Awesome bookstore in West Loop! Lots of options and at great prices. There are even a few book nooks all over the store to hangout and read.

I've been a regular supporter of this shop for a long time, and I've always appreciated their mission. 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. read more

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

Open Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My mother found out about this place while looking for businesses to give her new and used books to after retiring as a teacher for so long. I am thankful that this place exists and not only has one but two locations. Though we got there a bit before it opened, I saw the potential and the large building. This would have been and should be a reader's paradise for me and other kids. Please take your kids here! I want to see schools, especially from the inner city and especially now, have school trips here! We dropped off the books in the bin and I was thankful that my hometown has places like this that give heart to the city jungle that Chicago can be for some. Keep shining Open Books! read more

My new favorite books store. Plenty of space, great selection, restrooms and friendly staff. I found a couple used books, very reasonable pricing! read more

This is our favorite book store in Chicago. There's a wonderful collection of books, so inspiring! Something for the whole family. Old and new books. Good value. Friendly service. Love this place! read more

Open Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this book store. You can easily get lost for hours browsing through the aisles. The sections are nicely labeled and easy to find whatever genre you are looking for. There is a great collection of records and kids books. They do also sell currently popular books that are trending like Fourth Wing. We found a few fun cocktail and astrology books that we ended up buying for a cheap price! I highly recommend this place for any book lovers. read more

There's a great selection of books. The store is easy to navigate, the way they organize each subject makes sense. They had some great deals when I visited too, and I found several books that I liked. Support small business! read more

What a gem of a book store. I love paying Open Books a visit because it's just so fun. They have so many options of books that are extremely reasonably priced. Their staff are very friendly and helpful. If you're looking to see if a book is in stock, be sure to ask them! They even have a sweet membership deal for $25 you can get a bunch of perks. I recommend this store to all my friends who are looking for new books. This spot is a true wonderful neighborhood gem. read more

I saw this place on Instagram and decided to give it a try. First you walk in and you can leave strolls and umbrellas. The place looked little at first but it was pretty big. They had a lot of new books. Their selection was pretty good all types of books. Prices were very reasonable. The kids section was pretty big with a lot of comfort sitting places. We purchased 3 books for under $20. Highly recommend this place we had a great experience. read more

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Ok selection, but rude, disinterested, slacker/hipster service. Maybe I should stick to Powell's.

This is a fantastic concept: a huge warehouse full of books, with a focus on getting books to the public for lower prices and community service. The existence of such a place makes the world a better place. There is a huge selection and I could spend a lot of time exploring the many colorful aisles. read more

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I've been bringing my daughter to Open Books since she was 4 years old (she's 16 years old now) and they were located on Franklin by the brown line. We absolutely adore this store and their mission. We buy and donate books all the time, their customer service is top notch and the books are extremely reasonable. We can't wait to to visit their other locations. read more

Open Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The staff are AMAZING! Words cannot describe how efficient and well organized the store is!!! The prices are reasonable if one is a book addict like myself! If you ever need assistance, PLEASEEEE don't hesitate to ask Charlie (I believe was their name! SORRY I WAS SO EXCITED TO ASK FOR A NAME!!!) for assistance!!!! THE BESTTTT!!! read more

This place is such a GEM. This store has a wide selection of new and used books, and it's so much larger than it looks!! I could spend hours in here, and it's just so fun to hunt for books. You really also can't beat the prices, and you can find such like-new used books starting at $5! Absolutely can't wait to spend hours on end here! read more

I found out about this place by chance when I drove by and saw one of their vans parked out front. The other Yelp reviews mentions they have a great kids section so I figured I'd check it out. The store itself is much larger than it appears from the outside. The books are in excellent condition and well organized by ages and type of book (board book, paperback, hard cover etc.) they even have a section with French and Spanish. Everything is alphabetized so it's easy to look and see what they have by a favorite author. It was fun to hunt for familiar books along with ones I had never seen before. They were all around $3-6 dollars. I'm going to check out the other locations to see what they have in stock! read more

Open Books is heaven on earth! I'm going on vacation and wanted to stock up on a few books to read by the beach, but I didn't want to break the bank. Open Books saved the day! This bookstore is much bigger than it appears. I could have spent hours wandering through the stacks. Everything is well organized, so finding something that interests you is easy. Pricing is great too. The used books will run you about $4-$6 each, so it's easy to leave with a decent haul on a budget. Open Books will become a regular stop for me! read more

