I had so many good books!! I began searching for a bookstore that sold books in good condition so that others could enjoy them as much as I had! I googled it, and Sage’s Bookstore came up! I called and talked to a young lady that I presumed was the owner, at least she represented herself as such! During this conversation she explained the system she used. She would allow so much in trade per book, and you could swap out for other books or art. Since I was moving and downsizing, this was perfect for me! (and she sounded so honest snd trustworthy and nice!) I took over a 100 books and half as many audio books ( yes, I’m “ old school”! )to her store. It was raining and I was in a hurry, and she assured me she would call in a couple of days and give me an exact count. I never heard from her!! In all the stress of moving and getting resettled, I realized that I’d not ever gotten that call! So, I called the store and got a young lady, who very bluntly informed me the store had closed! That “ they” had lost their lease unexpectedly!! Silence followed, which spoke volumes… telling me,…. your just out of luck lady!! She did say she didn’t know what to tell me! I’m like… where are all the books and audio tapes I gave you? But, before I could ask, she hung up!! My advice to her… “you have no clue how to run a business’”! And,” you need to rethink your website intro! It totally is NOT what you represented yourself to be !!! But, I still would hope you will do the right thing …. call me with the amount you owe me in trade! That’s what Jesus tells us all to do… imitate Him! Do what’s right! Walk worthyI hope you will. Trish Davis

Lara Hammond is her own worst enemy. I wont give her a 1-star review because she was nice to me. However, I sensed this is the type of woman who would be devastated if I didnt buy something. It does not surprise me she has gotten a lot of 1-star reviews from people offended that she would grumble about them not buying anything. I ended up buying a couple of items I didnt want just because I felt sorry for her. Do you know what happens when people buy things out of pity? They never come back to that establishment, and that has certainly been the case with me. How many bad reviews does this woman have to get before she realizes those cats do in fact suffer from fleas, as is mentioned in countless reviews? Ms. Hammond would be advised to hire some business administration major from MSU to oversee the bookstore. This woman has too many irksome qualities that are going to drive her business away. I would also like to say this woman does not stop talking once you get her started, so if you were just hoping to browse the books, you wont be doing it in silence.

So many books to look at, along with records, VHS tapes, and movies. Staff is very friendly and loves what they do. Nice art around the place, some cats, and a dog. Definitely want to come back to support a local business.

This place is definitely worth a visit. The atmosphere is uniquely charming, and the owner is very passionate about the books she has to offer. Its a little small but that adds to the charm in my opinion. We had no problem with the animals whatsoever. The prices werent high. All in all an easygoing place!

Owner is very VERY aggressive to the point of having to block her phone number to prevent angry phone calls. Looking at the reviews I’m clearly not the only one who has experienced this unstable behavior.She also keeps a growing group of feral cats in and around the store that are not spayed / neutered, receive no veterinary care (covered in fleas), are allowed to roam the district freely, and are often aggressive to any resident’s pets. I’ve literally had one of her cats come in through my open window and pee on my floor. Owner shows zero accountabilityPlease don’t support this business. Not only because there are fleas inside of the store, but because the owner seems to cause a lot of unwarranted chaos around the district. Her replies to other reviews really say more than I could.

Wow!! Such a hidden gem and a Wounderful place! Mrs Laura is sooo sweet and inviting -it feels like youre visiting at someones home. The atmosphere is unlike any bookstore Ive seen. Its impossible to communicate through pictures alone. This is now one of my absolute favorite places in Starkvegas ❤

Please do not give money to this woman. There is no reason someone should behave so nasty towards someone she does not know over something as simple as a parking spot. The way she explodes from her store to verbally abuse someone- calling names, insulting them, and screaming- instead of just asking them to move their vehicle should not be acceptable. Based on many other reviews it seems like this attitude is a common experience, and people do not deserve to be treated this way no matter the circumstances. Starkville deserves better than this.

TL;DR: Many books, alright coffee, strange vibe, relatively over valued, cramped, replies by the owner on reviews give a good sense of how it feels there.A very home style approach to a book shop. Coffee is made by the owner in a more homemade fashion. Nothing is priced, but is priced upon asking. The way things are priced is strange. The lady goes online and looks up the title. Then shes looks at online prices and that will be the price of the book. Unfortunately, that leaves certain things over priced. She said if you can find a better price, then she will match it, but thats a bit subjective.She mentioned a book exchange where you can gain points from bringing her books, then spend those points. But that means youre buying someone elses brought in book and you purchased at a price that isnt relevant to that particular book.The price that is found online is what others appraised values for their particular copy and condition of the book they own, not the copy that is in the store. In theory it works to price things that way, but in practice it can be unfair and over priced. Its not an antique store, but it wants to be in that highest appraised value market. Along with the fact that there could be low to no overhead on products, it definitely feels unfair for what you buy and what the actual cost of the product is to the store itself.Its a bit uncomfortable to shop there as well. The paths to walk can be claustrophobic. The lady was nice when I was there, but I can see her getting angry at customers. I feel the replies to the reviews made by the owner give a generally good view of how it can be there. She isnt into the whole mask thing, so she wore a small mesh/muslin/cheese cloth bag over her mouth and nose. But, that comes with the whole we accept all opinions that is stated in a few of the review responses by the owner. Though, We were allowed to wear masks freely, which was good.I would go if one enjoys pilfering through stacks of vaguely organized books in semi tight spaces and possibly spending an unreasonable amount on said books. Its all about the hunt. Again, she was nice to us on our visit. I would not give her one star because of that.

