Such an amazing organization and space. Enormous store with books of every type. Very cool mission…read moreof donating a book with every book purchased. Book prices are very affordable. Also has space for children and families who want to read.

I have way too many books, physical books, since I read almost exclusively on my kindle at this…read morepoint. Enter Open Books. Now I started going through books in April 2020, but wasn't keen on interacting with folks, and it took until February 2022 for me to feel comfortable contacting them for pickup. They are experiencing a backlog at the moment--I submitted the pickup form in February, was contacted around March 30, and they came to my area April 19--but I've had these books hanging around for literal years waiting to be donated so a few more weeks was no big deal to me; I mention it only so that if you're on the fence you know to get on their list! Pickup was fairly easy. They don't take books in boxes larger than specific dimensions, so we had to pull them out of the boxes they've been in and out them in plastic bags instead. We ended up with 13 bags filled to the brim! There seemed to be a bit of a mixup, in that the Google form I submitted said I'd have 4 boxes and then when they contacted six weeks later to say they'd be in our neighborhood I said 13 bags since the boxes were too big; the person who came for the pickup mentioned a couple times how this was "not four boxes"... I mean, I'm sorry that there's a disconnect on your end? I checked my email to make sure I hadn't misunderstood, but I did indeed respond to the confirmation email to tell them I'd have 13 bags (their mail asked to confirm the pickup amount). So whatever administrative issue there is where they don't accurately update is annoying but not a problem if my making, and anyway she took them all. I'll definitely continue donating books here or the library (if the library takes books), but probably will take them to one of their drop boxes in the future if I use Open Books. That's in part because I don't want to deal with the kind of weird, somewhat annoyed an hostile attitude from the pickup person, but mostly because I probably won't have a pickup this large again in the future and don't want to have to wait 6-8 weeks for the pickup.

Such a cool place!!! Lots of interesting things! I appreciated the variety of items, including some…read morevintage electronics. Fun vibes and friendly people.

There's ALOT of fun cool stuff in here. Spanish records, AMAZING entertainment T shirts from shows…read moreand even Santo, Godzilla stuff, skulls, so oddities. Kewl. A Stone's throw to Jumping Bean CAfe

I've been a regular supporter of this shop for a long time, and I've always appreciated their…read moremission. However, on my most recent visit I was *shocked* to see the same used cookbooks I bought a few months ago at $10/piece are now priced at $17.50! That's a 75% increase! I understand costs rise, but this seems extremely excessive. Used books that are 10-20 years old should not cost this much. I hope the store reconsiders its pricing so it remains accessible to the community that wants to support it. In the meantime, if you're looking to purchase used books at a more affordable price, I'd recommend going to betterworldbooks.com.

We come here frequently with our kids. Always buy books from here for stockings. We've been dying…read morefor story time to come back to this location and it finally has! Saturday's at 10:30am. Hoping they add a weekday too!!! Tuesdays!!!

Do you love bookstores?…read more Stumbled on this treasure near the University of Chicago campus. Enter the red door on the brick walled building, go down a few stairs and enter 57th Street Books. What a cute slice of reading heaven. Fiction. Fantasy. Romance. Murder mystery. Science. Biography. Children's books. So many books! Dress Like a Girl. Sunrise on the Reaping. The Lilac People. Dyscalculia. Say You'll Remember Me. The Grief Keeper. Klara and the Sun. The Road. Suggestions for Yelp Book Club?? Read the comment cards below the books to see the opinions of others. Or, grab a YRAB for your kids. The Young Readers Advisory Board offers free pre-publication books for children to read and review. The children's reading book nook is so cute. A cute bookstore to buy a book. Get hooked on books, because reading is addictive!

I enjoyed popping in here for indie book store day. They have a great selection of books for all…read moreages.

Fabulous bookstore! Kind and helpful staff. Really well organized. Spacious. It can hold a lot of…read morepeople and not feel crowded. I love the high ceilings and open layout. Impressive selection, including indie publications. It's a really cool place! It's Chicago's only employee-owned and operated independent bookstore. They have really cool events and guest speakers, and have a community focused mission. I really appreciate what they do!

Came on a recent day-trip to Pilsen from my far-north enclave, and this is one great bookstore! I…read moremean, I've never been to a bookstore I didn't like, but this one was phenomenal. They have a great selection, including some books that I'd been looking for and hadn't found at other shops around town. If you stop in, which you should, definitely take the time and be leisurely about browsing the shelves. You'll find something, I promise. Many of the books are priced less than retail (both books I picked up were), so there's good bang for your buck. I almost passed out from sheer joy when I found the NYRB Classics section. I will be back just to take a closer look at that!

This is an excellent independent bookstore. They have an outstanding, and highly nuanced selection…read moreof books. I loved this bookstore when I was in high school, and 40 years later I still love it.

This is a book lovers paradise. Unbelievable selection of books, surprisingly good prices, and a…read morestore that I could spend days on end just browsing through. You might also run into some famous people here. I've seen a handful shopping for books during my visits here. It's one of the best book stores I've found in not just Chicago but the whole United States.

The first time I bought a book by myself, saved up my allowance, walked here, and got a paperback…read moreby Phillip K. Dick. It was 1972. Love this bookstore. Great selection, it's in the vicinity of the University of Chicago so you're likely to find well read books from the personal libraries of people who use words like "hermeneutical," and "epistimelogical," and yet they also have a good selection of mysteries and science fiction. Good choices in poetry, history, science, literature, and collectibles. Read books and learn stuff.

If you're looking to get lost in a bookstore, this is the place for you. This used bookstore is…read moreextremely whimsical and inspiring. My best friend who recently moved to the area, told me this is the best place to get dreamy. There are a variety of books to pick from spanning across all genres. There is a method to the madness. I only checked the price of one book I was eyeing and it was a classic for about $9. I'm sure the prices vary here. We were left to explore which I enjoyed, but we were warmly welcomed and said goodbye to upon our entrance and exit. I especially loved this one photographer's coffee table book. I recommend checking this bookstore out.

Loved The Dial Bookshop, On the 2nd floor of fine arts building, It is captivating. I found this…read morebookshop online while wanting to explore the city mainly for literature. Very clean and organized. Reasonable prices for used, old and new books. Great selection and genre of books. Floor to (almost) ceiling bookshelves, wood floors, plants, huge windows, it's just a beauty. Through out the store there is some history about how the shop came about. We copped around 6 books that were $7 to $10 bucks, WHAT A FIND. Definitely a best kept secret, it's worth your time

A super sure bookstore tucked away in the old Studebaker Building on the second floor…read more New and used books by all the authors that matter. In an era where boutique bookstores are all but gone this is a gem! Tip... they have a great selection of vintage Chicago postcards!