Best Chicago Bookstores to Visit in 2025
By Allison Yates
Unabridged Bookstore in Lakeview is one of the oldest continually existing contemporary bookstores.
At Read & Run Chicago, our book-themed running programming aims to support libraries, independent bookstores, and other small businesses. Between cozy atmospheres, stocked shelves, and friendly staff, we couldn’t be luckier to partner with so many indie bookstores at our events.
Chicago has long been a literary city, and the recent explosion of indie bookstores—many focusing on identity, social justice, and specific genres like romance—proves we’re still one of the best U.S. cities for book lovers. Lifelong Chicagoans and first-time Windy City visitors alike will find a home in the city’s vast array of options. So whether you’re looking for books in Polish, want to read books by AAPHI authors, support Black-owned businesses, or want to simply scan the shelves for the best books of the 21st century, these Chicago bookstores have you covered. Here are the best indie bookstores in Chicago to visit in 2025.
This list is an ever-changing work in progress. See something missing? Get in touch! Out and about in the city? Below is our map.
Note: This list does not include some great bookstores outside of the city of Chicago like Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston.
North Side
New Book Joy
Neighborhood: Edgebrook | Best for: unique gifts to pair with books
New Book Joy is far from your average bookstore! This women-owned, multi-generational small “booktique” is run by former Chicagoland teachers and focuses on curated experiences. Beyond selling great books and bookish gifts, the owners host several book clubs and events. And bonus: head to the second floor for a retro “Vinyl + Vibes” reading parlor.
Unabridged Bookstore
Neighborhood: Lakeview | Best for: robust LGBTQ+ section
Unabridged has been a cornerstone of the Lakeview community since 1980.
Women & Children First
Neighborhood: Andersonville | Best for: Books that will revivie your fiesty feminist spirit
This bookstore was founded in 1979 and has been in their current Andersonville space since 1990. They identify as intersectional trans-inclusive feminists and “believe books are tools for liberation.” (Hey, sounds a lot like what we believe in!) Walk past their storefront or browse the shelves and you’ll see some pretty awesome books. This is also your go-to place for progressive parenting books.
Uncharted Books
Neighborhood: Andersonville | Best for: Rare and used books—some very niche!
RoscoeBooks
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village | Best for: Shopping in a place where you feel like you’re part of the neighborhood
Owned by a couple and Lakeview residents. Featuring a book club, children’s story time, and other community-based events.
The Book Cellar
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square | Best for: Sipping wine and reading on a couch
Who doesn’t love a good word play? The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square is the perfect spot for browsing after a stop by Fleet Feet Lincoln Square or a rooftop snack at Gene’s. When it’s cold, cozy up on a couch. When the weather’s nice, be sure to relax on the front patio. This bookstore is also a favorite of reader and runner Kaylee—read about her here.
Bucket O’Blood Books and Records
Neighborhood: Avondale | Best for: New and used books, music lovers
This is a must visit for an horror, science fiction, and fantasy fans!
The Last Chapter
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village | Best for: Romance fanatics!
Heirloom Books Chicago
Neighborhood: Edgewater | Best for: eclectic used books and shopping for periodicals, LPs, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, and more
Third Avenues Bookshop
Neighborhood: Lakeview | Best for: New books covering important topics like disability rights, racism, and more
The Understudy Coffee and Books
Neighborhood: Andersonville | Best for: theater lovers
If Layne Fargo’s characters in Temper would have frequented any bookstore, it certainly would have been this one! The newest addition to the Chicago bookstore community is this theater bookstore and coffee shop. They serve Metric Coffee, my all-time favorite.
Kibbitznest Books, Brews & Blarney
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park | Best for: used books, reading in a social atmosphere with both types of brews
What’s one great place for readers & runners to spend time (besides the outdoors, of course)? Kibbitznest, a Lincoln Park cafe, bar, event space, and used bookstore.This WiFi-free zone is all about fostering meaningful face-to-face interactions. There are tons of books and good drinks in this cozy atmosphere to help you stay present and connected.
Chicago Comics
Neighborhood: Lakeview | Best for: comic book lovers and nerding out
Polish Bookstore Quo Vadis. Księgarnia
Neighborhood: Portage Park | Best for: Books in Polish
The Armadillo’s Pillow
Neighborhood: Roger’s Park | Best for: Used books in a fairy tale-cozy space
Polonia Book Store
Neighborhood: Jefferson Park | Best for: Books in Polish
Books4Cause
Neighborhood: Avondale (+Skokie) | Best for: Shopping for a cause
Restoried Bookshop
Neighborhood: Albany Park | Best for: Books by AANHPIs and other authors of color
Restoried Bookshop is one of the city’s newest additions and is Asian American and family-owned. Owner Justin Valas is a third generation Japanese-American and felt a gap between what was offered on the shelves and what he wanted to learn about his community. Books are organized by identity and feature a variety of genres. Want to cozy up? Find plush arm chairs for reading breaks in between your browsing.
