The staff looked at me like I was crazy for some reason but--putting that little detail to the side--I thought it was a perfectly fine little bookstore. Bought Jim Butcher's new Dresden Files novel and was on my way. read more

Love a neighborhood bookstore, they really are a mainstay of communities, and City Lit Books is this kind of place for Logan Square. Visited as part of birthday book crawl gifted me by my daughter and found a great selection of new and old titles spanning every category. Despite many temptations, I was able to narrow my choices and walked out with a great book following a friendly interaction with the knowledgeable staff. read more

A lot of employees for such a small location. Still none of them seemed to want to help anyone until a regular came in. Selection was average and value was the going Logan Square rate, which is just under Michigan Ave prices. Would not recommend. read more

Stopped by city lit books to peruse while enjoying a saturday morning. It is a small shop and the workers are dope. Super nice, friendly. They have a wonderful selection of books and the prices were solid. Many of the books have little post cards next to them based on recommendations from the workers that have read them. I thought that was a really nice touch. You can tell this is a spot that locals love, and I did too! read more

City Lit Books - Books! - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A progressive bookstore for everyone. It is possible to find current books whether fiction or non-fiction, with some classics intertwined. There are also some affordable gift ideas and everyone is helpful in finding book needs. Sign up for updates with different events happening. read more

Service Selection and Value yelp says this review needs at least 85 characters, but the truth is simple. I like this book store, and I think you will too. Mostly the "customer service" is impeccable, to put a big word to try to describe the value of their business as a whole. See? I can do 85 characters, Yelp. And more! Thank you dear reader, for entertaining the rambles. goodbye now. read more

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Great independent book store with staff that loved books. I found several sci-fi books I hadn't read and that's impressive.

I dislike how they pick their books and the workers are ignorant. Plenty of better choices.

Kind of annoyed that the person who helped me today was first too busy chatting with a friend to tend to the line until the other cashier was almost done with this their own customer, and then she took my phone from me when I said I had a gift card. I'm what world do we just take peoples things from them (especially expensive electronic equipment)? I was a bit stunned by this and couldn't react in the moment. But look, City Lit: You're a bookstore. It's safe to assume the people in here can read, so they can probably read you the gift code themselves. Hands off people's belongings, alright? read more

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Incredible local bookshop with great knowledgeable staff, large poetry section, unique children's section and a nicely sized theory section.

SUCH A CUTE LOCAL SPOT! I would highly recommend stopping in to buy a few books here. There are so many options, so many categories, and such great options. We picked up one book (we're from out of town and didn't have much luggage space), and I wish we could've spent all day here! The staff are so incredibly nice and friendly, I love the overall vibe of this place. read more

City Lit Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was so grateful that this bookstore came back after COVID. I can always count on them to have great recommendations as well as friendly support when wanting to order a book they currently don't have on stock. Thank you for being part of the Cocoa Crawl. read more

Recently; I stumbled across City Lit lol I've been in Logan Square many of times but never knew this bookstore existed. Instead of BARNES & NOBLES; It's nice and refreshing to visit a small and personable bookstore like this one. The selections are great. The books aren't ridiculously priced. I purchased Swing Time by Zadie Smith. It was priced very reasonable $ 15.99. The staff are great. They're so easy to talk to... not trying to rush you on your way. If there's a book you want and they don't have .... they will locate it for you. Community involvement: every month they have book clubs for children, young adults, drama, and history. I like it. I will come back. read more

City Lit Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great environment and amazing selection of books. Very nice people at the register and willing to help!

Interesting selection of books at this bookshop! Was on the hunt for the world's first piece of literature: Epic of Gilgamesh. This shop was sold out of their copies, but was able to order it in store for me. They can ship it to your home address as well, but you cover the shipping costs ($15). Found many great books, but limited myself to 3 history books and a fictional novel. Limited inventory of books. read more

Really neat independent bookstore with a nice selection of curated books - the shelves are filled with handwritten notes from reviewers to guide your purchasing decisions. :) Staff was incredibly friendly. We visited the day after Independent bookstore day, and managed to still score a couple of free books from the event. They were wrapped in book themed wrapping paper (nice touch!) and we opened them like presents when we got to the car. read more

