Jim Reed Books/The Museum of Fond Memories

Located in downtown Birmingham, at first glance this rare bookstore/antique store/museum resembles a room in your grandmother’s house. Bursting at the seams and boasting an inventory of over 45,000 books, magazines, and other periodicals, if Reed Books doesn’t have what you’re looking for, it probably doesn’t exist. But, its vast inventory is not what makes Reed Books special. The randomness (a display of plastic Santa statues) and odd finds (post office mailboxes chocked full of letters) are what makes Reed Books special. That and owner Jim Reed, author, humorist, columnist, and all-around good guy who encourages people to "become your own book." Worth a trip on a lazy Saturday.