Destination Bookstore: Chicago

Hello everyone! I love visiting independent bookstores and shopping at local businesses regularly. Because it’s important to #shopsmall, I’m starting a series to showcase some indie bookstores in places that I’ve traveled. Here are just some of these shops have websites that you can shop at in Chicago, Illinois. These stores also have websites as well if you can’t shop in person!

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Semicolon Books

Semicolon Books is a Black Owned bookstore and Nonprofit literary center focusing on the works of women and people of color with art displays and events. It was founded in 2019 by art curator and book lover, DL Moore. They are currently working on an expansion of the shop by adding a café to their existing space. I loved seeing so many Black books on display in this store as well as how it has a art gallery feeling to the overall space.

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Myopic Books

Located in the Wicker Park area, is Myopic Books! This tri-level used-books store stocking 80,000 books and also hosts periodic concerts & poetry nights. It is Wicker Park’s oldest and largest used bookstore and it reminded me of John King’s Bookstore in Detroit with the atmosphere and size of the shop! You will definitely need lots of time to fully explore this store as its many nooks are teeming with great bookish finds.

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Unabridged Books

Owner Ed Devereux opened Unabridged Bookstore in 1980 and it features a wide variety of general & children’s literature plus LGBT titles. For 45 years, Unabridged Bookstore has also been Chicago’s premier go-to-bookstore for LGBTQ literature. It’s located in the Lakeview area of Chicago and has knowledgeable staff and their many of their own personal picks that line the shelves. This store has two levels and carries new and used books.

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Roscoe Books

Nestled in Roscoe Village, Roscoe Books opened in the area in 2014. This bookstore is filled with new titles, gifts & a kids’ nook. The neighborhood along with the bookstore is very cozy and I highly recommend walking around to check out the surrounding shops and eateries. The store’s design is warm and inviting making it such a great experience to visit.

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The Last Chapter Bookstore

Also located in Roscoe Village is, The Last Chapter Bookstore which is a Latina owned indie bookstore. It is Chicago’s only romance bookstore! The space offers a diverse selection of books and merchandise along with titles by independent authors as well. The store is small and cute, but they have a lot of books and items on their shelves. The store has cute photo booths and hosts a variety of community and author events in the store.

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Sandmeyer’s Bookstore

This mom-&-pop book shop sells best-sellers plus more unusual handpicked titles. Located in Printers Row the store has been open since 1982 and offers new books, plenty of gifts, and local Chicago items too. The wooden floors of the story adds to the atmosphere and showcases the history of the area as well.

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Stay tuned for another destination! What bookstores do you like to visit in Chicago?