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THE BEST BOOKSTORE IN CHICAGO! Knowledgable and friendly staff, fantastic selection of books from children's to adult, and quirky "extras" from cards to Chicago souvenirs. Staff members note their favorite books with little notes explaining why they loved it--a great way for me (a voracious reader) to narrow down my selection and discover books that aren't yet on my radar. Did I mention the staff? I'll mention them again--smart, well read, and familiar with pop culture--not to mention friendly and FUN! If you're in Logan Square, this is a great spot to discover. Or to visit over and over and over again. read more

Excellent little store with an impeccable stock of books. This is new fave. Be sure to check out the cards listing employee picks and bibliotherapy choices. Lots of metered parking outside and very easy to get to if you're not driving. read more

I will begin here. I do love bookstores. I have walked passed this store several times. After a workshop, I walked in. Greeted as I walked in. I loved the selection from the staff picks, books based on Chicago, art, music, graphic novels, poetry and more. I can spend hours looking around in this store. The relaxing chairs along with the cozy fireplace makes a amazing ambiance. Friendly staff is also a bonus. There was a little in front of the store, with the sign saying we love our readers, free books. You can't beat that. I will be back soon. Great spot for gifts for that active reader. read more

City Lit Books - I love bookstores - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Even though it's not possible to browse in the store at the moment, City Lit still makes it very easy to buy your books online for either curbside pickup or delivery. I placed my order online, waited for a confirmation that it was ready, and then just knocked on their doors to pick it up. The process was so easy. They were also very nice even though this was a very fast transaction. Thank you, City Lit Books! read more

City Lit knows how to throw some great events. They always have something going on, and I'm always intrigued. It makes me hopeful when I see an independent bookstore crawling with humans the way bars do. The staff are very friendly and very helpful. I was one of those horrible customers asking for a book without the title or author, and they helped me find it! Well, find the author and title that is. They were out of stock and so was their distributor! It seems I pick good books, since it happened again a second time. Not a problem, they added me to an email list to let me know when it's back in stock. I definitely recommend checking out their events page! read more

I'm a bit torn. On one hand, there are no bad bookstores. And we need more local bookstores. On the other hand, this place is too clean, if that makes any sense. It's a rectangular box in a strip of stores. It lacks character. It also appears to lack used books, which is unfortunate. read more

Not gonna lie, Barnes & Noble holds a special place in my heart. I love me some chain bookstores. Not only have I spent hours people-watching there, but when a broke girl has unlimited GMAT prep books at her disposal, she's gotta take advantage of it. Barnes is the equivalent of the frat boy dressed in bleached jeans and cowboy boots at a Southern state school (no names will be mentioned, ahem, hook 'em, ahem) - so many at your disposal, and sadly, everyone has done one (guilty as charged). But I've always found the semi-hipster, fake glasses-wearing, liberal arts major to be so much more attractive and intellectual. And that's City Lit Books. I stumbled upon this quaint bookstore while walking around Logan Square with my family during our post-brunch food coma/digestion walk. We wandered inside and my sister saw 'This Is How You Lose Her' in the front window - we knew we were 'home.' We continued to wander and found some amazing finds, books by Dave Eggers, Junot, Jhumpa surrounded us, books that we considered to be among our favorites. But what was most exciting was that we also found some books that we had never heard of before, book that weren't so 'mainstream' and wouldn't be found in that beloved Sugar Land commercial establishment with a Starbucks café inside. 'My Ideal Bookshelf' was among my favorites - it explored the bookshelves of various authors and what they enjoyed reading and what inspired them. The 'Staff Picks' at City Lit Books were my favorite - there were shelves upon shelves of books that were recommended by the staff at City Lit and had handwritten notes attached describing the book and why the individual liked it. It was a personal touch that you don't find everywhere. And as a former letter writer and a fan of stationery, City Lit is determined to drive me back to my old habit of snail mail. They have such a great assortment of cards that will literally make you laugh hysterically in the store. For any occasion, you name it - weddings (women love their registries!), love (but only if you love me), birthdays (especially for bday hoes), and TACOS. YES, TACOS. THERE ARE CARDS FOR TACOS?!?! HOW COME NO ONE TOLD ME?! Throw out that Kindle (not really, maybe sell it?) and ditch your email (out of office reply forever?) and visit City Lit Books. It's one of my favorite Chicago finds. read more

