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.

They have a decent selection and helpful staff. It's a local treasure. Three cheers for local,…read moreindependent book stores.

This hidden gem in the Ravinia business district welcomes visitors with its small but well-curated…read moreaisles, stocked with antiques, books, and rare finds. The owners are warm and welcoming and even provide a "wish list" notebook for customer requests. This shop, with Vintage Rescue next door, offers a delightful treasure hunting trip, followed by a stop at the Astra Coffee shop or Mil Colibris bakery and cafe a few doors down; or the Chunky Scones vegan bakery around the corner.

Several weeks ago, we went in were looking for a shofar, and we had multiple from which to choose…read more Yesterday, I knocked a treasured menorah off our island and needed another to light for Chanukah last night. I arrived at 11 am as I thought that is when they opened. Turns out they opened next at 11 am ON WEDNESDAY (yesterday was Monday). I called the number on the door, and one of the owners was there in 10 minutes! I found a gorgeous antique menorah I will treasure. AFTER purchasing it and leaving the store, the owners texted me wonderful information they had researched about the piece without my even asking. The selection at Ravinia Books, Antiques Etc. is excellent but it's not as wonderful as the kindness and knowledge of the owners.

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).

This bookstore does not support local authors. A local bookstore should. They are very rude and…read morepompous as well. We don't need that behavior in Evanston.

Have I seriously not reviewed The Book Stall yet? My bad. The Book Stall is the preeminent book…read morestore on the North Shore; it's been in business since 1940 and has won best national independent book store before. The Book Stall has everything and something for everyone. If they don't have it they'll order it and call you when it comes in. They carry all the books district 36 and New Trier English students are reading in a special section, they have staff favorites, book club selections, and a great stock of fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, history, sports, young adult, kids, psychology, parenting, travel, cooking, etc. They carry stationery, cards, journals, small gifts like scarves, pens, novelty socks, bookmarks, and toys, they run a weekly book club, they host dozens of authors and book discussions every year, they gift wrap, and they know what they're talking about when it comes to books. They host a publishers rep night that shouldn't be missed and they work with local schools to raise money. Simply put, all bookstores should be just like this one. It's a hub in our community and I'd much rather shop here than at the big chain stores.

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.

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.

What listings and notices fail to mention is that Amaranth's selection of rare/used books is…read moreinexpensive, in some cases surprisingly so. Thumbing through some mid-19th century curiosity it comes as a shock to discover such a seeming rarity priced at under $5!

I love this little gem! Very clean, organized and amazing prices on books! I had somw great finds!!read more

For the amount of times I've shopped at the various Barnes and noble location in this mall I'm…read moreshocked I have yet to write a review. Throughout high school, I spent SO much time at the location on the other side of the mall by Nordstrom's and was heartbroken when I was told they were closing only for them to reopen across from Cheesecake Factory. Then I was told they were relocating again and I'm actually loving this new location. I do wish they had a cafe in the bookstore but there are so many nearby coffee shops in the mall that it doesn't make much sense. But they didn't have very many spaces for folks to sit and read and enjoy like they used to but in return, I think the layout is set up with more intention and more eye appealing. The staff has always been incredibly friendly in locating books and making suggestions. Pro tip is to get the membership because it basically pays for itself if you buy even 5 books during the year.

I love the fact that they retained Barnes & Noble at Old Orchard. It used to be the staple store…read morewhen it was located front and center facing Skokie Blvd. It was a frequent place to visit as it was a massive two floor venue. It closed down for a bit but was revived in a location right across Cheesecake factory. It is now located next to Anthropology. The store is so inviting and the service is amazing! The workers cater to your needs and are so friendly. They really have a passion for books. The selection of books is not as large as it once was but it is supplemented by their online catalog. From the value perspective, you can find online outlets with a more price competitive offering BUT there is no replacement for browsing the aisles and loojo g through the books and selection of titles for an intriguing options to read. I'm so happy that my daughter can continue to enjoy the benefits of Barnes!

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.

I went in yesterday to bring in a complete set of lost in space VHS (all seasons), and a few full…read moreboxes of older books and other book sets. The people and especially one of the guys in the buyback section was somewhat rude to me and told me to leave the area while they looked at my boxes and books. I told him that I wanted to go through one of the boxes before I let them digest the donation. I was concerned about something accidentally being in the box. He was still rude and told me to go away. Eventually when they called me back to the counter, they only showed me a few of the items that I had brought and offered me a pittance or penny on the pound. They also broke up the Book collections and the VHS TV series collection and said they only needed three of the videotapes and none of the duplicates. I immediately knew that they didn't even check that there were no duplicates and it was a complete TV series. I also asked what happened to the other stuff that I said I wanted to check before they did something to it and they said that they were going to donate it or give it to another store. They didn't offer me any cash value for the items that they wanted to donate or trade to another store. After a bit of time, another manager was called out and said it was OK for me to see and check my donation. But they wouldn't let me go behind the counter and claimed that I had to do everything over the counter. They had placed everything behind the counter. The Schaumburg store was a lot more friendlier and more engaging and understanding. There's something really off about this store location and it made me highly uncomfortable.

Such a cute bookstore in the heart of Lake Forest. Located right next to Starbucks if anyone is…read morehaving a hard time finding it! When you walk in, it looks small but it carries tons of incredible titles. To the left you find all the shelves with trinkets, and fun gifts along with toys and children's/young adult books. Our little guy loved looking and exploring the toys. On the main side of the store you'll find best sellers, bookseller recommendations, even a section for Chicago Themed goodies. I love support indie bookstores whenever I can, the staff were so friendly and the shelves were super organized. They even had hand written notes of book recommendations which actually helped me pick out the book I purchased. Overall a great experience and I look forward to visiting when I'm in the area again soon!

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.

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!