One of my favorite bookstores! What a gem. I can probably get lost in this store for hours if I lived nearby... there's a great selection and a wide variety of used books, ranging from old cookbooks to new fiction to foreign/translated work. Also enjoyed the music. Ended up stepping away with approx 10 books for $75. read more

Open Books is a fantastic used bookstore nestled between the western side of the Loop and West Loop. Being located right under the L tracks on Lake you cannot get more of a Chicago feel to the place. Upon stepping inside you are greeted by a HUGE selection of used books that are nicely organized and displayed. In fact, at first, it's a bit overwhelming... where to even start!? Once you get your bearings, however, I dare you to NOT finding something you'd like to take home. Tending to this massive collection is a helpful staff who are ready and willing to help you find anything you're looking for that day. They are also constantly tending to the shelves and reorganizing to make room for new (donated) stock. The prices of the books are right where you'd expect them too. And given that all items are in near-like new shape you really couldn't find a better deal. Forget shopping for brand-new books when you can probably find exactly what you're looking for in near-new shape right here at Open Books. read more

I don't have anything positive to add that hasn't already been acknowledged. This is simply a place you must stop at and experience yourself! The reason for the minus 1 star is that the cashier at the checkout was a little rude to our family as we purchased over $100 in books. All I asked for was a receipt and they responded as if offended at the request. After making excuses like, "I can't pull it up" and "People usually don't ask for their receipts," they breathed a labored sigh and said, why don't you give me your email and we'll try to send it to you later today. I was handed one of those 1/4 sized post-it notes, barely enough to fit my email, and I knew instantly that this was all for show. Since the money goes to a good cause, I didn't pursue anything further, but I don't believe that we deserved to be treated with such disrespect. Still love the place and will continue to support! read more

Stopped in for the first time and I absolutely loved this local book store! Their used books range from $5-$9 on average and they offer 10% off of their new books. It's a pretty big space when you walk in, with sections going far back into the store. I could definitely spend hours here browsing the shelves. I'll definitely be supporting this local book store more! read more

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They have a large section where they sell books for only 5 dollars. The store is pretty sizable with a wide selection, and you can definitely browse the store for hours on end. The staff at checkout was so kind and helpful! Would definitely recommend coming here for your next book find! read more

Open Books - Inside - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my all time favorite book store here in the city, so much so that I'll trek through these freezing 20 degree temps to get here. They have every book possible here: used books, new books, fiction, non-fiction. you name it, it's here. The prices are way cheaper than what you'll find online, trust me, I've compared. They even had the Rebecca Yarros Empyrean series which I've been dying to get a hold of and i even looked on Amazon and the prices here were cheaper. You can get a brand new book for $15-$30 and used books are as cheap as $3. It doesn't get better than that. I will say, the organization of the books does get a little confusing but if you ask someone who works there for help in finding a book, they're more than happy to help. They have brown paper bags up front to put everything in and they'll throw in a couple of bookmarks to go as well. Honestly, I cannot get enough of this store and am always looking forward to the next time I'll be back! read more

Open Books - Winter hours! Little different from the hours listed on Yelp - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Being new to the city of Chicago, I knew I needed a place to escape with paper and words. As soon as I walked in, the sounds of the city disappeared and the presence of great books emerged. Every section is clearly labeled and organized, and several employees helped me find the areas and authors I was looking for. The prices were extremely reasonable, and if I wasn't a struggling college student, I would've gone home with a full arms worth instead of three. Which means I will definitely be returning. What a wonderland! read more

Open Books - Just a sample of the huge assortment of books! - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Has a very big selection and it was very organized. I thought the prices were very reasonable. Loved it read more

Open Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this bookstore! It always has the best used books at such a fair price. Profits go to such a great cause as well! There is a huge selection to choose from and you can truly stay in there four hours at a time! Parking is rough, but hey, you are in a city. Can't wait to return and fill up my library with some more books! read more

This spot has a wide range of used books - both fiction and non fiction. It's a great spot to spend a few hours just browsing for books. In the far corner of the store, there's some seating where you can spend some time skimming through the books before buying. read more

I live close by and although the shop is pretty hidden, it is not to be missed! I stop by occasionally to read some poetry, look at cookbooks I might want to purchase, and revel in the smell of both secondhand and new books. There isn't a lot of seating to read but I usually sit down in the children's section if I want to read a few chapters. In a world where books are becoming more obsolete and ebooks the norm, it's nice to see a bookstore filled to the brim with so many literary works! read more

