April 23, 2025
This Saturday will be the twelfth annual Independent Bookstore Day
I am pleased to say that it seems that our local celebration grows each year. This time, 53 stores in the city and suburbs will be participating in our crawl – seven more than in 2024. Who says the future isn’t indie?
April 26, 2025
One Day. Fifty States. Over a Thousand Bookstores.
For more information, visit Chilovebooks.com
A few highlights to know, in case you want to participate in the crawl:
--If we are the first bookstore you visit on that day, Thank You!
--Please let the person at the counter know that you are participating in the crawl. You will be provided with a Passport that has a spot for the store to stamp to commemorate your visit.
--NO purchases are necessary. You can just visit any of the stores and get a stamp at each one for your passport. (Though we dare you not to find something to buy if you go to all those wonderful Indies around Chicago in one day).
--If you already have your passport from visiting another great Indie here in the city, awesome. Just remember to ask us to stamp your passport whether you buy something or not.
Good luck and have fun!
Oh, did I forget to mention that we will reward you if you visit a lot of us that day? Here’s the kicker:
-- If you visit TEN stores on
Independent Bookstore Day, then you will get 10%
off at all participating
bookstores for an ENTIRE YEAR!
-- IF you visit FIFTEEN
stores on Independent Bookstore Day, then you will get 15% off at all participating
bookstores for an ENTIRE YEAR!
For more information, visit Chilovebooks.com
There are so many ways to participate in the crawl this year.
--You could map out a route on public transit.
--Map out a driving route
--For the second year in a row, we are offering bus routes so that you can relax and do our crawl in style. Today is the last day for tickets. We have a few left on the Western route. Hurry!
--For the first time there is also a bike route this year. It begins at Sandmeyer's Bookstore in the South Loop.
--You could even run your route.
We've also seen people rent a limo for the day and do the crawl that way. Why not make it as much fun as possible?
Even if you don’t want to participate in the Crawl, we have all kinds of goodies to help you celebrate with us.
Our friends at some of the major publishing houses have come up with specially priced Indie Bookstore Day editions of some of their books. They have even released some new content and/or signed editions. Here are the books and swag we will be putting on sale on Saturday:
What You Are Looking For is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama
This is an indie exclusive edition of the $18.99 paperback
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
A signed new release of Tremblay’s latest hardback for $30
Exclusively available at Indies on 4/26/25
Frog and Toad coloring book by Arnold Lobel
We don’t want to leave the kids (or young at heart) out.
A $7.99 coloring book of the images – and a story – from the classic series
Late Night Book Club Mini Tote
Publisher: Out of Print
Retail Price: $18
Specs: 10.5 by 10.5 inches
Description: The mini-tote bag designed by Out of Print is the perfect accessory for book lovers of all ages. Carry your lunch, favorite paperback or various sundries in this fun-sized tote. 100% cotton canvas and made in the USA.
If you just want to come and support after-words on Independent Bookstore Day, here are some in-store promotions available only that day that you can take advantage of:
While Supplies Last!
Spend $30 get the IBD tote with a store button, store pen and IBD sticker
Spend $60 get the IBD tote with a store button, store pen and IBD sticker, and a free Frog and Toad coloring book
Spend $150 get the IBD tote with a store button, store pen and IBD sticker, a free Frog and Toad coloring book, and a free copy of Paul Tremblay’s signed indie exclusive edition of Horror Movie.
There may be a surprise in your bag depending on when you visit us on Independent Bookstore Day!
We hope to see you.
May 15, 2025
Deep Dish Readings
6:30 pm
after-words event space
Launched in January 2004 to promote literary quality in speculative fiction, the Speculative Literature Foundation addresses historical inequities in access to literary opportunities for marginalized writers. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for any literature with a speculative or fantastical element, anything that isn’t strictly realist, such as science fiction, fantasy, folklore, fairy tales, ghost stories, and more.
The Deep Dish Reading will have two featured readers, Fannie Price and Beth Kander, who read for about 20 minutes apiece and then 6-8 "rapid fire'' readers, who give short 2–3-minute readings.
This is a FREE event and open to the public.
Click here for more information on the Speculative Literature Foundation.