Central + West
¡Viva! Los Libros
Neighborhood: Pilsen + Online | Best for: Bilingual children’s books
Formerly known as 51st Ward Books, ¡Viva! Los Libros is now online, at Pilsen Arts & Community House, and around town on their bookmobile. The carefully curated section of bilingual books for children, teens, and adults focuses on the Latinx experience and social justice.
Slant of Light Books
Neighborhood: Old Town | Best for: a centrally-located shop for both discounted books and new releases
Not far from the original 1960s-era Barbara’s Bookstore location on Wells, the Near North Side’s newest indie bookstore brings a physical space for readers to gather around what they love most: books. You’ll find new, used, and discounted books, and like any good Windy City bookstore, a Chicago section.
Hot Tip: Want to know more about Old Town’s origins? Read The Battle of Lincoln Park.
Open Books Ltd
Neighborhoods: West Loop + Pilsen | Best for: Used books, shopping for a good cause
Open Books has so many books— as many as over 50,000! The used books come in dozens of genres and languages and are for various ages. Sales of these thousands of books across their locations—West Loop, Logan Square, and Pilsen—support literacy programs. Other awesome reasons to love about Open Books? The West Loop location hosted our The Girls in 3-B post-run lecture with Jen Dentel of Gerber/Hart Library and Archives in November 2022. The same location was also name dropped in Sesali Bowen’s Bad Fat Black Girl, and to top it off, many readers and runners are Open Books volunteers!
Los Amigos Books
Neighborhood: Bucktown/Logan Square | Best for: Bilingual children’s books
If you’re looking for a bright, intentional space with books representing children of color and bilingual (Spanish-English) children, head to Bucktown’s Los Amigos Books. Owner Laura Rodriguez-Romani carefully selects the bookstore’s offerings, ensuring they’ll help you and your bilingual children meet their developmental goals. Plus, adults will find favorites from authors like Erika L. Sanchez, Sandra Cisneros, and more.
City Lit Books
Neighborhood: Logan Square | Best for: Contemporary fiction and non-fiction
Great light, friendly staff, and a robust selection of Chicago books (see if you spot several of the Read & Run Chicago books sold there!).
Semicolon Bookstore
Neighborhood: West Town + Magnificent Mile | Best for: books by authors of color
The knowledgeable, friendly staff are the kind of people that love books as much you and could chat with you for hours about your latest reads. They are ready to give great recommendations on books by authors of color.
Volumes Bookcafe
Neighborhoods: Wicker Park + Gold Coast| Best for: shopping through heavily-curated shelves and getting specific, thoughtful recommendation from the owners and sisters
Besides having a great cafe next to their Wicker Park location, Volumes also hosts community events, like book-themed speed dating. Highly recommend.
Myopic Books
Neighborhood: Wicker Park | Best for: days when you want to peruse chaotic, packed shelves for used books
This bookstore has been featured in many essays and books about 1990s Wicker Park and beyond, from Joe Meno to Megan Stielstra to Layne Fargo. It’s also one of the last stores in Wicker Park to survive amidst intense gentrification of the last few decades. They carry an average of around 60,000 books and aren’t afraid of an ecletic section—go wild.
Exile in Bookville
Neighborhood: Loop | Best for: great views in the gorgeous historic Fine Arts Building
A Rebecca Makkai favorite with recent New York Times mention and Chicago Tribune Chicagoans of the Year feature, Exile in Bookville is an industry favorite and staple in the bookish community. And that funny name? That’s a Liz Phair's 1993 debut album Exile in Guyville. We started our Conspiracy to Riot running tour here in August 2022!
Barbara’s Bookstore
Neighborhood: Loop (+5 suburban locations) | Best for: Robust Chicago section
Barbara’s Bookstore started in Old Town in 1963 and has since changed homes and expanded to six locations across the Chicagoland area, including the one pictured above in Macy’s (former Marshall Field’s) on State Street in the Loop. This bookstore has lots of ties to Read & Run Chicago’s books—from the fact that co-owner Jane Bailey was injured in the 1968 Democratic Convention protests (see: Conspiracy to Riot) to the fact they started in Old Town as it was rapidly changing (read: Battle of Lincoln Park) to its location in the former Marshall Field’s (check out: Sin in the Second City). Plus, they take Chicago book recommendations. Don’t see something you wanted? Let them know!
Hot tip: Get 10% off your copy of The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History here when you tell the cashier you’re a reader and runner!
Madison Street Books
Neighborhood: West Loop | Best for: New books you keep seeing on social media and a cozy kids’ section
A charming and bright woman-owned independent bookstore in the West Loop. They have a great small press book club and frequently host Read & Run Chicago events.