I'm a science fiction and fantasy gal. I like magic and space ships and strange new worlds with interesting forms of government (they usually end up based on a feudal system but I'm not that picky). I like adventures and sword/gunfighting and characters with weird names. I'll read mysteries and thrillers and other pieces of contemporary fiction, but I don't necessarily gravitate towards those subjects. And I rarely read non-fiction, of any sort. And that's unfortunately almost all of what this bookstore sells. They had ONE shelf dedicated to science fiction and fantasy. One! Such a small amount of space for two huge expansive genres. And they were missing crucial bits to series - like the first book in a trilogy. I walked out of a bookstore without buying one book because they had nothing for me. Which I find terribly depressing. I give it 3 stars because the staff members were nice and the store had a decent selection of every other type of genre. But I can't give it anything higher. Especially since I walked into a bookstore intending to buy books and I left without buying one. read more

What a great local book store!!! They had an author signing today, the book "Run Wild", it was such an sweet opportunity to engage with the author. The people there were very friendly, knew the neighborhood and family friendly. Good seating and open (so you don't feel like you're reading in a dungeon). Thanks for the special signing and live reading! read more

The bookstore must have just opened in a storefront next banco popular on Kedzie ave. They sell new books and have quite a large selection. Unfortunately I am not a huge reader but I am happy that new things are still moving into Logan Square. I hope they find success and I hope people check out the store. They do have a sign that says ' comfy chairs and a roaring fire are coming soon.' read more

We went here for the first time for Michael's Music Machine + storytime. It was a BLAST! So many kiddos dancing and singing and Michael is so engaging and fun with the kids. Our boys are only 5.5 months but they loved the songs and watching our kids dance around. Only criticism of City Lit is they don't have a changing table in their bathroom! :( read more

Love, love, love City Lit. It's in my top 3 of Chicago bookstores. Love that the folks who work there are SO kind, so enthusiastic about books, so eager to share their expertise. Love the carefully curated selection, and the staff recommendations. Love their huge kids section (with seating at just the right height for tiny ones). It really feels like the very best of a neighborhood bookstore- so much so that even though it's a hike from my neighborhood, I head there often. read more

Favorite book store in the city. They'll order just about anything you can't find in-store with a super quick turnaround, the selection is great but not overwhelming, and whoever designed the layout is a genius. It's cozy and friendly without the oppressive, claustrophobic feel of a lot of bookstores this size, and displays are super aesthetically pleasing. Thank goodness they have a rewards system, because I can't go in here without getting something. read more

I live in Uptown/Andersonville, so I don't get over to Logan Square much, but needed to kill some time before picking up my daughter and found my way over to City Lit. You don't see a whole lot of indie bookstores these days and this one delivered - looked pretty busy too. The neighborhood is really supporting it, which is nice! I asked a staff member for a recommendation and she helped me find something that she thought I would like (weird, non-linear fiction - in this case, Slade House by David Mitchell). I used to work at a Borders back in the day and I love the feel of an actual honest-to-goodness bookstore, peopled and run by book people. That's the feeling I got here. TONS of staff recommendations and the staff member who helped me said that they can special order anything if I wanted it. Thanks, City Lit! Looking forward to stopping in again! read more

In the world of amazon, kindle/nook and e-lit all I can say is thank you to the small business owner who opened this store. I have been pleasantly surprised by the selection, with opportunities to talk and socialize with other bookworms. I think the store is inviting and has good hours, open past 7. I am happy City Lit has moved into Logan Square. This sounds absurd, but there is nothing like walking into a new book store and breathing in the air of freshly printed pages and a new binding waiting to be cracked. I hope every resident will make a visit to this lovely little store. read more

I love local bookstores and I stopped by City Lit for the first time this evening looking to pick up a particular book. The staff were getting ready to host a reading and the shelves were pushed together to make space. I'm sure it's easier to navigate when the shelves are in their usual configuration, but I asked for help and they immediately found me the one copy they had and were super helpful and friendly even though it was a busy evening. I'll definitely be back to explore more. read more

We need to give this bookstore major props for being so physically comfortable: good seating, wide aisles, water fountains, and an unusually accessible and ADA-compliant bathroom! I was impressed. read more

I went here the other day and bought a Nelson Algren book and was really pleased with my purchase and the customer service I got. The clerks were friendly and smart, and there was a good selection of books to browse. It was also well-lit and clean (which cannot be said of many independent bookstores). I'm glad this store is in the neighborhood because before it opened, if I wanted new hardcover books, I had to go all the way over to the BN on Elston. This is much much easier. Now... As a longtime Logan Square resident, I am, of course, deeply dismayed at the appearance of a large children's book selection in any of my local bookstores-- because it signals that we are turning into THAT kind of neighborhood-- but who am I to stand in the way of "progress"? read more

Decent selection. The bathroom is trying really hard.

