The Book Bin is my go to for interesting books and games. They offer books for all tastes, and…read morealways help me out when I'm looking for something hard to find. They make enjoying fiction or true tales affordable.

I have been shopping at book bin for years now and they always have such a great selection of…read morebooks. Their service is amazing and the environment is warm and inviting. I have bought leadership books, children's books, and gifts from here.

This Barnes & Noble store was absolutely beautiful. The smell of freshly inked books hits you hard…read morewhen you walk in, and then you get to walk around in all their glory in a beautiful displays. It is new, modern, fresh and there are actually books in here (seriously a lot of the Barnes & Nobles have moved more in the toy direction). Well there are still a good amount of games, collectors items, etc. but it really is a true book store. I was surprised by the amount of manga they had in stock two dedicated sections. They even had a lot of hard to find ghibli merchandise. There's also a really nice cafe inside. We will definitely be back!

This is a gorgeous store. I told myself going in that I have enough books and was only going in to…read morelook but I dare you to go inside and not purchase anything. You could probably spend an hour in here going from section to section (store is one level but huge) and there are comfortable armchairs and a large cafe. Village Square has list several retailers over the years so it's nice to see some new stores here. I was sad when B&N closed the Deerfield store but this looks much nicer.

Awesome place to get great reads - for travel, anytime reading, and up-cycled gifts. Love to bring…read morethe kids and have them make a cash transaction with the helpful volunteers. A hidden gem in downtown Wilmette!

I love this place. Anytime I'm in the Chicago area, I have to go here, I find so many treasures. I…read moreeven had to get an extra suitcase on my flight back to Houston just to take back all the amazing finds. Books are so amazingly priced, that if you love books, you must visit. Cash is preferred, but you can pay by card upstairs at the front desk.

I'm not sure if I'd heard of The Book Stall before. I learned that the children's author Sherri…read moreDuskey Rinker, who happens to live in the suburbs, is doing story time events at several suburban bookstores to celebrate the release of her newest book. My daughter is a big fan of her Construction Site and Steam Train Dream Train series, so I was excited to bring her here for the event. We got here a little too early--about five minutes before they opened, and 35 minutes before story time--but I wanted to make sure we got a spot! The area where they hold story time was really large for an independent bookstore. After the story was over, the author personalized her signed books for the kids. I'm glad we went to this event because in addition to it being fun, we picked up several books and one of them has so quickly become a new favorite of my daughter's that she already can recite pages from it three days later. The bookstore is nice, and larger than I was expecting to be honest. It was fun to wander, even whilst trying to keep an eye on a toddler. They have various events, story time, fundraisers, and so on. I think it has the potential to be kind of a madhouse for some of their bigger events... it seemed a little unorganized getting folks in line for this signing and they don't really have a lot of space for folks to queue up so some people were cutting in front of folks so it might be kind of messy when there's a big event happening. But still, worth a stop if you like bookstores! There's lots of parking around on the street and even a municipal lot.

The Book Stall is a treasure. You can always find a great book from just browsing the shelves. If…read moreyou check their inventory on-line for a special book and it shows as being available, it will be! The author events are more than readings; they are intimate conversations. The Book Stall takes its role as an independent bookseller seriously and it does its job well. Writing this makes me want to visit again soon!

It was a nice surprise that the bookstore was still open after our post-dinner treat. It's always…read morefun to browse, and the store is very attractively laid out, with book covers gleaming and beckoning like inviting gems. I found a new book from my to-read list, coveted a cute display of Studio Ghibli merch, smiled at the witty cards, and soon my companions and I amassed a stockpile of items to purchase and so they gave us a nice tote. Maybe next time we'll skip dessert and head straight here (must check hours to see when the bar is open).

Such a cute book store! They have a great selection of books AND book related items like games too!read more

New location and it's beautiful! A bit confusing layout, but as a book lover, this is nirvana! Just…read moredropped in to buy a gift, but I'll be back very soon to explore more thoroughly!

The newly opened store between Loft and California Pizza Kitchen is subpar compared with B&N's two…read moreprevious locations. The original store on the east side of the mall was downright palatial and included a Starbucks café. The second location facing Old Orchard Rd. was downsized and plainer, but still open and airy. The newest iteration is even smaller. I imagine most customers will focus on the well-curated selection of books and other merchandise, and also the bright lighting. What I observed was a claustrophobic warren of small rooms with low ceilings, minimal seating (I counted 6 chairs and 0 tables), and sadly, no café.

If it is worth your time and effort to drag heavy books into Half Time Books, then go for it but…read moredon't expect more than a penny on the dollar...if that. Then count the cost of gas to go to/from the location. In my case my go forward plan is to gift my old books to the garbage and not waste my time given what they paid really didn't cover the cost of my gas, let alone my time.

Do I like throwing away money? Do I like spending more than I should? I guess I must because I…read morereally like shopping at book stores. Can't we have both? Yes we can. I really should make a point of stopping in here first. I brought a friend here recently and bought them an art journal. For half price (or discounted to be accurate). They were pleased with the journal and I felt good that they felt good and I also felt good that it was not full price.

