I love this bookstore. They ship books for only $1 or do in-store pickup which is really convenient. I like how they include goodies like zines, bookmarks, and stickers with your books. They also have a nice selection of greeting cards.

Visited on a trip (anarchist coop bookstore, how could I not?) and the selection was unbelievable - if I didnt have to fly home Id have bought a dozen books in an instant. cannot recommend enough!!!

What a special place! They offered an exciting selection of children’s books, zines, and lgbtqia+ literature.

Many of my favorite books have come from here. I love the atmosphere and the staff are super friendly and helpful

Excellent store. Selection is great. Coffee is superb. Amazingly friendly staff, they dont even make you pay. Everything in the store is free. They operate on the motto that theyre our books not my books. If youre going to take books free you should at least bring and leave one, sort of like a community book exchange.

Awesome store. Very well curated selection at good prices. Very nice staff. Well worth checking out. Sad to see trolls have taken to the reviews here lol. This place is dope!

Ordering online from this independent bookstore is a sheer joy. Fast, accurate service and you might even get a freebie zine or two!

Definitely one of the coolest businesses Ive ever come across. I got wind of the place online and while I havent visited in person, the website is easy to use and the shipping was quick. I love the idea of a bookstore like this and my experience has been lovely so far. 10/10 recommend.

While I’ve never been there, the website is lovely, and from what I’ve seen online, the employees are delightful. I love what seems like a very open-minded and kind environment. Also live for the fact that there’s a wonderful selection of books about BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ topics. As a queer teen, this environment feels very warm and validating. I would definitely visit if I ever was near the area.

I LOVE THIS PLACE the environment is absolutely amazing and not to mention the book selection! By far the best book store to steal from in the area! 5/5

I loveeee this place. Everything inside is free! Like you can just throw the books in your bag and walkout. The employees wont do anything and wont tell you to stop. Theyre super friendly and polite and the coffee is top notch. The selection is a little small but the employees are friendly.

Outstanding selections and inviting atmosphere. A must see. Kudos.

Wonderful feminist bookstore!! Amazing selection of books and coffee/other drinks for purchase. Love that they charge $1 for takeaway disposable cups vs to stay mugs!

While I have never actually been to the bookstore, their online selection is great. I was given the store as a recommendation for a book that was suggested to me via Reddit. The ordering process was super easy, the website is clean and a snap to navigate, and the entire delivery process took only a few days. I love the little booklet they sent with my package too. Im going to be a recurring customer. Always happy to support good people that work for a good cause.

Great place, last time I was at this location I took roughly 15 books without paying (because this location is anarcho-communist so I’m sure they dont mind) will be back with friends to steal books right off the shelves!! Love this place

Never been here but I saw them on tik tok and I can’t wait to visit and check out all the cool books

Friendly, diverse amount of books, dog friendly!I little chilly inside...I had to sit in a coat. Otherwise highly recommend!

Brilliant bookstore that has amazing selection that I have not found in other local bookstores. I love supporting a business that ensures there is a safe space for all. I love their kids book selection with great picture books that help families tough topics. Also, their bathroom sign made me giggle.

Nothing to steal just some books. I put the womens history books in the fiction section 😈😈😈😈😈

Great place to stock up on books for bonfires. Everything is free, you just walk in and take whatever you want.

I can’t speak highly about Firestorm! The non-binary barista Peterrella was incredibly accommodating in helping me “steal” books from the Afro-vegan section! She even supplied me with a 30-gallon trash bag to really stock up. Thanks Zer!

I have never visited this bookstore, and I have never been to Asheville, but I am a happy customer nonetheless. After seeing one of their posts on social media and looking more into them, I decided to purchase a book for my friends sons 10th birthday. I was very impressed with their selection and wound up buying a book for my friends daughter as well. The books were shipped out promptly and arrived today (Wednesday), despite an estimated delivery date of Saturday. My friend texted to tell me that the packaging was so pretty, and when her daughter opened the package (her son is waiting until his birthday this weekend) they were delighted to find it came with a bookmark, sticker, and booklet introducing anarchist politics. Im very glad that they were able to get the books there so quickly, and the bonus gifts were a fun surprise. I will definitely check their website first next time I need to order a book for myself.

V nice shop ☺️

Plenty of books to choose from, couldnt decide which one I should steal first

Absolutley best staff,knowledgeable and informative. I found a book Id been searching for and ordered another.

Plenty of stuff free for the taking. Just walk in, take what you want, and walk out.

Fantastic selection of books!! I highly recommend shopping for your books here.

I love indie bookstores and had the pleasure of stumbling into Firestorm last year while in Asheville with my family. Really fun vibe and an eclectic collection with staff recommendations + the usual bestsellers. Be sure to stop in when youre in West Asheville. I know I will again!