I've never been a fan of Yelp-- too many morons who can't spell venting their spleen so they can hear themselves talk-- but I'm here and you know what they say about people in glass houses. I am so underwhelmed by City Lit and it breaks my heart. I am a voracious reader. As a big supporter of the other book stores in the area, Bucket of Blood, Uncharted, and all of the comic book stores, I was really looking forward to LSq becoming some kind of literary hub. I wanted to LOVE it. But I didn't. And I feel, I don't know, some how betrayed? They feel so incongruous to the neighborhood. And that crappy disappointed feeling has crawled under my skin so far, the only thing I can do is be an idiot on this thing about them. Now on to the petty stuff: They're the Coldplay of bookstores. You can't really say anything *bad* about what they have going on, but it's so aggressively bland, appealing to the lowest common denominator of taste and aesthetics, that you can't really say anything *good* either. Their prices are fine for new physical books, but, having gotten accustomed to used and e-books, it feels like robbery. It's HARD to shell out $25+ for a book when I know 3 places within 15 minute bus ride (Uncharted, Myopic, Open Books) that I could spend $10 or less for the same thing and would feel all environmentally friendly about it. It's kind of ugly? Other than the great signage, it looks like a Borders. Icky industrial carpet. Fluorescent lights. There's no character and no history to the decor and I feel like those are really important things to have in a bookstore. I don't want to hang out and browse because it feels really clinical. Their staff didn't greet me when I came in and for whatever reason that makes me feel rushed and weird. I think that's more of a me-thing than an egregious error on their part. They're oddly explicit with the fact that they are not pet friendly. Do people Often take pets into stores? Why would you post a sign RIGHT up front? I Like why would that be the first thing you want your shoppers to read about your store?? It just reinforces that like incongruous-to-the-neighborhood vibe and makes me feel weird. Now there are a few things that they do well. Which is why they got 2 stars. They have a great, diverse children's section and their staff is educated in that area. I asked the lady (not the owner, I don't think) about a book I was thinking about for my nephew and she answered my questions competently. They have air conditioning? I don't know. I think the only positive thing was the children's section. read more

Bland, unfriendly, condescending staff. Inventory OK. Children's section good. I read a lot, and I buy a lot of books - and I want to support my local business owners. The reason for the attitude (including the owner's)? Maybe I don't fit their demographic as a 60 year-old queer.... my money is pretty green, though. I'll spend it somewhere else. read more

I am a teacher and was very excited about a new bookstore in my hood. I was pretty disappointed with the high prices and return policy. I was not aware that independent book stores do not have return policies. I went a little crazy on some books for my classroom. Guilt got the best of me after a week of thinking about my purchase. Realizing that teachers are paid shit, I decided to return the books. The clerk awkwardly told me that I could not return the books. There is no return policy on website or on receipt. I suppose I can re-sell on Amazon! I'm actually not sure why I didn't do Amazon in the first place. I won't be back!!! Sincerely, Upset, broke teacher read more

City Lit has just gotten better and better over the years. They make excellent choices in terms of what they carry, especially in the children's section. Plus, the Story Time on Saturday with Michael is a huge hit with my toddler and his neighborhood friends. For adults, it's been awesome to see the wide range of books they are carrying, from independent presses to romantic comedies to a section for Spanish books. They really make the most of the space that they have, and have a very nice atmosphere. In addition to the owner, who is wonderful, the staff do their best, both with recommendations and being nice to customers. If there's something they don't have, it's pretty easy to have it ordered. City Lit is one of the best parts of Logan Square. read more

A semi-hidden bookstore in the Logan Square area. We went to Revolution Brewery and walked down the street to check out the square and ended up here. It's a smallish bookstore but has a plentiful selection of all books. I loved their "Staff Recommendations" section and picked up a book from their myself. Very friendly staff, and fairly priced books. If you are in the Logan Square area, I would for sure stop by here and pick up a book. I will defiantly be stopping by again the next time I'm in Chicago. read more