I purchase a lot of books because I read a lot. In the past (pre-2020), on several occasions I donated several boxes of books to Open Books and bought books there (mostly the downtown location). This year (2024) I planned to donate books and called called before loading the car and driving to Open Books with boxes of books. I'm glad that I called first, because on each occasion the person I talked with (at the Pilsen location) was unfriendly and vague about whether large book donations would be accepted. My advice is to call before planning to donate. read more

One of my two favorite Chicago bookstores. A great selection of used books and a short walk from downtown. I shop here a few times a year and always get at least four books at every visit read more

Buy your books here instead of Amazon. (1) it's cheaper, (2) all profits support literacy programs in Chicago. The West Loop location is so well organized with a vast collection, you can easily stroll through the shelves and find something that piques your interest. Also, the staff are avid readers who can suggest great reads that broaden your horizons. read more

This bookstore is one of my favorite bookstores I've found in Chicago!! Majority of the books are used and therefore very fairly priced! I usually leave with 3-4 books and spend $30 or less. They have a section of fiction and non fiction best sellers for $5. The staff has been very helpful & kind when I've gone. I love it here! read more

Give yourself a couple hours to browse this gem. Spacious, well organized, friendly, and inviting. I'm confident you'll leave with a book or six. read more

Open Books - Interior - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm a huge fan of Open Books and happy to have them in the neighborhood. I hadn't even heard about Open Books when I got their flyer in the mail, we dropped in that weekend to restock our bookshelves and donate some books that we had recently finished. Open Books runs city wide literacy programs funded by their used book store. Staff is helpful and will help you find the book that you're looking for and it will only run you a few bucks. That day I got eight books for maybe thirty bucks (and have already read six of them)! Beyond the bookstore, this is an excellent place to volunteer. I've had the pleasure of working with some great people in writing workshops. Everyone has a blast and it is such a joy to see the talented kids that we work with write and perform poems in front of the class. It is a truly rewarding experience that I'm thrilled to be a part of. read more

Unbelievably happy I stopped in here. Very large, organized used bookstore, very friendly and helpful staff, great selection ( really not kidding here!)and they do a lot of work supporting schools and non profits with various programs. There was a book club meeting there when I was in, and they have various clubs meet there. Not only did I find books that were perfect that I never would have found in a new book store, but I felt good about buying them here :) Highly, highly recommended!!! read more

Open Books - Yeah, this place is amazing! - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this place!This place sells new and used books. Great place with a great and vast selection. They have a whole basement as well you don't want to miss. I also love that they are involved in the community as well. Added bonus that they have a nice bathroom as well. read more

Okay...I went in here once and this is absolutely where I'm going to buy any and all books from now on. This book store is extensive!! Their store stretches so far back and has so many little reading books and crannies it could honestly be a library. But it's not a library, it's a book store. And it's not just any book store... It's a used book store! And even better is that when you buy books it goes towards various programming designed to increase literacy in Chicago. What an important and meaningful purpose! How could you not support that mission? Books range from $5-$30 (but the higher end books look to be new condition/are extremely current & popular/are hard-cover). The store is organized extremely well and it was very easy to find books i was interested in. I like that they have special shelves designated for classics, best sellers, new releases, etc. they also have an extensive children's book selection and a stage for storytelling. There are lots of opportunities for volunteering -- their website shares more information. I also learned at the store that you can look up books online to see if they have them in stock! So cool! I just moved to Chicago, and this will be my go-to bookstore for sure. Keep up the great work! read more

Open Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I absolutely love Open Books! It's too bad I don't live in the area or else I would be here frequently! I found so many great finds that are recently-published and are so cheap ($3-8). I wish I had a used bookstore in my area as good as Open Books! read more

Open Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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best bookstore in the loop area HANDS DOWN. the store features new and used books for amazing prices-- used books usually go for $3-$8, and most are $5. awesome and expansive selection too, i can truly spend HOURS in here, and seems like the selection is constantly and frequently being updated! and despite the huge selection of books, the interior layout is cute, accessible, and organized. read more

Definitely my favorite bookstore in Chicago! The prices are great (I spent between $3-$9 here per book) and the quality of the books is quite high. I was able to find some PG Wodehouse books I hadn't read before in perfect condition and less than $10. They have a pretty good selection of newer and popular releases too although their romance section was definitely light and hard to find (just a couple of shelves). read more

Open Books - Bookstores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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