Firestorm books and cafe asheville

This place has an incredible selection of good material. Everything from sustainable agriculture to dissent in America. The community here also seems really inviting.

So wanted to give this very sincere little bookshop five stars, but just could not make my hand do it. Service is so important. Please, please remember, people will not remember what you said. They will remember how you made them feel. Wishing you all the very best. The subject matter you offer to our community is very important.

Best bookstore in avl. Inclusive, comfortable, and I always feel welcomed. The book selection always impresses me. Im an anthropologist, and I am always able to find material for my research needs. Also, the preteen section is outstanding.

Called Firestorm for a book I was looking for locally called Hatchet : 30th Year Edition awesome book I read in middle school. The lady that answered was super helpful! Ordered it for me and its on its way to the store! Super easy and she was able to find the copy that is illustrated! Thank you.The book is about a young boy that is going through a tough time with his parents separation. When he was traveling by plane to visit his dad, the pilot had a heart-attack and crashed the plane into the wilderness. The boy survived and only had a Hatchet which hes Mom had gifted him the same day. I would recommend this book, to any kid able to read, to adults.

This place is straight trash avoid at all costs

The bookstore is an eclectic co-op and very cool. There is a reading area, coffee and tea available. If you love bookstores, be prepared to spend some time!

Wow! What an amazingly dense with Excellence bookstore! So many selections youd never see in a regular independently owned bookstore plus many books I Have Seen at my local go-to bookstore. Im a visitor to Asheville, so whenever I get back here sometime, Ill revisit this place again!Oh and while I was too pressed for time to take advantage of this, there seemed to be a great lounge area and maybe a cafe?

Wonderfully anti-capitalist, feminist, and queer! The staff are friendly, and are knowledgeable about a ton of stuff. They also sell all sorts of books youd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else but online—including books from AK press, PM press, and Haymarket publishing. (Also the music they play in the store is almost always great!!!!)

Great book selection, events and community involvement. 100% behind worker-owner collective. Only suggestion is be a bit kinder and helpful to those who might not look as “alternative” as others. Check your ageism too. Despite a couple of awkward experiences, I’ll continue to purchase and support Firestorm whenever I am on the west side of town and recommend to friends.

Much to my chagrin, they no longer serve espresso drinks (I really miss the Molotov Macchiato), but they still have really good serve-yourself drip coffee. Where Firestorm truly shines is their selection of subversive literature and the different programs and meetings regularly held there. One of the few shining examples of a collective endeavor in our state.

Interesting location, very Asheville. We felt welcomed and accepted just as we were. Great selection of odd and call to action books.

I came here to buy a book for my personal trainer who is pregnant. Her and her husband are vegan and conscious about their footprint in the world, so this was the best store to come to for children’s books about conscious living. The children’s selection is phenomenal with a wide range of topics - I am actually hopeful for the world with this younger generation being raised with such awareness and compassion. The sci-fi and new age/metaphysical section was small, but I still found a book I liked in each of them.They have self serve coffee and tea with non dairy milk/cream and natural sweetners. There are tables/chairs to sit as well as a common area for things like author meet and greet/readings.The prices are average considering they operate fully while being able to give back to the community- impressive! Parking wasn’t a problem on the street, I found a spot a few businesses down.I’m really happy I found this store on google, looking forward to buying more children’s books from here 📚.

Awesome book selection and helpful staff. I visited on our trip from Atlanta a few months ago and cant wait to visit again. I purchased several back issues of feminist periodicals that I had never heard of, as well as some interesting books on midwifery. I think its not a store for everyone, but Im glad it was there for me.

Firestorm is a perfect stop for readers of all kinds. They stock a wide selection of literature, comics, zines, and so forth, most of them aimed at progressive and inclusive writers and topics. The whole place is well-curated and fascinating -- a great destination for readers in the area.

Awesome bookstore. Great interesting book, great energy. Love this place!!!

Neat local book store that carries a unique selection of titles you wont find in the big box chain stores and the staff is very friendly.

This is such a great little west Asheville jem. They have a wonderful kids section. Definitely worth a visit.

Proof of concept, that an employee owned/operated, (no bosses) AnCap business models do work and can successfully compete, at least within a conventional cluster of small, entrepreneur owned, local businesses. Not sure how successful, but the fact that they exist, at all, is impressive. Besides offering a great selection of café style drinks and snacks, they have a fabulous collection of alternative literature, anarchist writers, hobby books, some excellent nature books and indie authors. At heart of their collective business model seems to be a commitment to community activism and volunteerism. This is, yet another, precious gem, of Ashevilles local business community. Please support their mission and help them grow!

Firestorm is my favorite bookstore in town and one of the best places to just get a coffee and hang out. I love their philosophy and worker/owner structure. The staff/owners arent always the friendliest (usually, but not always); but just stick around for a minute and enjoy the food and books!

