaster and National Guard Veteran. His favorite books to read are biography and history. When not at The Book Loft, Jim enjoys the many benefits of life on Amelia Island including cruising the beach and spending time with pug Bandit!

RACHEL

Rachel is an artist, author, and small business owner. She is passionate about all things regarding the craft of storytelling—from writing to publishing to reading. She created The Amelia Island Coloring Book, which available for purchase today! Rachel is our assistant buyer.

Rachel's favorites include:

Lamb by Christopher Moore

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Diana

Diana started at the Book Loft in July of 2024 after 24 years in education. She believes everyone has a book that makes them a reader. For her, it was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett that started her love for old houses and historical fiction. Her favorite children authors are Ryan Higgins, Jory John, Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Applegate. When looking for books for herself historical fiction is at the top of her list with her favorite authors being Kristin Hannah, Kathleen Grissom, Kate Morton and Martha Hall Kelly. Come to The Book Loft and find your perfect match.

Interested in working at the book loft?

Send you resume to kquirk@thebookloftamelia.com