Barbara's had a surprisingly wide variety of books available for how small the stand was! They have a genre for everyone. They also have a selection of greeting cards and Chicago-themed merchandise available for purchase. The staff were kind and friendly. read more

This is a great bookstore. I enjoy browsing and have bought gifts and items for myself here. There is a unique selection of quality items, including journals. Also, the clerk was very kind and compassionate to me today. I recommend going here if you are at O'Hare, if this sort of business is of interest to you, and if you have time to spare. read more

I have a love-hate relationship with Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Trying to get to a connecting flight can be quite the walk. On my most recent trip earlier this week, the flight that I was on landed at gate 22 and I had to make my way to gate E10. I got an estimate of 19 minutes to walk over there. The good news was that my first flight was twenty minutes early and I had nearly 1.5 hours to make it to concourse E. What I love about ORD is the shopping and the quick bites that I can get. Garett's Popcorn is my go-to snack. On my way over to concourse E, I passed by Barbara's Bookstore and loved how it threw me back to a slower pace of life. It wasn't focused on technology. It was a charming bookstore that I grew up with before technology became prime. Physical books. Reading glasses. Postcards. Reading lights. Bookmarks. And, a lot more. What caught my attention was the display of Lamy fountain pens. I have never seen such an amazing assortment of fountain pens at any store in a major airport in my life! I own a purple Lamy pen that I enjoy using. It's comfortable and it's easy to swap out the ink. Cleaning the nib is straightforward. You can also swap the nib out if you're feeling fancy. I would love to own a clear (demonstrator) Lamy pen. This store had the one that I have been eyeing. I'd like one, but it wasn't a massive need. I enjoyed browsing around this store. It's a gem. Any store carrying fountain pens is awesome! If I am back and cave in, you'll see me with a Lamy demonstrator next time. (379) read more

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As I was looking through the selection of books (I did still purchase a book, because one that had been on my list was in stock), the cashier made it a point to purposely come and stand by me and "accidentally" drop items next to me to get my attention as if I was taking too long to make a selection and she thought I was going to steal. We locked eyes, and she didn't say excuse me or I'm sorry, she just gave me a very condescending look like "I'm watching you." She wasn't welcoming, friendly, OR nice, and from the receipt, her name was ANGELICA. read more

Alyssa was extra kind and helpful at check-out. She wished me a safe flight and a great day! I bought a book, a pair of cute reading glasses, and a bunch of Chicago decals. Great selection of books, postcards, decals. Wonderful service. read more

Barbara's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really wanted to get a good book for my flight, and I found one at Barbara's Books. The employees on duty were so friendly, I wanted to write a good review! I can't wait to start my new book read more

Barbara's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Incredibly arrogant staff. I dropped in to see if they had an umbrella and the rude worker retorted that it's a BOOK store and that they sell BOOKS. Yeah, obviously, but guess what? They also sell socks, phone cases, and a whole bunch of other items that are not books. I was happy to *book* it the heck out of there! Horrendous time. read more

Interesting selection of new releases....see pictures.... Small Store..which is one of several located in O'Hare Airport. Also there are a few racks of Papyrus Cards which are classy. read more

Barbara's Bookstore - Diverse Selection of Intriguing Titles... - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Incredibly rude woman working. I was standing right next to her and she turned her back towards me, I said excuse me, ma'am 3 times because she ignored me to my face. I then went in front of her and very angry said "WHAT you want?" Nothing now....walked away. read more

This Barbara's Bookstore in O'Hare Airport is right near Tortas Frontera by the H Gates. They have a good selection of book titles, new and old, and staff is helpful. Books are arranged well by category, and I was able to pick up a 10th Anniversary edition of Neil Gaman's "American Gods" for my long delayed flight at O'Hare. I'd stop by again if I needed some flight reading material, books, magazines, newspapers. read more

Very convenient having this store at the airport. And surprisingly, a nice inventory included. I was on my way home, boss man wanted us to read a book. So I had some time, noticed a book store in the terminal. Asked if they had the book, bingo! They sure did. It does get a little crowded, but you're at O'Hare airport. What do you expect. Price is ok, want it cheaper. Buy it at amazon, or a book store near you. Service was fine, looked like only one person there. But noticed I'm not a regular at a book store. So he asked if I needed anything, and got what I needed. Since this location is so convenient, I might end up here again in the future. read more

Agree with previous reviewer that staff is rude. Somewhat condescending. I won't shop there when I'm in Ohare I'll wait until I i get home. They make it a point to have anti trump books in all the best places too. I'll spend my money elsewhere. read more

It's a pain to return a book here. Lots of paper signing, telephone calls, etc. i'm not one to return things, but I bought a book for a friend and then was told he already have it. I had to return it. It was still in the bag and untouched. There was a lot of questions like "what's your reason" repetitively. They have a good selection of books and are usually affordable. When it comes to returning, they make it embarrassing and show unwilling attitudes. That's all. read more

Barbara's Bookstore - Books! Of course! - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The line at Hudson News was long and I was in a hurry to get to my gate. I decided to keep walking hoping to score postcards from some other vendor. Lo and behold, Barbara's Bookstore came into view. It was a fairly small storefront and there was one employee stocking the shelves. Seeing as the line at Hudson was a dozen deep, I was concerned that I was seeing things. I spoke to the cashier and she directed me to their selection of cards. I picked out a few and was on my way in lass than a minute. The selection is what you need in the airport. There are some Hudsons that are bigger, but this is the same size as a smaller Hudson. Save yourself some time and support the littler guy by coming into Barbara's. They have books, keychains, soda, magazines, candy and the other do-dads you didn't think about when you were rushing to ORD. read more

Barbara's Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There should be a Barbara's Bookstore in every major airport - they do a great job keeping a decent inventory of eclectic books to pick up before you board. I find that Hudson News is generally pretty terrible if you want to read something other than US Weekly, and fortunately Barbara's offers a totally differentiated product. The "Staff Picks" selection is well curated, with interesting, offbeat works intermixed with classic literature, while the sections themselves are filled with non-NYT List, highly acclaimed works. If nothing else, Barbara's is worth perusing if you have some time to kill before you board; who knows you might find books for your next few flights. I always seem to do so anyways. read more

A real bookstore with lots of choices beyond the newsstand best sellers. They have a Best Books of the Year' section and 'Staff Recommends...' where the staff member was right there. Very pleased - worth searching out! read more