Really cool co-op bookstore. Lots of political and philosophical books and small publications.

Attended an event here and enjoyed the space. I will return during normal business hours to shop.

Fantastic little shop. Grab a coffee here for a buck and find some good books. Well curated selection

DOLLAR COFFEE?! And it’s Great Coffee as well?! Got an everything bagel with butter that was out of this world. Great music, atmosphere, bookshop and friendly staff. Had to rudely stop our convo to make this review.

Really delicious vegan food, great books, really cool establishment, etc! Although, theres one specific person who works in the food section who has been extremely cold and rude to me and anyone else who orders every time Ive gone there. Thought she was having a bad day the first time, but damn, its not hard to be sort of polite to people. Like, Ill still go there, and I wont let this one rude person change my opinion of the store, but yikes my dude.

I was approached by Firestorm staff wanting to sell a queer anthology published by my small press, and while I was initially interested in the opportunity, my actual experience was very poor. I had to follow up with staff three times over a period of several weeks before I could get any information on selling to them, and finally drove over personally with only the barest indication that the store was interested purchasing in a small amount of books. Upon arrival, I was given no contract, no terms of service, and had to ask for a physical receipt of the sale, which I did not get. (In fairness, I received an emailed receipt a few hours later.) The cashier acted completely uninterested in doing business with me and at one point bluntly told me to move so they could service a customer. If I hadnt been so taken aback, I would have left; as it is, Im glad I was paid up front and didnt spend more than 20 minutes making the trip.I dont know if my experience reflects a few below average weeks, but Im not encouraged by how this was handled. I respect the way Firestorm is set up and understand that its not your typical bookstore—but part of boosting marginalized creators and voices is making them feel welcome and worthwhile, as well as providing legitimate opportunities that dont feel like theyre off the books, if youll pardon the pun. Despite the fact that I was approached independently, I feel as though I ended up putting far more effort into actually getting the book on Firestorms shelf than any member of the staff, which is confusing and frustrating. Without significant changes to their practices, I will not be conducting business with Firestorm again.

LOVE this place and all the moral grounds it stands for and supports. From feeding the hungry, freeing the animals, Vegan foods, and bringing knowledge in the form of BOOKS to purchase and expand the brain!! Lots of love and community.

My partner and I visit here whenever we are in Asheville, they love stocking up on books from an awesome coop while I go hard on some stickers and postcards :3

Great place to get a book or have a meeting. Wonderful staff.

A great anarchist bookstore!! Loved all the postcards and trinkets there, and there’s a small coffee area in the back.

There are a great selection of books if you like reading. Lots of books about tryn to live in a free society. As an anti-capitalist professional non-working freeman, there are plenty of alternative books to learn about revolutionary and necessary ideas about workers rights, intersectionality, queer identity, and just freedom and diversity overall. Noone judges you here especially if you look like a freeperson. There is good coffee! Also there are great clases and lectures offered here two. I wish there were more books on antifascism, free living, and public land camping, hence why I give three stars. Im trying to support the mission of abolishing private property ownership. Also some of my friends want to know when will you have the next Transpeople Reading to Children Time? Love from HJ!

What a good coffee house. I love the options to offer soup or coffee to someone in need. Love the social justice bookstore. Fun selections.

Excellent kids section. Awesome coop and supportive of community!

Unique bookstore. Very informative and modern material. This place hosts events. Great location in west Asheville.

10/10, would burgle again.

I LOVE this place! Great vegan food, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a great selection of books. Couldnt get much better.

Great staff, great (if limited) selection of books.

Visited while in Asheville, and they have a great selection of books, plenty of stuff youve never seen before. Great atmosphere and friendly people to chat with.

The coffee was good, the bagel was great, but they were out of the vegan cream cheese when I went. That was most of my reasoning for choosing this place for breakfast. The cashier was short and rude to my friend and me, and we eventually got a half-hearted sarcastic sorry about being out of stock for one of the 3 items on the menu. I didnt get a chance to peep the books, but the layout and decor of the place was cool.But holy moly customer service was unpleasant!

Very unique books, I specially loved the childrens section. They have a sitting area and also a coffee gathering type area

We went to 12 Baskets in the basement of Firestorm. Their food is good, the volunteers are nice and the food is rescued and free. The fellowship with the people there, its like family not just friends, but we enjoy going there for lunch.

Greatest book store in town, well curated selection and wonderful staff. BTC ATM is a huge plus!