Sage Coffee and Books is one of Starkville’s hidden treasures. Located in the Cotton District, the shop offers tasty organic coffee and an eclectic collection of used books. Sage also sells work from local artists and vintage artwork and prints. An eco-friendly ethos is behind Sage’s vintage, handmade, and organic offerings. It’s my favorite place to stop for a new read or unique gift.Some of my book finds pictured below.

Rude owner and cat’s are covered in fleas. These sweet cats deserve better.

The books were not priced at all, which was incredibly inconvenient. And last, while definitely not least, the prices were definitely overpriced for used books.

A cozy little nook to get a book 📚 🙂

Owner is very rude. Dont recommend you visit.

Owner is very rude and unprofessional. Will verbally argue with you. Not recommended.

Owner is unprofessional, aggressive and vicious. I will NOT be going back and do NOT reccomend.

My boyfriend and I went today and had a great time! We tried the hemp milk latte and loved it. I will most definitely be studying here this summer and during the school year. I’m an earthy girl so I enjoyed the vibe.

Owner will verbally attack you while minding your own business. She will go out of her way to ruin your day. She is the most impulsive and rude store owner I have EVER encountered. If you support this business you are supporting this aggressive behavior. I’m sure she will reply and confirm her ridiculous behavior.

I went to this bookstore to shop around and see a friend playing live music. There was minimal parking (not unusual for the area). However, the owner is aggressive and very much a hippie. No flea medicine on the many cats, and refused to let me near her store after I used bug spray because of the many mosquitoes that flocked to me while I was listening to the musician outside. The cool books do not make the place worth it.

My friend and I went into the store to look, to see if perhaps we could find a present for someone. Upon leaving, my friend told the owner goodbye. As we were walking out the door, I heard her say, in a tone with attitude, I cant believe someone cant even find a book for a $1. No one is under any obligation to buy anything upon going into a store. Before this comment, I might have considered coming back when I was in Starkville. Now? Never again and I actually wanted to take the time to warn others about her attitude. Besides the rude comment from the owner, the place was musty and there were so many books in such a small area that certain areas were hard to get too. In addition, my friend is allergic to cats, so after a few minutes, his allergies began to act up. Be advised if you are thinking about going into this store.Oh, and let me add, I dont like writing reviews like this, especially for small businesses. The store being musty, etc., I was willing to let go, until that comment was said, loud enough for us to hear and in the tone she used.

A great selection of used books available in all types of genres. Vintage vinyl records are also available. I purchased an Andrews Sisters record and love it! Its in pristine condition. Definately going to go back and look through more. 😊👍

Update: The owner has decided to reply to negative comments, and really just confirms exactly what I was saying about her attitude. Also, while the cats may NOW be outside (Idk - havent been back) they were inside at the time of my comment, which can be confirmed by everyone Ive ever spoken to who has been to this place. When I walked in the first time, she actually asked me to wait a minute and herded the cats into a different room.Original Post: The owner is extremely aggressive and has no issue making rude comments if you don’t buy anything. The second time I went was to see some bands she hosted outside, and when we asked where the bathroom was she said we couldn’t use it without buying a book. Obviously we were trying to watch the bands and didn’t want to find a book to buy, but she wouldn’t even take cash from us to pay to use the bathroom (!!). Inside is full of cats which wouldn’t be a problem if she kept them clean, but there are sooo many fleas and the place smells like urine. Love supporting local business but will never go back here because of the owner.

An awesome shop with a great collection of books, local art, music, etc. The owner is very nice and helpful and can point you in the direction of anything youre looking for, she also offers the spot as a study place! All of that on top of free coffee refills. Definitely coming back.

If you need a cheap book, a good cup of coffee, or just good conversation and somewhere to read this is the place. There are books on books on books and its amazing. I love it even more every time I go.

The coffee took forever and had unmelted white chocolate chips in the bottom of the cup (???)the store is super dusty and cramped, gave me claustrophobiaDon’t get me wrong, I LOVE bookstores, but I didn’t find a single book that looked remotely interesting here.I’m just relieved to know I’m not the only person who had a weird and unpleasant time hereDisappointed

Its a cool little gem in Starkville. The owner is nice and very helpful with book recommendations.

Spend your money somewhere else 🤷🏾‍♀️

The only highlight was the kitties.

Avoid. Owner, while originally very nice, was very pushy. Tried to sell me flea ridden kittens. Freaked out when I used hand sanitizer after touching flea ridden kittens because I dont know whats in that stuff. After being removed from the store, the woman continued to behave very rude and proceeded on a rant about how I brought chemicals into her store. Tried to sell me the kitten again mid rant. Also her selection is very minimal.

Very nice owner and a great selection. I stumbled upon this place by accident but will be returning regularly.

Everyone isn’t accepted here!

The hostess was very nice

No prices on books, they are priced at the counter