There’s nothing like the smell of an independent bookstore or the thrill of finding your new favorite literary spot. Read up on these favorite booksellers around the Midwest, and one or two a bit closer to home, and start planning your next literary road trip. Your bookshelves will thank you.
If you’re looking to stay a little closer to town and you’ve never been to Evanston’s Bookends & Beginnings, your afternoon is set. It’s quaint, with a stooped ceiling and an old-book smell, and has nothing on the stature of the other massive bookshops on this list. You’ll find it tucked away at the end of an alley off Sherman Avenue, and it’s every bit as a diamond in the rough as it seems. Their shelves, tables, and stacks of books are interspersed with handmade jewelry, clothing, notebooks, and other accessories for the average book lover. Come for one of their frequent community events or just to get lost in the atmosphere.
Bookends & Beginnings, 1712 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL, USA, +1 224 999 7722