Amazing prices and variety of new and used and rare books! I was really impressed with their selection of graphic design books in particular as well as art and photography. I’m always looking for copies of my favorite Shakespeare plays and classic author titles and found more than I could possibly carry home on the airplane. Their young adult and children’s options were really great as well and we can’t wait to come back.

My daughter and I traveled to the West Loop to explore for my birthday. This was the first places I put on my to do list. We LOVE books store like this one and miss them so much as there are none left in our area. This was GREAT! The books are so organized, the staff were very helpful, and the ambience was that of past memories and new adventures to be read. We will be back!

Great indie bookstore on Lake St. in Chicago. Extremely helpful staff. They have an answer to your question immediately. Very knowledgeable. Definitely will visit again.

GO. HERE. I love this indie non profit bookstore that gives back to the community. FABULOUS selection of books, and incredibly knowledgeable and friendly staff! Cant wait to return.

A lovely bookshop with super great titles and for discounted prices, even the new stuff! I was very impressed with their selection of books they chose to highlight in the front and the customer service was kind and polite. Sunday has free parking right out front so thats a plus as well. I highly recommend checking Open Books out :)(The books I chose were all under $10 each!)

Open Books in the sweetheart of Chicago bookstores. They have extremely fair prices, a giant selection and knowledgeable staff. I have well over 100 books throughout my home and the majority have come from this shop. They also allow my dog to come with me, and that is always a nice plus!

My wife and I were visiting Chicago and stopped in. (We like to check out used bookstores when we visit a new place.) Open books is probably the best used bookstore we have EVER been in. It was so good that we ended up buying about 10 books, even though we would have to haul them home on a flight in our bag. The selection is very big and very well curated. The store was also nicely organized. The prices were extremely good. Most of the books we found were around $6, which is at least a few dollars cheaper than most used bookstores with such a nice and nicely organized selection.Again, one of the best used bookstores weve ever been in! Wish we could visit more often!

Best cozy and stylish used bookstore in Chicago!

Nice dark space, a really good Sci Fi/Fantasy selection and reasonable prices. Heavily recommend.Also, spoilers, they had a book on Robotech art, so if youre into that go ahead and look, they seem to the the kind of store to have that rarity once in a while.

A Chicago gem hidden in plain sight and a must visit for all book lovers. Its basically a thrift store for books but set up with meticulous care. The books are arranged by theme and you can find almost anything here. You can even search for books on their website. We bought five books, including one large hardbound, all for $25. Do visit in person but the next time you are looking for a book, check here before you go on Amazon!

Love this place. Wide selection of books at great prices. Staff is helpful but not overbearing. I was given leave to look around in peace. Money goes to literacy programs. Win win all around.

Really good place to buy books at an inexpensive rate. They maybe used but are in really good shape. All the money they earn goes to charity. Really nice folks.

My favorite book store ever! They always have fantastic selections at unbeatable prices. Plus all proceeds go to a great cause! The staff is very friendly and helpful. I try to go here once a week to destress 😊

This is a hidden gem ... The store is bigger than I thought ... So many good books and the prices are amazing. The bathrooms are covered with fun pictures. Theres also a cute little area for the kids. I loved this place and Im definitely going back for more books

Large selection of all genres. Loved the brick walls and cleanliness of the space. Very low key allowing freedom to browse and enjoy the space. Many great finds here as well as sidewalk sales.

This is one of the hidden literary gems in the city. Open Books is predominantly a used book store...and what a store it is! Nestled in an unassuming west loop building, the store itself is friendly, engaging, and chock-a-block with volume after volume.The employees are knowledgeable and friendly. The vibe is engaging. And the vision of Open Books is admirable. Not only do they provide new loves for used books, but the revenue generated goes toward youth programming, including literacy, reading, and creative writing engagement with the community.I just love this place!

Friendly staff, great prices and great selection of books. I get books here to send to my nephew. Highly recommend getting a membership!

Extremely wide range of selection. I couldve easily have spent 4-5 hours here.

Super cool spot for out there books, new and old. Good prices.

Love visiting independent bookstores when I travel. This one was great. Great selection, comfortable seating, and knowledgeable staff. We took home 20+ books from our visit.

This place is amazing the staff is so helpful and the price of the books are soo cheap. I highly recommend to go to this place.

