If you want an afternoon of browsing in downtown Fernandina Beach, The Book Loft at 214 Centre Street is the oldest independent bookstore on Amelia Island. Bill and Sue Nelson opened it on St. Patrick's Day 1990. In spring 2026 they passed it to David and Cindy Nelson, so a second generation of the family now runs it.
The store fills two floors with titles from more than 40 genres. New hardcovers and paperbacks sit alongside a curated selection of used books, and there are puzzles, journals and greeting cards too. New arrivals are sold in the store only, so if you'd like something shipped, call (904) 261-8991 and ask.
The Book Club on Centre meets on the second floor at 10:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. There's no sign-up or reservation, and attendees get a discount on that month's pick. The posted list for the coming year mixes bestsellers with a few regional reads, including a novel set on Cumberland Island, across the St. Marys River in Georgia.
The shop says it's open every day. Around the holidays it keeps shorter hours on the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and it closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The contact page at thebookloftamelia.com shows the current day's hours.
For a bookstore with a bistro, an art gallery and a full events calendar, Story & Song is a short drive away on Park Avenue in Amelia Park. Closer to hand, Amelia Island Coffee is across Centre Street at 207, and fudge is a couple of doors down at Fernandina's Fantastic Fudge.