Bookworks

I’m a fan of cool used book stores, and Bookworks is one of them. A cool used bookstore is a blend of organization and randomness. Organization means books are grouped into meaningful and specific topics. Randomness means you never know what you will find under those specific topics. And what you do find can surprise and engage you far more than the standard best sellers and popular titles of the moment. Bookworks is a used book store that fits this description nicely.

Awesome customer care. Keeps it real. No flash, no pizzaz just real home cookin. Thanks guys will always be back

This place has become my new go-​to used bookstore in the city. The staff are pleasant, and they even let me keep my purse with me, though I had to check my Marshall’s shopping bag at the counter. The selection is impressive, and they even had good music playing. Plus the price is right; I bought eight books and only spent a total of $ 30!

Overall it was pretty decent. The store is very organized and has a really good variety of genres and is open late which is really great and unique.
However it loses a star for the prices of their books. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by finding books for cheap but I found many very common books (not best sellers, but common) that were priced somewhere between $ 6 – 8 and I think that’s a bit much. That being said, all books are in great shape so you get what you pay for.

This is a great used bookstore to browse in. I like going on a day off with a coffee and sit and read in its stacks. It is well lit and cheerful place.
They have excellent fiction, poetry, and non-​fiction sections, and often stock multiple editions of titles in paper and hardback editions.
The owner and staff are friendly and down to earth. I never have to wait long before someone offers to help me find what I am looking for. Often the staff can tell you without looking on the shelf whether they have a paticular title in stock. While you may not find everything on your shopping list, you will walk away with a good purchase.
Give it a try, you’ll like it.

This place was a very pleasant surprise. Mostly used collection, but they keep the recently popular books as well. The woman who runs the store (or at least was in there by herself) was super nice and helpful. They have really cool original art in the store as well, made it even more unique.

This is the cozy little bookstore I dreamed of for YEARS in my childhood!
This tiny, low-​key shop has WAY more than you’d expect from looking at the narrow façade. The store is long and deep, with a staggering amount of shelving that’s stacked to the ceiling with books, plays, anthologies, music… you name it!
The shelves are extremely well organized, the staff is quiet but helpful, they’re not squeamish about you climbing up on the step stools to take a look at the higher wares, and they have material from EVERY genre imaginable. This store is so small and yet I could spend HOURS in here, and I ALWAYS find something that’s just up the alley I was looking for! The staff isn’t opposed to your perusing and they’ll help you find something specific if you’re looking for it — just don’t expect them to have a catalog — they can’t really keep track of exactly every book they buy and sell on a daily basis. Up front at the counter they’ve got some neat little odds and ends for you to check out when you purchase your books: buttons, book marks, and the like…
The prices are fair and all of their merchandise is in great condition. The ambiance in here is like the bookstore right out of my dreams — quaint, cozy, private, understated, and yet absolutely trendy and comfortable. I LOVE Bookworks — I’ll keep coming back when I’m in the area!

This is a review of just the VINYL RECORD selection at Bookworks…
The record collection here is very nice, particularly the classical and jazz sections. It is not the largest selection of records, but it is very well curated, so although they might not have as many records as shops like Dusty Groove or Reckless, what they do have is all top shelf stuff, both in terms of the condition its in and in terms of the items they have on offer. The owner seems very nice too, so that’s another plus.

Cozy bookshop packed to the ceiling with all manner of finds. Friendly and helpful cashier up front, just a 5min walk from the Red line station. I was there for the cookbooks, and they had an awesome selection, all extremely reasonably priced. I scored an early Rick Bayless in great shape for $ 7. Will definitely be back again when we’re in town.

One of the best used bookstores in the city. Ample parking (in the back), minimal clutter, a very good selection, and friendly service. If you’re into Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, jazz or all three, this is the place to go. If the douched-​out Wrigleyville bar scene tires you, this is your refuge.

Very cute bookstore. The customer service has always been very friendly when I’ve come. Ridiculously good location, as it is right in Wrigleyville. It’s right next to Strange Cargo (who I love also!)
I didn’t give them one more star because they were extremely picky about what books they buy back. (Let me backtrack: I was selling books for extra cash and because I needed to do some spring cleaning.) They only bought two of my Bukowski books and gave me $ 5. The books were in excellent condition.
Anyhow, it’s an awesome place to check out! :)

A used bookstore that takes credit cards and doesn’t make you leave your bags at the front! The selection of books was also excellent and I quickly found a book that I’ve wanted at a great price.

I love books. I love reading. No joke, I was reading before I was three, not saying I’m some sort of genius, just love reading.
Books aren’t cheap, and I haven’t yet been able to make the leap to a Kindle, Bookworks is perfect for me. I’m going through a streak of cookbook/​food related reading now, and Bookworks is great for me to get my read on. Looking for that biography of Julia Child? Get it here for 7 bucks. Looking to expand your cookbook collection? You can pick up a mint condition copy of «The Bread Baker’s Apprentice» for 17 bucks.
Did I mention how clean and organized Bookworks is? Well it is. Did I mention how friendly and knowledgeable the staff is? Well they are.
So go and support your friendly neighborhood used bookstore, and go read a book!