I love this store. When I lived on W. Jackson, I would go to Open Books almost every other weekend. Now that I live in the Northside, I still buy their books online. It feels great buying used books and supporting the local community at the same time.

Pricing is overall pretty good, albeit somewhat confusing. I found a book that sells for $4 online for $8 in the store, and another book that sells for $90 online for the same $8. They have their complete inventory online, so you can browse ahead, or even in the store if you think of something, without having to go searching to see if they have something.

This book store is a bit of a hidden gem in the city. Great place to browse for new titles to add to your reading list.

Nice place with a wide collection of books at a great price. Good for exploring for new reads!

Great finds and hidden treasures. Books are affordable and in great condition. Customer service is always helpful and friendly.

This place has such great selection for a used book store! Their online catalogue is amazing for searching for specific books in advance, and the store is great to browse. All the employees have always been very upbeat and helpful, showing me deals and new books to check out!

The store is very organized and the staff is helpful and knowledgeable! Usually used book stores are hard to navigate and its difficult to find what you are looking for, but not here! Ill definitely be back. Also, the prices are great, and proceeds help find literacy programs.

Awesome bookstore with every subject matter you could dream of. Good prices & friendly staff too.

So many great books gor great prices... even new books see pretty cheap. Im def coming back

This place was awesome. They have a huge selection of books and it is super affordable on discount days. They are currently doing appointments only, but going to a bookstore that is mostly empty was nice. The employees are were helpful and nice. Would definitely go back

Been here a few times and always walked out with a stack of books I was excited to read. Great selection, price, and organization!

Love this bookstore. Staff was helpful, many different genres, beautiful and fun kids area. Picked up a book on my to-read list and a t-shirt on discount. Very reasonable prices. Will be back!!!!!

I loved visiting this book store! Found them on Instagram and I was blown away by the selection here. A lot of variety and plenty to look at. Prices are very good as well, and the books are in great condition.

Open Books has always been an amazing resource. A great selection of new, almost new and well loved books.I bring my daughters here to let them pick out and buy whatever interests them. Prices are great! The great part is that we can bring them back and let them pass it back for other people to discover.Recycling a great read is the best way to go!Also, the staff has always been great and very helpful.

A great selection of books at discount prices. Not just the usual bargain bin materials that merit the discount, but pristine high‐quality used works both of fiction and non fiction. The art section is fantastic, as is the history area. It also offers an decent selection of foreign language books, with French being well represented.

Volunteered here for work and I have to say it was not only fulfilling teaching these kids, but amazingly fun!!! The teachers (Rhianon was mine) were so knowledgeable and patient. They had fantastic lessons planned and walked through how the lesson was going to go with us for about 20 mons before the kids arrived.When the kids got there, they were SO EXCITED! We discussed how setting plays a role in your writing and how it relates to character development. We watched 2 Toy Story clips to compare Andy and Sid. We did a drawing/description game and ended with the kids reading/performing their ideal bedroom complete with portals to other dimensions, unicorns, and an unlimited supply of chocolate! 5 huge stars.This place is also a bookstore so I highly recommend checking it out. All books are donated so they sell them to make the profits to run all their writing workshops. What a great place!!

I’m not exaggerating when I say that everything about it is perfect: a bountiful collection of books, comfortable surroundings, wonderful staff and fair prices.

By far one of my favorite used book stores in Chicago. Why doesnt every book store have comfy seats to sit in while considering a book??Was super impressed by their Sci-fi & Fantasy section.

Awesome place! Books make me happy and you can find a lot of titles there!

Lovely used book store

Never knew this was only 2 blocks away from me. Cozy store, massive selection and great prices.

Fantastic store. Friendly staff. Serving an essential mission. Buy your books here.

I didnt really talk to the workers there but I did catch them talking to other people. Not intentionally. They were super nice and so attentive. Their selection was decent, better than I expected. And prices were good. It reminded me of old libraries I used to visit as a kid. If I lived in the area, this would be my go-to. I particularly liked their music and philosophy sections, and all the classics they had.

I love this place! They sell new and used books. Plus you cant beat these prices. They have books for adults, teens, children, and toddlers.

There are a few solid bookstores in the city, but I wind up here more often than not.

This place is really cool! I was with a child so I only explored the Childrens Area but I cant wait to go back and explore for myself!The kids area was clean and well kept, some great finds and a clean play area!

Great place - smells clean and not musty.