Pilsen Community Books
Neighborhood: Pilsen | Best for: Shopping for a good cause, activist literature
Chicago’s only employee owned and operated independent bookstore—so much incredible selection, knowledgeable, friendly owners/staff, and a gorgeous store. Who doesn’t love those floor-to-ceiling shelves!?
The Newberry Bookshop
Neighborhood: Gold Coast | Best for: Highbrow, niche, and intellectual reads
The longstanding library in Gold Coast is a banging place for archive lovers, lecture junkies and history fanatics. Read & Run Chicago guide Quinn Sluzenski previously worked here, and this space holds significance in several Read & Run Chicago books, including The Girls in 3-B, Clark and Division, and The Battle of Lincoln Park. Facing the Newberry is Washington Park, once known as Bughouse Square, where Chicago’s first pride march began in June 1970.
The Sheliz and Burton X. Rosenberg Bookshop is the perfect stop to explore the building or pick up some niche books.
Watch this reel for how to explore the Newberry.
Quimby’s
Neighborhood: Bucktown | Best for: zine lovers
Giron Books
Neighborhood: Pilsen | Best for: Spanish language books
Giron Books is an offshoot of of Librería Girón, a family-owned Spanish-language bookstore that was part of the Pilsen community for decades. There were once sevearl locations in Chicago, and the Pilsen local was located at 1443 W. 18th Street, the Frank J. Petru Building. See a photo of the original building and read more here.
Librería Giron closed their doors in 2017 due to increased property taxes and decreased foot traffic, according to what Juan Manuel Giron told The Chicago Tribune. It was the only Spanish-language bookstore in Chicago, but now lives on in two formats, Giron Books and Little Village’s Librería Girón (see below).
Giron Books, owned by Giron, the son of the original owner and now located at 2141 W. 21st Street, is your go-to spot for Spanish-language literature.
Soul Full Chicago
Neighborhood: Pilsen | Best for: positive, self-help, and mental health-focused books
This gorgeous mental health book lounge and cafe in Pilsen is such a calm, bright, open space. Bonus: the best bathroom decor.
Inga
Neighborhood: Pilsen | Best for: Books by indie writers
Inga focuses on self-published and independently distributed artists' books on art, design, film, theory, and more.
after-words
Neighborhood: Loop | Best for: Used books
Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, Inc.
Neighborhood: Loop | Best for: Rare and specific books
By appointment only.
South Side
Seminary Co-Op
Neighborhood: Hyde Park | Best for: Wishing you had more time read all of those books and admiring their display skills
Seminary Co-Op, sister bookstore to 57th Street Books, was founded in 1961. Together, the two of them comprise Seminary Co-op Bookstores. In 2019, they became the country’s first not-for-profit bookstores. Self-described as one of the best academic bookstores in the world, they might have a point.
The thoughtfully placed books are scattered through a maze of crisply lined shelves, winding readers along a treasure hunt for pretty covers and intriguing books. It’s a delight of a bookstore! Another big plus? It’s next door to Plein Air Cafe.
57th Street Books
Neighborhood: Hyde Park | Best for: Searching for books by authors of color and local authors
This cozy independent bookstore in Hyde Park (sister bookstore to Seminary Co-Op) opened in 1983 and has a hugely diverse collection of writers and genres—and all curated beautifully. It’s also featured in Jessica Mlinaric’s Chicago Scavenger and kindly hosted us at the start of our Chicago Scavenger event in January 2023.
Underground Bookstore
Neighborhood: Stoney Island Park | Best for: Books by Black authors
Sandmeyer’s Bookstore
Neighborhood: South Loop | Best for: New releases, travel guides, children’s books
A fiercely independent, woman-owned bookstore in a historic building in Printer’s Row since 1982, an area so named for the many printing houses that once populated this neighborhood.
Bookie’s
Neighborhood: Beverly | Best for: Used books and friendly staff
This bookstore came recommended by Scott Smith, author of an essay featured in our Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook mini-run series (you can run his essay on your own following our self-guided route). Owner Keith will chat with you about his new favorites and give recommendations.
Bonus: Bookie’s New and Used books is next to the store Running Excels, so you can load up on fuel for your run and books for your brain at the same time.
Powell’s Books Chicago
Neighborhood: Hyde Park | Best for: used, bargain, antiquarian, and out of print books
Tangible Books
Neighborhood: Bridgeport | Best for: Used books
A favorite of reader and runner Robin Hoffman!
Da Book Joint
Neighborhood: Woodlawn | Best for: Books by Black authors
In late 2024, Da Book Joint joined forces with Stoviink Creatives to launch Pen & Paper, a space to inspire literacy, wellness, and creativity. In short, according to the owners, it’s a literary lounge.
Call & Response Books
Neighborhood: Hyde Park | Best for: Books by writers of color