This is the book store I always wished had been at this location! Prior to Secret World Books…read moreopening up here, it was a religious reading room. The space was so nice looking, and they had this adorable little garden in the back that I had only gotten glimpses of for years (like as far back as the 1990s) - but it didn't cater to my tastes and beliefs, so I never really visited there. Secret World Books recently occupied the space, and turned it into everything I love about small independently owned book nooks, which makes me so happy! They have a nicely-curated collection of books. Such a small shop obviously cannot compare to major book stores in sheer volume, but runs laps around them when it comes to style and vibe (sorry, I'm probably gonna say 'vibe' a lot here, please bear with). If you want books from local authors, if you want well-loved hidden gems that maybe missed the "[Insert Celebrity Name] Book Club™®©" spotlight, if you want to find some gently-read books with character unique to used books, if you're looking for some retro magazines, if you like comic books / graphic novels, if you're into tabletop RPGs, if you want books catering to out-of-the-box thinkers, and might enjoy an inviting safe space for people of all walks of life... Yeah, this just might be your place. And if you DO want the latest greatest manufactured-viral or pop culture hit, the Secret World staff can still get it for you, and seem chill about it. Hey, sometimes I just wanna read the latest entry in a best-selling megacorporation-owned franchise, without being judged... It's all good. Just go to the front and ask them to get a copy for you; easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Just maybe also consider looking behind the counter at their collection of books from local and lesser-known authors, who might have something that'll pull you in. It's so tough for local artists, crafters, writers, and other creative individuals go get traction; IMO, it's always bodacious when you put a little effort into checking 'em out, and generate some word-of-mouth magic to help them advance their message and/or skills. You might even just run into an author you know. They recently had some poets reading from their works, including Katana Smith and Highland Park's own poet laureate Laura Joyce-Hubbard. This weekend they'll have authors Jenna Satterwaite and Beth Kander. Seems like this is a somewhat common occurrence here... Pretty cool, huh? Oh, man, and the atmosphere here is sooo... I dunno, my ADHD want to say "cozy" and "crunchy" at the same time. "Crunchozy?" Thanks, wacky-internal-monologue-voice! Secret World feels nice and chill, but still filled with positive lively vibes. It's physically just comfortable, too. They have some comfy seats and a tea station that adds to the vibe, plus a gorgeous view of their secret garden. Dude, they even call it the "Secret Garden," which - funny(ish) personal story - I've been calling it for years. Literally, for decades, I had known there was a cool little secluded garden back there; but it's completely walled in, so I could only catch fleeting glimpses. I had a running head-canon that I would unlock an Elder Scrolls-esque mission there someday. I finally got to see it in person, and it's even cooler now! No RPG mission yet, but I'll be back to see what the zen racoon has to say. Okay, sorry, I've babbled on enough. Secret World Books book store: Cool place. Nice books. Friendly peeps. Comfy vibe. They spread the word on exercising your 5th amendment rights. They have complementary hot tea. Plenty of free street parking, near some 2-hour-free public parking lots. Neighbors to Curt's Café. Yeah, pretty awesome. Books; check 'em out!

This place is great! I was able to find a cool board game for a party. I also found some cool…read morecomics here as well!

This is a small shop with a great selection of books, cards, gifts packed into the space. I stopped…read morein to see what might be available for the neighbors and there was a plethora of items in all price ranges. I loved their seasonal Halloween offerings and the kids section was the best! When I have more time, I'll gladly peruse the titles of this independent book shop. Conveniently located close to the square and train station. Lots of available street parking. Friendly staff.

Good little and independent bookstore. In downtown Lake Forest, this is conveniently located not…read morethat far from the train station, and I popped in to get a few gifts. Pretty cool place for such a snobby rich suburb. Friendly and knowledgeable employees. There's a pretty nice variety of subjects to look through. A place to find almost anything. It has all kinds of books. This covers all types of subjects. All genres. There's biographies, cookbooks, novels of every preference. Even has an area for children. There's lots of new and old. Also they proudly have "banned books." You know, the books those people complaining about cancel culture - want to cancel, lol. Get these here. Then give them to your kids and others. For an independent bookstore it has a pretty good amount to choose from. It has many well known and not as well known. The prices are pretty good considering it's an independent bookstore in a rich suburb.

This is a pretty cool "bookstore" located in Mitsuwa Marketplace. Lots of awesome manga, both in…read moreEnglish and Japanese. They had some classic series and lots of modern stuff that's blowing up right now. This could be a great place to start a collection or fill gaps for an existing one. They've got plenty of merchandise as well. Figures and posters and bookmarks and so much more! The place was super crowded but it was a Saturday, so I'll plan to come back and make some purchases on a weekday when browsing might be easier.

Best Japanese bookstore in the Midwest. Incomparable selection of Japanese fiction, art books,…read moreManga, anime, comics, and magazines. Both English and Japanese language reading. Enticing selection of omiyage, kawaii (cute) gifts, Japanese good luck charms, origami paper and books, and of course, cat stuff. They can order Japanese books at a very good price. Part of a half day adventure at Mitsuya supermarket.,