Helpful staff and great selection, even if youre looking for something newer or obscure. The books are well-organized and nearly all of them are in very good condition. Prices are fair, low enough that you may pick up more than you came in for.

Wonderful store with such great treasures and affordable books!

Nice bookstore with lot of good books and reasonable prices

This is the best used book store I have ever gone to. The books are in good condition and are a great price. I have bought dozens of books from this store and recommended it to anyone who loves reading. The store is beautiful and the staff is helpful and friendly. I have also ordered online and the books came quickly and in great condition. They have also done an amazing job with making the store safe during COVID-19. If you are looking for a perfect bookstore, look no further!

Great place, great selection, great prices! We donate all the books weve read to Open Books!

Easily one of the best bookstores in the city. I come here about twice a month and always leave with a huge pile of new books to read. I give them 5 stars alone for their literacy programs. Educating children is one of the best things a business can do IMO. Not to mention they have a huge!!! section or books. Everything from best seller to old classics to comic books to poetry. My personal favorite is Scifi but I love spending time just walking between the rows of shelves just exploring. You could get lost in here forever. Also the books are very reasonably priced since they are mostly second hand. They also sell tshirts (I got one and its super comfy). Only downside is that theres no wifi or parking but its super accessible by CTA. I wouldnt go as far as to say its a hidden gem but its a worthy business that you need to check out.

This place is awesome. They have new releases, and a ton of used books. Their prices are good, and I always walk out with a stack of books from here

Fabulous bookstore, filled with wonderful, previously owned books ...All proceeds go towards reading programs for underserved Chicagoans ...I dropped off 2 bags of books

I dont know whether to say its a good thing or bad, but I bought 4 books in one go! Coolest place

My new favorite book store!!!

Great place for affordable books!

Excellent variety and prices

Big selection, discount prices. Easy metered parking.

Non profit book store, very clean and organized wonderful staffIts very welcoming place for kids and adults.It regularly Have lots of activaty and help for kids.Have inviting kids area and feel a very happy place.Ended up buying lots of books. Will come back there often.Did I say how welcoming this place is. The bathrooms are gems...artistically decorated...you should admire the pictures and articles on the walls.

Great staff, incredible selection and fantastic prices.

Truly a gem. Easily one of the best bookstores in the world

As an avid bookstore lover this place was a pleasant surprise. It doesnt look large from the outside and when you walk in and see the three rooms filled with rows of books its a book lovers dreams. Lots of variety withing each section for adults, teens and children. Great store. Great prices .

Stopped in to see if they had one of my favorite books, and it couldn’t have been easier to find on the shelves which are ordered by genre then author.The cashier was extremely pleasant, and they had a cool donation gimmick where a dollar for a children’s reading organization got you a free mystery booksCouldn’t have been happier with my experience!

Wonderful staff. Seemingly truly enjoy their job! Eager to help. I loved that they were able to tell me if they had a book or not. Reasonable prices... most books barely even used. Any book worms paradise!

Great place to buy used books. You can drop off and donate old books too. They have regular promotions as well, great selections for adults and kids. Well worth the trip and they give back to the community. Big thumbs up

This place is amazing! The staff are all super friendly and helpful and they have a fantastic selection of books available. 11/10

Great selection of used books with very helpful staff.

The staff here is great. Very knowledgeable and friendly. There are books in every genre imaginable. I wouldve liked to see a bigger selection of science fiction, but thats me in every bookstore.

Open Books is a treasure spot in Chicago. Magical, this bookstore makes you feel far from time and we are happy they resist the Amazon generation. Is is also a non profit which sell used books, some rare pearls too, have a big corner and program of activities for children. They organize free writing and reading workshops for schools and family. The team is amazing, the place and atmosphere wonderful.

Quaint book store with some great books at low prices

If you a person that loves to read, but also loves to hold wherever you are reading, this place is for you!!! Go ahead and ask the gentleman at this store will go and see if they have it in their extensive library!!!

Open Books is one of the best used book stores in Chicago, and it even has a nice selection of recent books discounted for its customers. The proceeds from this shop support literacy programs in the area, and so shopping here benefits many. Fiction figures strongly here, and do not miss the good selection of science fiction and fantasy. The mystery section is also quite rich. Drama is also worth consulting. The prices are fair, the condition very good to like new. One useful feature of Open Books is the membership, which supports the store and pro uses customers with discounts throughout the year. There are also some sidewalk does and other promotion that make the place even more affordable. Music and music books are found here, but not recordings. The vintage paperbacks are often worth skimming for some treasures not otherwise available.

