Is Back Again Bookshop Woke?

Back Again Bookshop: Books, Community, and Traditional Values in Myrtle Beach

Company Overview

Back Again Bookshop is a large new and used bookstore located in the heart of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, owned and operated by the Simons family. Avid readers themselves, the Simons family brings a personal, community-oriented approach to bookselling that has made Back Again Bookshop a beloved fixture in the Grand Strand area. The family previously operated a bookstore in Washington state before relocating to Myrtle Beach, bringing years of bookselling experience and a deep love of the craft with them.

The shop believes that a great bookstore should be more than a retail transaction — it should be an experience. Back Again Bookshop strives to be cozy and welcoming, beautifully organized, affordable, and abundantly stocked. Shoppers are greeted by two beloved bookshop cats, adding a warm, homey atmosphere that larger chain bookstores simply cannot replicate. This is what independent retail is supposed to look like.

Products and Services

Back Again Bookshop carries an impressive selection of both new and used books across virtually every genre — fiction, non-fiction, history, biography, children's literature, religion, reference, and more. The store's used book inventory makes quality reading affordable for families, students, and anyone on a budget. Key offerings include:

• New Books: A curated selection of current titles and bestsellers across all major categories.
• Used Books: An extensive collection of pre-owned books at accessible prices, giving great stories a second life.
• Special Orders: The shop can source titles not carried in their regular inventory, serving readers with specific needs.
• Community Events: Book clubs, author events, and special activities that bring community members together around a shared love of reading.
• Online Ordering: Books can be ordered through their partnership with Bookshop.org, extending their reach to readers beyond Myrtle Beach.

ESG & Sustainability

As a used bookstore, Back Again Bookshop is inherently sustainable in the most meaningful sense — extending the life of books and reducing waste without needing to make it a marketing campaign. Selling used books is recycling at its finest: keeping quality reading material in circulation, reducing the demand for new paper production, and making literature accessible to families at all income levels. There are no grandiose ESG reports or carbon neutrality pledges here — just a sensible, community-rooted business that naturally operates with a light footprint.

DEI Programs

Back Again Bookshop operates as a small family business with no evidence of formal DEI programs, corporate diversity initiatives, or mandatory inclusion training. The Simons family serves every reader who walks through their doors, guided by a simple principle: treat people with kindness and provide excellent service. Their community-focused mission is about bringing people together through books — a genuinely inclusive goal that doesn't require a DEI bureaucracy to achieve.

Conservative readers will find no political litmus tests, no curated "social justice" bookshelves dominating the store, and no corporate woke signaling. This is a place where the quality of the book matters more than its political message.

LGBTQ+ Advocacy

There is no evidence that Back Again Bookshop participates in HRC Corporate Equality Index programs, Pride Month corporate advocacy, or LGBTQ+ brand campaigns. The shop focuses its energy on books and community, not on accumulating corporate social justice credentials. For conservative families looking for a bookstore that doesn't push an agenda, Back Again Bookshop offers a genuinely neutral, reader-first experience.

Political Activity

Back Again Bookshop has no discernible political activity, PAC contributions, or public political stances in the record. The Simons family runs a bookstore, not a political organization. Their public communications focus entirely on books, events, and community engagement — a refreshing contrast to the politically charged posturing of corporate retail chains that can't resist inserting themselves into every social debate.

Consumer Impact

For families, readers, and values-based shoppers in the Myrtle Beach area, Back Again Bookshop is a genuine treasure. Supporting this independent, family-owned bookstore means putting your money directly into a local family's hands — not into the coffers of a corporate book chain that may use its profits to fund progressive causes or push politically curated reading lists.

Back Again Bookshop is proof that you don't need a corporate DEI department or a social justice mission statement to run a beloved, thriving bookstore. You just need great books, genuine community commitment, and a family that loves what they do. If you're in Myrtle Beach, stop in and experience it for yourself. The cats alone are worth the visit.