This is one of the places I recommend to every friend traveling to Asheville. Very local and unique.Cafe - Extensive selection of vegan espresso drinks. I also REALLY enjoyed the cold brew.Bookstore - Clean, charming and welcoming space with a carefully curated book selection. Books can also be ordered over the phone. When my local bookstore didnt have a copy of a book I was looking for, I called Firestorm to place an order. Customer service was friendly and efficient, I received a student discount, and the book was shipped really quickly.

This place is getting popular. The delicacies are fantastic with gluten free, sugar free offerings that are delicious. Not a yuppie coffee shop but a hang out for the hip crowd.

Super friendly and cozy. Awesome staff, great selection of books & journals, etc.

Great remodel recently. Could use better parking but Im not sure how theyd accomplish that in their location. Great Coffee Great Service with a Smile.

Great self serve drink area, my partner found a book and zine he couldnt live without.

Firestorm has a wonderfully curated selection of books, and the workers/owners I met were kind and attentive. I could have stayed in there all day. ❤️

Love this store, they offer a great selection of books and atmosphere is top notch.

Amazing place. the books are awesome. people awesome. 5 stars

The besssssst! Help make the world a better place by supporting this bookstore & community resource!

Inviting and clean. Has a bitcoin atm, which is why I came here.

Coffee isnt good enough to warrant snobbiness. Bookstore is interesting. Dont think I had the right hipster uniform in order to get any warmth from the star hipster behind the register. Worth checking out but dairy lovers beware- no half n half. Just asked for more almond milk and was met with annoyance. Just lost a star.

Incredible place. Delicious food and drinks. Amazing ethics. Terrific books.

There was a great, interesting, and very diverse selection with a high attention to detail.

I was actually really disappointed with this place. Not so great choice and coffee was average. Dont see a reason to come back. There are many other coffee shops with much better coffee, just not as many with some books for sale or hosted events.

I love bookstores, and this is without a doubt one of the the best bookstores Ive ever visited! Their selection is carefully curated, offering books you wont find other places, and books you never knew you needed. They also carry a good selection of local artists work, including cards, prints, calendars, poetry, and magazines. The store itself is comfortable and welcoming. With the attached cafe, you can have a coffee, take a seat, and settle in with a book on gardening, food politics, race theory, intersectionality, political history, or soap making. My friend and I spent 3 hours at Firestorm on our trip through Asheville, and left wondering why we didnt have our own Firestorm at home!

The new space is amazing, well lit, open, and fresh feeling. The worker owners are wonderful and friendly, not pretentious or rude. The book selection is so extensive and appealing that I pretty much buy a book every time I go in. They now carry a much wider selection than at the old location, including awesome fiction, classics, assigned readings for school go-ers, cookbooks, and childrens books.And for anyone complaining about the slightly higher prices than other similar coffee shops...please note that TIPS are included in the prices, which ensures that everyone gets paid regularly and evenly. Firestorm worker owners currently make $9 an hour, as opposed to many coffee shops that only pay $3-5 plus tips. However no one talks about that because at other coffee shops, employees can get fired for talking publicly about wages.I would much rather spend an extra dollar on my coffee to support a business where everyone gets paid evenly and equally, and none of the employees work under the stress of having to act or dress a certain way to get better tips.Also this place makes a bangin almond milk latte. And the bake bloc cupcakes are to die for.

Firestorm is an awesome bookstore with a very, very good environment to just sit and read, use their computer, or to just use the free wifi. They do have a small selection of coffees as well!!

Excellent, welcoming atmosphere and amazing collection

My favorite shop for new books in Asheville. An excellent subversive selection for adults and kids + community engagement and tasty treats? Yes, please.

Hands down my favorite bookstore of all time. At first I was overwhelmed - my little gay eyes had never seen so many inclusive books proudly displayed in the same room. Firestorm sealed the deal, making Asheville my favorite city of all time. The bookstore alone makes me wish I could afford to live in Asheville, as they have lots of speakers come in as well as community support projects.

Nice sized menu for a little bookstore. The vegan Philly cheesesteak sandwich is phenomenal, and their chocolate vegan truffles are quite a treat. The bookstore selection is pretty slim, however some gems can be found. We try to make it to Firestorm a couple times a year on our Asheville visits. They offer some unique food items, so its worth the trip.

Down stairs starting at 5 there is a guided meditation and 6 follows a potluck, all free to join and er welcomed by all.

I love their book selections and their humanitian stance for rights of others.

They run a charity giving paperbacks to prisoners. You should donate your books to them when you finish reading them...also great food and people

Cool little niche coffee shop - book store, fun place to explore without a pretentious vibe.

I love this bookstore. If you havent been, you should surely stop in :)

They are always so nice and kind. Also the best free Wifi place that i use here in West Asheville!

I love this place for the books, coffee, sandwiches and community. Keep doing what you do Firestorm!

Great spot!! Really laid back coffee shop and occasional live music too.

Great selection of books and an excellent atmosphere!