Open Books is my favorite Bookstore! They have a wide selection, and even a great kids section! They also regularly have sales on their already cheap books. They sell brand new, as well as second hand books. And they have free parking!

Great place to relax and buy used books. The bonus is that the money goes for educational charities. The staff are volunteers so some have good customer service skills and some do not. I recommend going often as the inventory is in flux. Well organized and good variety. Perk: you get purchase points for donating books.

Cheep used books store (more than a $1 box at a thrift store but way more organized than that too). They have a wonderful selection and all of the profits are going to programs to support literacy so you can feel good about your purchase too. If youre looking for something specific you can ask the workers to look it up for you, but you should always browse because you never know what you might find !

Great selection and a great organization to support.

Great concept. Its a cross between a library and a book store. The staff is very helpful and the store is well organized.

Excellent place, great books though you gotta do a lot of search. Has a very hipster feel to it, and the prices are very good ($5-$8 for recent best-sellers). The employees and volunteers are super nice and helpful. A definite to-go in Chicago!

A diverse selection of books at affordable prices. I appreciate that theres plenty of sitting area in the store.

I love Open Books. Everyone who works there is a volunteer, and theyre super nice and actually ENJOY what theyre doing. They take donations, and proceeds go to support literacy programs in the city. The books are inexpensively priced. Also, they let you rent out the space (which is sweet) for parties and such. I am absolutely going to do a party there.

Awesome place with mission and great used books. This volunteer supported bookstore uses proceeds to fund its literacy programs in the Chicago area. Book lovers can feel really good about supporting this bookstore.

Discovered this book store during a brief business trip to Chicago. I found many interesting books, and purchased several of them. This store feels like a little community center. There are local volunteers help running the store, and people donate their used or unused books. The proceeding from book sale funds the literature workshops for under privileged kids.

Really amazing used book store! Great selection and everytime that Im there, Im shocked by how organized it is. Easy to find books on your list or just to pick up something new that inspired you. The prices are hard to beat. They also have a good selection of new books, and the proceeds go to help fund literacy initiatives in the city.

Lovely ambiance. I bought 2 books here. Both in great condition and at a very good price. The fellow working the counter was helpful and very kind.

Proceeds go to charity, great idea!They tell you thank you for supporting ‘’our cause’’ without explaining what it is. Nowadays, one hopes businesses that market themselves as non-profit are truly what they claim they are.Customer service is much better that Barnes and Noble on Van Buren/Jackson, but sometimes doesn’t meet expectations.Email notifications seem to be rushed and abbreviated.After all, the location, selection of books, the display and lay out of the business are well designed.

Beautifully organized, helpful staff. Peaceful atmosphere

Pretty good prices. They have a really cute teen and kids section in the back. I bought 4 books for $20 instead of going someplace like Barnes and nobles and getting 1 book and spending even more on that.

I am a school teacher and we did an awesome field trip there where they helped the students write stories.The book store is also very nice. Books are in great condition and prices are good.

Giant bookstore with awesome selection and friendly, helpful staff. Great used books selection. Programs that support literacy in chicago so you can feel good about fueling your reading addiction.

This bookstore is 100% amazing!! All the books are donated and the store is non-profit, even offering workshops for teens and kids. The selection is always varied and the customer service is always helpful. Sometimes they offer $20 boxes of books, which, although having hits and a lot of misses, are really intriguing and expand your reading horizon. Great decor and service, and they have candy sometimes.

A plethora of books

Horrible. They misrepresent the condition of items ( I purchased a like new book which was an old ex-library book without a dust cover, but with many stamps and labels as well as water damage). When I tried to return it, they wanted me to pay return shipping! Go elsewhere-anywhere but this place.

I love this place. Very cheap book in great condition. To be honest anytime I get paid I come here and by 1 or more because it such a great place to by books. Totally recommend!!!

I used to spend entire afternoons here. Really special bookstore and community space.

Great Book store!! And they do a lot of work for LGBTQAAII, POC, workers rights, womens rights, and childrens literacy.

Great used bookstore that also operates as an education center. They have a great selection of fiction books.

Best used Bookshop in Chicago. And all sales aid city wide literacy programs.