M and my friend just left this place. We went in to just just do a quick browse, and while she didn’t find what she was looking for, we both had a great time there! I found so many classics, vintage, art, plays and modern books. All affordable and well-​preserved. I also love the postcards tthat featured monroe, einstein and sedgewick. I vow to go back with my new paycheck!

Hubby and I love bookstores. Our first date was at a bookstore. Well, actually it was at a wine bar, but the wine bar was next to a bookstore. And, us being us, we each arrived early. Then, each of us immediately headed to the bookstore next door to kill time. I think that was the moment we knew we were meant to be.
Anyways, this is a great little used book store. Chock full o’ books for your browsing pleasure. And they have been there forever so you are likely to find some interesting first editions and stuff. We have.
The shelves go all the way up to the ceiling. So far up that even my tall Hubby cannot reach them. It makes it hard to see what is on those upper shelves. However, this is the only way that they can pack all those books into such a small little store front.
The people who work there are knowledgeable and friendly. But they have an incredibly strict no bags policy. This includes the large purses we favor today. So when I know I am going there, I leave my purse at home or bring my tiniest bag. You should, too, unless you want to leave your purse behind the counter up front.
Beyond that, just go lose yourself. It will be fun.

I have fond memories of seeking haven here during my first Chicago winter. I had a routine of ducking in here to grab new poetry or prose, walking several blocks to a chill empty bar to read while sipping bourbon and waiting for a showtime at Landmark Century Cinema. It got me through just fine!
It’s inviting, organized, and there are plenty of interesting titles to discover at very fair prices.

Fun facts:
–Bookworks sells not only a great selection of used books, but also some unused titles by popular authors at discount prices. Selections during a recent visit included $ 10 Nabokov and Murakami.
–There’s a discount basket near the register with all kinds of little surprises inside, all priced at $ 5 or less.
–That spinning rack is full of pulp, mostly in great condition.
–The staff really knows their books! They not only know if they have it without looking but can tell me where to find it, even if the author’s name is compound or hyphenated.
–Like basically every used book store, they will ask you to check your bag. Don’t worry. The staff isn’t going to sneak out your iPhone and ruin your Angry Birds score while you’re browsing.
–They have a booth at the Printer’s Row fest and can tell you all kinds of useful stuff about the fest if you ask.
–Parking can be a bitch. Suprise! It’s across the street from a ballpark. Take the train.
–I am convinced that the window displays are clever schemes to bankrupt me because I see the books and WANT THEM ALL.
–My copy of «All The King’s Men» is from the 1950’s, looks great for its age, and smells like heaven. Thanks, Bookworks!

I’ve always felt that used bookstores are best approached with no expectations. You’ll stumble upon a great find when you’re just browsing, but you can’t count on walking in and finding the book you’re looking for.
Bookworks is different. You can browse if you want to, but you can also march right in and ask if a certain book is in stock. Because they are so organized, they can give you an answer right away, and they seemed to have intuitive selections. (Their shelves aren’t over-​stocked with obscure bird-​watching books from the 1930’s.) Instead, they’ve got a great supply of relevant fiction, non-​fiction, and poetry.
And if that wasn’t enough, the staff is so chill and nice. Such a refreshing addition to Wrigleyville. I love giving these guys my business!

One of the (rare) worthwhile spots in Wrigleyville.
I used to frequent this bookstore when I was in high school, but over the years, had somehow forgotten how much I loved it.
Luckily, I recently remembered. It was a chilly, early-​to-​dark Sunday at the end of October, and I was feeling not blue-​blue, but maybe a charcoal-​blue. I decided that a new book, hot tea, and some warm blankies (blankets, in this case, just would not do) would be the perfect evening.
I headed to Bookworks, as I hadn’t been there in ages and felt a used, pre-​read, pre-​contemplated, pre-​enjoyed book (if you will) was exactly what I wanted.
One of the reasons I’ve always loved this store is for the selection. I know it won’t be for everybody, and there have certainly been times when they’ve not carried something I’ve wanted. But overall, I love the kind of books they have there, even when the section is tiny. I always find something I want.
In this case, I picked up «The Handmaid’s Tale» by Atwood (my first Atwood). I — loved it. So much. And I have to say, that experience is tied into where I bought it from, even if that is a little obvious in its ridicu-​licity. I also picked up a Marshall McLuhan book — I was beyond impressed they had one, let alone several. As a media studies lover, this selection did make me jump while wiggling my fingers in glee.
If you go, I hope you enjoy this bookstore as much as I do.

Recent experience belies my earlier statement: «almost without exception, if I come in for a specific title, it isn’t there.» I was looking all over town for a copy of Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom. Bookworks was my fifth stop, where I finally found the goose. Other stores had plenty of The Sound and the Fury but little else; Bookworks actually had multiple copies of several Faulkner titles, including some lesser-​known ones.
So, any bookstore is always going to be hit-​or-​miss, but in this case Bookworks was a savior. Generally, their fiction section is very good. The price was nice too.